Keyshawn available to the highest bidder come season's end. Tampa's toast.

[MountaineerDave]

Gruden is learning the hard, hard, hard way why it's been several years since a team repeated as NFL champs.

I don't mind playing the game of "Told ya so."
I called in preseason that the Bucs would struggle to .500, and so it is... Sure, they could win the remainder of their games, but don't count on it. In fact, depending on the locker room after Keyshawn's deactivation, there could either be a further loss of emotion and will to win, or the team might see a game-long bubble during which they look okay. In short, if the Bucs finished 10-6, I'd be beyond shocked. If they finish 4-14, I'd be surprised, but not stunned. And I think it would be absolutely appropriate to question Jon Gruden as a coach.

Front offices and coaching staffs get goaded into believing they're better than they are by winning the big one. Recent examples include the St Louis Rams, who followed their SB victory with a wild card round pounding and resounding elimination by NO. The Ravens recovered in time to get to the divisional round, but having failed to really make substantive changes on offense, floundered to the more physical Steelers. The New England Patriots thought no defensive changes were necessary, and wanted to try to pit what had been a physical and good scoring defense with a high-octane offense, only to discover that high-octane offenses don't protect old defenses, especially when said defenses aren't as physical, having worn the ring, and failed to even make the playoffs. The Bucs have struggled on both sides of the ball, having been hamstrung in the offseason by foresaken draft picks and poor cap management, and because they failed to upgrade at ANY position, are suffering for their hubris.

The lesson: When you win, expect not to win the following year, UNLESS you clear the way by eliminating guys who had career years and high salaries, and brining in cheaper, similarly talented guys who've not won.

Dave

[jnmhayes]

Tell everyone I'm in New York looking for apartments.

Sure, Keyshawn, all those good buddies you left in New York will be out there helping you find an apartment in New York.

I guess $56 million just doesn't motivate a superstar that way it used to.

[poptart]

Look back to week one of this season.

Tampa Bay put a beating on the Eagles IN Philadelphia on Monday night and a LOT of people were claiming that the Bucs would cruise to the NFC title again, seeing as there was obviously no competition for them.

Well...........

It would have taken a lot of convincing to get me to believe that later in the year we would see the Yucs at 4-6 and the Iggles at 7-3.

That's wierd, wild, wacky shtuff.

I'm not surprised to see MEshawn and Wonder Boy have a major fallout.

MEshawn is a puss and Wonder Boy is a disingenous creep.



You can check out, but you can never leave.........

[Spikedmace]

Keyshawn is pathetic!!

I can tell you this... listening to the local radio stations here in NY... NOBODY wants him on either NY football teams!! People are saying here they'll help him find an apartment if he guarantees that he won't ask to be on the Jets or the Giants.

[Brad O.]

Originally posted by MountaineerDave
In short, if the Bucs finished 10-6, I'd be beyond shocked. If they finish 4-14, I'd be surprised, but not stunned.[/B]

I'd be very surprised if the Bucs finish 10-6. I would be stunned and more if they manage to finish 4-14, which would require losing eight of their remaining six games.

Originally posted by poptart
MEshawn is a puss and Wonder Boy is a disingenous creep.

Keyshawn is a wuss? Sure, he's insecure and whiny, but he goes over the middle and blocks with the best the NFL has to offer. And Gruden is a disingenuous creep? Sour Grapes.

[Pimpbot]

Pretty much like they were all saying on ESPN last night, I expect him to be released at the end of the season, because I dont see any teams wanting to pick up his salary. I wouldnt put Keyshawn in my top 10 of the current NFL receivers. I'm glad Tampa took a stand. No ones ego is bigger than the team.

[rocketman]

I agree - I wouldn't put him in my top 10 receivers list either. And now this. I wouldn't want him on my team.

I'm not sure which team would make a good fit for him. He loves Parcells, but I don't know if they'd really want a guy like him in Dallas. Besides, Dallas has some pretty good receivers. There's talk about him ending up back with the Jets, but again I have my doubts.

[MountaineerDave]

Originally posted by Brad O.
I'd be very surprised if the Bucs finish 10-6. I would be stunned and more if they manage to finish 4-14, which would require losing eight of their remaining six games.

Got me. I musta meant 4-12....

:uhoh:

Dave

[MountaineerDave]

There will be bidders, and whoever wins the Keyshawn sweepstakes will give up a first round pick.

Possibilities:
Buffalo is in dire need of WR help. Sure, Moulds has been injured and that's been the WR problem, but Reed isn't a #1 yet, but he's had to play the role.

New England, who just signed JJ Stokes yesterday, have no height (aside from #4 WR David Givens) at the position -- assuming Stokes doesn't stick around -- and has 2 first-round picks and 2 second-round picks, to go along with 2 fourth-round picks. Likely they'll spend a lot of that on LB youth, but, being rich, they could burn a pick or two (especially if they could finagle a 1st day pick or two from Tampa) to take him.

