It’s About The Sidelines
December 29th, 2014
What exactly will Jason Licht scrutinize on New Year’s Day?
General manager Jason Licht hopped on the Buccaneers Radio Network with the great Gene Deckerhoff yesterday and talked about his upcoming trip to big-time Bowl games.
Now Licht wouldn’t serve up names or talk specifics, but Licht was clear on one of his missions: he’ll be watching players at “certain positions” to see how they interact with teammates on the sidelines, stuff you can’t see on film.
This was clear code for quarterbacks.
Joe’s never heard of scouting — or caring about — how a behemoth right guard prospect mingles on the bench. Nope, nobody cares about what a cornerback does with Gatorade bottles while his position coach is rallying the troops.
But quarterbacks? They have to be leaders. Their body language says a lot, as does their teammates’ reactions to them.
Licht playfully said his plane tickets, and his staff’s, are booked, and he was going to work on getting Lovie Smith to tag along.
Today at One Buc Palace, Lovie was pressed on whether he’s going to the Rose Bowl. Lovie wouldn’t commit to a direct answer.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:12 pm
Or he could just have someone video the players on the sidelines to see how they interact. Of course that was something Schiano allegedly did with the Bucs and got mocked for here (along with only winning 4 games)
December 29th, 2014 at 5:12 pm
I was watching the nfl network and espn and they were questioning whether the bucs intentionally lost the game to get the top pick. they said that Vincent Jackson left the field Sunday with a finger in the air representing the No. 1 sign. as in 1st overall draft pick. I think what lovie did removing players was the only smart decision he has made all season. perhaps he was given a nudge by the glazers.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:13 pm
I’m cool with Lovie staying far away from picking our quarterback of the future.
He’s already showed his no good at picking the right one.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:14 pm
he’s
December 29th, 2014 at 5:15 pm
@port richey george,
I was there, and I guarantee you that’s not what Jackson was doing. He was thanking the fans for supporting them (as there were a bunch of fans applauding the players as they entered the tunnel for the last time of the season. He was actually clapping for them. This is a perfect example of how the media can often times mislead the public to create a story out of nothing.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:22 pm
Lovie is a homebody. He does’nt want to go anywhere.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:22 pm
If nothing else I’m confident litch can find late round talent or players off the street that can contribute ie jac smith.
I’m still confused why we would ext murphys contract. There has got to be a 21-22 yr old playmaker somewhere in this country. Better get on the phone with Kentucky men’s basketball and see if there’s a giant that won’t make it to the nba. Or a track star that prefers a paycheck or even some udfa ala victor Cruz.
Russell Shepard is better than murphy is my opinion. Great ST player and he can catch too. Plus murphy is a gator who would ever want a gator on their team. Yuk!
Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:25 pm
No one can say that they are shocked about the loses in 2015…. Whosoever is foolish enough to subject themselves to the madness by buying season tickets know they are doing so to attend games that are loses with a very slim chance the bucs might win….
December 29th, 2014 at 5:26 pm
If Lovie doesnt find the need to go then he needs to take Jason Lichts suggestion for who the number qb pick will be. Maybe Lovie already has his sights on a D End. Noooooooooooooooooooo!
December 29th, 2014 at 5:28 pm
Or maybe Licht is in charge of the draft, as was stated when the coaching/GM hires were made.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:32 pm
Trade down TWICE in the 1 st round
December 29th, 2014 at 5:33 pm
Isn’t this what scouts are supposed to do?
Guess he has the time since he’s not managing anything in general.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Did rod marenelli leave Dallas yet? Oh damn they’re still playing aren’t they. Shucks.
Bring in marenelli and Norv Turner and we win the division next year. It take time my a$$ it take competent management.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:35 pm
Buccfan37 Says:
Lovie is a homebody. He does’nt want to go anywhere.
———————————
Basement dweller…. at home and at work. lol
December 29th, 2014 at 5:38 pm
Wouldn’t mind seeing Lovie with a 1 way ticket out of Tampa.
