The Work Begins For Jason Licht
August 18th, 2015
Scouring preseason tape from across the NFL.
Yes, the Bucs picked up a veteran offensive tackle yesterday when AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht signed free agent Gosder Cherilus.
Joe suspects that won’t be the last newcomer to the offensive line corps between now and when the Bucs host the Titans to kick off the season.
Why is that? Well, aside from probably needing another lineman (or two?), this week is when Licht starts really doing homework on players that might be available in the coming weeks.
Two Saturdays ago, Licht was kind enough to sit down with Joe during a live broadcast on WDAE-AM 620 from One Buc Palace. One question Joe tossed at Licht asked how his day breaks down and how often is he on the horn talking to other general managers about a potential transaction. Below is an excerpt of Licht’s answer:
“Once [film is available], which we get immediately after the [first preseason] game, that’s when we start seeing and identifying players that we want to target and hope to, maybe not a trade, but mostly [players] who could be on waivers,” Licht said. “And that is when you start picking up the phone and calling other GMs and start trading lists, like maybe we want to swap a player for another player.”
And why does Joe think another offensive lineman is on the way? Well, first, remember that the Bucs have the first waiver claim on any cut player will less than three years vested NFL service. There likely will be someone available as teams whittle their rosters to the mandatory final-53. These could be guys Licht targeted or was enamored with from a previous draft.
Secondly, Joe will never forget when Licht told him and other reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2014 that the biggest lesson he learned while working for Bill Belicheat was if a guy is not playing up to previously held standards, then cut your losses and move on. Don’t let the mistake fester by keeping him around.
If Licht has the stones to stare Team Glazer square in the face and inform them he’s cutting Anthony Collins and that his $6 million guaranteed contract for 2015 is flushed down the toilet, then you think Licht is going to blink an eye about getting rid of a scrub making, say, $585,000 in a non-guaranteed contract? Of course not.
To revisit Joe’s interview with Licht, click the arrow below. Audio courtesy of Joe’s friends at WDAE-AM 620.
August 18th, 2015 at 9:12 am
1147….. That is the number of players that need to be cut…..probably 85% are waiver wire prospects……we will have a shot at some very good players….
Look for Oline….DE….P….perhaps even a nickel corner……
August 18th, 2015 at 9:22 am
2 more linemen at a minimum. not necessarily 2 starters, but certainly we can find 2 guys better than the emergency starters on our roster to begin with. as mankins proved, it isn’t easy arriving after training camp, but we aren’t winning the superbowl this year either and OL depth is a long term asset. the main goals for this season are:
1) improvement from young players
2) keep winston in one piece
3) improve long-term depth and talent base
i worry about #2, especially if injuries start to impact our OL. i can’t see how Gilkey could possibly have the trust of his teammates after the way he’s shown up on film. it should be pretty easy to move on from him in particular, but george warhop sees something in him that his own mom & dad probably don’t
not to dwell on the past or anything, but i wonder what the bucs would give up for a player like Jeremy Zuttah at this point…versatile, smart, and eminently affordable. probably more than what they traded the actual Jeremy Zuttah away for a year ago.
August 18th, 2015 at 9:23 am
Gilkey is festering like a giant, greasy, pus-filled boil.
August 18th, 2015 at 9:23 am
I like it!!! I wonder if he should of pulled the trigger so fast on Cherilus Gosden, Sounds like with patience we could have the pick of the crop. We need a defensive ends and really good punter, I think Aguayo comes out FSU next year–he was good for FSU 2013 and 2014
http://tbo.com/sports/colleges/usf-bulls/fsu-kicker-roberto-aguayo-also-known-as-mr-perfect-20141230/
August 18th, 2015 at 9:26 am
Should be some very serviceable talent available on the waiver wire before the season starts. My guess is that at this point we’ll have to carry 9 OLinemen on the active roster (Dots being one of them since he could be back before Game 4 potentially).
Mankins, D Smith, E Smith, Marpet and Cherilus should be locks for 5 of those remaining 8 positions. Pamphile’s probably in there too since he’s been up-and-down with the first team.
Gut feeling is that the remaining 2 positions are up for grabs at this point. Waiver wire, trades … whatever.
August 18th, 2015 at 9:26 am
Well we have now drafted four offensive lineman, traded for two others. Bought a few more in free agency and now it’s time to work? What? Seriously, this is a shame, all the while Larsen, Penn and Zuttah start for other clubs. If we’d have been smart and kept those players think of how much better we may be at other positions using those picks and cap room. Oh wait, they’d have probably messed that up too, see last year free agents and draft class….
