Grant and Danny
Scouting The Bucs With TJ Rives
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I think cash to tickets is the spot for you. We're real, we're transparent, we're having a hell of a good time with it, and we sit there and we're there for the sweat with you guys. We're just trying to figure it out just like you. Follow and listen to Cash the Ticket on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Our buddy TJ Reeves. I've known TJ for many, many years. He has been on the sideline for the bucks for a couple of decades almost at this point. TJ, it is great to have you on GND here in the nation's capital as we scout Tampa Bay. How are you? Always great to be with you my friend. And yes, I used to always call you the young Jedi back 20 years ago when we were working together, Sirius X and satellite radio. I can't get away with that anymore. You're the full on Jedi now. There's gray in this beer. TJ, I can see it from right here. He's got the beard. He's got kids. The young thing doesn't work anymore for that. And yeah, you and I have been around each other for a while. And this is year 20 for me with the buck and ears on the sideline. And looky here, Washington commanders in the beginning of the Jayden Daniel's era comes to Tampa Bay this weekend guys. Going to be fun. So let's start with this. The bucks last year were pretty good and made the playoffs and won the division and put up a decent fight in the playoffs. Why aren't people picking them to win the South again? Great question. And a year ago, everybody crapped on this team and thought they were going to have an awful season salary cap help host Tom Brady, you know, Baker Mayfield's been passed around like the offering played at church. Nobody wants them. All these different subplots. And you know what they did? They put their head down. They won the opening game in Minnesota. They won the week three game in New Orleans that both turned out to be big and won some key games at the end of the year blowing out Jacksonville beating Green Bay at Green Bay. And what do you know, won the division when a lot of people on the record thought three wins, maybe four wins. They end up winning nine games and they end up winning a playoff game. So now we come back around to this year. And I agree with you. I don't understand why there's more run being given to an Atlanta team that's got a first year coach. We love Raheem Morris. They've got some pieces. They've added Kirk cousins who you guys are familiar with. But what version of Kirk cousins are they getting at this point? I don't understand it either. Why they're getting more run than the team that's won the division each of the last three years and has a lot of the same players back from all three of those teams, guys, TJ, I want to go deep dive on this defense here because obviously we're focused on Jay Dennell's and the revamped offense. So I want to go to your defense first. There's a player in all three layers that I think is outstanding. Vida Vaya, one of the best at his position there at nose, DTAC, what I'm going to call it. Lavante David is still a badass. And then Antoine Winfield is a star. Where is this group vulnerable? Where can they maybe be had? And do you think Washington has what it takes to have it? That's a great point you make because in talking with Todd Bold this week, the the Buccaneers head coach, we talked about that middle of the defense straight through the middle of the defense with Vaya, David, and Winfield may be one of the best defensive players the NFL that gets no attention really because he plays in Tampa Bay then play for the Cowboys. He doesn't play for the Steelers. You know, the high marquee teams like in New York or in LA, but Antoine Winfield is a tremendous hitting safety. Great ball skills in terms of interceptions, bumbles caused. So he'll be a disruptive force. The real key is what you alluded to. What about the outside? What about on the ends? Are they going to contain Jayden Daniels if he goes to take off? Are they going to be disciplined or not? The Bucks are very aware that Daniels can burn you with his feet and he and he may elect on more than one occasion to do the safe thing, which is okay, I'm going to tuck it and go try to get five, ten or more yards as opposed to stay in the pocket and take a big time hit trying to deliver the ball. So the Bucks better be ready for Daniel to get outside of those guys you were talking about and trying to make something happen. TJ, remind me just as a refresher from the off season. What have they lost in terms of key departures and then big additions? Who came in? So basically they refined the most prominent guys Mayfield at the top of that list signed a three year deal again. He played for basically quarterback minimum wage last year, four million. We'd all love to make four million, but in quarterback money that's not very much. So he did get a significant raise keys back. You re-signed Mike Evans when a lot of people thought he would walk as an unrestricted free agent. He agreed to a new two year deal. The left tackle Tristan Worf's is due to be a free agent at the end of this year. They gave him a new massive deal. Winfield could have walked guys after a great year as a safety approval year. He resigned. So even though the Bucks didn't go outside the building, even though they didn't go outside the 813 area code, they had a really good year in free agency bringing those guys back. And I can't say there's a significant loss. Devin White, the linebacker, the former number one pick was really playing poorly for a lot of last year. He left to go to the Eagles, but he's not even playing for the Philadelphia Eagles right