Crying shame he won’t do his job. It’s not like he was overworked this year with creating winning game plans.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:41 pm
Or maybe he’s working on reviewing game film of our team, and other teams, to see what players and positions he wants to go after in FA. I know that it’s easy to think that one person being responsible for the overall operations means that he has to do everything but that’s not how delegation of responsibilities works.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:42 pm
Why didn’t he just say a trip to California? We all know it’s the Rose bowl. Maybe a quick stop in Orlando to watch the Russell athletic bowl Oklahoma VS Clemson then off to Cali. Either way Bucs fans have been good all year, how about an extra early present next year Santa.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:44 pm
Patrick. I wouldn’t want Lovie to have any say in FA’s this yr. no more Michael Least Mode Johnson, Anthony Collins and EDS please. Oh and crap ass McCown …all Lovie’s talent evaluation skills at work.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:47 pm
At Port Richey George, I was at the game, V-Jax was giving the one finger salute to the fat Saints fan who was at the game in section 119 with his fatter wife. Fortunately she spent most of her time at the concession stand to keep their trough filled. The fat Saints fan was yelling at Bucs players and in the process raining down food particles as he could not make up his mind to rant or gorge.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:47 pm
Nj
Let’s not forget cousin, major and mike Jenkins.
Lovie is a loser licht will find starters in the 5th and 6th rounds.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:49 pm
Everyone loved us taking all of those guys in FA. The only exception was perhaps McCown, but there were a number that were right on board with him as well. It didn’t work out. Partly because of the OC being gone and partly because the players got paid and stopped trying. That happens to lots of teams and it doesn’t mean that Lovie is bad at player eval. You can’t evaluate that a player is going to stop playing hard when he gets a big payday. You can’t evaluate how a player is going to do when there isn’t a competent OC to put a game plan together.
December 29th, 2014 at 5:55 pm
I would tend to be mad that Lovie would even consider not attending, but then the further he is away from the decision-making process in the draft the better.
Not sure if I read it, but my impression was that Licht handled more of the draft, and Lovie handled the free agent talent eval. Evans was a win, and ASJ and Sims still could be. So that gives hope.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:05 pm
Patrick, uninformed fans who want to win the offseason Super Bowl loved taking those FAs. Those who understand the NFL past the surface level know winning the offseason Super Bowl usually means a losing season ahead, and that building your roster through FA is an outdated, 2002 approach to football.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:10 pm
@bucrightoff – so you’re saying that instead of filling the needs we had on the team through free agency we should have just used 25 draft picks? I’m sure that if we had those available to us the team would have loved to have done that. Unfortunately, we only have a few picks and the rest of the needs need to be fixed with band aids in free agency. Nobody wants to have to pay that much for those players. If they were great then they wouldn’t be let go from the team they were on. We have to pay them so we have some production at those positions until we have a chance to draft a home grown replacement.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:11 pm
far as I am concerned I hope he goes with licht, the further he is from tampa the better I like it and maybe just maybe, he will stay there. happy new year everyone. except for you lovie
December 29th, 2014 at 6:13 pm
@bucrightoff – and a lot of those uninformed fans were national NFL analysts and professional NFL writers who do this stuff for a living. It’s not like it was a bunch of random JBF commenters.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:13 pm
A Yo Patty Boy
Two words : Rex Grossman.
Nuff said. Ty and good day sir.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:15 pm
@DB55 – He’s a QB that took his team to a super bowl. Not sure what you’re point is.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:15 pm
Pat
Those are the worst offenders. Rule of thumb, if the experts say X then go with Y.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:16 pm
Filling needs is not the same as building your roster through FA. When you have as many needs as we do, you build it, you don’t buy it. We aren’t adding the missing two pieces, we’re missing about 12 pieces. Sort of a big difference. As to analysts, yeah, they have to write stories to draw page clicks. Remember how RGIII was going to be better than Andrew Luck? Whoops….but even then many people knew that was garbage.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:18 pm
Yea, it makes no sense to watch how ‘other’ players interact…cough, Incognito,cough.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:20 pm
@DB55 – So, according to you, the only people that know anything about football are….. you. If coaches don’t know anything, GMs don’t know anything, pundits don’t know anything and people that disagree with your comments don’t know anything then you’re the lone holder of football knowledge. And yet, here you sit on the JBF comment section while other folks are making millions at this without having to nearly as much about football as you’ve learned in your spare time. Sounds like you missed your calling bro.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:22 pm
@bucrightoff – if we’re missing 12 pieces but have 7 draft picks (with some being late round picks) then would you suggest that we do nothing to address those other 5 pieces?
December 29th, 2014 at 6:33 pm
Patrick, please give it a rest. You’ve carried Lovie’s water all season.
FA monies spent. Massive swings and a misses…. McCown was the worst.
Tedford? He had a year long basement session and the guy quit on Lovie.
Gut the OL? Hire Warhop? Special teams? (cough Eric Paige!), game management?
It just goes on and on and on.
It’s like 7 years of college down the drain.
