BSPN: Bucs should be sellers – JoeBucsFan.com

“Jason, I’m telling you, I have an edge rusher you can use.”

Foolishly challenged BSPN's Billy Barnwell would have shouted at Todd Bowles to lie down in the final two minutes of the loss to the Crows two weeks ago so that Chris Godwin wouldn't get injured.

Why does Joe say that? Because Billy typed an article this week saying that AC/DC-loving Bucs general manager Jason Licht should climb the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, wave a white flag at passing cruise ships and start dumping starters overboard throw to build for the future.

With Tuesday's trade deadline approaching, Barnwell essentially told Licht, “It's over.” The run is over. Build a stockpile of draft picks for the future.

(Travis Hunter?)

Billy is convinced that the Atlanta choke ruined the Bucs. And the way the Bucs defense has completely collapsed – and the Bucs defense is making so many fundamental mistakes in the first week of training camp – is going nowhere for the Bucs this year.

… …The Bucs had too many moments where receivers found wide open spots in zone coverage, and when they played man coverage, opposing quarterbacks went 23 of 35 for 300 yards, six touchdowns and a QBR of 96.3. This QBR allowing man coverage ranks 32nd in the league. They could have relied on Mayfield and the passing game to win shootouts – they have the league's easiest schedule going forward – but without Evans and Godwin, this could be a lost season.

The verdict: The Bucs should move on at the deadline.

“Subtract,” as in selling talent.

To be fair to Billy, he makes a good point. What exactly can the Bucs do with a defense that burns worse than Smith's? If your offense isn't averaging 35 points per game, it's very hard to overcome a terrible defense.

Now if the Bucs decided to go out like Buffalo and Kansas City and get a decent receiver, with Mike Evans hopefully for the Giants game after the bye, then the Bucs might have the firepower needed to compete with the NASCAR To be able to keep up with teams that meet their expectations on a weekly basis through the Bucs defense.

It's sad that for the first time since Bucco Bruce Arians got here, the Bucs finally got a good offense – and finally found a guy who knows what he's doing with that offense – and it's the Bucs defense that Possum plays.

(For the record, Joe isn't interested in chasing quarterbacks in the draft. The Bucs found their franchise QB, Baker Mayfield. He played well last year; he's playing better this year. He's a goalie.)