Tampa Bay Buccaneers Official 2023 Off Season Thread

[Grahamburn]

Let LVD test the market and then hope he gives us the opportunity to match any offer.

[MJW]

Let LVD test the market and then hope he gives us the opportunity to match any offer.

Honestly, it shouldn't have been allowed to come to that. That's what you say about William Gholston or Anthony Nelson or Mike Edwards. LVD is a Ring Of Honor guy - and at least a HOF discussion - still playing at a very high level.

I'm normally the least sentimental person here but how you gonna let that guy walk, especially when you know he'd sign under market to stay, as he's already done before? There's a zero percent chance LVD doesn't want to be here anymore. Dude wants to retire a Buc. If he does reach the open market, someone is going to offer him more than what it'd take to get him to re-sign here today.

[Grahamburn]

Let LVD test the market and then hope he gives us the opportunity to match any offer.

Honestly, it shouldn't have been allowed to come to that. That's what you say about William Gholston or Anthony Nelson or Mike Edwards. LVD is a Ring Of Honor guy - and at least a HOF discussion - still playing at a very high level.

I'm normally the least sentimental person here but how you gonna let that guy walk, especially when you know he'd sign under market to stay, as he's already done before? There's a zero percent chance LVD doesn't want to be here anymore. Dude wants to retire a Buc. If he does reach the open market, someone is going to offer him more than what it'd take to get him to re-sign here today.

Fair assessment. How do you do right by the guy though? He wants to win. Sapp. Lynch. McCoy. If you feel like you've got some football left sometimes you just have to move on. I would have liked to have seen Brooks get an opportunity somewhere else those last couple years too. They'll still always be Bucs.

Just pulled up DB's stats too. Never missed a game. Incredible.

[Nobody]

Bobby Wangner’s 2021 (before he got the Ram’s contract) wasn’t nearly as good as LVD’s 2022. LVD 2022 was really incredible. So assignment sound in the passing game and the run game. 62 Stops and his 2nd best Coverage grade of his career (where he’s been the highest graded in the NFL the last 4 years in this defense). It would be a titanic hole in the defense.

Here was Wagner’s contract:

Contract Value: $50,000,000 ($10,000,000 APY)
2022 $: 6.5 M
Fully Guaranteed Money: $10,000,000

I would expect LVD to be somewhere around that. No team should be afraid of a “new defense drop-off.” Unlike his competitors (Kuechly and Wagner) who had the luxury of one defense for the duration), LVD has been saddled with the cognitive load of 4, all very different, defenses.

I would imagine we could keep him here if we wanted, but the odds are high that we’re looking at at least 2 x down years where we have 0 SB prospects. We should let him go and let him chase hardware in the twilight of his career so his obviously HoF resume can get more visibility and respect by the NFL rubes.

[BucsNBills]

LVD to the Bengals would be nice. Legit shot at a ring and much more exposure. He dominated Kelce in the super bowl so having him for the inevitable Chiefs matchup in the playoffs would be legit for Cincy.

[These Are The Days]

Let LVD test the market and then hope he gives us the opportunity to match any offer.

I'll respect whatever decision he makes. He's been on so many bad Bucs teams that if he does go elsewhere it's not like he hasn't earned it.

[mdb1958]

NFL.com - Look for the team to emphasize the pass rush in free agency and the draft; the Bucs' defense pressured opposing quarterbacks on just 25 percent of dropbacks in 2022 (sixth-lowest rate in NFL) and allowed 21 passing touchdowns when using four or fewer pass rushers (second-most in NFL). The shopping list is long, and the options are limited.

[Bootz]

So much for the Bucs trying to fix this cap situation anytime soon. We are officially a perennial "cap hell" team.

[Snake]

More voids to get cap complaint due to previous voids.

[Nobody]

Positive Feedback Loop TM

But, I think this is clearly a feature/bug relationship of the current iteration of salary structuring and cap dynamics (including whatever annual increase is in the pipeline). Teams (not all) are making handling the cap/salaries in this fashion a perpetual regime. I’d wager a guess that is going to continue until the league does something to resolve this “cap-workaround” if in fact the league office deems it as such.