now. He's on the bench. They didn't even bring him to Brazil tonight. So I don't know that the Bucks have a significant loss off the team, and they did bring back some guys that are going to be key. Hey Mike Villetti here hosts a cash to ticket alongside my partner Jim Costa. It's really simple. Are you tired of podcasts claiming there are a bunch of pro betters when they live in their mommy's basement? Are you tired of podcasts that claim they had 80% of the games? When really, they just lose like most of us. Think cash to tickets the spot for you. We're real, we're transparent, we're having a hell of a good time with it. And we sit there and we're there for the sweat with you guys. We're just trying to figure it out just like you. Follow and listen to cash to ticket on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. TJ Reeves with us here breaking down the Bucks at Bucks sideline guy joins us here on Grant and Danny. Let's go to the office and make sure Baker Mayfield, I am not a Mayfield guy. I feel like you guys got that honeymoon Mayfield. That's just good. That's the best version of Mayfield and I'm not sure it's going to get that good again. What's the vibe? Trying to put me in a bad mood on a Friday and just Kabbash the season and I'm not getting better Baker Mayfield a year later a little bit because we've been doing this for decades. Like you guys got like the casual Tom Brady Super Bowl and some other stuff. We've been starving in the desert for like a thousand years and I'm just looking for a morsel. But what's the vibe on on Baker Mayfield and that sounds like you guys are more bullish. He has done all of the right things. He is fantastic to deal with on and off the air. And you're right. You could read into that. Okay. He's got to be on his best behavior. He was on his fourth team in three years after the Brown said no thanks and traded him to Carolina, Carolina, cut him and then the Rams picked him up and he didn't resign with the Rams. People are going, what's going on? But I think this guy realizes he's got a chance to put a stranglehold on his job and develop a legacy over the next two or three seasons beyond just last year. I love his moxie. He is a leader. They follow him. Evans, Chris Godwin, Tristan Wurst, the left tackle is probably his best friend, his past protector. They love this guy. So for right now, it is a honeymoon phase and let's see what happens because certainly in Cleveland, he did make the playoffs in Cleveland, but he didn't have near the talent on offense that he has down here to be able to do it again. So let's see if he can do it again. A career high 28 touchdowns to go against 10 interceptions last year in his first 4000-yard passing season for Baker Mayfield got him paid in Tampa Bay. How about the guys he's throwing it to? I know Mike Evans is back. We were kind of kicking around how much he's got left today. He goes for 1000 every year and last year's numbers were awesome. 79 for 1200 led the NFL with 13 touchdowns. Chris Godwin seems like the Lynch pit in that receiving room right now. Kind of more still in his prime, but what about Jalen McMillan, who they drafted? Who else do we have to pay attention to from a weaponry standpoint? That's for Evan. He had a tremendous second half of the season, a spectacular catch and run against Carolina. A couple of other huge catches for touchdowns in a couple of other games down the stretch of the season. So Mike is one of the premier receivers still in the NFL. Godwin is kind of an underneath guy and he was a little disappointed last year that he wasn't utilized as much as an outside receiver. He's going back to the slot and you mentioned the name Jalen McMillan, rookie from the Washington Huskies. He's a guy that was catching a ton of passes and touchdowns from Michael Pennix at Washington as they got all the way to the national title game and McMillan has turned heads here in Tampa Bay and is going to be on the field probably a lot in game number one as the third receiver. We believe that. So let's see if McMillan delivers really. I'm giving a little. I think everybody's pretty much done their draft by now because the season started last night. But Jalen McMillan may be available out there a little sleeper fantasy advice with Grant and Danny on a Friday. Jalen McMillan, Buccaneers third receiver. I like it TJ. By the way, Godwin 83 grabs, which sounds like a ton, but he had 104 the year before that 98 before that. But he did go for over 1000 for a third straight year, fourth out of five seasons for Tampa Bay. Last campaign TJ Reeves, your receivers are no joke. My friend, you know that they are no joke. The commanders will have their hands full. That is an issue here. Washington's corners are a joke. So that's not a good exchange necessary. That's not a mix that you want right now. Yes. How about the one area? We talked about on the field. They didn't lose a lot player wise. I do think Dave Canales is really good. And he's now the head coach in Carolina. He was the play caller in the OC for people that don't know that. It kind of was a quarterback whisperer with Baker who who raved about him all year. Tell me about Liam Cohen, their new OC and whether or not you agree that the Canales loss could loom large. Well, it's significant because you got to start over and it's a different offense and different terminology. Now, interesting Mayfield was with Liam, Liam Cohen and Sean McVay in LA for the final four games of the season two years ago, 2022 season after Carolina. They mutually agreed. Baker said, I'm not going to resign here. You're not playing me. Can I go somewhere else because the Rams were in need of a quarterback and he