For a guy that speaks his mind, Bruce Arians says a bunch even when he doesn’t say anything. When he speaks about Jameis Winston, reading between the lines speaks volumes.
“We have a plan. We’re just not telling anybody.”
Jamies Winston Negotiation
“No, Jameis doesn’t know our plan.”
It sounds like a negotiation to me!
“I would have liked to have seen more progress from Jameis in December.”
That has negotiation written all over it.
For the first time since 2015, the Buccaneers are not publicly committing to Jameis Winston as their quarterback. Doesn’t mean he’s gone, it just means they want to see who else is available.
That’s negotiation squared!
Try this. The Bucs will take Jameis Winston at the right price. But if Tom Brady were really available, they will take that conversation as far as they can. Even for PR’s sake, it solves a ton of problems for the Buccaneers. They can turn that hope into season tickets. They can become relevant for the first time since the Super Bowl. Granted a little thing like the Bucs offensive line would bring everybody back to reality, especially Gisele.
I would hope every year at every position, the Buccaneers look at their personnel and payroll and make every improvement they can. Yet for the first time ever, the Buccaneers can truly look at every quarterback in football and outside of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers they can make an honest pitch for whomever they want. Things may never lineup this way again.
Negotiation
Be certain, the last two games of the season really got the Buccaneers thinking. Losses to Houston and Atlanta in games the Bucs should have won. Six interceptions and two Pick-Sixes spelled the difference. Yeah, that December. The Bucs were staring at ending the season with a six-game winning streak and a 9-7 record. Instead, 7-9 and hard questions about paying Jameis the going rate for quarterbacks. It cost Jameis millions!!!
Negotiation
Word is Jameis believes his worth is a multi-year deal north of $30-mill per. He may have pulled that off before the last two games. He played those games with a broken thumb, a bum knee and without his top receivers. If he sits, he probably has a deal like that right now. Instead, his courage and durability may be used against him.
There’s that word again, negotiation.
The Bucs want the best deal they can get so they can pay for other needs. Jameis believes if Jared Goff and Carson Wentz can sign for more than $32 million per season, why can’t he? After those last two games, the Bucs have leverage.
One more time with feeling. N-E-G-O-T-I-A-T-I-O-N.
Bucs G-M Jason Licht said it best, “Don’t get us wrong, we still ‘like’ Jameis.”
Next Valentines Day ..try giving a card that says, “I like you!”
Forget negotiation, that will take you straight to mediation.