As far as LVD’s prospects, I would imagine KC might be high on the list. Near where he played NCAA and would be a huge upgrade from Willie Gay JR. Cinci is young, talented, and capable at off-ball LBer. While LVD would be an upgrade for Cinci, I’m not sure that would be a direction they would want to go.

Another option would be (deep swallow)…Philly. Big upgrade to White.

[Bootz]

More voids to get cap complaint due to previous voids.

Seems like once you go down that road, there's no turning back.

[Doctor]

Every team does this to a sense. Its why no one believes the final years of contracts. As long as we don't have a massive QB deal, the increase in cap smooths it out.

[Sdbucs]

Honestly, it shouldn't have been allowed to come to that. That's what you say about William Gholston or Anthony Nelson or Mike Edwards. LVD is a Ring Of Honor guy - and at least a HOF discussion - still playing at a very high level.

I'm normally the least sentimental person here but how you gonna let that guy walk, especially when you know he'd sign under market to stay, as he's already done before? There's a zero percent chance LVD doesn't want to be here anymore. Dude wants to retire a Buc. If he does reach the open market, someone is going to offer him more than what it'd take to get him to re-sign here today.

Fair assessment. How do you do right by the guy though? He wants to win. Sapp. Lynch. McCoy. If you feel like you've got some football left sometimes you just have to move on. I would have liked to have seen Brooks get an opportunity somewhere else those last couple years too. They'll still always be Bucs.

Just pulled up DB's stats too. Never missed a game. Incredible.

Please tell me that’s not Gerald McCoy… you didn’t just lump Gerald Mccoy with Sapp and Lynch… I’m forgetting another McCoy right?

[BucsNBills]

Tell me you're tanking for Caleb Williams without telling me you're tanking for Caleb Williams.

[Snake]

Baker will win the job.

Trask was a bad pick.

[Deja Entendu]

If Baker comes here I hope they bring back the At Home with Baker commercials at Ray Jay.

[Grahamburn]

Baker isn't competition. You don't sign him unless you plan to start him. Or, put another way, I don't think he'll sign somewhere if he isn't assured the starting job at least out of the gates. He could certainly play himself out of it though.

I don't care for that plan and would prefer to give Trask the nod.

[These Are The Days]

Bucs probably sign Baker and not Jackson

Navy in his best Jesse "The Body" Ventura voice

"I TOLD YOU! I TOLD THE WORLD! DON'T EVER WANT TO HEAR YOU EVER DOUBT ME AGAIN MCMAHON NEVER EVER AGAIN!"

Bootz: "I can't believe what a stupid mistake that was!"

[Phantom]

Bucs probably sign Baker and not Jackson

Navy in his best Jesse "The Body" Ventura voice

"I TOLD YOU! I TOLD THE WORLD! DON'T EVER WANT TO HEAR YOU EVER DOUBT ME AGAIN MCMAHON NEVER EVER AGAIN!"

Bootz: "I can't believe what a stupid mistake that was!"

haha, yeah, that’s Bootz and Navy

Hell Mayfield is 10x better than Trask. I’m fine with it

[mdb1958]

What is market value for Baker Mayfield and how much do you think his guarantee should be?

[These Are The Days]

Bucs probably sign Baker and not Jackson

Navy in his best Jesse "The Body" Ventura voice

"I TOLD YOU! I TOLD THE WORLD! DON'T EVER WANT TO HEAR YOU EVER DOUBT ME AGAIN MCMAHON NEVER EVER AGAIN!"

Bootz: "I can't believe what a stupid mistake that was!"

haha, yeah, that’s Bootz and Navy

Hell Mayfield is 10x better than Trask. I’m fine with it

Thing is I'm not exactly high on Baker. The only thing different between him and Winston as players is the latter might as well practice drop backs wearing weighted shoes and barking out the first 50 digits of pi.

