Rondé Barber: A Mystery At Receiver Prompted Bucs’ First-Round Pick
April 29th, 2025
Troubling take from Rondé Barber.
So the comments of Rondé Barber cannot be ignored when a minute prior to making them he told a story of being in the hallway of Bucs headquarters this month talking to both assistant Bucs general managers when rookie wide receiver prospect Matthew Golden (just drafted by the Packers) walked past him and into the office of Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht.
Yeah, Rondé’s an insider and doesn’t shy away from putting that out there.
He’s also got a new weekly show streaming across WFLA-TV platforms. WFLA is a Buccaneers official broadcast partner and Barber is the team’s longtime preseason game analyst and works for the Bucs’ website.
“The tea leaves in this pick [of receiver Emeka Ebuka in Round 1] tell you a couple of things,” Barber said. “No. 1, Mike Evans, No. 2, Chris Godwin, No. 3 [Jalen] McMillan; those three players are the top three wide receivers in Tampa right now. They believe something is up with one of them. So read the tea leaves in there.”
Co-host J.B. Biunno immediately followed up with Barber in an attempt to clarify his comment. Barber complied.
J. B. Biunno: So what you’re getting at is there’s something we don’t know about the current wide receiver room that maybe explains this pick in a way that we don’t fully understand at this moment.
Rondé Barber: 100 percent. That’s what I’m saying.
Whoa!
Barber sure seems to be contradicting the Bucs’ company line that the first-round pick of receiver Emeka Egbuka was all about best player available and had nothing to do with Chris Godwin’s injury rehab or anything other than a desire to secure as much explosive offense as possible.
Barber’s take should make every Bucs fans take pause. Has
Evans already expressed an interest in this being his final season? Is Godwin’s recovering ankle less responsive than hoped? Is McMillan’s ceiling viewed as that of a strong No. 3 receiver?
Again, ignoring Barber is typically the equivalent of a Bucs fan burying his or her head in the sand.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:18 am
Yikes….That sounds dire.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:20 am
Geez… Hope is McMillan’s ceiling because Godwin’s ankle or M1K3 retiring are too much paintful to me.
Or maybe a Godwin’s ankle for, say, the first 3-4 weeks of the season
April 29th, 2025 at 11:22 am
Joe – “Again, ignoring Barber is typically the equivalent of a Bucs fan burying his or her head in the sand.”
One of the smartest statements either Joe has ever made.
That is the only way to explain the drafting of a WR in round 1 with the needs we have on defense and the necessity to avoid injury riddled players.
I’ll take the word of a certified HOF CB over keyboard morons any day.
Licht drafts best with WRs, no questioning that. I trust him everytime there.
I’m just beside myself with shock that I heard EE’s name on the TV in the first round at 19.
We passed on some really high quality defensive players and my hope is we don’t get burned for such a risk.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:24 am
It’s BS until it’s not…..How could they possibly know JMac’s ceiling….Mike would not tell them it’s his last season….and even if he did he could still change his mind. Now, the Godwin injury is another matter….but there would be several boldface liars if that’s the case.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:26 am
Don’t like the sound of that. Hopefully he’s just being gloomy. We all know the joyride of Evans career won’t last forever but we all hope it continues. We all know that coming back from injuries is no guarantee but that if anyone can do it, it’s Godwin. And we all know that one good year doesn’t automatically equal a second great one (we all remember Clayton). So hopefully, Barber is just saying something unique over what all hardcore Buccaneer fans already can fathom.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:28 am
We’re gonna be fine. Whatever is going on, the organization and/or player isn’t ready for the public to know, but no matter what, we got a solid WR and individual who will hopefully be a Buc for years to come. It’s all good, but certainly interesting and I’m sure we’ll know what’s up at some point.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:29 am
To me, there isn’t a mystery. Evan’s has more days behind him than in front of him and Godwin is highly unlikely to be 100% for the early part of the season.
