WEBVTT - Takeaways From Wild Card Matchup vs. Cowboys, Unpacking Future Contracts | Bucs Insider 0:00:05.680 --> 0:00:08.840 Welcome Too, Books Insider Live, presented by Verizon Casey Phillips. 0:00:08.840 --> 0:00:10.799 He was senior writer and editor Scott Smith. And this 0:00:10.880 --> 0:00:13.920 is our saddest show of the year. I felt like 0:00:13.960 --> 0:00:15.840 we needed to start with like the Debbie Downer like 0:00:15.960 --> 0:00:20.080 sounds yes, it's so sad um. You know, we were 0:00:20.120 --> 0:00:22.079 hoping we were talking about advancing this week, but we 0:00:22.120 --> 0:00:23.680 did not. So this is what we're all here for. 0:00:23.920 --> 0:00:25.720 I said this as we recorded Tampa Too this morning, 0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:27.080 and Britan I did it. If this is our space 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:30.479 to all come together as a Bucks community commissariate, have 0:00:30.600 --> 0:00:32.760 our moments, but also get excited about the future. And 0:00:32.760 --> 0:00:34.840 we're going to do both of those things on this show. 0:00:34.880 --> 0:00:37.720 So let's start off with the takeaways from the Cowboys game. 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:39.280 What stands out to you now that you have a 0:00:39.320 --> 0:00:41.760 few days to hear from people about it, digested, look 0:00:41.800 --> 0:00:44.440 back at it, what stands out well? The Bucks actually 0:00:44.440 --> 0:00:46.600 got off to a decent start on defense at least 0:00:46.600 --> 0:00:49.040 and two straight three and Ounce made a lot of 0:00:49.120 --> 0:00:50.919 nice plays, and it looked like it was going to be, 0:00:51.560 --> 0:00:53.800 you know, a tight game where maybe be a game 0:00:53.840 --> 0:00:56.200 in the high teams or something. Because the Bucks offense 0:00:56.360 --> 0:00:59.320 also the Dallas defense also did two straight three and outs, 0:00:59.360 --> 0:01:02.160 so four drives into the game, neither offense had gotten 0:01:02.160 --> 0:01:05.800 a first down. Then Dallas broke through with the long drive. Unfortunate, 0:01:05.800 --> 0:01:07.840 but it happened. Then the Bucks came back with their 0:01:07.840 --> 0:01:09.640 own driving. It was really nice drive with a lot 0:01:09.680 --> 0:01:12.680 of makeable third downs that were converted, and you get 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:15.560 down there inside the tin yard line and then Tom 0:01:15.600 --> 0:01:18.880 Brady throws maybe his most unfortunate pass of the season. 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:21.280 It's intercepted in the end zone. You know, they go 0:01:21.319 --> 0:01:22.800 the other way for a touchdown, and it was kind 0:01:22.800 --> 0:01:25.000 of it just kind of snowballed from there. Yeah, it's 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:27.800 so interesting the way that the momentum is such a 0:01:27.840 --> 0:01:30.040 real thing. And I know that also, you know, the 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:33.880 run game never really got going. It's interesting. Coach Bowls 0:01:33.880 --> 0:01:35.680 on our show talked about how he felt like they 0:01:35.720 --> 0:01:38.760 were getting some decent runs. It actually just the the 0:01:38.760 --> 0:01:41.920 inability to stick with it because of what ends up 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:45.160 happening with the overall flow of the game. And yeah, 0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:46.319 it makes you feel like it could have gone so 0:01:46.360 --> 0:01:48.760 differently the way they were moving in the run numbers 0:01:48.760 --> 0:01:50.480 are misleading in two different ways. I think it was 0:01:50.520 --> 0:01:53.520 maybe twelve for fifty two something like that. It's it's 0:01:53.560 --> 0:01:56.040 misleading because obviously in the second half we were almost 0:01:56.120 --> 0:01:58.760 exclusively throwing the ball. But then the average, which is 0:01:58.800 --> 0:02:01.640 pretty good four and a half per carrier something, is 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:05.200 also a little bit misleading because on those last desperate 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:07.080 drives we got a couple of third and ones and 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:10.200 converted them with runs which they weren't defending against it. 0:02:10.280 --> 0:02:12.560 That so seven eight yard runs on third and one 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:15.160 just to move the sticks kind of inflated the average 0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:17.000 a little bit. So in both ways the numbers are 0:02:17.000 --> 0:02:20.560 a bit misleading. But what is it misleading is that 0:02:20.639 --> 0:02:23.440 Tom Brady through sixty six passes in the game. You know, 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:25.079 not how you want to draw that up. You get 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:29.960 to three and fifty one yards passing two touchdown passes, 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:33.720 