OT: Official 2020 Tompa Bay Gronkaneers Thread

[Doctor DDS]

Wonder if the AB signing indicates that Evans injuries are significant. If the Bucs had all their WRs healthy AB seems like an unnecessary luxury but maybe that is not the case. Maybe they can put Evans on the IR for a few weeks so he is healthy for the stretch run. We'll find out soon enough.

 

[lancerman]

Wonder if the AB signing indicates that Evans injuries are significant. If the Bucs had all their WRs healthy AB seems like an unnecessary luxury but maybe that is not the case. Maybe they can put Evans on the IR for a few weeks so he is healthy for the stretch run. We'll find out soon enough.

AB fills the slot position well

 

[PP2]

AB fills the slot position well

He's much more than that- he's a game changer, the equivalent of putting your thumb on the scale. Tilts the balance and forces the defense in a pick-your-poison situation. You absolutely cannot leave him in single coverage, so whoever is left open or in a zone as a result, is going to have a field day.

Similar to what we had when Gronk and Edelman were in their prime.

But the biggest thing is his ability to create instant separation- so by the time Brady has the ball in his hands, he already has a security blanket to fall back on if his reads don't go through or if he needs to get rid of the ball fast. Think Welker on steroids here.

As ironic as it may seem, and especially considering how ****ed up his life is off the field, Brown is an absolute technician, a craftsman, when he is on the field. He has it all, speed, strength, heart, and a very high football IQ. He knows what the corner is going to do even before the corner knows it. He doesn't take plays off, and is very crafty. He'll sell a route a particular way, several times during the game- then on a crucial down or when the game is on the line, he'll pull the rug out from under you by bluffing on the sell, do something different. He never runs the same route at the same speed, so it's very hard to get a good feel for how to match it, or time it. He'll run a route at 75 to 85% his speed all game long, then boom he goes 100% on a crucial down. He's great with his hands, elbows (high and out), and hips- and his route stemming is so hard to read, it's tricky.

He has an uncanny ability to read the QB's mind- it was said that all Ben Roethlisberger had to do was touch his facemask a particular way and Brown would know what it meant.

Unfortunately he comes with so much baggage. In the corporate world, the term for that would be "talented terror."

Why does Brady identify with him so much? They're both 6th round picks, both have big chips on their shoulders, and both work endlessly at their craft. That's my guess.

 

[Bill Lee]

lol

I've been to the Tampa Zoo and recommend it, it is quite good.

 

[Bill Lee]

So many ways this could blow up.

Makes me wonder if TB12 is offering him a room in Derek Jeter's house this time around or not.

Soo much could go wrong. Hope they were smart enough to take away his phone.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

More stupid **** from the media, I see. Just waiting for an explanation on how the Bucs are mortgaging their future, going all-in for 2020 only, and taking a big risk, considering:

• Brown signed for just over league minimum for an eight game contract. If he doesn’t work out, they’ve taken almost zero risk. Look at the contract and the WR situation and there’s zero similarity to the Patriots and Raiders.
• Besides a fourth for Gronk, the Bucs haven‘t used any draft capital to build this squad. Besides a few late round picks, they have all of their future draft picks in tact.
• Their notable free agents in 2021 are Lavonte David, N. Suh, Shaq Barrett, Gronk, and Chris Godwin. Godwin is the only player whose market value is significantly more than he’s making now while the others could likely be re-signed or extended for similar value or less (Gronk.)
• Tom Brady is signed for two years and is very likely to reach an extension as long as his level of play remains high. Wouldn’t surprise me to see him get an extra year after this season.

 

[Bill Lee]

Tom E. Curran does a good job of representing the cynical view of Tampa's acquisition of AB:

Curran: Brady and Bucs are sticking their necks out for AB

Tom Brady and the Bucs are giving Antonio Brown another shot at redemption. Tom E. Curran recalls what went wrong in New England, and whether history could repeat itself in Tampa Bay.

www.nbcsports.com

 

[Tony2046]

Wonder if the AB signing indicates that Evans injuries are significant. If the Bucs had all their WRs healthy AB seems like an unnecessary luxury but maybe that is not the case. Maybe they can put Evans on the IR for a few weeks so he is healthy for the stretch run. We'll find out soon enough.

I was thinking something similar but more of as an insurance because both Godwin and Evans were injured and they don't want to play that thin again during a promising season.

 

[rochrist]

I'm no cap guru, but for years here I've seen posters talk about how difficult it is to pay top dollar for players and keep a team together, yet plenty of teams have done it. Right now the Pats have cap space (I think) and should have been able to put aside any differences they may have had and kept Brady here.

As for Cam, it's still early but it doesn't look like he's the answer. And if Stidham isn't then shame on Bill for leaving the team without a viable option at QB.