We couldn’t even win one, not one home game for the fans.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:39 pm
See there is the problem Patrick, the “Let’s solve everything at once” approach, as if that can even be done. This team needs to be built, and it’s going to take time and patience. Expecting to fill every hole every offseason is insane, and expecting to do it in FA is even more insane. And every hole you “fill” through free agency is actually creating another half hole (at least), because you’re either overpaying for guys in FA (compromising cap space) or getting them past their prime. Temporary fixes basically that are stop gaps and not problem solvers.
The rookie cap has changed the game, you look at Seattle and Green Bay, and they can turn over players who reach FA with young, drafted guys for a fraction of the cost. Bad teams (like us) are the ones who sign away their overpriced FA’s while they end up with superior value in their own drafted, cheaper players who may only be 90% as good, but costs 75% less.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:39 pm
Biff – the only points you brought up that I see as legitimate are gutting last year’s OL and special teams not being good. I’m not 100% on whether gutting the OL was a bad move because they were all brought in for an offense that we didn’t even run so I don’t know if they would have been better in the system for which they were hired to play in. The rest of your points have been addressed extensively. You’ve got your torches that you’re going to burn, and that’s fine, but I’m not going to stop being a fan of the team. You’re a fan that shows your enthusiasm for the team by saying how terrible it is and putting down every move they make and I’m one that supports the team and hopes for the best. You’re a Chris Brown fan and I’m a Tom Hanks fan. Neither is wrong I guess. I personally would rather not watch the team than be a Chris Brown fan but that’s me. Evidently it brings something to your life.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:41 pm
@bucrightoff – That’s a great approach if it’s 1983 and a head coach knows he has 5 years to get something going. Coaches are getting booted after 2 years and they’ve got people trying to get them out after the first one if they try to build slowly. I would love to see them do it the right way, but that’s not how 2015 NFL works.
December 29th, 2014 at 6:47 pm
I hear a lot of BS coming out on this thread. Lovie never said he wasn’t going. I would assume that he will be leaving a majority of the scouting to THE SCOUTING DEPARTMENT, duh. I think he should stay at 1 Buc Palace to continue to shread the roster. Lovie should concentrate on sifting through film without having any of the distractions from Game Planning to figure out who stays and who goes as well as free agent tape. Or at the most scouring potential OC candidates as well as other coaches and assistants. Did Frazier earn the right to stay? Has he seen enough out of Arroyo to keep him as a QB or other position coach? Yes, I think Lovie, for better or worse, has plenty of work to tend to at the palace. Pro days, private workouts and interviews are coming shortly. Let him do his research now and let’s all just take a chill pill and allow this off season to unfold a bit before we lose our minds. Look on the bright side, we are pretty much bottomed out and the only way is UP!
December 29th, 2014 at 7:12 pm
Few people know what exaclty happened, but when you look it up, its pretty safe to say that:
A certain guy raped a women… did the worst you could possibile do..
and still people want to pay his big time checks?
Even cheer that guy?
Think about it.
and all the crazy as hell stuff that happens (just in) the NCAA
Penn State; Notre Dame.. Jameis.. and they get backed up????
Mike Tyson; Kobe Bryant…
Sexual assault gets a sneaky acceptance since all the violent pornography and since the mass media controll what people think….
Look your baby boy or little daugther in their eye, give them a hug…
Feel it.
Think about it.
December 29th, 2014 at 7:25 pm
Lol so Lovie admits he has sign off on every single major decision but can’t be bothered to go watch two potential no.1 draftees ahead of making the no.1 pick? This can’t be real life.
December 29th, 2014 at 7:35 pm
In 1983 there’s no social media and Greg Schiano is absolutely guaranteed to still be the Bucs coach (paying for 2 coaches in the 80’s? Never happen). Likewise in 1983 running backs can be picked in the top 10 and not be thoroughly mocked, and rookie’s playing, let alone starting, doesn’t happen.
The ironic thing is Lovie’s go for it now approach is what has severely shrunk his job security to the point he could be a mid-season casualty if they start out ugly next year (like say 1-5 or so). Had he come in here, laid it down that lots of work needs to be done and devoted to building this thing right, he probably gets 3 years guaranteed. Now he’s gotta win next year or he won’t make it any further than Schiano did. He shrunk his own job security with this approach
In essence, to placate fans (and let’s be real, online fans), Lovie promised a lot early on, then went into FA and acted like they could go instant playoffs. rather than perhaps being realistic. His inability to deliver those unrealistic promises, coupled with a totally disastrous FA season, is what has put him quickly into trouble.
