Jason Licht Took Notice
April 29th, 2017
Acted on need.
If this Jeremy McNichols remotely runs as a rookie the way his fellow Boise State alum Doug Martin did in 2012, Joe would like to see what NFL defense slows this Bucs offense down.
As Joe is typing this here article, is there a quarterback in the NFL with more passing weapons than America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston?
The only thing missing was a dynamic running back to make the Bucs appear on paper like the “Greatest Show on Turf.”
As Joe wrote this morning, it was difficult to digest that a Bucs team with last year’s fourth-worst rushing offense for yards per carry would not wet their beaks in a draft allegedly the deepest at running back in years.
And no, Joe wasn’t and isn’t buying that just because Doug Martin can run in a sandbox in April means he is back to his limited Pro Bowl form.
Given how Martin more often than not has garbage production (sorry, three out of five years of subpar play is a pattern, not a fluke) and will be suspended for the first three games this season, and for all we know he may be in the NFL’s drug program after failing a whiz quiz for taking the wrong PED (allegedly), Joe thought banking on Martin was wishful thinking.
So it seems Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht realized no matter how much he and winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter may like and respect Martin the human being, Licht’s job is still about building a roster to get the Bucs back to the playoffs. He’s not here to be a Father Flanagan hoping saying enough “Our Fathers” will have Martin shed his demons and garbage seasons and run like a Pro Bowler.
Licht has shown if he is displeased with a player’s performance, then he is not shy about quickly replacing the player or bringing in quality competition (hello, Nick Folk!).
And that’s exactly why Licht drafted McNichols.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:19 pm
Joe I know you double and tripled down so hard on running Martin out of town that you’ll latch onto anything – but no one expects a 5th rounder to come in and start. Get over it, Martin will be here unless there is a major meltdown.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:19 pm
Man that felt good … lol
April 29th, 2017 at 3:20 pm
Yeah, cause Light listens to you and I. lol
April 29th, 2017 at 3:23 pm
The only person who is going to run Doug Martin “out of town” is Doug Martin.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:25 pm
Great pick – R3-R4 evaluation by many and his skillset is a good match.
Great draft man
R1-OJ Howard – amazing value and addition
R2-Justin Evans – not the best value but there was a run on S here and we wouldn’t have gotten a ball hawk of his pedigree if we waited
R3-Chris Godwin – amazing value and addition
R3-Kendell Beckwith – trade seemed unnecessary but a 6th to move up that much was cheap and he does fill a need for LB / run defender depth. I wanted a RB here but this guy was rated like a R2 guy before the injury.
R5-Mchnicols – great pick for competition. Seems to have enough size and athleticism to handle a load of touches if needed. R3-R4 value
All in all biggest reaches may have been Evans & Beckwith but they were rated as R2-R3 and R3-R4 prospects so it was still in their projected range and both fit exactly what Mike Smith is looking for which. Other 3 picks were awesome value and arguably BPA. You can’t hit every position in a draft but we did match need/value pretty well. I’d give this an A- overall.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:25 pm
Maybe you missed the very first word Joe typed in this post. Nice reading comprehension.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:26 pm
Licht was in position to pick the best player available that fit a need. And that’s exactly what he did. Nothing more, nothing less. Nobody knows if Martin will be on the active roster come week four. Too many moving Parts between now and then. Any conjecture is just that, pure conjecture. Doesn’t matter who does the guessing it’s no more or less valid. We’ll know when we know.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:26 pm
Rod Munch:
Just a hunch, you were one of the many screaming not to draft Dalvin Cook because you can get a running back later in the draft?
April 29th, 2017 at 3:27 pm
You got that right Joe. And as long as he remains focused as is he is now, he isn’t going anywhere. Drafting McNichols only reinforces that.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:27 pm
If Martin is here he WON’T BE STARTING for at least three games!!! That is a fact not an opinion. If he is as essential or talented as some of you guys believe isn’t it a disaster to lose your “star” for the first three games?
Nah because Doug is not a difference maker. He’s a guy who 40% of his careerr was a “good” competent professional RB. I would not be surprised if he finds the right time and turns in yet another journeyman or good performance for some team this year. Big deal!
Blake took one short snippet of his career in 2015 and wanted to prove that Martin was at least a top 12 back. I got no problem with that. I agree…at his best he was a top 12 NFL back….that’s just not exciting.
I think going into his sixth year #3 will be higher than 12th best…same for ME who has already passed that benchmark…Marpet….let’s get top five guys not top twelve. I realize we can’t do that at every position and so we have to cobble some solutions together…like RB. I just don’t think a guy with a 40% performance number who will miss close to a 1/5th of this season is going to mean squat to our running game.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:29 pm
McNichols could be the next Jordan Howard. We can only hope. He’ll replace either Martin or Barber. Can Barber still go back to the practice squad?