Actually, I think close examination would find that no, they haven't. Which is why all those other teams have one, maybe two SB rings during the same timespan that the Pats have 6 rings and 9 appearances.

 

[upstater1]

He's much more than that- he's a game changer, the equivalent of putting your thumb on the scale. Tilts the balance and forces the defense in a pick-your-poison situation. You absolutely cannot leave him in single coverage, so whoever is left open or in a zone as a result, is going to have a field day.

Similar to what we had when Gronk and Edelman were in their prime.

But the biggest thing is his ability to create instant separation- so by the time Brady has the ball in his hands, he already has a security blanket to fall back on if his reads don't go through or if he needs to get rid of the ball fast. Think Welker on steroids here.

As ironic as it may seem, and especially considering how ****ed up his life is off the field, Brown is an absolute technician, a craftsman, when he is on the field. He has it all, speed, strength, heart, and a very high football IQ. He knows what the corner is going to do even before the corner knows it. He doesn't take plays off, and is very crafty. He'll sell a route a particular way, several times during the game- then on a crucial down or when the game is on the line, he'll pull the rug out from under you by bluffing on the sell, do something different. He never runs the same route at the same speed, so it's very hard to get a good feel for how to match it, or time it. He'll run a route at 75 to 85% his speed all game long, then boom he goes 100% on a crucial down. He's great with his hands, elbows (high and out), and hips- and his route stemming is so hard to read, it's tricky.

He has an uncanny ability to read the QB's mind- it was said that all Ben Roethlisberger had to do was touch his facemask a particular way and Brown would know what it meant.

Unfortunately he comes with so much baggage. In the corporate world, the term for that would be "talented terror."

Why does Brady identify with him so much? They're both 6th round picks, both have big chips on their shoulders, and both work endlessly at their craft. That's my guess.

Brown has also been out of football for a while now.

He's been out longer than Gronk.

 

[Falcons2020]

Im liking your posts Falcons2020

I have to say, Ive been thinking about this for years... At some point, it does feel like BB has been doing emotional-driven decisions rather than maximizing... stuff (and Im taking a hint from your economist post later, bc I 100% agree)

One example that i do not see people ever talking, but i think its pretty telling (there are many others, more relevant eve than this one,however this is just one that is pretty evident and often forgotten)

Trading Gronk to Tampa

I get it. He wasnt playing for us, so whatever we could get is a profit.

That's not how you maximize your assets, tho. That is noy how you deal with your scarce resources (some definitions of economy is the study of resources, in very vague terms)

BB has changed since he became HC. For the better, in most cases. But he is losing edge in the trade market in a baffling way, for these last few years

I appreciate the compliment, bro.

To me, the most baffling move was trading Jimmy G for peanuts. He could have gotten a 1st round pick & more for a 24 year old franchise QB. It was one of Belichick’s rare emotion based decisions. He tried to set Jimmy G up for success by pairing him with the savant, Kyle Shannahan

 

[JayNM]

I appreciate the compliment, bro.

To me, the most baffling move was trading Jimmy G for peanuts. He could have gotten a 1st round pick & more for a 24 year old franchise QB. It was one of Belichick’s rare emotion based decisions. He tried to set Jimmy G up for success by pairing him with the savant, Kyle Shannahan

Oh yeah, this one was crazy for sure

The only thing that eases my mind on this trade is that Jimmy was much more "unknown" than Gronk. But I do agree with you on this too, to some degree

 

[PP2]

Tom E. Curran does a good job of representing the cynical view of Tampa's acquisition of AB:

Curran: Brady and Bucs are sticking their necks out for AB

Tom Brady and the Bucs are giving Antonio Brown another shot at redemption. Tom E. Curran recalls what went wrong in New England, and whether history could repeat itself in Tampa Bay.

www.nbcsports.com

Does he not understand Brown was signed for just a bit over the veteran's minumum, and didn't cost the Bucs any picks? To me that is a zero risk move.

 

[Falcons2020]

Im liking your posts Falcons2020

I have to say, Ive been thinking about this for years... At some point, it does feel like BB has been doing emotional-driven decisions rather than maximizing... stuff (and Im taking a hint from your economist post later, bc I 100% agree)

One example that i do not see people ever talking, but i think its pretty telling (there are many others, more relevant eve than this one,however this is just one that is pretty evident and often forgotten)

Trading Gronk to Tampa

I get it. He wasnt playing for us, so whatever we could get is a profit.

That's not how you maximize your assets, tho. That is noy how you deal with your scarce resources (some definitions of economy is the study of resources, in very vague terms)

BB has changed since he became HC. For the better, in most cases. But he is losing edge in the trade market in a baffling way, for these last few years

Here is a nice article on BB using his economics degree in how he runs the organization

 

[JayNM]

Here is a nice article on BB using his economics degree in how he runs the organization

ho ho ho duuude

Ive got an Economics Degree as well and, for awhile, BB was the guy that I idolized the most

I thought the way he approached the game was absolutely astonishing. He brought Game Theory to a practical field and the result was complete dominance.

