Riddle Solved
October 19th, 2019
Now we know.
Some things happen for a reason. And now it seems we have an answer for a very puzzling move earlier this week by the Bucs.
After the International Embarrassment in London, the Bucs cut wide receiver, punt returner Bob Wilson. That wasn’t the surprise. Also released was linebacker Devante Bond.
The latter very much surprised Joe.
Now Joe isn’t about to claim Bond is the next Derrick Brooks. But at the very least, Bond was a solid special teams player and an excellent reserve linebacker.
Bond, who Joe found to be a very smart man, may have been the team’s best tackler from a fundamentals standard. Dude was textbook at tackling, a lost art it seems in the NFL.
It just seemed very odd to cut Bond. But now we have a very good reason why the Bucs may have parted ways. Friday on his Instagram stories account, with his phone battery about dead, Bond posted a message that he was popped for PED violation by Roger Goodell’s henchmen. Thus, he was going to be suspended.
So the Bucs beat the NFL to the punch and released him.
So yes, there was a reason the Bucs made this odd move. We just needed a few days for it to surface.
(Props to Jenna Laine of ESPN for digging this up.)
October 19th, 2019 at 1:01 am
Licht should be released fo taking PNE products…. performance non-enhancing…. can’t wait till this joke of a GM is gone!!!
October 19th, 2019 at 1:30 am
We could use Bond, not sure why you don’t hang on to him through his suspension. It’s not like we’re stacked at LB. With Minter and Bond playing ST, either one of them could get hurt. There goes the depth at LB.
October 19th, 2019 at 1:58 am
Stupid move releasing him. He’s one of the teams’ best tacklers for sure
October 19th, 2019 at 2:02 am
Licht is a dumpster fire
October 19th, 2019 at 2:29 am
Bond was a quality depth piece. Strange how this never happens in quality orgs as often as this one.
October 19th, 2019 at 5:36 am
FIRE 🔥 LICHT
October 19th, 2019 at 5:42 am
Lets see benched qbs in the nfl ?? giants, panthers , titans, miami, who am i missing? Wont even mention qbs injured and there backups are playing great… bucs coaches dont have the BALLS TO make the decision
October 19th, 2019 at 6:21 am
Agree totally with your assessment Joe … “Bond was a solid special teams player and an excellent reserve linebacker.” With Bucannon released & Cichy injured, that leaves us with Mincey & Dawkins as ‘depth’ LBs inside with Barrett, Nassib & Nelson outside (Bond did serve as depth inside & outside). Still not bad, but one more injury could change all that in a heartbeat.
I’m surprised too that Bucs released him. He was still on his 1st contract (through the end of this year), but MAYBE he wasn’t in their plans going forward. Since his pending suspension would’ve probably eaten up half the remaining games this season, MAYBE they saw no value in keeping him around for now IF they were intending to re-sign him later.
October 19th, 2019 at 6:24 am
Oops, missed a word (… ‘NOT re-sign him later’) in last sentence.
October 19th, 2019 at 6:24 am
Might see him back in the spring. Might not.
October 19th, 2019 at 6:27 am
Ah yes, the Henchmen.
Popping players for cheating.
…….. what a hassle.
October 19th, 2019 at 6:28 am
Bond put the team in a bad situation. So did Bobo. A previous article by Joe laid out the various levels actions based on your value. These guys were dealt with for their actions and level of ability.
BA is a results guy, he will keep ramping up the pressure until you turn into a diamond or crack.
My guess is there is more to come. And with the accountability charts they share as a team, they know exactly who they are, what they need to do and the results if don’t
In BA I Trust!
October 19th, 2019 at 7:07 am
Wonder if BA and Licht are on the accountability charts? What’s fair is fair.
October 19th, 2019 at 8:00 am
I am growing weary of complaining…
October 19th, 2019 at 8:08 am
I’m sure they can always grab him again in the offseason it’s not like anyone else in the nfl will see him as a key contributor, only losing organizations like the bucs are out looking for special teams help in the middle of a season, the winners are looking for key trades to put them over the top
October 19th, 2019 at 8:16 am
I wonder if he has to be on a team for his suspension to actually count.
October 19th, 2019 at 8:50 am
I called it
October 19th, 2019 at 9:03 am
Here’s a riddle, a team has a bye week, they are 2-4 and don’t have a single practice until the Tuesday of the game week. Not a walk through or anything, glad to see we don’t need to improve anywhere prior to the Tennessee game
October 19th, 2019 at 9:09 am
These poor guys never take steroids and never have any idea how it happened. I would respect them more if they just said yeah, I tried to get an edge, got caught and will serve the punishment. Instead it is always a supplement, sports drink, or my personal favorite and the one I would use if I were caught cheating was medicine for ADHD.
October 19th, 2019 at 9:17 am
Poll….how many years has it been since you had Buc flags flying from your car ?
October 19th, 2019 at 10:25 am
Bond sucks. Another over rated player by sub standard Buc fans. The guys been injured most of his career while not even playing full time. Go ahead name one game saving play, or any big play Bond has ever made during his career. Crickets. He hasn’t, he never will, why hold a roster stop for a back up loser. Up your standards Buc fans.
October 19th, 2019 at 12:22 pm
Bond was always hurt and never did a thing. Now he gets popped for PEDs. I get it.
October 19th, 2019 at 2:03 pm
Lol you guys will blame anything under the sun except the real source of the problem. But….I suppose it makes you toxic in professional media circles if you harp on the true source of the problem. Fortunately, for the unwashed masses, Howard does not give an f
October 21st, 2019 at 9:12 am
Howard needs to be given a fitness for duty exam to see if he has a shoulder, arm, or hand injury costing him to miss or drop passes. If fit for duty he needs to be held accountable and benched and his job given to Auclair who is a better blocker than O.J. and same height and bulk and can catch passes too. Also try some two TE formations with Auclair and Brate. Then make O.J. up his attitude and catches when he is given a chance to regain his position.
October 21st, 2019 at 9:18 am
Oh and stop wasting downs relying on little Miller as our speed WR. Commit to using Watson as our speed WR and have Watson develop chemistry with Jameis.