April 29th, 2017 at 3:31 pm
The Bucs really like Barber with one major hangup though. Apparently, he is terrible at pass-pro.
The Bucs believe if Barber can improve on his pass protection, they’ve got a steal.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:34 pm
StpeteBucsfan, the Steelers went 2-1 in 2015 and 3-0 last year when LeVeon Bell was serving 3 game suspensions both times. And they had less RB depth than we have before we drafted McNichols.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:35 pm
Michael Turner and Hershel Walker might disagree with your assessment of 5th round running backs not starting. Let’s be honest, with the offense that’s being assembled right now, they could probably make J. Rogers look like an all pro.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:37 pm
Yes Joe, I was saying the Bucs should take Mack in the 3rd or 4th if he’s there since he can replace Charles Sims when his rookie deal is up since I see them as similar types of players – but Mack has better between the tackles vision and could perhaps become a 3 down runner in a year or two. But Mack was just who I knew, I’m not a scout. I hope this kid lights up and is the next David Johnson, that would be amazing for the team – but it’s unlikely. But running Martin out of town leaves you with what exactly? The 1st and 2nd and 3rd and 4th round of the draft is over – if the Bucs don’t expect Martin to be on the team they’d had taken someone earlier or paid the $3-mil it takes to sign AD. They didn’t – and that tells you they fully expect Martin to be the starter. Things can change, but the message is pretty clear.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:39 pm
Stpetebucsfan – LOL! Wow… Joe when this guy is on your side you should rethink the issue. Hey Stpetebucsfan, tell me what Pittsburgh did last year when Bell was out for the first 3 games of the season? Did they cut him? Did they survive? Wow… Also yes, Martin is a “talented” player, you can safely say that based on his 2015 All-Pro selection. Wow… Seriously Joe, if this dolt is with you, you should rethink everything.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:41 pm
If Martin falls off the wagon he’s gone. But if he stays dedicated he stays. it’s really that simple.
Sims and Barber – I hope they both stay too, but neither are every down backs (at least until Barber can pass protect) and Rodgers can’t hold up for 16 games as a starter.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:43 pm
SkipS – Herschel Walker would have been the first pick of the first round if it was for certain known the USFL was folding. Come on, that’s a ridiculous person to pull out of the hat.
Anywho yes, it is possible that a 5th rounder can start day 1, and I hope he does since it means the Bucs made a homerun of a selection, but it’s highly highly unlikely. But can he be worst than Barber? I say probably not as I wasn’t very impressed with Barber when he did play. I think the starter job for games 1-3 is safely going to Rodgers and if he plays well then he might keep the job for a while. We shall see. But a 5th round pick at RB doesn’t mean you take your all-pro runningback and kick him out the door – that makes no sense.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:47 pm
Walterfootball gives the pick an A- grade, stating injury concerns are the only issue.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:48 pm
Doug isn’t going anywhere.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:50 pm
Jmac played Wr in HS and 1st year at Boise, he will be a weapon in the passing game. Can he return kicks? And play the slot? I think Dirk has plans…
April 29th, 2017 at 3:50 pm
Amen Joe. Simple as that. Are we supposed to sit around and wait for Martin to serve his three game suspension and then say, “Your job is waiting for you, here it is”. I was hoping the Bucs would have addressed the need earlier in this draft and it was starting to piss me off that they didn’t. With this pick, I will back off now. Martin’s record speaks for itself. He is unreliable at best. Get rid of him however you choose. End of story.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:54 pm
Well, Licht and Koetter seem to think the running game will be alright so I’ll go with them on this.
April 29th, 2017 at 3:59 pm
@SkipS
The only reason Hershel Walker was a 5th round pick is because he was going to the USFL. Dude was an early 1st rounder all the way.
Point taken however, plenty of good backs found late or undrafted.
April 29th, 2017 at 4:00 pm
Doug Martin will be evaluated on his performance in offseason training and in training camp. If he is mentally and physically well, he will be with the team and be the starter in week 4. I don’t see how being bitter over last year serves the team, or the fans for that matter.
April 29th, 2017 at 4:02 pm
BucRuss,
If McNichols starts out real hot in games 1-3 I have no problem with Martin backing him up after that if that is how it goes down. That’s the NFL.
April 29th, 2017 at 4:03 pm
Not buying it, Joe. Jason drafted McNichols because of depth and help in a return game. To even pretend that Jason brought in McNichols to bring in quality competition for Martin is laughable. But hey, Joe can write what he wants…fools can believe it. But that’s not a good way to save face over Joe (including Gil) failing to see the obvious…that no way were the Bucs spending a high pick on damaged goods from FSU. Not having it! As for Martin’s 3 of 5 bad years…IR is a bad year, true, and he had two right? But that’s not bad production. That’s just football. Oh wait…injury prone. Yeah. Dalvin Cook is.
