Buccaneers Ripped By Pro Football Focus

In what seems to be a reoccurring trend, the “geniuses” at Pro Football Focus take another shot at the Buccaneers. This time, they target Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy.

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I will be the first to admit, I think Pro Football Focus is a joke. These guys try to create a Major League Baseball style reliance on analytics for the NFL and it just doesn’t work. This is yet another example of that.

PFF listed Gerald McCoy as having one of the least “team friendly contracts” in all of football,

"“There’s always a risk to signing a player to the type of deal McCoy received, and there have been some reports that his work ethic left something to be desired last year (he’s denied said reports). Unfortunately, if the trend continues with McCoy, Tampa Bay has little in the way of flexibility regarding his contract until 2018; if they cut McCoy at any point before then, they are on the hook for at least $13.74 million in dead money. The new coaching staff in Tampa Bay will therefore need to work to get McCoy back to 2012–2014 levels in order to come close to receiving the top-three value his contract represents moving forward”"

First off, they’re using the vehemently debunked myth that McCoy is not a hard worker as one of the reasons the contract is bad, which is sheer laziness. Next, this is a contract that the Bucs can get out of after 2017 with absolutely no dead money or cap hits. Given that McCoy was the most productive defensive tackle from 2012 through 2014, the contract he was given was more than fair and, at the time, was viewed as extremely team friendly;

Sep 27, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (93) reacts against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

"“You simply look at the current contract of McCoy. McCoy had a tremendous amount of contract leverage based on the franchise tag. Because his salary cap number was so high, his tag number in 2015 would be $18,392,704 and in 2016 would be $22,071,244. While the Buccaneers can deal with big numbers because they will rarely, if ever, use a signing bonus upon the initial execution of the contract, those are still extremely high numbers. For McCoy, though, there is no injury protection in that process so he has a risk as well.It is essentially a compromise. McCoy will earn around and additional $6.4 million plus have injury protection to continue to audition for the extra money in his contract. The Bucs get to save about $6 million total if they “invoke the option” to have McCoy on the roster in 2016. That should make both sides very happy but it is certainly not the overwhelming windfall that some are making it out to be. Its simply a fair contract in the context of an original contract for a very good player.”-Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap"

Now, to take it yet another step further, if you are the type to enjoy and/or rely on PFF, they consistently have Gerald McCoy towards the top of the ranks for defensive tackles. So why is it, if he’s so good, are you now saying he’s overpaid? You can’t have it both ways.

Remember, folks – this is the same site, the same “experts” that said Anthony Collins was one of the best linemen in the NFL when the Bucs signed him in 2014. After being by far the worst player on the team, and that’s saying something, Collins can’t even get a job. This is the same site that told you that new Bucs’ guard J.R. Sweezy is complete garbage, yet, if he was such garbage, why were NFL teams fighting for his services and the Bucs simply won the bidding war?

Next: Buccaneers Best: The Countdown Continues

PFF is a fun little game, but it’s not legitimate NFL scouting. It’s not a science. And, more often than not, it’s not right. Chalk this up to yet another Pro Football Focus blunder while taking another shot at the Bucs. Nothing new, nothing more to see here. Move along, PFF…move along…

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Buccaneers Ripped By PFF Again

By James Yarcho | Jul 6, 2016