Are the Bucs targeting Cassel?

[tombonneau]

Re: Are the Bucs targetting Cassel?

Bucs & Vikings are going to look very dumb when Cassel gets traded elsewhere and has a solid season while Vikes/Bucs founder with Rosenfels/McCown.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: Are the Buc's targetting Cassel?

What I think? The new management down there is looking to put their own imprint on the club and a trade for Cassel will take valuable draft picks they want for other positions...they think McKown/McCown is enough to get them through 2009 so they can draft a top QB in 2010.

Enough to get them a top 5 draft pick to assure them of one of the top 2 QBs. Luke McCown has played 12 games his entire career. The two he played last year, he threw one pass for a 0% completion percentage (or he was 0 for 1 on passes). He had one good game, one decent game, and three clunkers in 2007. He didn't play at all in 2006 or 2005. In 2004, he had one garbage time game and threw for 4 TDs and 7 INTs in the other 4 and had a 52.6 passer rating that season.

McCown is enough to to make the Bucs one of the worst offenses in the league. I think people confuse Luke McCown with his brother Josh. Josh was a mediocre starter, but he is more talented than his brother. Luke hasn't shown that he can be more than an adequet back up who can fill in a game or two. He certainly hasn't shown he can be a full time starter for an entire season.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: Are the Bucs targetting Cassel?

Also agree. I thought TB was a sneaky candidate for Cassel but now it looks like they are on the 3-5 year plan. You need the franchise QB in place by year 3, not now. It could be that they plan to try and buy success immediately with their cap space, but I'm skeptical.

Why? They were in the race for the a playoff spot until the end. If they didn't collapse against the Raiders the final week, they would have made the playoffs instead of the Eagles with a 10-6. Why would they tank 2009?

In fact, I will argue that if they had a franchise QB last season, they might have gone to the Super Bowl.

How is a 9-7 team that were 9-3 at one point in the season suddenly go into a a 3-5 year plan? They are not a 6-10 team. I think they are a few pieces away from being a legitimate contender in the NFC especially since the conference is weak.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Re: Are the Bucs targetting Cassel?

That's the important point.

TB probably released the players due to age since they probably thought this was part of their collapse. (Usually happens when "younger/faster" is mentioned)

One the whole, why they need a 3-5 year plan sounds like they hired Matt Millen

 

[Rob0729]

Re: Are the Bucs targetting Cassel?

That's the important point.

TB probably released the players due to age since they probably thought this was part of their collapse. (Usually happens when "younger/faster" is mentioned)

One the whole, why they need a 3-5 year plan sounds like they hired Matt Millen

Didn't Miami and Atlanta prove this year that there is no such thing as a 3-5 year plan? Any team on a 3-5 year plan are really on a 5-7 year plan because they have to wait for 3-5 years that 3-5 year plans are BS and then get someone in who is competent. In today's NFL, you gotta plan to win today while trying to build for the future. That is why the Pats have stayed on top or near the top for nearly a decade now. That is why the Dolphins and Falcons went from the two worst teams in the NFL to playoff teams in one year.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: Are the Bucs targetting Cassel?

Is it a confirmed fact that the Bucs hired Matt Millen? Do you have a link for that?

 

[Ring 6]

Re: Are the Bucs targetting Cassel?

Here is what I think Tampa is doing.
They will not be competing this year.
They fired Gruden to hire the least expensive HC they could find.
They cut everyone who makes decent $$.
They will pay large salaries and small signing bonusses (i.e. instead of a 10mill sb and first year salary of 2 mill, they will pay a first year salary of 12mill and no signing bonus) that way they use up the max cap space for the min real cash expenditure so that they meet the salary cap minimum at the lowest real $$ cash cost.
They will trade down out of round 1 to not pay the high pick.
They will get to the cap minimum as cheaply as possible, then if there is an uncapped year they will have the lowest payroll in the league.
Basically because it would appear the ownership is running out of money.
They will become the KC Royals or Florida Marlins of the NFL, and sell the team in 2010 or 2011.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: Are the Bucs targetting Cassel?

I think you're making some hasty assumptions here. Although these moves are clearing cap room. They still have to spend up to the cap minimum. It's ALSO quite possible that the Bucs are preparing to make a splash in free agency with their newfound cap space. So let's not be so hasty in pronouncing them the marlins of the nfl.

 

[Ring 6]

Re: Are the Bucs targetting Cassel?