But people get hurt playing the game. We know the story about last year and Martin…and the Bucs have addressed that. I am glad they got a guy who can challenge Barber and Sims for a roster spot…and add some depth. That’s why McNichols was a decent 5th round pick.
April 29th, 2017 at 4:08 pm
Man a lot of you guys really kill me but claim to be Bucs fans. No one expected Kwon to come in an start but what did he do??? And talking about Blount how many rings does he have??? The bottom line is just because he was drafted in the 5th doesn’t mean squat. We don’t know this young man’s heart and dedication that may drive him to take over and not be denied. It can happen especially with the crop of backs we currently have. SMH. #GoBucs
April 29th, 2017 at 4:08 pm
Next article … bucs tried to trade Martin for a low round pick yet no one wanted him…
April 29th, 2017 at 4:10 pm
And Fred E Bucs has become the voice of reason…and sense!
Well said!
April 29th, 2017 at 4:10 pm
Good point.
Anyone can gain 1400 yards.
Especially with a awful o line and rookie qb
April 29th, 2017 at 4:11 pm
Ugh…Martin has been such a let down to us Bucs fans for 3 out of 5 of his seasons. HIs drug issue last season for me makes me wish he had just been cut as a result of his selfish act. But we do know one thing, Martin is motivated by money and since he lost his big contract he might actually have a good upcoming season. Although I think I may cringe if I see him get run down from behind on a break away run. He is just not that fast.
April 29th, 2017 at 4:11 pm
Munch,
That’s the problem bro, you just proved st.pete and Joes point. Martin was good once. 2 years ago. Now he can’t have a great year cause he’s going to miss 3 games. (Probably like 8 games since he’ll have one of his ubiquitous “injuries” like a stubbed toe or a cold sore that keeps him on the sideline for 6 weeks. The guy is a giant b***h. No heart. All punk.)
April 29th, 2017 at 4:12 pm
i like the pick of this kid. He looks like a younger, faster, better pass catching Doug Martin. He is going to push Peyton barber/Doug Martin for a roster spot, I believe. I look forward to seeing his journey on hard knocks.
I personally, don’t feel like you need an elite RB to win championships. It’s all about the QB. They are the ones that win games. We have no reason not to be a top 10, top 5 offense next year. With all the weapons Jameis has, we won’t need a RB to carry the load. I think we will be more of a passing team in jameis’ third year.
Overall I like the draft a lot. We got better all around. Would have liked to see a DT added earlier but I trust Licht and believe his picks will contribute. I see a lot of people freaking out because we didn’t get player “X” instead of player “Y”, but Licht has done very well in the draft (overall) so I trust he has added quality players to this team. Go bucs and can’t wait for hard knocks!!
April 29th, 2017 at 4:16 pm
“The only person who is going to run Doug Martin “out of town” is Doug Martin.”
He will probably drive out in a nice vehicle.
April 29th, 2017 at 4:19 pm
Regarding the 2 defensive players taken, what’s the theme we’re hearing? THUMPERS! Add the DT free agent and you can see that Mike Smith wants to get bigger and hit harder. THUMPERS! Good draft IMO at a very early glance!
April 29th, 2017 at 4:20 pm
I say be professional about last year. If the team decides to keep him, redo his contract. Set a good professional example for all players. He needs to sign a “prove it” one year contract. If he is good to go and a professional, Martin will be asking for a pen to sign the contract.
In Licht We Trust!!!
April 29th, 2017 at 4:20 pm
Very hopeful. What’s good, Joe ?
April 29th, 2017 at 4:25 pm
And I agree 100% that our new RB will be used in the passing game as he appears to have betters hands than any RB on our roster. Solid draft!
April 29th, 2017 at 4:29 pm
Martin missing 3 games is no big deal. I cant believe some of you are acting like its going to cost us the season. That is a loser mentality at its best. If the Bucs can endure missing 1 guy for 3 games then we dont deserve to make the playofs in the first place. Ridiculous.
April 29th, 2017 at 4:33 pm
How are u gonna look Doug Martin in the eyes?
April 29th, 2017 at 4:36 pm
Not impressed , carrys ball loosely in his arms. Injuries also a concern
Very underwhelming pick.
April 29th, 2017 at 4:37 pm
Maybe he is a replacement for disco dancing happy feet Chuck Simms. That guy can catch a swing pass out of the backfield other than that running between the tackles that guy is a bust.
April 29th, 2017 at 4:37 pm
Joe you’re a hater. Get over it. Doug is here to stay
April 29th, 2017 at 4:44 pm
Here’s to thinking the Bucs prop up Martin for trade bait, already suggesting he is in great shape and looks great in his gym shorts pumping iron.
