When Will the Franchise Tag Be Signed? | Bucs Insider

But it still feels like hopefully there is actually going to be football coming soon. And I know that you guys have probably tons of questions, So if you have questions for us, go ahead and send them on the Facebook page. If you're not already watching this live on Facebook, head on over there and you can leave a comment underneath the live video and we'll get a chance to go to as many of those questions as we can as we get people a chance to start asking those. Um,

we know that the franchise tag is coming up. That's one of the few sort of newsworthy things that does happen this time of year, and and the deadline to have that signed is coming up, so it's gotta want to hear your thoughts on just overall how that might affect the Buccaneers. What can we be expecting to see in this next couple of weeks. Yeah, the deadline is, uh, I guess a week from today, and that's the deadline for which you can actually sign a guy on the

franchise tag to a long term deal. So once that passes, that really only two options are designed or two not you know, to hold out. And I think Shack Barrett has made it clear that he intends to play this season. Obviously, his goal and probably the team's goal, would be to have a longer term deal worked out. Um but at the very least he should be playing on the franchise

tag and we'll know that within a week. And and you know, maybe the uncertainty of the landscape of not just the NFL, but the entire world during all this COVID stuff is contributing to him and a few other guys not getting deals done that might have gotten done in a more normal year. Um. But I mean, I don't know if it's good news or bad news. It's just a deadline. It's it's something that we're gonna know one way or another, which under type of contract check

Bear is playing for the Buccaneers is coming here. Unfortunately he's also he's already made it clear that he intends to play, so it's not really something that's you know, making us. We're not nervous about it. I guess I would say, okay, And I love this question already. This is great. I think it's from one of our fans, eleven year old daughters. Uh, she wanted to know who's going to be the Diamond and the Reugh this year. That she mentioned Shack last year and Adam Humphries the

year before that, so there's always someone. And apparently she is quite good at baking and is offered, if you get it right, if it is accurate, to have some cookies made for you that include things like homemade rainbow cookies. There's a lot writing on this. Well. First of all, it's a very sophisticated question for an eleven year old, And what I want to know is just getting it right. I mean, I get what she thinks the answer is, or or I predict now and then that that player

have always both and it doubles your chances of getting cookies. Wow, well, I'm really nervous. Point can't I can't afford to get this one wrong. Um uh boy. The problem for this particular question this year is that the depth chart is so set with with most of the guys you already know. Um, maybe Antoine Winfield. Is that fair? I mean he's a rookie. Um, it's not exactly the same situation. I don't know if am I supposed to be picking somebody off of the

undrafted free agent list. I mean, Shaq wasn't an undrafted free agent, So it sounds like it's just somebody that ends up having an amazing year that nobody really knew would be that. All right, how about I'll go with Keyshawn varn then, because you know, the funny thing about that pick is the a lot of the reaction to that pick was when the Bucks didn't take a running back in the second round, which many people expected. I'm not gonna lie, I kind of thought we might do

that as well. And the way the running backs worked out this year, it wasn't really top heavy, but there were a lot of players that that um people expected going late first mid the second round, and that that did happen, and there were some guys that were bigger names than Keisha and Vaughan that came off the board around when the books picked, but they passed and went with the safety who they clearly didn't want to pass up on, and and they obviously did that believing they

could get the player they wanted in the third round. And after that pick, when that sort of concept was thrown at UM Jason light, his answer was, you know, our board wasn't necessarily the same as everybody's. You know, every the perception out there, whatever had been created by UM analysts and so on over the course of the lead up to the draft, was that there were certain tears and that this guy was the best running back and he was second, he was third, and so on.

