CBS: Bucs Swung And Missed On A “Top” Corner In Free Agency
April 24th, 2025
Intrigue.
Now this throwaway line in a mock draft certainly caught Joe’s attention.
(Joe is often asked by civilians why Joe is on his phone all the time. Simple: Hunting for news and not wanting to get caught with Joe’s pants down on breaking news. This drives Ira Kaufman batty, too . Joe once got into a huge argument with Ira at a sports bar on this very subject. When exactly did someone with a journalism degree with a business covering an NFL team trying to stay abreast of news, developments and background all of a sudden become a vice?)
So this morning, sifting through Twitter — sorry Elon, it will always be “Twitter” to Joe — Joe was catching up on the news. This is not unlike when you used to see Grandpa wrestle with his morning newspaper getting ink all over the place. It’s draft day, there’s a lot of news floating out there.
Joe came across a twitter from Jonathon Jones of CBS. He does one mock draft and one only — that certainly got Joe’s antennae up. A man who respects the process!
So Joe read the mock. He had Michigan corner Will Johnson as the Bucs’ pick at No. 19. But that’s not the story. Here is the very first sentence Jones had in his capsule on the Bucs selecting Johnson:
The Bucs tried to get a corner in free agency and missed out on their top targets.
Whoa! So who were the Bucs after? Charvarius Ward? Byron Murphy? Kristian Fulton?
Jones did not detail who the Bucs targeted. Only that the Bucs were hunting for a “top” target.
And that is the reason Jones thinks the Bucs will draft Johnson this evening. Joe wouldn’t have learned this by not sifting through Twitter like civilians and Ira criticize.
It always pays to be informed.
April 24th, 2025 at 10:48 am
Without names, it’s just some random untrustworthy crap.
April 24th, 2025 at 10:48 am
Not a big surprise.
April 24th, 2025 at 10:56 am
Yeah, I’d like to hear more details. Does this guy have any inside connection to the Bucs?
And maybe the reason we didn’t get anybody is they were all wanting too much money? Especially since Licht can get a starting CB in the mid-rounds like usual… and for chump change for a few years.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:03 am
Not too shocking really considering how much Bowles has talked about wanting to add corners
April 24th, 2025 at 11:08 am
Maybe a highly sought after CB didn’t want to play 95% zone coverage?
Maybe a corner saw a more competent defensive scheme in place
April 24th, 2025 at 11:09 am
Deans knee may be done.
The Bucs know it.
Maybe a 1st round CB could happen.
Then they will cut Dean.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:09 am
CB will be drafted in the first 2 rounds, 3 rounds for sure. I think everyone knows that.
On a different draft note…. I will be interested to see what the Steelers accomplish in the first 2 rounds. If they don’t get a QB… Trask to the Steelers for their 4th?
April 24th, 2025 at 11:10 am
I have seen Johnson consistently taken ahead of 19
about 30-50% of the time.
So it’s entirely possible he won’t be there if that’s who they are in love with fit wise . Might have to move up if they get antsy.
😆😆😆
I just thought of something a near universal truism
The FO will say with whomever they pick that it’s who they wantec all along 😎😎😎
April 24th, 2025 at 11:11 am
The affordability quotient cannot be ignored. Jason knows. Drink up me buccos, yoho.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:18 am
Enough with the conspiracy theories! Licht rarely if ever misses someone he is determined to get.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:20 am
DBS always struggle in Bowles scheme. We have not had a consistently good DB since #20 retired.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:23 am
Ok. So objectively, as an informed devil’s advocate on financial markets’ matters, the network/entity known as CBS owned by Paramount, is majorly in financial trouble for a while now. So this matters because NO one with proven credibility goes to a work at a network that’s about to lose its Sunday NFL programming package in next TV deal to Netflix, due to low ratings and inability to bid on the package.
Translation…there’s no paychecks at CBS. NONE of reasonable credible note. Thus no one worth credibly listening to, on the website, TV arm, satellite radio arm, none. Especially one replacing the failed LaCant4ya guy. Nih uh.
They would say just about anything, anywhere.
Informed. Up to you.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:24 am
Civilians? Settle down 00Joe.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:39 am
Feels like Murphy bc cardinals and Arians/Bowles?
Ward would’ve been a good fit too.
Who knows?
Still thinking about trading our pick for Trey Hendrickson tonight, hell yeah!
April 24th, 2025 at 11:44 am
Nice catch! Good reporting, like most things, is 90% perspiration.
April 24th, 2025 at 11:51 am
Paying big free agent money to sign a cornerback is not a winning strategy. I’m glad they whiffed on it.
April 24th, 2025 at 12:11 pm
I am beting that no way cinncy gets a first for Hendrickson..maybe not even 2 ND. He is only under contract for 1 more year.
April 24th, 2025 at 12:16 pm
Matthew Golden
April 24th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
My Bucs big board (based on projected available players at 19)
1. J. Barron (CB-Texas)
2. J. Campbell (ILB-Alabama) if medical checks out
3. M. Hairston (CB-Kentucky)
4. N. Emmanwori (S-South Carolina)
5. M. Starks (S-Georgia)
April 24th, 2025 at 12:34 pm
I agree that the best and boldest move is trading for Hendrickson tonight. Then you have a rotation with Diaby, Reddick and him. Keeping them all fresh and we go QB hunting like the glory days
April 24th, 2025 at 12:35 pm
So the worst passing defense in the nfl last year wanted a corner in free agency imagine that
April 24th, 2025 at 12:35 pm
I like the 1st round Edges in this draft more than any other position.
April 24th, 2025 at 12:40 pm
So how does he know? Sources? More “Misinformation”?
April 24th, 2025 at 12:46 pm
How about let’s draft a player, who has proven he can stay on the field! We need to find some good “iron man” players!
April 24th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
some of you guys are just delusional no trading out of the first round if there is a superstar corner get it if not take Campbell if not trade back and get eziraku and the worst passing defense in the nfl last year wanted a corner in free agency imagine that
April 24th, 2025 at 2:08 pm
calling BS on the reasoning. It the Bucs were after a big name CB, between all of the access media and Twitter and rumor boards and agent leaks and… and… and… and… we’d have heard about this before now.
Besides, this was *who* saying this again? Not that I’ve literally never heard of him, but he’s not exactly high up in the list of reporters I’d trust specifically regarding insider Bucs knowledge. And then to drop that bomb without even mentioning who it was that the Bucs were after?
Somthing’s a little sus, as the youngs say.
April 24th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
I’m guessing they tried to sign charvarius ward and lost the sweepstakes battle that being said there are a couple great CB prospects thruout the 1st 3 rounds that fit bowles schemes so if we hit on one we got a younger cheaper number 1 rather than a vet with a top 10 salary 😉
April 24th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
Be careful calling it Twitter the little who maniac might try to shut down the website lol
April 24th, 2025 at 3:25 pm
If the Bucs could pick up a CB at 19 (Barron or Johnson), then I could see Dean being traded during the draft so Licht could pick up another pick in the 3rd.
April 24th, 2025 at 3:27 pm
My sources tell me the Bucs attempted to trade for Patrick Mahomes this offseason but were rebuffed, this means they’ll likely take a QB in the 1st round. If it doesn’t happen it’s because the QB they wanted was taken. The Bucs also attempted to get Aaron Donald to come out of retire but were again rebuffed, this likely means they’re going to focus on taking a DT in the 1st round. This of course could cause a conflict since they only have one 1st round pick, but my sources say the Bucs are ‘clever’ and will figure out a way to make it work.