Bucs' free-agent class continues fade

[michael89156]

Bucs' free-agent class continues fade


 November, 26, 2012

 
By Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com

 
All of a sudden, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' splashy free-agent class isn’t looking quite as good as it did back in March, or even September or October.
 
A little more luster came off the class Monday as coach Greg Schiano said that cornerback Eric Wright will serve a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, starting immediately.
 
Wright, receiver Vincent Jackson and guard Carl Nicks were the trio of marquee players the Bucs signed at the start of free agency in March. Wright got a five-year contract worth $37.5 million and Nicks and Jackson got even bigger deals.
 
Jackson has been a success story, providing quarterback Josh Freeman with a true No. 1 receiver for the first time in his career. Nicks played well before going on injured reserve after seven games.
 
But Wright has been something of a question mark all along. He missed part of the offseason program for medical reasons that the team never detailed.
 
Wright appeared in the first 10 games and his play was unspectacular. He made 39 tackles and had one interception. He’d been bothered by an Achilles tendon injury in recent weeks and missed Sunday’s game against Atlanta.
 
His absence leaves the Bucs dangerously thin at cornerback, since they previously traded starter Aqib Talib, who also was issued a four-game suspension for violating the same policy. Talib was traded to New England three games into his suspension.
 
E.J. Biggers took over Talib’s starting job and undrafted rookie Leonard Johnson got the start in Wright’s place Sunday and was targeted on an 80-yard touchdown pass to Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones. LeQuan Lewis, Myron Lewis and Danny Gorrer are the only other cornerbacks currently on the roster.
 
But the Bucs could consider moving safety Ronde Barber back to cornerback. Barber played that position his entire career before moving to safety this season.
 
Moving Barber, 37, would be only a short-term solution. But short-term solutions are the only possibilities for the Bucs at this point in the season.
 
It’s becoming quite obvious they’ll have to add at least a couple of cornerbacks via the draft and free agency. And maybe the Bucs should look at Wright as a cautionary tale that nothing is guaranteed (other than $15 million in base salary over the course of the first two years of Wright’s contract) with players that aren't being re-signed by their current teams.

[GameTime]

what a crummy headline.  everyone knows FA is a crapshoot.  id say we went 2/3.

[Madman]

VJax alone made this free agent class a success.

[1sparkybuc]

So who's right......Sheffter or Yasinskas? Is the money guaranteed?

[olafberserker]

VJax alone made this free agent class a success.

+1, you're not going to hit on every one and Nicks was doing well up to the injury

[olafberserker]

So who's right......Sheffter or Yasinskas? Is the money guaranteed?

not sure, but I thought I read that the suspension for drug violation made voiding part of the deal possible.  I think Yasinkas is referring more to the volatile/risky nature of signing FAs

[BucBalla85]

Nicks and VJack were good signings. Nicks just got hurt while Wright sucked. Id say it was a succesful FA. Which isnt always the case.

[olafberserker]

Wright isn't a shut down corner, but with Talib he was fine as the number 2 (although not great).  Without Talib and of course getting hurt, he was mediocre at best.

[BucfanNC12]

what a crummy headline.  everyone knows FA is a crapshoot.  id say we went 2/3.

Just like drafts.

[Bucs N Beers]

Nicks and VJax still make this FA a booming success. Wright was a bad deal. But we got the #1 G and WR in free agency. Just because Nicks got hurt doesn't make him a bad FA pickup. Guess what - he gets to come back for years to come and he will dominate. Both of these guys should have never ever ever seen free agency. Their previous teams should have locked them up forever. But they didn't. And both chose the Bucs. That's huge.

[BucBalla85]

Nicks and VJax still make this FA a booming success. Wright was a bad deal. But we got the #1 G and WR in free agency. Just because Nicks got hurt doesn't make him a bad FA pickup. Guess what - he gets to come back for years to come and he will dominate. Both of these guys should have never ever ever seen free agency. Their previous teams should have locked them up forever. But they didn't. And both chose the Bucs. That's huge.

Agree. Those guys rarely ever make it to FA and the Bucs signed them. I still cant believe they were able to do that after the 10 game losing streak. I guess money does talk in this league. However I still think it doesnt hurt being in FL. Who doesnt want to be among the best paid and work/live in FL with that. As long as the Glazers are willing to give out the money, TB is an attractive place to play.

[themerchantoftruth]

This is an awful article, Jackson has lit it up and Nicks was still paving the road for Martin when he was healthy. Wright at that price was clearly a bit of a reach but so be it, 2 out of 3 in the crap shoot that is NFL free agency is good by anyones standards.

[Bucs N Beers]

Nicks was still paving the road for Martin when he was healthy.

He was also paving the way or Martin when he was injured. Apparently he was playing on a pretty decent injury until it got too eff'd to play without causing permanent damage. That is dedicated and determined. And he was still ballin on a jacked foot.

[Benchwarmer#1]

Wright wasn't a great signing to begin with.

Personally, when they were brought on stage to be paraded around, i believe wright shouldn't have been with nicks and vj. Not even in the same class.

People can bust Dom's chops about it, but realistically, he was the only CB worth anything at the time after signing nicks and vj. Talib was a known problem-child, so they had to have some sort of backup plan. They probably felt it was a nessessary evil. I mean, see how the backfield is doing now? Dom was right for signing him, maybe not for that amount of cash, but something had to be done back there nonetheless.