We are a team that wins with offense. Gotta have the horses.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:31 am
I think it’s the great, future HoFer Mike Evans. While the sentimental fan in me hoped he would go for 13 straight 1000 yard seasons to match his number, I wonder if how close the streak came to being broken last season really put things in perspective. Maybe he’s good with breaking the record by a season and calling it a career. If Mike is anything (besides consistent), it’s humble. I think it’s very telling that they said he’d be a “Buc for life” after he signed his last contract and they’ve made no attempt (as far as we know) to extend or restructure him. Just don’t think they give Godwin that contract with those guarantees if they have long term injury concerns. And the Pats were willing to give him even more with no history! And I don’t think you change your whole draft strategy because your WR3 isn’t working out as you’d hoped. Which he basically is anyhow. End of an era coming soon. Appreciate the man while you can.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:32 am
No bueno
April 29th, 2025 at 11:33 am
Yeah maybe Chris will be fully recovered but it’ll take him quite a few games to get to the point where he’s the workhorse he usually is. Took him a while to get his knee back to a 100%… even though he was out there playing he wasn’t the same. You don’t want to rush the ankle thing and Chris Godwin going full bore, healthy and ready to tear up the NFL through the month of December and into the playoffs could be a wonderful thing. Ebuka can maybe help carry the load early on?
April 29th, 2025 at 11:36 am
Cannon Says:
To me, there isn’t a mystery. Evan’s has more days behind him than in front of him and Godwin is highly unlikely to be 100% for the early part of the season.
^^^^^
Agreed. The Bucs don’t want to force Godwin back before he’s 100% healed. Bowles and Licht have used that approach the last few years with Cancey and others. They prefer to wait instead of risking further injury.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:36 am
My guess would be something is up with Godwin. Golden is a burner that can go downfield and while Evans isn’t quite a burner that’s what he does. They needed a guy like Godwin to help replace or duplicate what Godwin does. Also, who knows how Godwin is going to be mentally on the field when he gets back? Two big injuries like that I think would have anyone hesitate a little bit… no matter how much money they’re making.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:38 am
Evans is in his last year of his contract. He might be done after this year. How well would the team fair with Godwin and Mcmillan as the only two WR.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:38 am
Really lucky to have JoeBucsFan. You guys do a great job cheerleading, bashing, speculating, sharing, reporting.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:45 am
What Barber didn’t say was that he actually had information, rather than that he was speculating like the rest of us. Yeah, he may be connected, but if Godwin’s ankle isn’t responding, or McMillan has doubters in the room, does he get those tips even though the front office knows he’s going to spew that information publicly? Doubtful.
Barber also said we would take Golden. He wasn’t the only person who thought the Bucs might very well take a receiver. The signals were out there since the combine. And every single thinking fan who has observed this front office for years knew they either (a) were targeting receiver because they felt it was a need, or (b) were doing a great smokescreen.
It’s all nonsense until we see how things look going into training camp and through preseason. Even if Godwin is 100% and McMillan is the player he appeared to be down the stretch, I still think receiver was a need. There doesn’t have to be some secret under the surface to justify picking a WR.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:46 am
It is no secret that Chris Godwin has missed many games in multiple seasons. He misses games yearly, he body just flat has betrayed him, because it is not his heart, Chris is a stud when he is able to play.
Now onto to the resident HOF WR…
Mike is borderline grey beard, many bumps and bruises for the old stalwart stud.
How many times a game does Mike get up after a hit, and he looks like the walking wounded during a game at times, toughing out the latest collision that had a painful affect on him.
He is a stud, but he is not immortal.
Mike is a HOF receiver that is a given now for sure, but he is only human, with over a decade of playing a very violent game.
Wise 1st round pick…
GO BUCS!!!!!!!
April 29th, 2025 at 11:48 am
Please be ok Mike and give us a couple more years! Same with Chris who I would assume is ok after a new deal.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:48 am
It could be as little as Chris’s recovery will take a bit longer and his return may be delayed AND they want to limit his reps when he does come back.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:55 am
I strongly suspect this has to do with the 2nd year youngster
April 29th, 2025 at 11:55 am
When your biggest offensive weapon for several games last season was your TE Cade Otten then things need to be addressed for the following season. Do you think there is even the slightest chance that Evans, Godwin & McMillen are all three healthy for 17 games? No freaking way! Very Smart move if you ask me!