This article has already me on tingles, since i already saw a graph with a 1st derivat in it lol

oh sweet jesus, im in for a hoot. Thank you so much

 

[PP2]

Brown has also been out of football for a while now.

He's been out longer than Gronk.

"Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance."

 

[jimnance]

I appreciate the compliment, bro.

To me, the most baffling move was trading Jimmy G for peanuts. He could have gotten a 1st round pick & more for a 24 year old franchise QB. It was one of Belichick’s rare emotion based decisions. He tried to set Jimmy G up for success by pairing him with the savant, Kyle Shannahan

This is not true.
Belichick was very clear about the timing of the Jimmy G. trade.
Getting a 2nd round pick when JG was about to become a fa, leaving NE with very little trade leverage, was the best NE was going to do.
No one was offering more( the rumored offers of #1 picks were false and completely discredited by all partues involved. Never happened).
The question is why didnt Belichick trade JG the PREVIOUS year, when NE had ALL the leverage and definitely couldve fetched a 1st rounder.
Belichick was VERY clear about why:
Entering 2016 he knew he had a championship- caliber team. Brady had just turned 40. This was uncharted territory in the nfl. He didnt know how well Brady would hold up over a long season. If he went down with an injury that would keep him from playing in the postseason, Belichick was confident the Patriots could still win a SB with Jimmy. So keeping JG was an insurance policy, plain and simple.
The most knowledgeable person in the planet of the Patriots, outside and of the org. is Mike Reiss and he has documented this conversation with Belichick.
And it was 100% the right decision to protect the franchise.
We all know what happened. Brady was again legendary. 28-3 happened.
Bill knew that Brady could handle his age and the rigors of the game and still be dominant for a few more years. And he was right.
Jimmy G was about to becone a fa, had already sat for 3 years and no way was he going to sit for 3 more.
So the Patriots basically traded the difference between a 1st and 2nd rounder for their 6th Super Bowl Championship.

 

[Falcons2020]

This is not true.
Belichick was very clear about the timing of the Jimmy G. trade.
Getting a 2nd round pick when JG was about to become a fa, leaving NE with very little trade leverage, was the best NE was going to do.
No one was offering more( the rumored offers of #1 picks were false and completely discredited by all partues involved. Never happened).
The question is why didnt Belichick trade JG the PREVIOUS year, when NE had ALL the leverage and definitely couldve fetched a 1st rounder.
Belichick was VERY clear about why:
Entering 2016 he knew he had a championship- caliber team. Brady had just turned 40. This was uncharted territory in the nfl. He didnt know how well Brady would hold up over a long season. If he went down with an injury that would keep him from playing in the postseason, Belichick was confident the Patriots could still win a SB with Jimmy. So keeping JG was an insurance policy, plain and simple.
The most knowledgeable person in the planet of the Patriots, outside and of the org. is Mike Reiss and he has documented this conversation with Belichick.
And it was 100% the right decision to protect the franchise.
We all know what happened. Brady was again legendary. 28-3 happened.
Bill knew that Brady could handle his age and the rigors of the game and still be dominant for a few more years. And he was right.
Jimmy G was about to becone a fa, had already sat for 3 years and no way was he going to sit for 3 more.
So the Patriots basically traded the difference between a 1st and 2nd rounder for their 6th Super Bowl Championship.

According to Jerry Pluto, an insider for the Browns, Cleveland was willing to offer the Houston Texans 1st round pick the Browns owned the rights to. That ended up being the #4 overall pick. The Patriots rejected the offer 2 days before trading Jimmy G to the 49ers.

Belichick hand picked the 49ers for Jimmy G. The 49ers never called, rather Belichick called Shanny and said take it or leave it. 10 minutes later the trade was announced

Bill Belichick reportedly didn't let the Browns anywhere near Jimmy Garoppolo, and it may have cost the Patriots

The Patriots reportedly could have ended up with the fourth pick in the draft if they had traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the Browns.

www.google.com

 

[Boomer B]

The competition is to win the National Football League.

Gronk with Brady helps them a lot.

BB has helped a rival, while getting less value in return

These are the basis of my argument.

I guess i disagree with you (and BB),bc Tampa with Brady is on my radar

Tampa is not even close to being a rival. BB saw a retired player he could turn into a 4th round pick. Every GM in the league makes that trade. His job is to make the NE Patriots better.

 

[amfootball]

I am really happy for Brady. He made a dynamite choice going to Tampa. They already had talent when he got there and they have continued to add talent since he arrived. It must be so satisfying for him to have a team that is doing all it can to get a ring.