CBS NFL insider.

One of many folks Joe interviewed in Houston during Super Bowl week was heavy metal headbanging Jason La Canfora, the NFL sage of CBS Sports. La Canfora talked about the team building of Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht, the coaching of defensive coordinator Mike Smith and how the NFC South helps the Bucs.

JoeBucsFan: What do you think of the job Jason Licht has done so far?

Jason La Canfora: Yeah, he has turned things around there pretty well. Absolutely they are headed in the right direction. They’ve got their quarterback. They’ve addressed some needs there. Jameis-to-Evans is about as good as it goes. They’ve found themselves a nice tight end there with [Cam] Brate. Mike Smith has done a nice job of cultivating the talent they had on defense, getting that scheme fixed a little bit. And, you know, give them one more offseason and one more draft and I think they will be right there. I thought they could make the wild card last year. They have a ways to go between now and September but they are on the right track.

Joe: What you said about Mike Smith sort of hit the nail on the head. He turned that defense around the final six weeks of the season.

La Canfora: Yeah, very slow start. I think he had to figure out the personnel. It was a pretty big change from what they were doing before with Lovie and what he wanted to do, but there wasn’t a ton of personnel change. That’s coaching. That’s coaching. And now they will continue to add personnel with guys who can do what he wants to do philosophically. I think they will continue to add [talent]. I think they will continue to [add players] who can get after the passer a little more from the outside. There are some pieces there, without a doubt.

Joe: Here is a division question for you: How much does it help the Bucs to play in a division with great quarterbacks and that has had back-to-back teams play in the Super Bowl? A minimum of six times the Bucs facing quarterbacks who have led Super Bowl teams. One is a future Hall of Famer and the other two were MVPs?

La Canfora: Without a doubt. You look at last year’s MVP [Cam Newton] and this year’s [Matt Ryan] and then Drew Brees, he is still as good as anybody from a numbers standpoint, yeah, I think it helps. Plus, you are playing in a lot of domes and good weather stadiums [in the division]. Would Matt Ryan playing in Philadelphia, his hometown, be as prolific? I don’t know. It’s easy for the offense [in the NFC South]. Lot of fast tracks there. I think absolutely [it helps the Bucs]. That puts a lot of pressure on defenses in that division.