And he said, you know, and it's true, because that's not really the way it works out. I mean, Chris Godwin was like the thirteenth receiver selected that year, and obviously he's been probably the best receiver out of that class. See, you can't necessarily just just because the Buccaneers passed on I don't know, the l s U running back instead and went with Keisha von that doesn't mean they got their second or third. I see what I'm saying, So I think they they are a lot higher on Vaughan

than maybe the the pre draft rankings were. This is my point. So, um, would it be would he fit the the answer to this question if he ends up getting the same or more yards and scrimmage than Ronald Jones? I think it's possible. And I really want those cookies, so I thop that's the case, um, And I think that the path to that is him becoming the third down back and catching a lot of passes. So maybe getting five dred receiving yards and five D rushing yards

could put them there. Okay, I like that answer. I like that answer. All right. Daniel said, is the team looking for another edge rusher? And if so, maybe who could be a possibility? You know, I've said that along or at least last couple of months, and normally this is the time of year where you'd have a couple of little roster additions. You're sort of turning over the

eight six to nineties spots. Um, And as we've mentioned, Um, Bruce arians made it clear that he and Jason Light have made a point of not taking the roster all way up to ninety three or four spots that are available. Usually you would fill all of them because you have teams on the field practicing and you want as many

players as you can get. But that's not really that big of an issue this year, so they said they were keeping those spots open for the possibility of signing a veteran here there that could step right in for one thing, and be able to play special teams. But also that's something that could get into the mixed quickly and learn the system quickly. And that's why they're talking

about a veteran. And he mentioned inside linebacker, outside linebacker, in defensive line as three positions where you might do that. And and it seems to me that veteran edge Russia would make a lot of sense because after JPP and Shack, you really don't have anybody at all that has much experience. You know, Anthony Nelson is probably the most experienced guy, and he played about half a season as a rookie did to injuries, So it would make a lot of

sense to me. You know, the big name that's still out there is Clay Matthews. Um, I guess he could make some sense, But there's also and I'm blanking on his name the Giant, the player for the Giants who used to be with Arizona and played for Bruce Arians. Uh, it's bothered me. They can't think of his name right now, but he played for um Bruce Arians. The problem is he might be demanding a little bit more of a

contract than the Buccaneers are looking at. You know, if they're going to bring in a guy now with the cap situation as it is, it's probably a mid tier kind of guy. So I'm not it's exactly sure. Who would be to me that would be the most obvious

position to make an addition for two? Okay, Um, and you know, we we were talking about the idea of this off season overall and how weird it is in terms of trying to add new people not knowing what all is going to happen, and um, it made me want to hear for you, who are the people that you think this is hardest for the way this off season is going. You know the fact that we've missed so many reps and guys are having to figure out how to work out you know, in different places and

at home. Um, who are the either individual players or maybe even are there certain position groups. It's harder on just overall. Who does this affect more than others? Well, it's harder on the undrafted free agents. And it's really a shame for those guys. And and and we've talked

about it before. Even beyond that, if you remember how an off season usually goes, You sign your undrafted free agents, and you have your draft class, and then you have a rookie mini camp about a week later, and you fill out the roster for that camp with a bunch of players on trial contracts, And every single year, three or four of those guys get signed, like Adam Humphreys, who that a love year old fan brought up. Uh, every year you signed a couple of those guys and

you sort of turn over the bottom of the roster. Well, how are those guys getting an opportunity at this point? They may it Maybe that next year there's a double load of guys like that, because if you're safe, you're Adam Humphreys coming out of Clemson and you don't get a shot this year, you still maybe probably bide your time and try again next year, and then really a whole another class, So there's gonna be a lot of

guys buy in for roster spots next year. But when you get to even the guys that we did sign, like a Michael Dvinity or Zach Shackelford or you know, all those receivers from small schools or the quarterback where you'd send it, they would have had some time now

already to sort of learn the system. And that's what the off season is so good for for the rookies is they don't know the system when they arrive here like the returning players do, so to be able to do well in training camp to already have that base from the off season is very helpful for them. And they don't have that. And I think it's gonna be very difficult for undrafted free agents to make teams this year,

and that's a shame. But I hope that it's just a dream deferred that they, you know, get their chance in years to come. Yeah, that's a good point. Um. Well, we had Richard say that it's his birthday and he wanted to shout out, so there's a birthday shout out, um, And we all said, Joseph, Rap, do you think the old line will be better than last year? Yeah? I

think so. Um, you know, I don't wanna. I don't want to disparage DeMar Dotson by saying that, because he's been a great Buccaneer for the last decade and uh, you know, he goes down as one of the Buck greats. But um, you know, DeMar Dotson was the elder statesman on that team, and now you replace him with a all or twenty two whatever. Tristan Worst is rookie, um who's impressively athletic, and uh, you know, a first round

draft pick, a highly coveted guy. I think you have a chance to have a real impact player there a right tackle. Uh. And then Alex Kappa. The coaches were very pleased with what he did last year, but it was his first year as a starter, and I expect him to be even better. So that's good obviously. And and you also have I think the depth is pretty good, at least at the tackle. Maybe maybe they need a little more depth of you know, in the interior lines.