the trio of outside receivers and Chris Godwin and Julio 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:35.959 Jones and Mike Evans combined for two d thirty three 0:02:35.960 --> 0:02:37.919 receiving yards, which, if you tell me before the game 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:40.560 that's gonna happen, I'm feeling pretty good about that. But 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:43.280 when it takes you sixty six throws to get there 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:46.360 and you're completing about of them, then it's not a 0:02:46.360 --> 0:02:48.680 particularly efficient passing attack. And that's what we see in 0:02:48.680 --> 0:02:51.320 the final numbers. And then you look at it at 0:02:51.360 --> 0:02:53.320 the end and you look at those numbers and sixty 0:02:53.320 --> 0:02:55.120 six passes, that's a lot. It is a lot. Look 0:02:55.160 --> 0:02:57.720 at this. It's almost the most that any quarterback has 0:02:57.720 --> 0:03:00.120 ever thrown in a postseason game. And it's only you know, 0:03:00.120 --> 0:03:02.080 a couple of years after Ben Roethlisberger set the record 0:03:02.080 --> 0:03:05.960 at eight, but only one game on there is a victory, 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:08.440 and so you don't need to be throwing sixty passes 0:03:08.440 --> 0:03:11.080 in the game. Not the goal. And I know that 0:03:11.560 --> 0:03:14.200 one of the people that we threw to some but 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:16.400 not nearly as much of this season, in particular as 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:17.839 I'm sure a lot of Bucks Sands thought we would 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:20.480 as Julio Jones. This is a guy who there was 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:22.519 so much excitement about what he could bring to this team, 0:03:22.520 --> 0:03:24.920 but then of course health complications. Just felt like he 0:03:24.960 --> 0:03:27.000 was banged up on and off that injury report all 0:03:27.040 --> 0:03:29.079 season long. But what did you end have seen on 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:31.360 the times he was healthy and able to go of 0:03:31.400 --> 0:03:33.040 what he brought to this offense. Well, you're seen in 0:03:33.040 --> 0:03:35.040 here in some of these highlights, and um he had 0:03:35.120 --> 0:03:37.560 he basically was dealing with a knee injury the entire season. 0:03:37.560 --> 0:03:39.840 In some weeks he could go, in some weeks he couldn't. 0:03:40.480 --> 0:03:42.800 But you can see when he's feeling okay on like 0:03:42.880 --> 0:03:45.960 on this thirty year ago route. Um, you know, he's 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:48.960 definitely an asset and he's been this way throughout his career. 0:03:48.960 --> 0:03:51.280 As he could see that these are all of his 0:03:51.840 --> 0:03:54.560 uh postseason games. He's played in ten playoff games in 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:56.160 his career, and every single one of them, he said, 0:03:56.360 --> 0:03:58.640 more than fifty receiving yards. So that's a streak of 0:03:58.640 --> 0:04:01.240 ten obviously, which is that I for the second longest ever. 0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:03.160 But you can see what he can still give to 0:04:03.200 --> 0:04:05.560 a team when he's feeling good. It's just that I 0:04:05.560 --> 0:04:07.200 think it's getting harder and harder for that to be 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:10.200 an every week thing for Luo Jones. Maybe by the 0:04:10.200 --> 0:04:12.080 start of next year, if he's with us or somebody else, 0:04:12.320 --> 0:04:15.120 he'll be in in good shape. But that's what they 0:04:15.160 --> 0:04:17.839 said when he was coming in this season. If you recall, Um, 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:19.800 you know, because I had the injury issues with Tennessee 0:04:19.800 --> 0:04:22.680 the year before and even in Atlanta before that, but 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:25.360 he was considered healthy coming into the season. It just 0:04:25.440 --> 0:04:27.600 didn't last very long and realy that Dallas game. Yeah, 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:31.360 the first game and speaking of health issues all season, 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:35.080 Ryan Jensen made his triumphant return, which was so excited. 