“We Talk About Grit A Lot;” Jason Licht Video
April 3rd, 2018
Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last offseason the Bucs weren’t talking publicly about toughness and the internal drive of players very much.
It was more about getting more explosive.
Things have changed.
Just look at the evidence. Last offseason the Bucs added Chris “Swaggy” Baker to their largely status quo defensive line. This year, the Bucs have added four D-linemen with significant experience, three with Super Bowl rings.
On offense, there was chatter about wounded guard J.R. Sweezy coming off back surgery to add some nasty to the line. That didn’t work. But this year, the Bucs went out and made Ryan Jensen the highest paid center in the NFL, a guy known for being the epitome of toughness.
Sage JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman asked general manager Jason Licht about this apparent change of focus last week. And Licht delivered with a strong answer that was rather revealing as GM-speak goes.
Enjoy. The eye-RAH! questioning opens the cut.
April 3rd, 2018 at 4:03 pm
this reading has me leaning OG Nelson…..3 Nasty Boyz
April 3rd, 2018 at 4:14 pm
og nelson or db james at #7
April 3rd, 2018 at 4:20 pm
Yep have been saying this since before free agency started. You can get away with a little finesse at the skill positions but in the trenches you need the big nasties. Seems we’ve been stuck with the big babies until now. (Not Marpet) So we now have JPP and Curry on D and Marpet, Jensen & maybe Nelson on offense. That is a HUGE step in the right direction. Trade McCoy for additional picks or to move up and take Barkley.
April 3rd, 2018 at 4:22 pm
lokog….LOL…I wonder if Licht and his coaches are as indecisive about who to draft as of today ?….
April 3rd, 2018 at 4:30 pm
Is this a news flash to draft tuff gritty guys?
Physical attributes are only part of it
April 3rd, 2018 at 4:40 pm
That should be the number two quality only second to skill. Let’s look at the number one tough guy in Bucs free agent history: Hardy Nickerson! He single handedly turned this marshmallow franchise into hardcore winners.
April 3rd, 2018 at 4:56 pm
It isn’t as bad as most fans think. The Bucs weren’t very good going into last year it was all undeserved hype. Vegas had them at 7 wins and without Jameis getting hurt probably would have been 7-9. They are rebuilding a terrible situation and doing a pretty good job IMO. I just hope Licht drafts some lineman…have to build the lines through the draft
April 3rd, 2018 at 5:02 pm
Sometimes you have to have a brain. I like JPP but the Bucs way overpaid and if he underperforms due to injury or anything else that’s licht’s job.
If Cancer93 is still on the Roster he will be the only one on the dline (starters) that don’t have a ring. Cuz he’s a loser, cotton candy, he sweet like ice cream.
April 3rd, 2018 at 5:07 pm
With the resurgence of the six time pro bowler Gerald McCoy (Defense team captain) playing next to a top tier talent like JPP, the Bucs should dominate this year on the defensive side of the ball.
Gerald “Six time, Six time, Six time, Six time, Six time, Six time, Pro bowler” McCoy will DOMINATE.
April 3rd, 2018 at 5:24 pm
We do need to get tough and smart
April 3rd, 2018 at 5:34 pm
Dancer93….. Because he will be doing a sack dance quite regularly in 2018.
Dancer93
April 3rd, 2018 at 5:35 pm
Ghost,
Toughness is not taught! Nasty is not taught! The ability to dominate and take over a game is not taught! I am not a McCoy hater but he is now past his prime and Never in his career was he able to take over a game like other pro bowl players in their prime. The team is getting younger and unfortunately it’s time to get a little value for our NUMBER ONE pick!
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:02 pm
Ehhhh…
Next.
Go Bucs!
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:06 pm
Our goal is to be soft and stupid.
Said no GM ever.
No more talk please, heard enough.
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:18 pm
Here’s hoping we turn some head next year. Off to a good start.
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:25 pm
The rams are showing the nfln how it’s done while the ghost of Christmas pass is firmly entrenched in the arse of a loser who has never even tried to sniff the playoffs.
Cancer93 celebrating sacks while his defense gives up 40 points in another blow out lose. YEY!
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:27 pm
Eric Says:
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:06 pm
Our goal is to be soft and stupid.
Said GMC every year
No more talk please, heard enough.
