The Pewter Plank » NFL

Revis Island to Tampa Bay: Are the Rumors an Oasis or a Mirage?

Drew Hamilton — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:30:14 +0000

Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The offseason is a time for wishful thinking. When grown men bookmark YouTube highlight films like children dogearing the toy section of a department store catalog. Fans run rampant on the twittersphere with lofty aspirations of reeling in that big-ticket free agent or completing the next blockbuster trade.

Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Since Jets Owner Woody Johnson let it slip that the team was interested in trading all-everything cornerback Darrelle Revis at the end of January, Bucs fans have been throwing trade proposals against the proverbial wall to see what sticks. And yesterday afternoon, something finally did.

Just after 4pm Wednesday, Ed Werder was quoted on Rotoworld saying that the Jets were “dealing from a position of obvious weakness,” and that suitors would “consider giving up a (second-round pick) or less.” Werder went on to name Tampa, San Francisco, Atlanta and Detroit as candidates for a possible trade. If Johnson indeed drops Revis’ first-round price tag, the Bucs would be crazy not to explore a deal for the soon-to-be twenty-eight year old.

When this tweet hit the fan, many Bucs’ realists, who once thought a trade would be unlikely, were suddenly lunging for a seat at the Revis trade table, myself included. Local bi-modular radio host Justin Pawlowski of 98.7 WFAN tweeted his response to Werder’s assessment: “2nd round pick? Ok!” The astute Pawlowski also pointed out that current Jets G.M. John Idzik once worked alongside Dominik in the Bucs’ front office, where he rose from a Pro Personnel Assistant to Assistant G.M. from 1993 to 2004. The Commish drew another Bucs-Revis parallel when he wrote that newly hired Dave Wanstedt and one-year Bucs asst. DB’s coach Jeff Hafley, were Revis’ head coach and positions coach, respectively, at Pittsburgh.

Revis tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on September 23rd, during a game against Miami. He had surgery on that knee on October 16th; 142 days ago to be precise. He has started all 16 games in four seasons of his six-year career, missing three games in 2010 with a hamstring injury. Coincidentally enough, 2010 was the year Revis held out of training camp for a four-year $32 million extension (or extortion, if you are in Johnson’s shoes). It is safe to say that Revis is a durable player, as long as he gets his reps in August. Obviously a medical examination would need to be performed on his knee by any and all teams in the hunt. It has been well documented that Bucs G.M. Mark Dominik has been no coward when it comes to evaluating knee injuries with players like Kellen Winslow Jr., Antonio Bryant and Da’Quan Bowers.

Could this be the reason that the Bucs have yet to sign Michael Bennett and Roy Miller? Did they restructure deals with Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks, in order to land arguably the best defensive back in the NFL? If the perceived trade value on Revis is in fact falling, we will more than likely see a trade happen before Tuesday, March 12th. The Jets must take advantage of the market now, before free agent cornerbacks are fair game.

The Bucs have been used to drive the price up on players in the past, but if this trade were to happen, Schiano and Dominik would be making a major statement about how close they perceive this team to be from being serious contenders.

So what do you think, Buccaneer fans? Is Revis seriously a possibility for the Buccaneers? Or is it all just a smoke screen? Let us know in the comments below!

Gold Rush: Is Dashon Goldson the Help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Need on Defense?

Leo Howell — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 02:03:17 +0000

Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-USA TODAY Sports

Ronde Barber is a Tampa Bay Buccaneer icon, and has been a consistent contributor to the pass defense in Tampa Bay for the lifespan of most high school students. 2012 was no exception, as the ageless and relentless Barber twin continued to show the same hustle, smarts, and skills that earn him respect and praise from experts and pundits everywhere. His position was “changed” to free safety this past season, but Barber is far too versatile to lock into one position, and found himself all over the field in different situations. Some of his best plays came when he was closer to the line of scrimmage, because he has a knack for weaving his way through traffic to make plays on runners, quarterbacks, and receivers.

But there are some complications with Barber’s role in the defense as we look ahead to the future of the Buccaneer defense. We saw in 2012 that Barber’s wild card role on the defense often left Mark Barron alone on an island in coverage, and this led to Barron being one of the most often beaten pass defenders in the NFL. Barron is a promising player who is taking time getting adjusted to the NFL game, and might be better suited as a “closer to the line of scrimmage” type of safety. That means the Buccaneers would need to upgrade the free safety position, because even if Ronde plans to play another season, a 38 year old player cannot be the cornerstone of a rebuilding defense.

Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Enter Dashon Goldson.