0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:37.200 First of all, I loved using him for a hype 0:04:37.240 --> 0:04:39.160 video and when he get introduced as part of the 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:41.800 starting lineup man, this stadium went the nuts and I 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:44.440 loved that for him. What an amazing experience and just 0:04:44.880 --> 0:04:47.640 such a reward for him having stuck with it and 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:49.400 worked so hard. That had to be a very lonely 0:04:49.480 --> 0:04:51.039 road all season when you don't even know if the 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:53.080 team is going to make the playoffs, to give you 0:04:53.160 --> 0:04:56.159 long enough so you are rehabbing on this hope that 0:04:56.279 --> 0:04:59.039 without you you have no control over this, they give 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:02.640 you enough time to come back. And the faith that 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:05.680 showed he had in this team, and you know, the 0:05:05.720 --> 0:05:07.800 desire he had to get back, and then for him 0:05:07.800 --> 0:05:11.279 to not only come back but play every snap that 0:05:11.440 --> 0:05:14.920 is outrageous and to do it at a pretty high level. 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:17.680 I mean, we're not seeing him just getting run over 0:05:17.720 --> 0:05:19.960 out there, which really would not have been that shocking. 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:22.320 That wasn't the plan though, it wasn't the plan for 0:05:22.360 --> 0:05:25.119 the players that Robert Haynes was still active and although 0:05:25.120 --> 0:05:27.400 he was dealing with hamstring injury, he was going to 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:30.920 play in that game. And they started, Um, they started 0:05:31.160 --> 0:05:34.000 Ryan first because they thought if we start Robert Hanzy 0:05:34.120 --> 0:05:36.560 and he gets hurt, now you're down to Ryan and 0:05:36.600 --> 0:05:38.240 we're not sure you can play every snap of the game. 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:40.760 So you start Ryan. See how far it can go. Well, 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:43.520 he just kept feeling better the whole guy. Crazy, typically 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:45.000 how it goes in a football game where you feel 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:46.599 better but well, I know, but maybe you've been waiting 0:05:46.640 --> 0:05:48.919 so long, it's just keeps fueling you. That adrenaline was 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:51.159 probably going. So it was impressive. It will be interesting 0:05:51.279 --> 0:05:53.000 interesting to see where it goes from here because he 0:05:53.040 --> 0:05:55.560 didn't have surgery on it on an injury you usually would, 0:05:55.800 --> 0:05:58.240 so as he fully recovered now or what I mean, 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:00.440 we don't have all the details. In fact, we really 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:02.640 didn't have the details on what the injury was until 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:05.240 he finally said so after the games. And it was 0:06:05.279 --> 0:06:07.320 pretty significant like m C L A c L P 0:06:07.440 --> 0:06:11.320 c L, which a big deal. Who needs those needs those? Um, yeah, 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:13.200 it is a pretty remarkable story. Yeah, that's going to 0:06:13.240 --> 0:06:15.200 be interesting. You're right to see how this looks moving forward. 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:17.599 That will be one of the storylines of the off season, 0:06:17.600 --> 0:06:20.480 I'm sure, is the offensive line. And one of the 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:22.279 things that we'll talk about sure with that is the 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:25.760 draft of is this a position that you address how early, 0:06:25.920 --> 0:06:28.320 how often? And so now one thing we do know 0:06:28.600 --> 0:06:30.880 since the buck season is over, is where they'll be drafting. 0:06:30.920 --> 0:06:32.560 So take us through that and what you think this 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:34.320 is going to mean to the team. So the Buccaneers 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:36.680 end up in the nineteenth slot because the first eighteen 0:06:36.720 --> 0:06:39.800 teams were already ordered. Those are the ones that didn't 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:41.919 make the playoffs and the rest of it depends a 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:43.960 lot on when you exit the playoffs. And so the 0:06:44.040 --> 0:06:47.160 six teams that were eliminated this past weekend are then 0:06:47.240 --> 0:06:50.080 added in slots nineteen through twenty four. And since the 0:06:50.080 --> 0:06:52.440 Bucks record of eight and nine was the worst of 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:54.479 those six teams, they get the nineteenth pick. And I 0:06:54.520 --> 0:06:57.160 show you the teams here right around them before and 0:06:57.279 --> 0:07:00.240 after them. Should note that number twenty one Miami they're 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:03.120 slotted there, but that pick is actually forfeited because of 0:07:03.160 --> 0:07:06.719 all the stuff that happened earlier this year. But um, 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:08.520 you can see the Buckets are gonna be picking