Todd Bowles Labeled A Free Agency Weapon
March 13th, 2024
Is Todd Bowles somehow great for the salary cap?
It’s an interesting concept for the Bucs because they have so many quality in-house players to re-sign.
Joe will focus for a moment on Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Lavonte David and kicker Chase McLaughlin, who all re-signed recently for big money.
Is it possible each guy took 5 or 10 percent less to stay in Tampa, in part because they like playing for Bowles and his staff, and the overall culture Bowles has created?
If so, then perhaps the Bucs saved $5 million under the cap this season (money to help buy a legit edge rusher?) because of Bowles.
Joe isn’t sure that’s reality, but it was a theory floated by noted former Jets assistant coach and personnel chief Pat Kirwan during his SiriusXM NFL Radio show. The Bucs keeping their core at solid rates sparked Kirwan’s take.
“It says how much the players — yeah, the money’s nice — but it also says something about how they feel about Todd Bowles,” Kirwan said. “They know they can win with that guy. He’s a weapon, the most understated head coach in the league.”
March 13th, 2024 at 12:00 pm
How can a coach that shows that little amount of emotion, persuade athletes to make such an emotional decision to seek less money?! This should be studied. From the outside looking in, there is nothing about to enthusiasm or demeanor of Todd Bowles. But players rave about him. And clearly want to play for him. What am I missing as a fan? I have no passion for our coach but I really want to.
Go Bucs!
March 13th, 2024 at 12:01 pm
the guys played hardball with licht for the most part..
March 13th, 2024 at 12:02 pm
Remember when GoatFarmer used to attack Bowles daily in here?
March 13th, 2024 at 12:08 pm
And yet we still signed all our guys to under market contracts. Maybe it’s possible a passive fan just doesn’t see what the players see? Inconceivable!
To be fair Kirwan is probably a biased source
March 13th, 2024 at 12:14 pm
Rover Says…
What am I missing as a fan? I have no passion for our coach but I really want to.
…….
Maybe it is refreshing not to hear all the rah rah crap. These guys heard it all before. Bowels being an ex player has walked in their shoes before and probably relates to them on a whole different level that others coaches don’t. The Millennial Mindset, is please never yell at me and it works with them.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Generally, I tend to think there is too much hate on Bowles.
But really the same thing has happened with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning got bunches of players for less than market value.
No state income taxes and a great place to live might be part of the reasons as much as the coach.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:20 pm
Let’s go get Chase Young. He’s only 24!
March 13th, 2024 at 12:22 pm
I don’t know about the offense players, but the D players clearly love the guy
March 13th, 2024 at 12:23 pm
I like the core players we brought back. It’s the void that’s left that’s concerning right now.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:25 pm
I don’t understand why anyone would take a pay cut to stay , assuming the state tax situation in another location isn’t material. Like others here, I must be missing something on Bowles. I think he is a lower tier coach with a good roster. Think a better coach could win more games with the same roster.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:26 pm
Chargers still over the cap. Edge rushers will come from them later today is my guess.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:35 pm
Good observation Dew, Khalil Mac and Joey Bosa will probably get released. I’d Pefer Mac because Bosa has been brittle.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:44 pm
We see snippets of the coach during a 3-hour game. Usually stoic with arms folded. We see absolutely nothing of him during the rest of the week. Aside from coach speak laden press conferences. We have absolutely no idea what this guy is like on a day-to-day basis. We’ve also seen snippets of him being jovial and animated post game a few times. Point is, these players spend so much more time with him than we seem to imagine. And in that context I can see this being an actual thing.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:52 pm
Since none of us, not even Joe and anyone else from the Media have 24/7 access to Bowles, it’s all speculation. Is there room for improvement? Sure, but for myself, I think TB has done well with the hand he was dealt and has the respect of his players.
Can’t remember which coach said it, but the gist was, the quickest way to becoming a fan, is to start listening to them and taking their advice.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:56 pm
What a joke, Bowles is death by 1000 cuts, not to other teams but to our fan base. He’s terrible.
March 13th, 2024 at 12:57 pm
Maybe we can trade for khalil mack and get a restructure.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:01 pm
I’m on the side of ‘I’m missing something’.
I can see the players liking him because of his demeanor in the locker room, sure.
But I also see some (IMO) blatant game time coaching mistakes. The type of mistakes that help a loaded roster to a sub par season. Exactly the history of his coaching career.
I want desperately for Bowles to succeed, because that means my favored team is winning.