December 29th, 2014 at 7:43 pm
@bucrightoff – we have no way of knowing whether lovie’s declaration that we’ll get it done right off the bat. If the glazers told him that he has to get it done quickly then it really wasn’t up to him. Lovie doesn’t seem like a guy that’s prone to bravado and baseless chest thumping
December 29th, 2014 at 8:23 pm
I would like to thank Lovie Smith, the Glazers, Licht, and the players for all making the dream of my username I chose in the previous offseason come true.
I would also like to give a special thanks to Cousins and the rest of those lineman. Great work guys!
Now, what’s up with all this silly Mariota talk?
December 29th, 2014 at 8:24 pm
The Bucs hold the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and they could end up taking a quarterback. Smith said, if his team goes that route, the offensive coordinator needs to be someone who can develop a quarterback.
“That will definitely be a part of it,’’ Smith said. “If you have to be down where we are right now to have a chance to – we start the domino effect as far as the draft.
– espn
To all the doubters…Lovie is picking a QB.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:25 pm
port richey george Says:
December 29th, 2014 at 5:12 pm
I was watching the nfl network and espn and they were questioning whether the bucs intentionally lost the game to get the top pick. they said that Vincent Jackson left the field Sunday with a finger in the air representing the No. 1 sign. as in 1st overall draft pick. “
That was actually done to signal his 1,000 yard mark, not the #1 pick.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:26 pm
He is much to busy screwing up the team here in tampa to travel.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:34 pm
DB55 Says
“Bring in marenelli and Norv Turner…”
Is Norv turner going to be available as an OC?
December 29th, 2014 at 8:43 pm
Someone had post a few weeks back that went something to the effect of Picking the Best Player Chosen During the Lovie Smith Era is Chi Town. Yeah, Jay Cutler and like 20 other players. Most were complete duds that aren’t even in the game anymore. Player evaluation whether he does it himself or uses one of his evaluators is clearly not his forte.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:48 pm
bucrightoff Says
“Filling needs is not the same as building your roster through FA. When you have as many needs as we do, you build it, you don’t buy it.”
WRONG!!!
Look, I’m a firm believer in building through the draft, but when you have many needs, you MUST build through draft AND free agency.
The secret to success in free agency is to have an easy out after the first year or have good incentives. For example, EDS can be cut today and the Bucs won’t owe him a cent.
When you have 19 needs and only 6 or 7 picks, you have no choice but to bit the bullet and hire some free agents you may not like. Just give yourself an easy out a year later.
Most of the free agents brought in last year have easy outs with reduced or no cap hits. The common concensus is that McCown got $5m this year. He didn’t. Because he did not meet the incentives in his contract.
Michael Johnson is really the only major cap hit. Verner has worked out. Mankin looked bad, but he had no one good around him. The Bucs can save money by cutting him, but he’s the best guy they have on the oline, so why create that extra need THIS YEAR?
December 29th, 2014 at 8:50 pm
SSG Mike Says:
December 29th, 2014 at 6:47 pm
I hear a lot of BS coming out on this thread. Lovie never said he wasn’t going.”
Exactly! Tampa fans…go figure.
December 29th, 2014 at 8:53 pm
Lovie won’t be a mid-season fire. You have zero say in the matter so quit talking like you do. Eat some humble pie, dude.
December 29th, 2014 at 9:05 pm
Waaaay back, just after Lovie was hired, I said there were 3 conditions to be met for me to renew my season tickets:
1 – Don’t hire Frazier – FAILED
2 – Don’t hired Tedford – FAILED
3 – Draft one of three QBs, Bridgewater, Bortles or Carr (preferred) – FAILED
Obviously, I did not renew them.
I knew then that McCown, Glennon, Frazier and Tedford would not work out.
That said, you would think I would want Lovie gone. I don’t. I want Frazier gone, or supervised by Rod Marinelli (as asst hc). I want a QB grooming, experienced OC who can pick his own staff except the WR Coach). And I still want a good QB…or to take a chance on one in the first round.
December 29th, 2014 at 9:05 pm
Dude we’re 10 months away from mid-season next year. Lot can happen between now and then. Lovie can absolutely be fired mid-season. It’s funny you say it can’t happen cause I guarantee you when Lovie got hired you thought there was no way 2-14 could happen, and yet here we are. If he’s 20 games in and is 2-18 he very much can be dumped right then.