April 29th, 2025 at 11:56 am
Mike, Solid vet.
Chris, solid vet.
….
April 29th, 2025 at 11:58 am
Injuries add up as you age. Can’t be stopped just mitigated.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:58 am
FilthyAnimal
Always enjoy your posts, they are well thought out. And you sometimes “sneak” the same political philosophy I have into them.
This time though you just nailed what to me is kinda obvious but doesn’t generate “clicks”.
“There doesn’t have to be some secret under the surface to justify picking a WR.”
Yes ME13 is NEAR the end. I honestly believe that even he isn’t sure how much longer he’ll play. He hasn’t had the need the money for a long time and he’s never been an attention hog. I think he’s like LVD. After each season he’ll review and in the off season see if he has the fire in his belly. He “might” keep that fire for 3-4 more years and with his size and style a lost step will not hurt him.
CG14 MAY be totally healthy. As you suggest we’ll find out more when camp begins. But even if he comes back 100% it’s the second MAJOR injury he’s suffered. A 3rd could be the end.
So while like most I didn’t appreciate the pick at first I get it now and if Jason has pick the right D players like he did the offense last year…best 4th round pick in forever in Bucky…the Bucs will be fine.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
Godwin will not be ready until week 8.
And I’m okay with that
Don’t rush him back.
Be patient.
Go Bucs!
April 29th, 2025 at 12:06 pm
I can see Evans retiring after getting 12 straight 1000yds seasons. I don’t want to see him stay too long and have a 700yd season. 12 seasons, all over a 1000yds, a Super Bowl championship, that’d be a damn fine career.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:07 pm
Godwin will miss at least the first 8 games of the season. This kid is the new #2 receiver. Godwin will be traded after this season.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:08 pm
my guess is that M1ke, passes Rice and hangs it up after the year and they want to play it slow with Godwin
April 29th, 2025 at 12:09 pm
I’m thinking trade for DT or ILB. Probably McMillan. we need more depth on Defense.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
Barber has contacts in the organization. Hope he is wrong. Hopefully it’s just in case Evans or Godwin get injured, and they need somebody to step up. Shepard drops way too many balls and makes too many critical mistakes, MacMillian is a great complement, but he needs another WR out there.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:16 pm
It’s got to be that Godwin will not be available as soon as hoped.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:27 pm
Picking Emeka in round 1 makes sense to me, in the long term.
Even though I was shocked like everyone else when his name was called.
While Joe is right that Ronde has inside intel and it pays to pay attention to what he says, it could simply be what’s been discussed for months and is publicly known.
Mike may have quietly told the front office this’ll be his last season, or Chris is on track to return by week 1 but the team smartly wants to take it slow with him. Or it may be a few weeks into the season.
Or, it could a combination of the above.
I don’t see the team trading JMac after one season. True, he all but disappeared mid-season, but he came on strong at the end of the year.
Additionally, we hear talk all the time about how the coaching staff and front office like to think long term.
Trading JMac would go against that. Look at how long they gave JTS, who just never panned out.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:30 pm
Evans is last year and beyond NFL proven production age ….. that’s 1 and 2
3. Godwin is not a guarantee to be back to form at all .
4. Evans often fights a Hamstring
5. Do Yourself a favor and sign Keenan Allen and run him is some hybrid TE / Double slot sets .
6. If Godwin isn’t to form, Evans tweaks a hammy , which isn’t a reach? You had Shepard and McMillan and Shepherd always battling injuries and is up there in age……… So I would still seriously consider signing some veterans to add the needed depth in a 17 game NFL season and keep it Alan would be a tremendous fit with a weak TE room . Just his length in the red zone and against Nickel corners would be a whole new mismatch for him………..Licht is doing a Great job But the ideas to win and win in the 17 game schedule you need depth. Light has great owners and an open checkbook and it would help the death to bring in a couple more vets one year or two year deals………. The exact same thing is resigning S Opta. After was done at a position of strength, the same should be done it positions of weakness JASON get to work !!