Detroit is in dire need of a solid #2, which is what Keyshawn is these days.

Jacksonville needs someone without the drug problem to replace Jimmy Smith, who could very well be playing his final season.

Houston isn't without needs.
If SF lets TO go, they might go get Key as his replacement.

Dave

[HibachiDG]

You think Keyshawn would garner a number one pick? I think the most a team would give up to get Keyshawn would be a 4th round pick. And that's being generous.

The want for this guy is not going to be high. There's a reason why a former wide reciever coach at Tampa called Key the "best average receiver". He's not going to step in with anybody and make an impact. He's not going to turn a losing team into a winning team and he won't put a winning team over the top. For the dollars that Keyshawn is making, teams are going to back off.

Keyshawn is easily replacable.

And even a 4th round pick or lower, you've got all that contract and I guarantee you that Detroit, New England, Buffalo and Jacksonville will not want. I don't foresee any kind of bidding war for Keyshawn in the trade market.

Teams will go after him once he is released if they can get him cheap, but for the headache he brings that money is just too much.

Wide receivers in this league are easy to come by. Even if Keyshawn WAS standout wideout (and he isn't) Having a standout just isn't important. Yea, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens are great, but you still need a running game and a quarterback to make him worth a damn.

[Pimpbot]

He wasnt even the best WR on the bucs team!

[Anthony]

What about Miami as Keyshawn's 2004 destination? We're still waiting for Chris Chambers to explode, and who else do the Dolphins have - Derrius Thompson? Strictly a long-striding possession type. James McKnight? Great speed - but Brian McKnight could probably run more accurate routes and might have better hands too.

Atlanta is another possibilty - surely he would take some of the double-coverage heat off Peerless Price; but instead of Keyshawn, wouldn't it be kind of interesting if the Falcons signed Terrell Owens, turning Nike's latest commercial (showing T.O. catching a TD pass from Michael Vick) into a prophecy?

And no - I definitely do not recommend Johnson to the Eagles; he doesn't have the deep speed they so desperately need, plus to say that he's not "Andy Reid's kind of player" would be the eternal understatement.

[Barbarandroid]

Originally posted by MountaineerDave
Front offices and coaching staffs get goaded into believing they're better than they are by winning the big one. Recent examples include the St Louis Rams, who followed their SB victory with a wild card round pounding and resounding elimination by NO.

I disagree in the Rams case. The '00 St. Louis Rams, following their superbowl season in '99, went on a 6-0 tear to begin the season. There was no question that this team was as good as everyone thought they were. The defense had a few issues, but the offense was good enough to make up for it. They didn't start going downhill until Kurt Warner went down to injury. Now, if any team loses their MVP, of course they'll start to decline. Trent Green managed the offense well, but the fact is, he couldn't win football games. And because of that, an injured Kurt Warner, who was also on medication, was brought back into the lineup. And I might add, that it was a stupid decision by Mike Martz, but he wanted to win games. The New Orlean Saints pounded the Rams? Maybe for 3 quarters, but you must not have stuck around for the 4th quarter, because once the meds started to die down, Kurt Warner was unstoppable. He lead one of the best comebacks that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. IF Dre' Bly hangs onto that punt, who knows what the end result would have been. The 2000 St. Louis Rams WERE as good as advertised. They just couldn't replace their MVP Quarterback, who went down with an injury. It happens.

Now, the following season. The '01 St. Louis Rams finished that season 14-2. This time, Kurt Warner played the entire 16 games with numerous injuries throughout the season. And I've never seen a team cruise through a season the way they did. It was like an NFL team playing in the Arena league. It was unbelievable. They lost to New England in the Superbowl, on a last second FG. Warner was banged up, Faulk was banged up. The Patriots were on fire. No one was going to beat New England on that night.

I don't agree with the Rams being a good example, sorry. If anything, judging by the 7-3 record thus far, the 2002 season was a fluke, not the St. Louis Rams. They're starting to decline, but they certainly are not a one year wonder, as you make them out to be.
-------------------

As for Keyshawn Johnson - He's an overrated loud mouth, who not only isn't even a top 5 NFL WR, but he's not even the best WR on Tampa Bay. The 65 year old Keenan McCardell has that all but wrapped up, by the way he's been playing this year.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I certainly don't care to see Keysahwn Johnson playing for MY favorite football team.

[Heathen]

Keyshawn will be working for FOX on TV for the rest of the season.

[Skinswin]

Originally posted by Heathen
Keyshawn will be working for FOX on TV for the rest of the season.

If he does not work for Fox he can write another book. This one will be called "Just give me a da#n job" Look for it at your local Wal-Mart.