We’ve mentioned more than once this offseason that re-signing guard Davin Joseph figures to be near the top of Tampa’s rather lengthy to-do list in free agency this year.
Joseph wants to return to the team, but it comes with a catch. He wants to see the Bucs committed to winning by bringing back some of his teammates.
“If [the Bucs] were to say they were committed to signing back guys that we played with last year, it would definitely [encourage] me to stay,” Joseph told Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times. “Guys like [Jeremy] Trueblood, guys like James Lee, guys on defense like Barrett Ruud. If you’re bringing guys like that back, then I know you’re about winning. It’s a step in the right direction instead of trying to reconstruct the whole roster. That’s not going to work to our benefit.”
The economics and timing of free agency makes this somewhat unrealistic. The team may have to choose between Joseph and Ruud. And since Joseph will be the most sought after player of the group, he figures to go first.
And as nice as it sounds to talk about re-signing other guys, free agency just comes down to who will spend the most. The Bucs are going to have spend big to keep Joseph and fill other roster holes after the lockout.
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Sounds like he wants to be the GM for the Bucs??
Gotta love when players think they are GM’s….I mean it worked out so well for the Miami Heat…..
Tampa owner has the deep kind of pockets like the LA Dodgers owner.
Many here in Tampa would suggest that a commitment to winning would be better shown by replacing Ruud, not re-signing him.
Aren’t the Bucs way, way under the cap?
the only way that happens is if they agree to spend 90% of cap room in the new CBA. Because as everyone knows the bucs ownership is a bunch of misers.
I’d rather just give Freeman an 10-year contract extension than re-sign BOTH Joseph and Ruud…I dont really have a preference between the two…because neither has been outstanding for the past few seasons.
biggerballz says: Jun 29, 2011 9:03 AM
the only way that happens is if they agree to spend 90% of cap room in the new CBA. Because as everyone knows the bucs ownership is a bunch of misers.
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It’s pretty incredible the roster they’ve built with so little money. The Glazers are too busy spending money on some Euro soccer team.
they are so lucky and have drafted well but at some point you have to keep the young talent and build on it.
Joseph will be signed first but rest assured his commitment to his teammates goes out the window if the payday is to his liking.
Whats’ funny about this is that Joseph wants both Trueblood and James Lee re-signed, despite the fact that both play the same position… and both will want to start. I say let Trueblood and Ruud go… Trueblood is a backup RT (not exactly a value position) and the Bucs can finish in the bottom 5 in run defense like they did the past two seasons with or without Ruud.
I wish people in the media wuld make their minds up on the Bucs and the salary situations. It seems that depending on what story they are pumping out that day the idea changes.
#1 The Bucs will struggle to resign Joseph and Ruud when a deal is done.
#2 The Bucs will struggle to reach the salary floor when a deal is done.
To me those 2 statements kind of conradict each other.
Pick a story and stick with it.
AAAAAAaaaaa Davin Joseph I thought you was a
G not a GM that why “THE GREAT DETROIT LIONS”
knot the deers (not Bucks) out of the playoff last year.