The 49ers free safety is known across the league for being a hard hitter (just ask Mike Williams, click for video proof). But he’s grown into being a very good pass defender who is very good at reading the play in front of him from a deeper position. Goldson had three interceptions in 2012, and every single one was a result of playing centerfield and reading the play, changing direction, and reacting to the quarterback’s eyes. He also made multiple pass breakups by keeping up with receivers on deep routes, all while maintaining his ferocious downhill hitting style. He’s an active player with a bit of swagger, never afraid to let the other team know he’s on the field and running around making plays.

Bringing in a capable free safety who is still capable of moving down and defending the run and short pass allows the Buccaneers to use similar schemes as they did with Ronde Barber. Goldson’s ability to defend the pass deep down the field is the bonus, allowing Barron to be the one to walk up closer to the line, and use his strength and ability in a more confined space, rather than having plays unfold in front of him. He struggled being decisive on routes that came towards him and cut in front of him in 2012, so Mark could benefit from playing further up the field, with Goldson dropping deep when a one safety look is the call, or joining Goldson deep if it’s a cover 2 look.

And if Barber does come back, it affords the Buccaneers the option of using him however they see fit, getting the most out of him on any given down. He would likely “start” at cornerback, to maintain his streak, but he would play nickel and dime packages, possibly play safety from time to time, and just generally make his presence felt on the football field, like he’s done for so long. But the Buccaneers would have the free safety they need for the next few years, as Goldson is only 28 and has just 6 years of experience, meaning there’s still a 4 or 5 year contract left worth of his prime years.

Bringing in a great free safety shifts the Buccaneers defense to allow more players to be in positions at which they can succeed. A year-wiser Mark Barron would be less often left alone on an island, the aging Ronde Barber would have a more focused role was a wild card cornerback, and the other cornerbacks would know they have backup in Dashon Goldson. Oh, and Bucs fans could get to watch the best hitter to play in Tampa Bay since John Lynch left town.

What do you think, Bucs fans? Let us know your thoughts on Dashon Goldson and the free safety position in general in the comments below.

2013 Franchise Tag Deadline: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Do Not Use Franchise Tag on Michael Bennett

Leo Howell — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:45:10 +0000

Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 deadline for NFL teams to apply the franchise tag to free agent players came and went today, and as expected, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not use the franchise tag on defensive end Michael Bennett, or any other player on the roster. That means that any players who have not yet signed a new deal with the club (Ronde Barber, Michael Bennett, Dallas Clark, Roy Miller, E.J. Biggers, and Sammie Stroughter, for example) are now free agents, and will be available for other teams to negotiate with beginning this weekend, unless a deal is reached with the Buccaneers in the mean time.

Here is a list of the players who did receive the franchise tag from their respective teams:

Here is a list of players that currently have been designated as their team’s franchise player:

TEAM	FRANCHISE TAG
Bears	Henry Melton, DT
Bengals	Michael Johnson, DE
Bills	Jairus Byrd, S
Broncos	Ryan Clady,OT
Chiefs	Branden Albert, OT
Colts	Pat McAfee, P
Cowboys	Anthony Spencer, OLB
Dolphins	Randy Starks, DT

Johnson and Spencer might have been targeted by the Buccaneers, as they would help bolster the pass rush. Starks or Melton could have also been on the Bucs radar as a compliment to Gerald McCoy. Jarius Byrd was likely the most frustrating tag from a Tampa Bay perspective, as a veteran defensive back being off the market means more competition to sign the remaining available DB’s this offseason. The offensive lineman and punter who were tagged were unlikely to ever set foot in the Tampa area and their tag status is of little to no consequence to the Buccaneers.

So now we look ahead to the start of free agent season. For the first time ever, there will be an unofficial start to free agency, where teams can negotiate with players prior to the open season on contract signing. Beginning Friday, NFL teams can meet with free agents and discuss terms, conditions, and give a sales pitch. But the player will be unable to sign on the dotted line until March 12th at 4 PM, when 2012 contracts officially expire. It will be interesting to see how this impacts free agency, with the ability for leaked information about offers made to skew the market. If Sean Smith comes to Tampa Bay for a visit, and the Buccaneers offer him a 9 million dollar contract, it will be interesting to see if a “source” lets that information out, and subsequent offers from other teams are slightly higher than the Bucs offer. Just something to consider with the new rule in place.

This will be a very busy and exciting time of year, to be sure. Mark Dominik and his crew are about to enter the most hectic period for an NFL front office, and the Pewter Plank will be here to break down all the moves this offseason.