Go Bucs !!
Would the bucs have one more win if they had Keenan Allen, Sterling Shepherd, and a 2 nd year McMillan on the field during a few injury games last year the answers resounding absolutely yes. Let alone Simmons at safety and an additional talented cornerback , well that’s two more wins . All easily doable !! GM s Sometimes get cute, trying to build their team to win. A few GM’s put their egos aside and add that veteran depth and get away from the team aspect And use the we must have veteran leadership in depth in a long season to week in and week out In order to get those injury wins.
……….. King McArdell, Joe J , K Jenkins, Roman oben, Brad Johnson, Michael Pittman ……………. Super Bowl team that signed a left tackle after the college draft not necessarily something that Light has shown a knack for doing after the draft.
Let’s Go Jason GM of the Year doest stop on draft day !! ….. Character , Talent and Veteran Depth ….. depth depth depth
April 29th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
I think Godwin will come back 100% Licht has said he SHOULD be ready opening day, we’ll see but I think it may take a little while as he feels his way around live flying bodies for the first few games.
Evans may hang it up if they win a SB and he sets record for 1000 yd. seasons but he also has said he’ll go until he says otherwise.
McMillan is staying, I don’t see us trading him especially if he shows again and continues to grow.
I honestly think they choose BPA and saw what injuries did to the WR’s last year, same with DB’s and they took steps to have some solid players on board so they aren’t caught flat footed again. I don’t think there’s anymore to it than what has been said but also don’t have the intel Rhonde has. I don’t think he’s looking for click bait.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:32 pm
Im sure its Godwin, let him rest. Its also good to be a shock outside the organization as other teams might have thought the Bucs would go DB instead of WR. Some teams might have though he would be availbe
April 29th, 2025 at 12:33 pm
I think it has more to do with not just crossing our fingers and hoping everything goes well. Godwin will definitely take some games to.be his old self..no different than his last injury. Evans could start tm slow down any season..McMillan still.has plenty to prove..if anything goes wrong the cupboard is bare
April 29th, 2025 at 12:41 pm
My exact thoughts were if Evans breaks the record he wants to retire. Franchise player, owns the league record, SB ring, HOF career. What is left to accomplish?
Don’t pass up the chance to see M1k3 ball out for one more season. It might be all we have left.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
We just need more bodies for when Sterling eventually gets ejected 🤣
April 29th, 2025 at 12:46 pm
Smoke screen from One Buc. The new offense will be run and shoot from the old Houston Oilers – 4 WRs and a tailback as a base. Good luck matching up in a league of mediocre DBs.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:49 pm
Honestly, the more I think about it, the only way Evans comes back after this year is if he doesn’t break Rice’s record. Evans’ seasons were consecutive—Rice’s weren’t—which makes what Evans has done even more impressive, especially considering the quarterbacks he’s played with.
The other scenario is if the Bucs win the Lombardi and are going for a back-to-back run. In that case, I could see him returning that 3rd year as well, but only if, by some miracle, they win two straight and are chasing a three-peat. Don’t get me wrong—the talent is there and it’s possible—but winning back-to-back titles is extremely hard in today’s NFL. And as we just saw with the Chiefs, a three-peat is nearly impossible.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:49 pm
Jeff agreeing with Teacherman does not put you in good company Teacherman.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:50 pm
He immediately began talking about Godwin after his clarifying statement. I mean it’s not too hard to imagine them wanting to give Godwin all the time he needs to come back to 100%. I think this is the reason for the pick and I think it makes the most sense; Ockham’s Razor.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
Josh
Bowles can’t get past the second round and you’re mentioning two or three SBs in a row?
He simply cannot beat good teams on the big stage.
The sooner we realize that and move on to a competent HC the sooner we get to the SB.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:58 pm
The “something is up” is Evans will be 33 before the 2026 season starts, Godwin is coming off a major injury rehab , and McMiilan was involved in 2 plays last year that arguably led to Bucs losing 2 games- Cowboys game when the DB wrestled the ball away from him in end zone costing the Bucs a TD and the Commanders playoff game when he and Mayfield were not on the same page on a handoff and the resulting turnover gave the Commanders a go ahead 4th qtr TD.
