Talking Craaaaaazy!

If the new NFL CBA includes a salary floor then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be forced to spend money on free agency just to get up to standard. Even with resigning all of their soon-to-be free agents at market value, the Bucs would still have considerable cap space. That means, chances are, the Bucs will have to spend some money this off-season.

Now, as the Aqib Talib saga played out a number of Bucs fans openly lobbied for the Bucs to look into Nnadmi Asomugha, the elite corner from Oakland. Despite the fact he will be 30 this season, Asomugha is amongst the most talented corners in the league and has pretty much single-handedly kept the Oakland defense from being an embarrassment for the past half-decade. Recently though, as Talib’s case has been delayed until March 2012 and he has been participating with his teammates in players-only workouts, those conversations about Asomugha have died down. After all, if Talib is on the 2011 roster the Bucs wouldn’t need Nnadmi.

Think just for a second though about the possibility of the Bucs signing Asomugha anyway. Imagine just for a second, Aqib Talib lining up opposite Nnamdi Asomugha and tell me that’s not the best tandem of corners in the NFL. As much of a long-shot as it may seem, this could be a completely doable scenario. Could you feel any more confident than having Talib and Asomugha at boundary corner while Ronde Barber plays the nickel? You, me and Dupree could start on the front four and the Bucs D would still be solid with that crew on the back-end.

As crazy as that scenario sound, if the Bucs have to spend money to get to the salary cap threshold this off-season, that would be the way to do it. Asomugha and Talib would combine to be two of the best cover corners the league has ever seen. Forget just being the best this year, that would be a tandem with the potential to be the best duo ever. And if Tampa has to spend money, with uncertainty up front, wouldn’t it be nice to know you can lock down the receivers?

After all the Falcons now have Roddy White and Julio Jones, the Saints have a dearth of talented receivers and the Panthers… well they don’t even have a pulse so let’s not waste anymore space on them. But regardless of the Bucs’ pass-rush, they need to be able to handle receivers.

Now, before anyone posts a comment telling me this will never happen, I’m well aware this is a long shot. We’re in the middle of a lockout anyways, so this is technically a moot point (hey, we have to write about something). But if the Bucs are going to have to go out and be big spenders, and they could end up with the most talented duo of corners in the entire NFL, wouldn’t you want them to do it?

It’s Saturday night and I may be talking crazy, but if the Bucs have to spend big this off-season, why not hold on to Aqib Talib and sign Nnamdi Asomugha to team with him and form the best pairing of corners in football? Why not take your 7th rated pass defense and crank it up to 11 (Spinal Tap reference).

If the Bucs are going to be forced to spend, why not do something crazy and sign the best corner on the market to team with the best corner in the league (according to the NFL alumni association). It may not be likely, but if it’s possible and the Bucs have to spend money anyways, why not?