after 0:07:08.640 --> 0:07:12.360 the Packers, the Commanders, the Steelers and the Lions. So well, 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:14.520 as we start to do mock draft seasons and so on, 0:07:14.600 --> 0:07:17.360 we'll see, you know, what kind of players we think 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:19.119 those teams are looking for and how that could affect 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:22.000 the Buccaneers. But at least they know their nineteenth. And 0:07:22.000 --> 0:07:24.440 one interesting thing about that is because because of that 0:07:24.480 --> 0:07:26.360 eight and nine record doesn't match any of these other 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:29.239 teams around them, um, they are not in a segment 0:07:29.280 --> 0:07:31.800 of teams that rotates through the draft, So they'll be 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:34.000 picking nineteenth in every round that they have a pick. Yeah, 0:07:34.120 --> 0:07:36.640 that makes sense. So for you looking at what we 0:07:36.680 --> 0:07:40.400 know about just typically what is available at nineteen. Let's say, 0:07:40.440 --> 0:07:43.400 of some of these top positions you think the Bucks 0:07:43.440 --> 0:07:46.200 could be interested in, how likely is it you get 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:49.200 someone you are excited about at nineteen. I think it 0:07:49.240 --> 0:07:51.640 depends on the position. I mean, there's usually some good 0:07:51.640 --> 0:07:53.920 cornerbacks there at that time, and the Buccaneers do have, 0:07:54.240 --> 0:07:56.640 um do have some issues with free agency and the 0:07:56.640 --> 0:07:59.640 potential departure of some cornerbacks. So I think or safety, 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:02.080 I think you can get one of the best, you know, 0:08:02.160 --> 0:08:04.000 one of the three or four best corners. Or safety 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:06.320 is probably the best safety at pick number nineteen unless 0:08:06.320 --> 0:08:08.280 there's some superstar out there and I haven't really done 0:08:08.440 --> 0:08:10.280 my draft home. Yeah. Yeah, we have plenty of time 0:08:10.280 --> 0:08:12.200 over the next few months, and I'm sure we'll talk 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:14.640 about it. If you want an interior a linement, it 0:08:14.680 --> 0:08:16.280 should have no problem getting one of the key ones 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:18.920 there tackles. Usually the premier tackles are gone by there 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:20.680 and you're looking at sort of the second tier by 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:23.560 the nineteenth pick, and who knows what if the Bucks 0:08:23.560 --> 0:08:26.680 are looking for a quarterback, nineteen isn't really I mean, 0:08:26.720 --> 0:08:29.760 we did get Josh Freeman at seventeen a few years ago. Um, 0:08:30.040 --> 0:08:31.920 can you pick it went around that area as the 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:34.640 first quarterback of this past year, So it's possible. But 0:08:34.800 --> 0:08:37.920 generally the premier quarterbacks tend to rise into the top ten. 0:08:38.000 --> 0:08:42.400 So um, you know, more like the less premier positions 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:46.320 like defense, you know, edge, rusher and quarterback less likely 0:08:46.320 --> 0:08:48.240 to have studs there at nineteen. And then as you 0:08:48.280 --> 0:08:50.720 go down the list of you know, the less premier positions, 0:08:50.760 --> 0:08:52.199 you might be able to get the top ones. It's 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:54.600 so funny how once now the season ends, all of 0:08:54.640 --> 0:08:56.319 our shows that we do for the next few months 0:08:56.720 --> 0:08:58.920 is all of the prediction stuff right of what they're 0:08:58.920 --> 0:09:00.199 going to do in free agency, what they going to 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:02.440 do in the draft. And I feel like, now until 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:04.640 there is some sort of decision made about tom Brady, 0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:06.120 every one of our shows is going to have this 0:09:06.200 --> 0:09:10.679 asterisk there of like pending tom Brady. And it's amazing 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:13.120 to see the way that will end up affecting free 0:09:13.120 --> 0:09:15.480 agency and the draft of what you think your needs are, 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:18.000 you know what you're trying to bring back, what you're 0:09:18.000 --> 0:09:20.400 trying to do in terms of the rebuild, reload, all 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:22.439 of that, and how aggressive you are and how much 0:09:22.440 --> 0:09:24.320 people want to come back. If we just compare this 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:26.760 to last year when Tom Brady made that sort of 0:09:26.840 --> 