FAB 3. Barrett Was The Bronco That Got Away

One year ago, outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett was preparing to leave Denver and hit free agency. The Broncos had Pro Bowler Von Miller on one side and first-round pick Bradley Chubb, who was coming off an impressive rookie season, on the other. There just wasn’t any room for Barrett, who had been a situational pass rusher for his five years in orange and blue.

Bucs LB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Getty Images

So Barrett left for a one-year, prove-it deal worth $4 million in Tampa and the rest is history. Barrett lit it up in the preseason as a pass rusher, earned a starting spot in place of the injured Jason Pierre-Paul, who would miss the first six games of the year, and record nine sacks in his first three games as a Buccaneer.

Barrett would finish the 2019 campaign with an NFL-high 19.5 sacks, breaking Warren Sapp’s single-season Bucs record of 16.5 en route to his first Pro Bowl – and a big payday coming up on March 16 or sooner from Tampa Bay.

So what did Broncos fans think of losing Barrett, who recorded 14 sacks in five seasons in Denver? Well, given the fact that Miller had a slow start to the season with just eight sacks and none until Week 4, and Chubb only had one sack before suffering a season-ending injury, you couldn’t blame Broncos fans for losing their minds over how productive Barrett was in Tampa Bay.

I asked Benjamin Allbright, a Denver radio sports talk host on the Broncos’ flagship station, about the amount of Barrett envy that took place last fall in the Rocky Mountains.

“Broncos fans were disappointed to lose Shaq because he was a highly productive, fun guy – local guy because he played at Colorado State,” Allbright said. “But he wasn’t exactly a fit for what Vic Fangio was trying to do. Vic likes those outsight linebackers to feint like they are going for the quarterback and drop back into zone. Shaq wouldn’t have had the productivity he had in Tampa if he had stayed in Denver. He wanted to bet on himself to be a starter, and I think everybody wishes him the best. You have media trying to drum up a thing now: ‘But look what Shaq did – they kept Bradley and he got hurt.’ So you get that kind of stuff, but at the end of the day, I think Broncos fans are super happy for Shaq because everybody loved him.”

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Getty Images

Barrett was a bit of a local legend because he played college ball at Colorado State, and was a regular on local radio stations as a guest because of his tremendous personality and charisma.

“He’s a fun guy and a smart guy and one of the best interviews I’ve ever had,” Allbright said. “Shaq came on my show and we talked about him playing Madden and you had all those Broncos linebackers, and I said, ‘Which one of these Pro Bowlers are you subbing out to put yourself into the game?’ He said, ‘Actually, I just create four Shaq Barretts.’ He’s a fun guy and Tampa fans are really lucky to have him. I hope they get to keep him.

“It’s kind of one of those things because there is a wistful vibe because Chubb got hurt at the end of the day. I think Shaq did well in Tampa and is in a scheme that fits him. Having Todd Bowles as a coach that is going to let him go downhill after the quarterback, and that’s where he excels.”

Bucs director of football administration Mike Greenberg has had some dialogue with Drew Rosenhaus, who is Barrett’s agent, about a new deal. If a new contract can’t be agreed upon by the start of free agency on March 16 the Bucs plan on using the franchise tag on Barrett.

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“He’s always been the ‘chip on the shoulder’ guy that has just wanted the opportunity to start,” Allbright said. “He was highly productive in a limited role in Denver rotating with DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller and Shane Ray for a bit before Ray got hurt. He was highly productive in his role – he just had limited snaps. That’s all it was. 

“Everyone was calling Shaq ‘just a rotational guy.’ I wasn’t so sure he was.

“He just didn’t have the opportunity to get out there as much, so he switched agents, went with Rosenhaus and bet on himself. Now he’s about to get paid and I’m happy for him. I think a lot of Broncos fans are.”