So far, over two seasons, he is exactly .500 with a solidly above average roster.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:05 pm
Florida is why these players stay, Bowles is a horrible head coach look right after the season most of his coaches bolted out the door or retired. Look what he said when the georgia wide receiver coach was hired by the Bucs, he said he seems to be a good coach I don’t know why he left georgia. Probably he wanted to the NFL like Todd Monken. What a jerk.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:06 pm
All you have to do is look at the quality characters of the players on this team……player after player…..genuinely great persons.
I credit Jason Licht for his drafts and to some extent FAs……..Gains, Edmonds are good examples in FA…….
Draft picks too many to name all….but we can start with Otton, White, Vea, Kancey, Evans, Godwin…..the list goes on and on.
No divas!!!.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:18 pm
Quality players are disappearing, we gonna bring anyone in??????
March 13th, 2024 at 1:19 pm
Totally happy we resigned our key pieces, but this ship has many holes that can’t be filled through the draft alone
March 13th, 2024 at 1:20 pm
The fans love’em til they hate’em, and that can turn in a minute , that’s the life of coaches!
March 13th, 2024 at 1:21 pm
The players like coach Bowles.
More importantly – they respect coach Bowles.
They respect Todd as a former player who played at a high level in the NFL and won a Super Bowl as a starting free safety despite his UDFA status (back when there were 12 rounds of drafting).
They respect his 30 years of NFL coaching experience – his vast knowledge of the game and his abilities to scheme and teach defensive intricacies to a degree that few coaches can.
They respect and are even sometimes able to draw strength when needed from coach Bowles’ steady and even-keeled nature.
They also respect and appreciate Todd’s investment in them personally. Because a really good coach is not just talking to his players about football – he’s talking to them about life and personal challenges and is helping guide them to become better men….
March 13th, 2024 at 1:27 pm
Idk his player union report card grade wasn’t impressive.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:37 pm
I can’t believe the love for todd in here. have you gauys been watching different games. He makes in game calls that a 10 year old knows is the wrong call. He also does not adjust at the half. The team literally shows up some weeks like they are completely unprepared. Does everyone not remember starting a game and knowing in the 1st qtr whether the team showed up or not?
the vets are probably happy they got paid and did not have to move…so they can thank him for that. (but would we have been better in a different direction)
cray cray up in here.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:42 pm
@Pickgrin – excellent as far as it goes.
There is another aspect. Players appreciate coaches who are clear in their expectations, and not ‘screamers’ or playing games with them to ‘motivate’ them. Good coaches know how to get the best effort out of every individual player. They communicate their expectations clearly, give good feedback on specific performance, listen to the player’s concerns, and then try to maximize each individual’s performance. NONE of this will show publically, except that players will state they LOVE playing for that guy. I believe this is why Todd is so well liked by his players… as a former player himself, he get’s that.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:53 pm
Jordan Whitehead just signed with the Bucs.
2 years @ $9M plus incentives.
Great move.
March 13th, 2024 at 1:58 pm
Bucs got Whitehead!!!
March 13th, 2024 at 1:58 pm
Et tu, Whitehead?
Nice FA haul!
March 13th, 2024 at 1:59 pm
Great News Marine Buc!
March 13th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Winning cures all perceptions. We get frustrated as fans when this team struggles, we want that frustration to play out from those leading the team. That’s just not Bowles, but you can just tell the guy is incredibly frustrated when his def craps the bed. Anyone watching Bowles locker room speech tells me everything I need to know, didn’t need this article to tell me this team plays for him, especially when they were down 4-7 mid-season.
Andy Reid doesn’t spill energy whatsoever, but he wins. Bowles continues with W’s and NFC South Titles, this fanbase will turn around.
March 13th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Jordan Whitehead is back.
LFG!!!!!!!!
March 13th, 2024 at 2:01 pm
What go to the market and risk that the only offers you get are 25% lower than asking price and have the team move on while they are shopping around?
Once you figure the tax benefit of staying in Florida it’s not really a reduction or Home Town discount. Don’t make them out to be anything special. I doubt any of them didn’t know exactly what they would need from another team to equal what each million in FL is as compared to say CA. That is some even had any interest coming from teams in the no tampering tampering period.
March 13th, 2024 at 2:02 pm
Pickgrin
Well said
March 13th, 2024 at 2:02 pm
Whitehead is home! Let’s gooooooo!
March 13th, 2024 at 2:02 pm
GOT WHITEHEAD FOR THE LOW
March 13th, 2024 at 2:10 pm
Jordan Whitehead….. SWEET!
March 13th, 2024 at 2:10 pm
Great deal. Bucs are having a solid offseason thus far.
