Adrian Clayborn and Gabe Carimi should see their 2015 options lifted. By Sander Philipse?@Sanderrp Jan 24 2014, 1:12pm
Al MesserschmidtDue to an obscure 2011 CBA rule, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should have Gabe Carimi and Adrian Clayborn under contract for 2015 -- if they warrant it. Jason Cole wrote a really good article on how the 2011 CBA really screwed over first-round draft picks. The focus is on fifth-year option clauses for first-round picks. Teams have the option to automatically extend a first-round player's contract by a fifth year after their third seasons, for a salary determined by the salaries of other players at their position. In general, these fifth-year salaries are significantly lower than what players would get as free agents. What's more, the salary is only guaranteed for injury, which means teams effectively have a risk-free fifth year. The NFLPA decided to throw the top 32 picks in every draft under the bus so that they could get everyone else more money, guaranteed (more or less) by the not-so-strict salary floor. Whether or not that will eventually result in more spending on the rest of the player pool remains to be seen -- but that was, at least, the intent of what they did. The Buccaneers have two of those 2011 first-round picks in Adrian Clayborn and Gabe Carimi, whom they traded a sixth-round pick for last year. Both of those players should see their options lifted this season, for one simple reason: whatever their fifth-year salaries will be, they will not be guaranteed. If they perform poorly this year, the Bucs can cut them or force them to accept lower pay. If they play well, they have them under contract for another year at relatively low salaries. Both Carimi and Clayborn were picked outside the top ten, which means their 2015 salaries will be the average of the salaries of the third through 25th-highest paid players at their positions. Based on 2013 cap spending at each position, this would likely mean around $5.5 million salaries for either player. That's more than either would gain on the open market now, but neither player is likely to actually see any of that money unless they significantly increase their quality of play. There's no risk and a decent amount of upside involved with these options for the team, which means both Carimi and Clayborn should see their options lifted this offseason to remain under contract through the 2015 season. In reality, though, they'll simply get this year to prove that they should even be on the roster in 2015. http://www.bucsnation.com/2014/1/24/5341886/adrian-clayborn-and-gabe-carimi-should-see-their-2015
Trade em.
Carimi is one of those guys who baffles me. He's got everything he needs to succeed yet he can't play at this level. Cut bait. Dominik was getting desperate his last year here and made some stupid moves. Trading a 6th for Carimi can be added to the list. I think you probably keep Clayborn for no other reason than depth. We got nothing at DE. Nada.
Grouping Clayborn and Carimi together is asinine. Carimi has been so horrible he doesn't even provide depth, while Clayborn is a beast and has played very well. It's only fools that don't understand football that don't realize how good Clayborn was this year. I mean, the guy finished 4th in the entire NFL in TFL.....and people wanna cut em? GTFO. He also had 44 solo tackles, 6 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles....but yeah.....let's get rid of him! Smh.
The thing Clayborn has going against him is that he is not a 3 down RDE and isn't as effective on the left side due to disability. I agree he had a decent year but was greatly misused by Schiano. I saw him standing up on too many plays and doing stupid worthless stunts that would take him right out of the plays. Lovie needs a RDE who can get around the edge. Clayborn isn't that guy.
Dump Carimi, keep Clayborn but look to bring in better options for the D-Line.Personally, I'd like to see Clayborn as a rotational guy. He is good but not great.
No way would I dump Clayborn. He's a beast in run support and he may be able to rush the passer better after a full year and offseason of being healthy and maybe a new addition or two to the DLine else where.
The 5th year options are non guaranteed figures so there's no harm in exercising them now. See how they respond to new coaching and then go from there. If it works out keep the guy in 2015. If not, cut him.
I agree he had a decent year but was greatly misused by Schiano.
Oh you mean like droppin into coverage on Darren Friggin Sproles?
Clayborn even said something on Twitter about finally getting to get back to playing with his hand in the dirt, when Schiano was replaced with Lovie. Those last idiots had him running around like a LB way too much. Clayborn is a beast. People act like he wasn't coming off an ACL injury this season. I think he played great considering he was coming off an ACL and being used like a LB half the time. Look for Adrian to go beast mode this year under Lovie. Especially if we add a legit DE on the other end.....and if we add Donald through the draft.....look out. This whole d-line would be going ape sh!t all year.
I agree he had a decent year but was greatly misused by Schiano.
Oh you mean like droppin into coverage on Darren Friggin Sproles?
You mean having a 280lb DE responsible for a player like Sproles coming out of the backfield is a bad idea?
Grouping Clayborn and Carimi together is asinine. Carimi has been so horrible he doesn't even provide depth, while Clayborn is a beast and has played very well. It's only fools that don't understand football that don't realize how good Clayborn was this year. I mean, the guy finished 4th in the entire NFL in TFL.....and people wanna cut em? GTFO. He also had 44 solo tackles, 6 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles....but yeah.....let's get rid of him! Smh.
Yea I agree. You can't put them in the same group, that makes zero sense. With that being said, I think the Bucs should keep both. The reason for Clayborn is obvious but with Carimi, I'd like to see the Bucs keep him as depth for a little while because they traded a draft pick for him. There was a reason he was drafted in the first round. He has been a bust but hopefully a second year in Tampa with a new staff can help him become at least an average and versatile guy.
Also people seem to forget Clayborn was only a year removed from knee reconstruction this past season. His knee is not nearly as talked about as Revis' or Joseph's but in all likelihood it effected him as well some in 2013. Now in the last year of the Morris era he put up 7.5 sacks as a rookie. So there is definitely some upside there.
Clayborn should be kept definitely and not because he is an outstanding player. He has a good motor, plays the run well, and at times flashes explosiveness off the edge. And he won't cost much to keep around either.
Grouping Clayborn and Carimi together is asinine. Carimi has been so horrible he doesn't even provide depth, while Clayborn is a beast and has played very well. It's only fools that don't understand football that don't realize how good Clayborn was this year. I mean, the guy finished 4th in the entire NFL in TFL.....and people wanna cut em? GTFO. He also had 44 solo tackles, 6 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles....but yeah.....let's get rid of him! Smh.
Yea I agree. You can't put them in the same group, that makes zero sense. With that being said, I think the Bucs should keep both. The reason for Clayborn is obvious but with Carimi, I'd like to see the Bucs keep him as depth for a little while because they traded a draft pick for him. There was a reason he was drafted in the first round. He has been a bust but hopefully a second year in Tampa with a new staff can help him become at least an average and versatile guy.
We'll see. We got Carimi from the Bears, so I am sure Lovie already knows whether or not he wants to keep him around. I watched a cut up of Carimi this year that a scout posted on twitter and I can't get behind keeping him even if he redid his contract. I wanted him in the draft. Like many, I thought he was a 1st rounder....I was dead wrong. He is a big reason I stopped trying to scout O-line. Doesn't matter what he looked like in college, he has been an absolute turd in the NFL. I think he is as good as gone.