April 29th, 2025 at 1:10 pm
Has nothing to do with Hall of Fame, what position a guy played or any “keyboard moron.” It has everything to do with access to people armed with classified intel.
Barber and Licht are tight and Barber regularly is at One Buc Palace hanging with Licht and his staff. Basically, Barber is like a part-time employee in the personnel department. He even breaks down tape for Licht on guys to give Licht an extra set of eyes.
Barber knows what is going on. As does Daniel Jeremiah as does Peter Schrager. All of those guys have a direct pipeline to the right people at One Buc Palace. So too does Albert Breer. Joe has mentioned this countless times for a reason.
All three of those guys (Barber, Jeremiah, Schrager) said the Bucs were going receiver on Thursday night.
Yet, given the reaction of so many to the Egbuka pick, it was as if Barber, Jeremiah and Schrager’s words were fully ignored.
April 29th, 2025 at 1:20 pm
Mike Evans will play until the streak ends, and not before. He will get at least one more contract with the Bucs.
Chris Godwin will have his best season ever, from start to finish..
McMillan will pick right up where he left off.
Egbuka will blend right in smoothly for now and the future.
Johnson will be a surprise on offense and returns.
Oh, and the defense will be respectable.
And I’m never wrong. I thought I was once, but I was mistaken.
April 29th, 2025 at 1:27 pm
It’s Mike Evans vigorously maintained calfs.
He can’t and won’t do it past this year.
April 29th, 2025 at 1:28 pm
SwissCheese, your brain clearly doesn’t function like a normal person’s. Do you have CTE? I’m not trying to be offensive—genuinely, are you okay?
I wasn’t saying “WE ARE” going to win another Super Bowl this year; I was simply having a sad realization about how much I need to appreciate Mike Evans this year. Realistically, it could be his last season. I could only see him returning if he’s chasing rings or records. At some point, he has to think about his long-term health—CTE is real, ligaments/joints break down, and he has a wife and kids. He’s not Aaron Rodgers here…
If the Bucs aren’t raising the Lombardi and he breaks Rice’s record, I could 1000% see him retiring.
April 29th, 2025 at 1:41 pm
Damn. Sounds like Evans might retire?
April 29th, 2025 at 1:46 pm
Joe, turning into a Fox News conspiracy theorist. Facts are pure and simple. Buccaneers were
0-4 with wr 1 and 2 out. This was simply a rational, smart pick.
April 29th, 2025 at 1:53 pm
My thoughts were the same with Godwin obviously, but also with JMac… They didn’t get the 5th year, being a 3rd-rounder, & is that why they ‘cleared-up’ all that money!? A trade to Cincinnati for Hendrickson, but they ended-up working-out a deal with Higgins!? Now, THAT’s a “Hot-Take!” LoL
April 29th, 2025 at 1:54 pm
Not much to read into here. One receiver is entering his 12th season and on the final year of his deal. The second is coming off a devastating ankle injury. The third is a second year guy who finished really strong after Godwin went out.
This draft wasn’t deep at the WR position. We drafted a stud in the first. Then helped our defense out in a huge way after.
This has the potential to be one of Licht’s best drafts ever.
April 29th, 2025 at 1:55 pm
And, they ended up just falling in love with the kid.
April 29th, 2025 at 2:35 pm
My grandson is a moron sorry to everyone else that read his hate filled nonsense now go mow the grass you 45 year old unemployed bum
April 29th, 2025 at 3:12 pm
Yes, of course Mike is thinking about retiring. And yes, there are concerns about Chris and his recovery. And no, J-Macs ceiling isn’t WR3.
And @swisscheese – why do you keep changing your name bro?
If you truly believe what you’re saying, be a man and quit hiding behind multiple name changes.
April 29th, 2025 at 3:43 pm
It doesn’t take an Einstein to see Godwin has had 2 serious injuries with the Bucs. He could go back down at any time and probably will. Thats whats up. We needed insurance at WR for the year.