April 29th, 2017 at 4:45 pm
Joe I love this pick had over 3000 rushing yards and over 4700 all purpose yards has tremendous pass catching abilities I like this pick and Boise state has been producing a stable of solid running backs look at jay ajaye
April 29th, 2017 at 4:54 pm
Joe if Jason Licht “took notice” he would’ve traded up in the 2nd and picked up Dalvin Cook. Instead of doing that he let guys like Cook, Kamara, Mack, Mixon, Perine, Hunt, Foreman, Connor, Williams, and Pumphrey all go and settled for McNichols. Outside of Howard and Godwin I’m really disappointed in how Licht has handle this draft.
April 29th, 2017 at 4:56 pm
So you’re saying a 5th round pick is here to replace Martin? They gave up a pick to hop get a linebacker many thought they didn’t need but drafting this guy was the answer huh. You seem extremely bitter and the only6media member left still talking about what Martin did last year. That season is over its 2017. It seems to everyone else Martin will be given a chance so9get used to it
April 29th, 2017 at 5:09 pm
Come on now joe.you know Martin’s bad season aren’t all on him. 2013, that disater of shiano’s final season? Terrible o line play and a team in turmoil, to go along with an injury riddled season. 2014, even worse o line play than the year before, and terrible QB play.
Just stop right there. In 2013, Bobby Rainey had breakout rushing games, as did Mike James. Martin’s play and bad film is on him through all his bad years.–Joe
You sit here and criticize martin for having those 2 bad years. But clearly the results of that season were not on Martin’s shoulders. And to continue to harp that BS is terrible journalism. Instead of simply looking at stats (like a loser) next time understand the situation the bics teams were in during those years.
2016 i have no problem putting some blame on Martin. The drugs and the determination didnt seem to be there. But even with that the bucs run game sucked last year without Martin. So clearly it wasnt just Martin that led to the lack of production.
Keep pushing the same BS over and over, it shows that you don’t know the bics at all and are just another clueless fan.
April 29th, 2017 at 6:12 pm
Acted on need in round 5? Whatever floats your boat joe(s).
April 29th, 2017 at 7:11 pm
We need to get a psychic in here to tell us how these picks will pan out to ease the doubt of the doubters.
April 29th, 2017 at 7:29 pm
I personally would RATHER him be in the nfl drug program. keep a close eye on him and he wont slip up again
And Joe I find it hard. to believe that you are not smart enough to know that having a lack of weapons and bad.play calling for two out of those three bad years contributes to bad numbers, stacked boxes. Even.J.rodgers started hot and got wore out from facing those fronts. Its just how it is…you think elliot would have had a monster season on the bucs rather than dallas. Nope wouldnt have happened.
Martin deserves a chance to prove himself and I believe he will
April 29th, 2017 at 7:57 pm
Omg another broken record write up. It’s seriously getting old 🙁
April 29th, 2017 at 8:20 pm
Joe in 2014 you spent the whole year talking about how the Bucs have to get a new running back in 2015, how all is lost if Martin is the runningback in 2015… All Martin did was go to have an all-pro year, the first and only runningback in team history to get that honor. That’s James Wilder, that’s Ricky Bell, that’s Warrick Dunn, Caddy, heck not even Mike Pittman could get that award. Martin is a really good player and perhaps all that “inside” noise you hear isn’t actually that the Bucs don’t want him on the team, perhaps, just perhaps, you’re being played to feed the idea publicly that Martin is out so it actually motivates him to show-up.
Now next year… 2018… then we need a runningback as it’s an even number year and Sims contract will also be up. But right now the team needs a lot more than a RB, which is why they waited so long to take one.
However, I will say as I said earlier, the guy had a higher round grade on him than what he went and this was a deep draft, it’s possible this is more of a 3rd round talent that feel because of supply. If so, then perhaps he is that guy the Bucs. But betting on a 5th rounder and chasing your all-pro out of town because he’s missing 3 games, the exact same as Bell did last year in Pittsburgh, it’s very very silly.
April 30th, 2017 at 6:42 am
You blind Doug Martin fans kill me. Doug averaged 2.9 ypc last year. Jaquizz Rodgers had 4.6 and 120 yards more than Doug on 15 less carries. Doug quit on all of us last year. He has had 2 good years out of 5. Why you guys can’t see that he is not our bell cow. He is not even the best RB on our roster. Out of 6 RBs who carried the ball for us last year, Doug’s YPC was tied for last with Charles Sims. Even Jameis had more YPC than Doug. He just plain let us down and then turned into Drug Martin to top it all off.
April 30th, 2017 at 3:33 pm
Once again Joe can’t see past his own nose. Mc Nichols pick was not to replace Martin but to add depth. Licht would have chosen Cook in the 1st if that was the case.