March 13th, 2024 at 2:11 pm
Great signing now let’s get an edge rusher or two. lol.
March 13th, 2024 at 2:14 pm
WHITEHEAD IS COMING BACK BABY!!!!
March 13th, 2024 at 2:15 pm
solved the safety issue 🙂
welcome home Whitehead!!
March 13th, 2024 at 2:22 pm
Bosa or Mack?
March 13th, 2024 at 2:24 pm
@ Dew
Mack for a one year cheap incentive laden deal.
Bosa can’t stay healthy to save his life…
March 13th, 2024 at 2:25 pm
@ Pick
Whitehead was one of my hopeful signings when FA period began.
Excited to see him play again next to Winfield…
March 13th, 2024 at 2:26 pm
There is our Safety … Jordan Whitehead!
Now we are just an Edge Rusher 2, RB2, and IOL (C or G ) away!
March 13th, 2024 at 2:28 pm
Mack is 33
March 13th, 2024 at 2:31 pm
Marine Buc … ‘Jordan Whitehead just signed with the Bucs. 2 years @ $9M plus incentives.’
Best news I’ve heard all day. Now if we can just get SMB & Edwards back in the fold our Secondary will be a lot deeper.
March 13th, 2024 at 2:32 pm
SMB signed with Arizona
March 13th, 2024 at 2:33 pm
@Boss
What NFL team did you coach before?
March 13th, 2024 at 2:33 pm
Welcome home Jordan!!! LFG!!!!
Well done Jason! I’ll give Jason a 95 grade on this FA season. Please find us an edge guy now for a 100!!!!
March 13th, 2024 at 2:37 pm
@ Dew
“Mack is 33”
I know – that’s why I suggested a one year incentive laden deal…
Plus – even at 33 Mack is still more reliable than Bosa.
It probably won’t matter – more than likely the Bucs will drafting another pass rusher with our 1st or 2nd round pick come April.
March 13th, 2024 at 2:47 pm
As Dungy once proved, exceed expectations in this town you’ll be a Saint forever. Good luck Todd.
March 13th, 2024 at 3:00 pm
OH BOY … NEW LEVEL OF DUMB TODAY
The reason players “may” take less money to play in Tampa is NOT Bowles. It’s because Florida has 0% income tax.
Income Tax by State: CA 13%, NY 11%, DC 10%, MN 10%
Taking 5% reduced salary can be a 5%-8% net gain.
March 13th, 2024 at 3:18 pm
They All Hate Us, even when we are heading to the BIG Game. Right after that we have No Respect from the people
March 13th, 2024 at 3:47 pm
J … ‘I like the core players we brought back. It’s the void that’s left that’s concerning right now.’
Was thinking the same thing J, but keep telling myself ‘Hey, the FA period just begins today. Plenty of time to fill holes’.
Problem at this point is we don’t have plenty of MONEY to fill holes. I can see a lot of bargain shopping in FA, and hopefully we have a good draft to add a couple starters and depth.
With our schedule this year & our most likely roster, I could see us going say in the neighborhood of 10-7 or thereabouts (maybe a game better or worse) in 2024. Hopefully that’ll be good enough to win the NFC South crown, but I think it all depends on what Atlanta does this year.
March 13th, 2024 at 3:52 pm
Didn’t the players rate Bowles and the staff like a C or lower in listening to how they were used properly? I like the story, Joe, but it just doesn’t add up. Off the top of my head, only Jason and staff and the nutrition/strength coaches got good grades.
March 13th, 2024 at 4:45 pm
NO NO NO!!!!
Maybe a FA edge. Don’t waste picks in a trade.
I doubt a quality edge drops in the draft.
Maybe Licht can work some of his small school magic
on an edge rusher. But, it’s a week draft.
Better to take the best available, hopefully the top
center in round one.
There should be a quality WR available in rounds two and three.
March 13th, 2024 at 5:18 pm
we have a great front office…hopefully they’re quietly maneuvering for one ultra established edge guy
March 13th, 2024 at 8:10 pm
It’s not Boss who knows more than NFL players, coaches and GMs (Who all respect and loves Bowlers) its his 10 year old child who’s the NFL savant.
It’s always the dumbest most ignorant people who think they are so smart. Intelligent people realize they don’t know what they don’t know.
William Shakespeare said,
The fool thinks himself to be wise, while a wise man knows himself to be a fool.
March 13th, 2024 at 9:44 pm
@Sly Pirate
Hmmm what does each of those state have in common .
Think 🤔 leaders
March 13th, 2024 at 11:09 pm
I hope coach takes the next step in his development this year, Time Management needs to improve.