Maybe somebody like the rookie I just mentioned mentioned Zach Shackleford, steps up. But the tackle depth is nice because presuming Tristan Worse wins that starting job, you signed Joe hag in the off season, and that's a you know, at the very least, he's a very nice swing tackle guy with starting experience. So, UM, I think it will be better incrementally. Um, you know, maybe not a huge step forward,

but yeah, I think it'll be better. Ryan asked, you think they're going after a veteran running back, not not a not a big name guy. I don't think so. You know, people want to us, want to connect us with Davante Freeman. There was all those rumors. It wasn't even rumors, it was just you know, Bruce arians answered a question with Davante's name in it, and that became

a couple of stories of back and forth. But I don't think if you signed a guy like Davante Freeman, I would assume he comes in as your number one guy. And so I think they like Ronald Jones and Keyshawn Vaughan, so you wouldn't bring in a guy that's going to take away their snaps. I wouldn't think. So if there is a running back that signed, I would think it'd

be more of a depth side. Okay. Um, and I also we had a question about wide receivers specifically, um that that they're a group that I think we've typically in recent years have been really struggling to kind of figure out where the cutoff would be on who's making the team and not there'd be a lot of guys kind of all vying for some of those same spots. This year it feels more like you haven't. You have Mike and Chris, you know, that's an area all on

their own. And then after that there's a lot up in the air and a lot of interesting potential editions through the draft or undrafted guys, and then people like Justin Watson and Scotty Miller who are coming back. So where would you say that group is gonna fall? You mean, how many were gonna keep or yeah? And who could potentially have the chance to to lock up some of those spots. And is that an area where you mentioned how hard it might be for some of these rookies

to prove themselves. Is that an area a spot for them? Yeah. The good thing about receiver, though, is even if you don't really know the system all that well, like I was just talking about, you can come in and one on ones and sort of impress with your ability to run routes and create separation and and you can show a lot of the things that receiver needs to do in order to make the roster, maybe not enough to carve out any kind of significant role, but enough to

make the roster or get a practice squad spot. Um. I gout that I think is worth thinking about this year is Scotty Miller. Um. You know, he got a chance to play a little bit, played a little bit more in the second half before he got that final

hamstring injury, showed some big ability. And you know, we saw last year that even when Brushope Perriman was playing well in the first half of the season, coaches said that every single week because they were being asked about him and his lack of catches and targets, and they said, he's doing everything we wanted to do. It's just that there's only so many balls to go around. When you have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, you know who's gonna They're gonna get the majority of the targets. I think

that's still gonna be the case this year. And then you also have the fact that the tight end position is loaded and with Tom Brady, you kind of expect him to make big use out of a running back. Maybe that's Keyshawn Vaughn. So again, there's only so many targets to go around, and I think you could have a third receiver who's playing very well but not necessarily

having a huge number of targets. But if you could have that guy being a speedy guy who maybe when Chris Gobbin goes into the slot, can take the top off the defense and make the occasional big play, that's a very useful thing, you know. You know, we talked about Brushode Perriman not having a lot of stats in the first half or even a little more than half of last season, but the Buccaneers were still playing eleven personnel with three receivers on the field about fifty eight

percent of the time. So that third receiver, even if he's not getting a lot of stats, is on the field all the time. So you want that player to be an effective guy who runs routes well and actually scares the opposing defense enough that they don't, you know, that they have to cover him and create more more space for Chris Evans, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. So, um, that guy could be Scottie Miller. I think we're all excited about Tyler Johnson what he could do, but I

don't want to forget about Scotty. Yeah, that's a great point. Okay, Well that's gonna do it for us on this edition of Buccaneers Insider Live presented by Miller Lte. Thanks to all of you guys for the questions and for joining in, and we will see you next week.