August 18th, 2015 at 9:26 am
Licht has more holes to fill than the Polk County Roadway Maintenance!!!!!!!
and so, Let the dumpster diving begin!!!!
August 18th, 2015 at 9:28 am
Licht created this mess buc realist, so did lovie but at some point the GM is guilty not all lovie.
August 18th, 2015 at 9:34 am
@I know why
Can you make a mess of a mess???? or do you think the roster was good and Lovie and Licht messed it up???
August 18th, 2015 at 9:44 am
We desperately need 2 guards with one that can sub as a center and another tackle. At least another DE that has the right build for a 4-3. 6’5 265 or so. Other than that were not too far away. Ill be very disappointed if we sleep on the opportunity.
August 18th, 2015 at 9:54 am
Tell me again why Davin Joseph, Zutah, and Penn were jettisoned? SMH
August 18th, 2015 at 10:23 am
@ FireTheCannons
Roberto is a place kicker, not a punter. Beaty is FSU ‘s punter, but I like where your heads at, roberto is ridiculous and will get drafted by the 4th rd.
August 18th, 2015 at 10:27 am
Lapdog Licht is just as incompetent as his incompetent benefactor Lovie Smith. He should stop invoking Belicheck and the Patriots publicly. It’s embarrassing for all involved considering Licht’s current ineffectual status as a lapdog for Lovie and miserable failure that his title suggests.
August 18th, 2015 at 11:09 am
Ahhh – the smell of animosity in the morning…
Just as a running back starved team will be glad to claim Mike James off waivers – and a couple other receiver starved teams will be glad to claim their choice of Hall, Dye and Humphries – the Bucs will find some young talent for the OLine and DE to help improve their roster. Every year talented young players are cut at the end of training camp out of necessity due to strength on the team at their particular positions with the hopes they will clear waivers and come back to be on the practice squad. With 1st choice on all cut players for the next 6 weeks – the Bucs WILL be active trying to upgrade the team’s depth and talent level.
Players sitting at 45>53 on our roster after final cuts have been made will not be comfortable even though the Turk didn’t come calling – because their jobs will still be VERY vulnerable.
Licht is gonna make you eat them words in time Dallas. Dude has an eye for talent IMO.
August 18th, 2015 at 11:34 am
Pickgrin- I don’t blame lapdog Licht. He is just a glorified secretary for his benefactor Incompetent Lovie Smith. Licht doesn’t make any personel decisions. He might decide where to have dinner or what fun team activity they do to break camp this week but Licht doesn’t have enough responsibility for me to eat my words. This team is a joke.
August 18th, 2015 at 12:02 pm
Licht has his work cut out for him. How badly does he regret getting rid of Zuttah and Penn now?
August 18th, 2015 at 12:31 pm
“Licht doesn’t make any personel decisions” – That’s BS Dallas. You are so full of it. If you believe that Lovie is dictating every roster addition – then you are dumb and dumber than I thought.
“Incompetent Lovie Smith”. – Coach Smith is gonna make you eat those never ending degrading words as well. He will get this team turned around and the Bucs will start to win consistently. “Incompetent Lovie Smith” and his “embarrassing lapdog GM Licht” will be coaching and running the Bucs for many years to come – and you will continue to bitch the entire time.
And for God’s sake – will “fans” stop pining for the “loss” of Penn and Joseph.
Both were absolutely terrible in 2013 and waaaaay overpaid. Trading Zuttah was a mistake in retrospect – but only because he was a better guard than anyone the Bucs fielded at LG last year. Zuttah didn’t want to play guard – he wanted to play Center – and L&L had already decided the wanted EDS to play center (for less $) – Zuttah was not really that great anyway and was over paid at $4.5M. His best attribute was his versatility. He was a decent center and a decent guard – no more no less. The Bucs did draft Kenny Bell with the pick they got for Zuttah – so Bell just getting started may have more positive impact on this team than Zuttah ever could have in his few remaining years. Time will tell.
August 18th, 2015 at 12:33 pm
meant RG
August 18th, 2015 at 12:45 pm
Licht didn’t add any fa o-line guys this year. So I’ll be interested to see what he does with that first waiver pick. I wanna see a vet o-line guy. Omaneh looks awful and I’ve never heard of friegl? So if our o-line is as bad as last year that would look bad on licht..
