Vincent Jackson will be taking his talents to Tampa
Unless you are a fan of the Buccaneers it’s hard to put into words what last season felt like losing 10 straight games in a row and watching a team that at times appeared to leave it all out on the field …
In the first quarter!!!
The problems that popped up for this Buccaneer team kept multiplying and at the end of the season the fans were just glad that the whole thing was over. Of course the Head Coach had to be the guy to go because simply put … you can’t lose 10 games in a row the way they did and keep your job. This brings us to our current state of affairs.
The Bucs closed the first day of free agency by signing Vincent Jackson to a 5 year / 55 million dollar contract with 36 million guranteed in the first 3 years. Buc nation is excited, but this was a move they had to have.
Perception vs Reality
When it comes to the fans reality runs a distant second to how things are actually percieved. Last year the Bucs had so much money to spend and they came away with one player.
A Punter.
Who would have thought that a kicker would be the best offensive weapon the Bucs would have last year? The front office sold the Coach and the fans on the “youth movement” and 10 losses in a row, a fired head coach and a 4-12 season later the fans were looking at this team with the stink eye. According to the fans these owners were cheap and they weren’t going to spend money.
That was the word on the street so what next?
The Bucs bring in a new regime and told the fans that they “would spend whatever it takes.” .. Really? .. Fans were skeptical and this jaded fan base was waiting for the front office to give them a reason to riot. “See watch them mess this up like they did last year.” .. “Glazers don’t care, they’re making money regardless … Those were the words from the fans which brings us to day 1 of Free Agency.
Closing the Deal
It was obvious that after a great rookie year Mike Williams did nothing to solidify that he was a number 1 WR. He simply couldn’t adjust to the different schemes and double teams that DC’s threw at him this year. As far as the other wide receivers? … Well if your not a Bucs fan name 2 or 3 other wide receivers that are on the squad.
Exactly .. One of the most glaring needs of this squad is a play making wide receiver that Josh Freeman can throw too. Insert Vincent Jackson to fill said need, but could the Bucs be able to get him? If Jackson wasn’t available there were still guys like Mike Wallace, Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, and other guys available. However, once guys starting getting franchised the pickings became slim. Garcon flew off the board by 4:15 and word was that Jackson was in “talks” with the Bucs. I texted my buddy and said “Tampa better not let Jackson leave without a deal.” If they failed on Jackson and allowed them to use them as leverage this fan base was going to riot. You could already here the calls on sports talk radio in Tampa.
“Oh here we go again, I knew they would mess this up.”
They HAD to close this deal even if it meant over paying a little bit. They couldn’t come back to this fan base and say “hey we tried, give us some credit.” No, support from the Dungy years is now fading and they needed a splash. They needed something to believe in going into next season and by closing this deal they now have the fans attention. There are still holes to fill but for as far as day 1 is concernced, Buc Nation is pretty ecstatic.
Original Story:
http://ballerssports.com/why-the-bucs...
|
March 15, 2012