0:09:30.640 late in the like eleventh hour decision before free agency 0:09:30.679 --> 0:09:33.880 to not retire and come back, then you start seeing 0:09:33.880 --> 0:09:36.640 Domino's fault. Ryan Jenson re signs, Carlton Davis from Science, 0:09:36.720 --> 0:09:39.800 Chris Godwin after getting the franchise tag resigns, and so 0:09:40.640 --> 0:09:42.800 it could make a big difference depending on what your 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:45.240 plans are a quarterback, whether some guys how motivated they 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:47.160 are to come back, and how motivated you are to 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:50.320 continue this aggressive style of free agent signing where you 0:09:50.360 --> 0:09:51.840 do sort of have to pay for it a little 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:53.559 bit down the road, bucks are you gonna have to 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:55.719 pay for some of that this year? There's some catishes, 0:09:56.080 --> 0:09:58.240 some pretty big capishes they have to work through because 0:09:58.240 --> 0:10:00.960 of these types of contracts over last two or three years. 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:03.199 But it was worth it, of course to win the 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.120 Super Bowl and be Super Bowl contenders for this window 0:10:06.160 --> 0:10:08.240 and hopefully a little longer. Yeah, that's going to be interesting. 0:10:08.280 --> 0:10:09.840 And I know this week we did at least hear 0:10:09.840 --> 0:10:14.080 about some futures contracts. Uh, not quite as newsworthy and 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:16.800 exciting as all of the other free agency decisions wind 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:18.600 up hearing about, but it is something to tell everybody 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:20.960 a little bit about a remind people what futures contracts 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:22.400 are and some of the names that stood out to you. 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:24.600 What the futures contracts do is allow every team, even 0:10:24.600 --> 0:10:26.720 the ones that are in the playoffs, to um sign 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:30.360 guys now that and the contract takes effect when the 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:32.440 new league year starts. I think that's on March fifteen 0:10:32.520 --> 0:10:34.240 this year, but you don't have to wait till then 0:10:34.320 --> 0:10:37.200 to sign these guys. And generally what they are, what 0:10:37.280 --> 0:10:38.840 they're used for, are the guys that were on your 0:10:38.840 --> 0:10:41.960 practice squad because as soon as your season ends, whenever 0:10:42.000 --> 0:10:45.640 it does, all your practice squad contracts expire, so those 0:10:45.640 --> 0:10:48.080 guys become free agents, and so if you want to 0:10:48.280 --> 0:10:51.120 bring them back, you sign them to these futures contracts, 0:10:51.120 --> 0:10:53.160 and they almost always happened like just a day or 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:55.560 two after the season and did so. So far, we've 0:10:55.559 --> 0:10:59.200 brought back third fourteen I think fourteen of our sixteen 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:00.679 guys that were on the squad at the end of 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:03.320 the season, and then one other guy. I'm not gonna lie. 0:11:03.400 --> 0:11:05.480 I don't think I can think of alternately in my 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:07.559 head right now. But um, it's a lot of the guys. 0:11:07.720 --> 0:11:09.760 I mean, some of the names are very recognizable because 0:11:09.760 --> 0:11:12.240 we've been using them this J. J. Russell for instance, 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:15.040 the guys that either were elevated multiple times and got 0:11:15.040 --> 0:11:18.640 into action there or eventually got promoted to the active 0:11:18.679 --> 0:11:22.000 roster and then, in JJ's case, was released right before 0:11:22.000 --> 0:11:24.160 the last game because to make a spot for Ryan Jensen. 0:11:24.240 --> 0:11:26.839 So it's a lot of you you would recognize a 0:11:26.880 --> 0:11:30.480 lot of the names, but um, I can't name them already. Yeah, no, 0:11:30.520 --> 0:11:32.360 that's very understandable. All right, Well, that is going to 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:34.600 do it for us on this edition of Bucks Insider 0:11:34.679 --> 0:11:37.120 Live presented by Verizon. Thanks as always for being with us, 0:11:37.120 --> 0:11:39.199 and again we'll be here throughout the offseason to talk 0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:42.080 about all of these upcoming pre teen major decisions and 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:44.400 things going on to build the team for next season. 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:45.319 So we'll see you next time.