Buccaneers Round Table: Offensive Keep, Trade, and Release
David Harrison
So, it’s only fair I put these writers through this Buccaneers hell, and now I join them.
First, who do I keep? I think I have to go with Mike Evans. Simply put, he’s the proven commodity and has a lot of career ahead of him.
He had a hamstring issue a couple of years ago, but to date, it hasn’t reemerged. This gives me confidence he isn’t an injury prone could’ve been. Instead, I hold on to a top receiver in the league with true Hall of Fame potential.
This leaves me with Jameis Winston and Doug Martin. If I keep Evans, I’m trading Winston. I’m going to get a bit specific with this one. I’m trying to trade him for a high pick, or top defensive player in return.
Why? Well, if I’m getting rid of the best quarterback this franchise may have ever seen, I’m going to need to make sure the defense is strong.
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The Bucs won a Super Bowl thanks to some clutch receiver play and a dominant defense. This is the path I’m taking in this scenario.
I’d love to keep both Winston and Evans obviously, but the parameters of this game don’t allow it.
I choose to keep the guy with the highest ceiling, and right now, Evans’ is a bit higher than Winston’s.
Obviously, by process of elimination, this means Martin gets to walk. With Carolina looking for a replacement for Johnathan Stewart, I’d be a little concerned he’d team up with Christian McCaffrey for a pretty solid dual-headed rushing attack.
But hey, this is all just make believe, right?
It may come as a bit of a surprise that I traded away Winston, considering how much weight is put on having a competent quarterback. When I looked across the league though, I just couldn’t help but notice there’s also a short supply of wide receivers with truly great ceilings.
Evans is one of them, and I just couldn’t move him because of it.
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This wraps up The Pewter Plank’s first foray into the Buccaneers keep, trade, and release game.
What are your thoughts? Which writer’s opinion do you agree with, and which one do you hate the most?
Also, put yourself in this arena, and let us know how you’d handle this dilemma! Each writer can be found with a simple click of their name, and each are awaiting your thoughts on their contributions.
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