spent time for about five weeks with Liam Cohen. Cohen then left and became the offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky and they had a really good season last year, including being able to run the football. Now, this is the first opportunity for him to be the play caller for the, for the Buccaneers after Sean McVay was the play caller, even though he was the coordinator out in LA and people are interested in this offense. They're interested in how much zone blocking and kind of bootlegs that you're going to see. You didn't see any of that a year ago. We saw a little taste of it in the preseason. It will be fascinating and it may be a work in progress for a little bit, but at least Mayfield and Cohen have an existing relationship, guys. TJ, how's this offensive line? I view them as good. I think some of the grading sites and people that do that sort of thing don't view maybe as kindly more middle of the pack, but I feel this is a good group here with the center draft in the first round and I'm a big Tristan Worfsky, but I guess he's going to be playing on the left more. Give me your thoughts on this old line and where they are coming into the season. They had to address center and the kid is Graham Barton out of Duke who is a monster. He's won the starting job, not unexpectedly as the number one pick, and they love him for his run blocking. Interesting that Barton played left tackle his final year at Duke, but he had been a center the first couple of years at Duke. He was in all everything center out of Nashville, Tennessee, Brentwood, Tennessee, and unlike the three of us, he got into Duke. There we go. Now is the number one pick and they've got big expectations on him. I think we're all fascinated down here against Dan Quinn's defense. Can they establish a ground game? One of the knocks on the Buccaneers is the ground game has basically been nonexistent. Even even in the Brady Super Bowl year, it was not great. It was only good at times with Leonard Fortnett. So let's see if the bucks can establish some things on the ground. And again, it may be a work in progress with the line and the new offense here, but they're very excited about Graham Barton, the number one pick at center. TJ, last one for me just brought brushed in the division. We started by asking why they aren't the favorites. How do you like their chances and what do you make of the other clubs in the South? What am I supposed to say on the show when I'm the buck sideline guy? I love the bucks chance. Of course I do. New Orleans is a threat. Derek Carr obviously is there now for a second year. That's a tough place to play. But again, I say the Buccaneers went in there and won in the Superdome early on in the year. There are going to be some mark C games. There's a Thursday night game right away in October, early October, Buccaneers at Falcons. And Raheem Morris again is the former Buccaneers head coach. Raheem Morris was the defensive coordinator when they won the Super Bowl with the Rams. Now he's the Falcons head coach. That's going to be an interesting situation. Caroline is a mess. Dave Canales. Good luck to you for your number one with a lack of talent, but it's still going to be knocked down, drag out Buccaneers, Saints Falcons. Write me a headline or two here. If it does go Washington's way TJ, how did it happen? What's kind of the script, do you think? Buccaneers turn the ball over. Buccaneers make defensive mistakes and the commanders take advantage with big plays. Those are two things that give Washington a chance to win. If the Buccaneers take care of the football, if they don't allow, Jane Daniels to make plays with his feet, make the, let the big play happen, it should be a good day in Tampa Bay for another opening win. By the way, Buccaneers have never ever, this is the 49th year of Buccaneers football. I've never won on opening day four years in a row. They're going for that Sunday only one other time have they won three opening games in a row that was 79, 80, and 81 before the young Jedi was on the planet. That's right. That's right. We're going to do that. TJ, by the way, we got listeners headed to the airport going to Raymond James Stadium, which is one of my favorites in football. Love the place. Any tips, any pointers? Where should they be spending their time? Where should they be dying? Bring the chips, bring the sunblock and hydrate up because even for a four o'clock kick, it is going to be hot. It is going to be humid. The commanders will be in the dark jerseys. So let's see how they hold up physically. But what is there not to like down here? I mean, you got the beach, you got, you got the weather, you got great seafood. Come enjoy, come enjoy, until you tee it up with the Buccaneers at four o'clock on Sunday and then we'll see what happens. TJ, I really appreciate the insight, man. Enjoy the weekend. Boys behave great to be with you and we're happy to have the NFL back. You and me both. Great to hear your voice again. There's TJ Reeves. Bucks sideline is where he'll be on Sunday during the game. Hey, Mike Vlini here host a cash to ticket alongside my partner, Jim Costa. It's really simple. Are you tired of podcasts claiming there are a bunch of pro betters when they live in their mommy's basement? Are you tired of podcasts that claim they hit 80% of the games when really they just lose like most of us? Think cash to tickets the spot for you. We're real. We're transparent. We're having a hell of a good time with it and we sit there and we're there for the sweat with you guys. We're just trying to figure it out just like you. Follow and listen to Cash the Ticket on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.