“I Never Met A Guy That Didn’t Love Playing For Bruce”
January 10th, 2019
GM Jason Licht talks talent and bonding
New Bucs head coach Bucco Bruce Arians is all about accountability, as he explained in great detail to Joe this afternoon.
General manager Jason Licht said the Arians way is very popular.
Joe asked Licht today whether he could predict that Arians would have a couple of favorites on the roster, you know, Arians kind of guys.
Licht flipped it to say what the roster would think of the head coach before answering.
“All the players are going to love him,” Licht said. “You might see some of them thrown in the pond back there behind the practice [facility] — well, maybe not with the alligator back there — but at the same time, he knows how to reel you in, too. It’s tough love.
“I don’t see anybody on our roster, not getting along with Bruce. I’ve never met a player that didn’t love playing for Bruce.”
Licht then named Mike Evans and O.J. Howard as players Arians already likes, and “the usual suspects.”
Interestingly, Licht noted that the various candidates interviewing for the Buccaneers’ head coaching job, including Arians, believe the Bucs have some quality young talent on defense and talked “equally as much” about that talent through the process.
No, Licht wasn’t dropping a sales job. “I know that we have a lot of work to do particularly on that side of the ball,” he said.
January 10th, 2019 at 8:00 pm
Too bad Mesean is on the trading block…lol
January 10th, 2019 at 8:04 pm
I hope djax is encouraged by the Arians hiring..I hope it renews his passion for the game.
Then I hope licht cuts him at the 11th hr, nobody signs his little punk azz, trips on an audio cord hanging out with jeremy mcfluury in uncle snoops recording studio and breaks his leg.
BY DESEAN!!!!! THANKS FOR NOTHIN!!!!
January 10th, 2019 at 8:06 pm
Cut everyone over 30! Get the stench of losing out this locker room.
Djax
McIceCream
Dotson
Grimes
Conte – retired? Does he show his face in public?
JPP can stay
January 10th, 2019 at 8:18 pm
Sometimes the coach make all the difference when it comes to players…..I suspect we may be surprised by some of the changes…..and we may be surprised by some of the non-changes.
I think it best to just sit back and watch developments……I am convinced there will be many players in FA that really want to play for Tampa now.
January 10th, 2019 at 8:27 pm
DJax can GOOOOOOOOOOO! That guy is straight selfish! Never going to get a ring. Go straight to Buffalo and don’t come back! I hope TB gives a Buffalo DJax and a 4th round pick just to take him!
January 10th, 2019 at 8:33 pm
Too late for DJax he has to go, got to cut out the cancer. John Brown is a free agent and should come a lot cheaper than 10 mil if they’re just looking for another guy to stretch the field.
January 10th, 2019 at 8:34 pm
We still need a g.m..
January 10th, 2019 at 8:36 pm
JOE,
BA (aka Bad Ass) will never meet MeJax bc he will get cut this off season, LONG before players reconvene for OTAs
-Elated Bucs fan
January 10th, 2019 at 8:41 pm
I hope Desean Jackson leaves…he’s trouble. If he stays, we’ll all regret it later.
January 10th, 2019 at 9:00 pm
Ok guys, enough with the GM bashing. Remember, if we didn’t have Jason Licht, Bruce would either be in Cleveland or on the golf course. I’m not saying all of his decisions have been great, but the man clearly deserves some credit, too.
January 10th, 2019 at 9:44 pm
Joes. Quit showing that loser. He shut down his fifth gear when Jameis was in. He’s a loser and a quitter. Walk the plank bro.
January 10th, 2019 at 9:46 pm
Can’t teach old dogs new tricks, leopards don’t change their spots. D Jax is a selfish me first player who threw Jamies under the bus for Fritz. McCoy has been soft no matter who the coach has been. You guys are giddy in love with BA, but he’s not going to make either of those two change who they are.
January 10th, 2019 at 9:48 pm
Old School Athlete … Guess I don’t understand why you say Licht deserves credit for landing Bruce Arians. This is a match made in heaven for BA & he knew it from the start. We never heard a peep out of Cleveland, and as far as golf goes, it’s pretty obvious that the coaching challenge is a lot more appealing to BA than the golfing challenge. He gets a opportunity to grab the reins of a very talented offense led by a QB with loads of talent. Also gets a chance to get the ‘old gang’ back together again. Not to mention that Jason Licht is surely under orders from the Glazer Boyz to give Coach Arians WHATEVER HE NEEDS TO WIN. I don’t think we’ll be seeing any more 2nd round kickers in the near future.
January 10th, 2019 at 9:59 pm
The better lock up Humphries I’m sure Arians sees how valuable that guy is. I’d try to trade Brate, trade djax or cut him. I want to see more of Justin Watson and Godwin out there with Humph and Evans 4WR sets and get ROJO catching passes like Kamara.
January 10th, 2019 at 10:00 pm
@BucEmUp
It’s “Bye”
But I agree
Go BUCS!