Hell it's not actually impossible we might've been better off with Winston over Baker

[Cheb]

Tell me you're tanking for Caleb Williams without telling me you're tanking for Caleb Williams.

Well, if you were tanking for Caleb Williams, you probably wouldn't sign Baker or anyone else you've ever heard of, but I digress.

I wouldn't like signing Baker Mayfield. At all. OTC estimates he would be worth around $9-10 million per year, and I doubt he could do anything that Kyle Trask couldn't do for alot cheaper. And that amount of money could be used to help resign LVD or Anthony Nelson or Jamel Dean or Logan Ryan or Will Gholston.

I hope Baker signs elsewhere, and most every outside free agent who would command greater than $5 million in cap space.

Want to hear a depressing statistic? The Buccaneers are SIXTH in the NFL in spending on quarterbacks this year at $36 million. Adding Baker or another veteran of similar cost would catapult us up to third, behind only the Browns and Chiefs. Looking at this roster with this cap and the many, many holes we are about to have on defense, signing a Baker Mayfield would be extremely poor decision making.

[mdb1958]

People dont think

[These Are The Days]

People dont think

Link?

[Grahamburn]

If signing Baker means no LVD and no Dean. Just. Ouch.

[Doctor]

Mayfield is the best of the FA out there. Makes sense to bring in the best competition. Not to mention, I know draft groupies hate it because to them the only way to find a QB is with a top pick, but Mayfield is literally everything the doctor ordered.

He was every bit rookie savior people want us to go after. First overall pick. Had a great rookie year. Mid sophomore slump. Broke out his third year taking the 1-31 before him Browns to the playoffs despite being on his 4th HC in 3 years.

He tore his labrum in year 4 and should've shut it down but didn't. He's a major competitor, which is something BA, Bowles and Canales go off on. Speaking on, we probably have one of the best "change of scenery" staff there is. Carson Palmer, Tom Brady, Geno Smith. Why not Baker Mayfield?

[mdb1958]

Mayfield is the best of the FA out there. Makes sense to bring in the best competition. Not to mention, I know draft groupies hate it because to them the only way to find a QB is with a top pick, but Mayfield is literally everything the doctor ordered.

He was every bit rookie savior people want us to go after. First overall pick. Had a great rookie year. Mid sophomore slump. Broke out his third year taking the 1-31 before him Browns to the playoffs despite being on his 4th HC in 3 years.

He tore his labrum in year 4 and should've shut it down but didn't. He's a major competitor, which is something BA, Bowles and Canales go off on. Speaking on, we probably have one of the best "change of scenery" staff there is. Carson Palmer, Tom Brady, Geno Smith. Why not Baker Mayfield?

1.2 mil tryout.

[Grahamburn]

I mean. Jimmy G > Baker

That’s the same argument Panthers’ fans made. He was brutal.

[Bootz]

Mayfield is the best of the FA out there.

Tells me all I need to know. Holy Hell!

[Doctor]

Indeed, but they didn't have Canales and BA. They had Rhule.
Also, he lost the first two games on heart break FGs. Really took all the air out of everything.

Again, I'm not at all saying Baker is the answer. I think he still locks onto his first read too much and needs tons of PA and designed out of pocket stuff to really shine, but he's someone you can win with. Maybe not win because of... but win with if everything else is there.

[Doctor]

Vea a bargain.

[Deja Entendu]

[Snake]

Void it up

[BucsNBills]

No reason not to use void years so long as the league allows it. It's a cheat code that should be exploited as much as possible.

[Babeinbucland]

haha, yeah, that’s Bootz and Navy

Hell Mayfield is 10x better than Trask. I’m fine with it

Thing is I'm not exactly high on Baker. The only thing different between him and Winston as players is the latter might as well practice drop backs wearing weighted shoes and barking out the first 50 digits of pi.

Hell it's not actually impossible we might've been better off with Winston over Baker

The Saints may very well give us that option