Many Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans were upset that the Los Angeles Rams got star cornerback Marcus Peters for a minimal return. In the end, not pursuing the trade was right for the Bucs.
Unpopular opinion alert: I am 100% fine with the Buccaneers not making the trade for Marcus Peters, despite the fact that the return that the Chiefs received from the Rams was minimal. Despite the desperate need at corner for the Bucs and how phenomenal Peters is, there is something to be said about the fact that the Rams were the only suitor.
Yes, Marcus Peters is a phenomenal talent. He would have immediately upgraded the secondary, the defense, and the on-paper roster talent. The first round pick from 2015 has one year left on his deal and the fifth year option still available. Cost controlled talent is something I’ve been preaching with the Bucs’ inevitable spending spree to re-sign their own guys.
Here’s the thing: the fact that the Rams were the only team in on Peters speaks volumes. We’ve heard the rumblings about his attitude issues, the trade demand following a playoff loss to the Titans, and the overall character – or lack thereof – that Peters possesses.
The Buccaneers are too young without the proper leadership in place to take that kind of issue on. Not to mention, they aren’t a corner away from winning it all. The Rams might be.
There was an interesting exchange on Twitter between Pewter Report’s Trevor Sikkema and our own David Harrison regarding such problems;
True. I agree. Plus, adding him to the DB room. He’s instantly the leader in there. So if his attitude becomes toxic, there’s nobody in the room with the clout to stop it.
— David Harrison (@DHarrison82) February 26, 2018
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report dropped an interesting nugget following the announcement of the deal;
An NFC VP of Personnel to me just now:
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 26, 2018
"Peters had one team bidding for him. That should tell you why he wasn't traded for much."
At the end of the day, no one is denying Peters’ talent. What they are denying is their willingness to deal with his immaturity and nonsense. Think about this for a comparison; Terrell Owens is about to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the highest individual honor an NFL player can receive. How many teams did he go through? How many teams couldn’t take his personality or attitude anymore?
It has nothing to do with talent. It has everything to do with the locker room atmosphere and establishing a culture. Yes, Peters may have helped win a few games here and there, but at what cost? Could he have been perfectly fine in Tampa and gone on to be one of the best teammates and people in the building? Sure. But he also could very well have been a “locker room cancer” and deteriorated the team from the inside out.
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Bad apples do that. And from all we’ve seen on social media and reports that have come out about Peters, he seems like a bad apple. In the end, the future is brighter holding on to the draft picks and holding off on the b.s. that Peters would have inevitably brought into One Buc.