January 10th, 2019 at 10:07 pm
All the players that is except Batman… err McCoy. He would HATE playing for Arians because he will FINALLY Abe held accountable and not have his arse kissed!
January 10th, 2019 at 10:29 pm
You guys are idiots for wanting to get rid of djax
No djax = No Deep Threat
And no Mike Evans is not a deep threat, he’s just tall
Djax is the only player we have that has enough speed to score from anywhere on the field he touches the ball
January 10th, 2019 at 10:32 pm
Desean and team building are like oil and water.
Peace out, D Jax ✌
January 10th, 2019 at 10:41 pm
D JAX gone ! ASAP !!!
January 10th, 2019 at 10:46 pm
Hold on, there’s an alligator at One Buc Place and this is the first I’m hearing of it?
January 10th, 2019 at 10:53 pm
MeJax is softer than baby food. He’s got to go. Every time he gets tackled he gets hurt. Plus Bruce can handle the ones with troublesome backgrounds but he doesn’t like divas. MeJax for a 3rd, any takers?
January 10th, 2019 at 11:41 pm
I hope with the proper coaching we could have a bunch of players turn the corner .
January 10th, 2019 at 11:54 pm
Watching nfl Total access he said BA need to talk Jameis then he said they need to bring djax in the room at that point I said shut the hell up willie djax need to go I don’t care if he like BA or not he gotta go
January 11th, 2019 at 12:28 am
I would LOVE if Jackson got his act together, but i doubt it happens here. We could/should trade Brate for a speedy WR.
I want to believe BA is drooling at the thought of being able to play Godwin and another receiver outside and sliding ME inside, similar to how he did with Fitz in AZ, when he started to lose a step. If we could get a quality back that defenses actually respected, our 1/1/3 set by itself could provide matchups all across the board.
January 11th, 2019 at 1:58 am
7423- Mike Evans is not a deep threat haha.
He is #4 in yards per catch. Ahead of guys like Ty Hill and T.y. Hilton.
Bucs have 3 guys in top 10 for this category so I’d say we have plenty of deep weapons, or did you forget about OJ too?
January 11th, 2019 at 7:56 am
Alaskan-
Mike Evans and OJ are short (red zone) to intermediate (15-20 yard) threats.
Sure mike Evans might beat a corner in single coverage for a deep pass (30-40 yards), but he’s never beaten a corner and safety for a deep pass much less out run them both for a touchdown if he catches the ball
Most corners play Mike Evans at the line of scrimmage because no one is afraid of his speed
Didn’t that kid from Carolina shut down mike Evans?
January 11th, 2019 at 7:58 am
Alaskan-
Oh and can mike Evans return punts for touchdowns ?
NOPE!!
January 11th, 2019 at 8:20 am
All of you clamoring to trade Brate, he played hurt all year, OJ is yet to finish a season and with his injuries, it may take him longer to recover than anticipated. He isn’t going anywhere so stop because some of the idiots will now be on a hate Brate mission and will try to drive him out like McCoy and Winston. DJAX can go. Surprise #7423 taking the opposite argument from every other But fan except the “Usual Suspects”- Shocking, LOL
January 11th, 2019 at 9:24 am
There are plenty of ways to get behind the defense without possessing raw 4.4 speed.
An example on our own team is OJ who seems to sneak his way behind the D quite successfully when the play works. BTW he had some bombs thrown to him at Bama as well.
There are a ton of guys who come out of college with amazing speed. Find a project or two in the later rounds perhaps even a UDFA. I surely do not want to trade Brate who has a knack for getting open in the end zone and now that we know it’s JW going forward Brates connection with him will be invaluable.
January 11th, 2019 at 9:55 am
BTW…Antonio Brown is on the market. What has happened to the once proud and disciplined Steelers? Brown is now Chucky bait.
Here is what surprises me in this entire saga. Brown of course is one of the top receivers in the NFL. He clearly has the talent.
So why did he drop to the sixth round? CW says because he got lost at a small school and had bad measurables. Other reports however got out that he was undisciplined and a head case which scared off many NFL GM’s.
Some here will say…so what look at the numbers and perhaps helped in wins for the Steelers. But how difficult was he to manage and coach.
Man if Mike Tomlin has problems it’s a huge red flag. I have a lot of respect for Tomlin and the entire Steelers organization.
Can we imagine what Brown would have done to Dirk and Todd?
January 11th, 2019 at 1:13 pm
^^^^ scary thought, spbf. Brown is a cancer of epic proportions. This morning, Brown sent a tweet sort of mocking a statement from the Rooney family. Who does that?…. to one of the most respected families in all of sports. Man… i would not take Antonio here in TB (in spite of his talent).. if you GAVE us a draft pick to take him.
January 11th, 2019 at 2:31 pm
DJax’s only value to this team is as a trade.
IF BA is smart, and Licht too, they will rehab his image long enough to get something of value back. Same for GMC.
There is money to be saved and players/picks to be bargained for with this roster. What Licht does in the next 120 days will be crucial.
Maybe BA will stop him from doing stupid things…