December 29th, 2014 at 9:06 pm
Pat
You are soooo right. I am truly missing my calling. But I’m applying for the OC position so wish me luck.
Bonzai
Norv is w minn right now but NFL.com or bleacher report listed his name as a possible available oc this year. Weird I know.
December 29th, 2014 at 9:13 pm
I’m personally not sold on either QB, trade the pick and build your O-Line as no QB will look good behind this one
December 29th, 2014 at 9:35 pm
How about Tressman for oc LOL
December 29th, 2014 at 9:37 pm
Bonzai
I miss read the article it said oc to hc and Norv was listed as a possibility.
December 29th, 2014 at 10:03 pm
@DB55
Bummer. That would have been a dream staff.
December 29th, 2014 at 10:03 pm
Smith said he will give his offensive coordinator freedom.
“Of course I’m going to give him hard, specific things that I want him to do,’’ Smith said. You want to know those specific things? We want to have balance. We want a productive offense. That’s a pretty wide variety of range on what we want to do. Contrary to public opinion, for some, we don’t want to run the ball out of a 100-play game, we don’t want to run it 99 times. We just want balance.
“We’re keeping all options open, from spread looks to – we just want to be able to run and pass the football when we want to and when we need to. If we mold this Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense together, it’s not like I’m going to be over the guy’s shoulder saying do this, do that.
December 29th, 2014 at 10:05 pm
Bonzai
That’s the staff I was expecting this year, then Lovie annouced tedford and frazier and I said WTF!
Here’s to hoping we can at least get marinelli.
December 29th, 2014 at 10:10 pm
@ Mr. Patrick
We have 9 picks. 5 in the first 4 rounds. We can actually do both.
December 29th, 2014 at 10:33 pm
@DB55- don’t count on it pal pinhead is not going to get rid of frazier his buddy! I cant even believe this moron didn’t even fire any of this staff yet! great staff lovie. idiot!!!
December 29th, 2014 at 11:09 pm
Mikeh
If not just prepare for the #2 overall pick next year
December 29th, 2014 at 11:57 pm
IF THIS FRANCHISE DRAFTS THAT CRIMINAL WINSTON OR MARIOTA, I WILL OFFICALLY QUIT BEING A BUCCANEERS FAN. I WILL MOVE ON TO AN ORGINIZATION THAT DOESNT SUPPORT CRIMINALS AND THIEFS. THIS WILL BE A HUGE MISTAKE BY THIS FRANCHISE
December 29th, 2014 at 11:57 pm
OVER MARIOTA
December 30th, 2014 at 1:21 am
Patrick in VA Says:
December 29th, 2014 at 6:15 pm
@DB55 – He’s a QB that took his team to a super bowl. Not sure what you’re point is.
———————-
Rex Grossman took his team to the SB like Trent Dilfer took his to the SB said Brain Urlacher and Ray Lewis.
Come to think about it Grossman and mcclown both run the same play where they fumble the ball as they attempt to throw it. Slips out the back of their hand causing a fumble which gets picked up by the def in the red zone. That’s probably one of my favorite plays that they’ve run. The look of dejection as they come off the field, priceless.
December 30th, 2014 at 2:33 am
Patrick in VA Says:
December 29th, 2014 at 6:39 pm
“Biff… You’re a “fan” that shows your enthusiasm for the team by saying how terrible it is and putting down every move they make…”
————————————————————————–
That description fits dozens of JBF posters. You all know who you are and most of you apparently take some sick pleasure in constantly being negative. Man your lives must really suck.
December 30th, 2014 at 5:52 am
@DB55 – so it’s the qb who is the leader and gets the team to the big game only when it suits your argument? I thought that was the big selling point for Winston, that he led all those teams to victory. Even when his defense was solid and helped him out a whole lot when he was throwing tons of picks. So, he’s the reason they won but Grossman isn’t?
December 30th, 2014 at 5:57 am
@supersam – good luck with finding another team that doesn’t have players with rap sheets.
December 30th, 2014 at 9:11 am
Love the build thru the draft comments. We have 7 picks each year and if we are lucky enough to have a good one, approx 3 of these picks will pan out. The team has holes all over the place but these rookies are going to be all that is needed to turn this franchise around? Really? We need a heavy dose of free agency combined with the draft. Just because some of them didn’t work out last year doesn’t mean you give up. That would just be idiotic unless you plan to rebuild for the next 10 years.
December 30th, 2014 at 10:58 am
DB55- I hear ya pal. and wow has this pat in va. got a willy over lovie dovie or what? lol!!!