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Buccaneers Round Table: Offensive Keep, Trade, and Release

By David Harrison

TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 1: Quarterback Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers makes his way to the field with teammates before the start of an NFL football game against the New York Giants on October 1, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 1: Quarterback Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers makes his way to the field with teammates before the start of an NFL football game against the New York Giants on October 1, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 24: Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers calls a play at the line of scrimmage in the first half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings on September 24, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 24: Jameis Winston #3 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers calls a play at the line of scrimmage in the first half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings on September 24, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Michael Horan

There’s no easy answer when asked to “keep one, trade one, release one” between Jameis Winston, Mike Evans and Doug Martin.

All three players are crucial pieces of the Bucs offense and team as a whole.

Without Doug Martin, you get the stagnant offense we saw from Tampa the first four games.

If you lose Mike Evans, teams will roll coverage to DeSean Jackson and the Bucs will be stuck in the mud like they were last year when teams focused on taking away Evans.

And, without Jameis Winston, this team returns to the sad, losing mess they were before he arrived.

With that in mind, Winston is the player I’ll keep. If you have a quarterback, you have a chance.

Next, I’d trade Mike Evans. The Bucs’ star receiver is without question a better player than Doug Martin, and perhaps Jameis Winston as well, but that also means he has extraordinary trade value.

For Evans, I could cop multiple draft picks and a quality player at a position of weakness like defensive end.

That leaves Doug Martin to be cut. Though he is incredibly important to the Bucs this season, there was a real scenario in which Martin could have been cut last off-season.

Nearing the age where most running backs decline, there’s no telling what he has left for the long term, and his position is somewhat replaceable as well through the draft.

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