August 18th, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Pickgrin- you keep talking about all greatness from incompetent Lovie Smith and lapdog Licht that they are supposedly gonna do as Bucs. I’m talking about what they actually have done as Bucs. Barely won 2 games in 16 tries and by the look of things Saturday night absolutely nothing has changed. So go ahead and channel your powers of clarevoyence to let me know how great they are gonna be and all the words I’m gonna eat. I’m gonna keep talking about what Team Incompetence had actually done and we as fans can collectively eat this hot and steamy pile of sht that they have made for us while we wait for all that greatness that your crystal ball has in store for us.
August 18th, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Pickgrin- also you do realize that calling an anonymous commenter dumb on a sports blog that you do not know personally and simply have a difference of opinion with is irony on a base level!
Now let’s take a look at this assertion I made previously about lapdog Licht not having the authority to make personnel decisions. He was hired by the head coach and it was never disputed at the time of the hire that Lovie Smith has the final say on personnel decision when peppered with questions by the local media about it. If I hire my manager (which is ridiculous) I can assure you that this guy with the snazzy title is not making any important decisions without running it by me first. Try to think about it logically. Lovie waited to find a place that would guarantee him full control. He hired his freaking GM! What more evidence do you need? And I’m the dumb one?
August 18th, 2015 at 3:50 pm
JC
Free Agent Signing
• (G) Evan Mathis
(Possible waiver claims)
• (C/G) Dillon Day
• (C/G) Trey Hopkins
LT Donovan Smith | Kevin Pamphile
LG Logan Mankins | Dillon Day
C Evan Smith | Trey Hopkins
RG Evan Mathis | Ali Marpet
RT Gosder Cherilus| Reid Fragel
August 18th, 2015 at 4:06 pm
Your assertion is incorrect Dallas. Lovie did not hire Licht – the Glazers did. Just because Lovie was hired 2 1/2 weeks before the GM does not mean that Lovie hired the GM. I’m sure that coach Smith was asked his opinion about Licht by the owners of the franchise – but Lovie did not interview and then hire Jason Licht of his own accord. If you have proof otherwise – please cite it.
Licht is officially in charge of personnel decisions. His say is the final decision regarding which players to draft and which free agents to bring in and Lovie has final say over the 53 man roster and who makes or gets cut from the team from the available pool of players that Jason Licht brings in. And they have both said they consult each other in regards to this division of power and work together regarding who to bring in and who to let go.
This was reported in the beginning by Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer:
“Glazer also notes that the 42-year-old will have full control over Tampa Bay’s personnel decisions, although, according to Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, Smith will still have the final say over the 53-man roster.”
So unless you have some type of definitive proof that Lovie “hired” Licht and that “Licht doesn’t make any personel decisions” – then you need to quit saying that Licht is “Lovie’s Lapdog”. It just makes you look like the hater you apparently are.
Jason Licht is his own man and has final say about which players to draft and which free agents to sign. Does he consult an experienced NFL coach regarding his opinion about which players the coach feels would be good to bring in for his defensive system? Of course. And I’m sure he consulted Tedford and Koetter as well regarding all the offensive draft picks made in the last 2 years also.
Again – if you have some proof about your negative assertion/speculation which is obviously a result of your extreme dislike of all things Lovie Smith – then please share it.
August 18th, 2015 at 8:11 pm
Pickgrin- I read at the time all the same sht you just cited and then I read between the lines. Do you really think that in the official press release from the team or anyone involved is going to admit that Licht is required to sign, release or trade whoever the hell Lovie Smith says? Of course not. They have to give the poor guy some theoretical official duties and responsibilities to justify his GM position but do you expect anyone to believe that Licht brought in Trash McCown, Johnson and Collins to start? Licht does what Lovie tells him to do. Believe it or don’t but you will never find the truth through official press release or media reports. All you need to do is look at the obscene signing of Trash McCown to start for this team.
Regarding Licht’s hiring, it may be true that the Glazer’s interviewed him and technically hired him because they are the ones that pay him but make no mistake that Licht is not the lapdog”GM” in Tampa without Lovie Smith wanting him. Lovie shopped around for a GM and the Glazer’s would go along with whoever he wanted. I’d be willing to bet that was a stipulation by Lovie in his being hired. The Glazer’s were desperate for Lovie after the Schiano meltdown and would have done anything to bring in Lovie and his perceived stability and solid reputation. I also wanted Lovie. I was wrong.
August 18th, 2015 at 8:15 pm
Pickgrin- my full response is inexplicably being held up by moderators. We will see if they allow this conversation to continue…