I think you're making some hasty assumptions here. Although these moves are clearing cap room. They still have to spend up to the cap minimum. It's ALSO quite possible that the Bucs are preparing to make a splash in free agency with their newfound cap space. So let's not be so hasty in pronouncing them the marlins of the nfl.

I dont know that I PRONOUNCED them that, but that it what i see developing.
The combination of ownership having financial problems and cutting good players that you have plenty of cap room to keep is not a good omen.

 

[jmt57]

Re: Are the Bucs targetting Cassel?

I dont know that I PRONOUNCED them that, but that it what i see developing.
The combination of ownership having financial problems and cutting good players that you have plenty of cap room to keep is not a good omen.

You may be on to something there. The ownership (Glazer family) also owns Manchester United, and word is they lost $85 million on them last year. Tampa Bay was also one of the top two or three teams in the NFL as far as being under the cap last year, if I recall correctly.

Edit: Couldn't they also cut or trade one of two veterans with long term contracts that were signed with big signing bonuses, causing big cap hits - to get them closer to the salary floor?

 

[mayoclinic]

Re: Are the Bucs targetting Cassel?

Bucs & Vikings are going to look very dumb when Cassel gets traded elsewhere and has a solid season while Vikes/Bucs founder with Rosenfels/McCown.

Amen to that.

Miami and Atlanta proved that you can turn around a bad team in one year. TB is trying to prove that you can turn around a good team in one year. They were 9-3, and now they appear to be in 3-5 year major rebuilding mode.

 

[JSn]

SO the Bucs DID make a run at Haynesworth.

They are looking to make some big moves in FA. Are we done kidding ourselves about the 3-5 year plan?

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/real_scouts/entry/view/17541/bucs,_skins_battled_for_haynesworth

 

[Ring 6]

Re: Are the Bucs targetting Cassel?

You may be on to something there. The ownership (Glazer family) also owns Manchester United, and word is they lost $85 million on them last year. Tampa Bay was also one of the top two or three teams in the NFL as far as being under the cap last year, if I recall correctly.

Edit: Couldn't they also cut or trade one of two veterans with long term contracts that were signed with big signing bonuses, causing big cap hits - to get them closer to the salary floor?

I think they have been doing that. Cutting high paid players accelerates the cost and you use cap room on them plus more on the rookie you plug in. I dont know what the contrat status was on those guys, but you are on to something.

 

[bakes781]

From the signs of things early today the Bucs aren't looking to hang on to all that cash they released.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Re: Are the Buc's targetting Cassel?

I was just in Tampa on vacation. I turned on sports radio and there is ZERO buzz about Matt Cassel. All the talk was about Luke McKown and the fans seemed to be happy that he will be the starter. They also had a couple of, "Bucs insiders" who also said that McKown will be the starter.

So I don't see Matt Cassel in Tampa. What I possible see for Cassel is a trade with KC with their 2nd and a 4th this year and a 2nd next year that could be a 1st based on how he plays. I would take that deal.

Agreed. NO Cassel interest here in Tamper before I return to the frigid North tomorrow. The new org wants their own imprint and certainly has more than one season to do so. QB upgrade is a 2010 move for Tamper.

That said, it's a mistake for such teams to not persue Cassel, a good NFL QB in my view.

 

[Nestapats]

Re: Are the Buc's targetting Cassel?

I'm not so sure they won't pursue Cassel. They are clearly looking for offensive skilled players as Winslow and maybe Housh. So they might make all these moves to create an offense in which Cassel can function as best as possible, so i wouldn't rule it out. They still got alot of cap space left.

The only thing why i think they won't is because they probably would have to give up their first rounder and i don't think they would want to give that one up.

 

[billdog3484]

i wonder if the Winslow to the Bucs move takes the Bucs out of the running for cassel. do they want to be without a first and second round pick in the draft? and possibly a 3rd rounder?

 

[patriots pam]

Re: Are the Buc's targetting Cassel?

Agreed. NO Cassel interest here in Tamper before I return to the frigid North tomorrow...

Yeah...I live relatively close to Tampa and can confirm that there isn't any discussion about Cassel wrt the Bucs by local sports media or fans. I talk about it with my Bucs fan friends and they don't see it happening, either. And they're not even Pats haters, because they're smarter than that! Unlike my Fish fan friends. Haha.

Of course, nobody knows what's really going on behind the scenes, but there really isn't any buzz about it whatsoever.