—————
I fixed it for you
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:31 pm
STOP SAYING JAMES AT #7 FSU FANS!!!!!! It’s either going to be Chubb, Barkley, Nelson, or Fitzpatrick. Or there is a very good chance we trade back. Especially without a third round pick.
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:32 pm
This may be one of the reasons why they kept EDS…..the only problem with his nastiness is he gets penalized…….I believe Sweezy is nasty but lost some of that due to his injury….it seems to me that if a player is nasty, they stay nasty…if healthy.
We need a bruiser nasty RB…..
Evans has some nasty…..
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:41 pm
LOL…SOE…you take this sheet too seriously
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:48 pm
Tbbf
We had a bruiser Tb that has won 3(?) Superbowls but he was too mean and nasty so the Bucs cut him bc he wasn’t good enough to be on this team.
Matter of fact the Bucs could have signed him again but Ice Cream. I scream, you scream we all scream for McIceCream
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:50 pm
The Rams are like the opposite of the Bucs in terms of what a coach would have inherited in drafted roster talent.
From 2012-2014; look at the draft capital they got over the RG3 trade – and all the players from those drafts:
2012: 5 picks in the top 65 – Pead & Quick = busts; but big hits on:
Michael Brockers / Janoris Jenkins / Trumaine Johnson
2013: not too elite. Tavon Austin / Alec Ogletree round 1. TJ McDonald Round 3 has been OK.
2014: Greg Robinson + Aaron Donald Round 1. RG3 trade really paying dividends this draft. Lamarcus Joyner round 2.
So due to the RG3 trade/having a lot of picks – in those 3 drafts the Rams built a pretty solid core of talent:
Donald
Robinson
Joyner
Austin
Ogletree
Jenkins
Brockers
Johnson
8 extremely valuable players. And they’ve already got back investment on guys like Jenkins (comp draft pick) and Ogletree (traded for a 4th).
What do we have to show for 2012:2014 drafts?
Lavonte David & Mike Evans.
This shows how having a ton of draft picks can pay out pretty well long term – even when you’re missing on 1/2 of them as the Rams did. This is why I love the idea of trading down basically any draft you possibly can; unless the prospect is insanely head and shoulders above anything else and at a premium position.
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:50 pm
I think I just saw GMC at Dairy Queen 🤔 Dairy Queen it is then.
April 3rd, 2018 at 6:55 pm
Adding JPP should be a great move. Maxing out the salary cap signing 3 guys who only got playing time recently and didn’t make much of an impact, I’m not sure how that really adds up to much. Licht has a very solid record on defensive lineman… Solid in this case meaning consistently awful.
April 3rd, 2018 at 7:01 pm
Also seeing that the Rams had so much draft ammo from 2011:2014 and got 8 core players; Licht’s drafting resume looks pretty good by comparison; since he’s gotten a similar haul 2015-2017 but with like 1/2 of the draft picks the Rams had
April 3rd, 2018 at 7:14 pm
Some one said GMC will dominate this year 😂😂😂 because of help 😂😂😂
I thought he was dominate already. GMC is overrated
April 3rd, 2018 at 7:15 pm
Pats traded Brandon Cooks for pick 23. They could be an X factor in terms of moving up for a QB.
Hell we could probably get # 23 / 31 / 43 from them if there was a bid war. That’d be pretty insane
23-DT Taven Bryan
31-RB Derrius Juice
38-OG Will Hernandez
43-CB Isaih Oliver
Then R4 take your developmental DE or a S.
I just want one draft where we have a bunch of high picks lol … we’ve never been in that position.
April 3rd, 2018 at 7:38 pm
Almost time for that off-season hype to start boiling over!!!!!!!! Hope is renewed, move are being made!!!!!! This is gonna be awesome!!!!!!
until the dc screws it uo
April 3rd, 2018 at 7:41 pm
@joe… Well it only took 19 years and retirement to finally come home. Arrived in Tampa at 11:45am after a 2800 mile trek with my Wife, 3 cats and a trailer in tow. All this for my beloved Bucs. Would love to talk about the NFL player tracking system i’ve been a part of for a few years now. Good to be home and excited to be able to attend practices and live games. May even be involved in some game day ops.
April 3rd, 2018 at 7:45 pm
The rams have had the same gm since 2012. That means continuity and one philosophy on how to build a team. The owner did not panic and fire the gm after many 6-10 seasons. He was patient just like the glazers are showing for the first time in 8 years. Not really that hard to understand. Give this gm time to establish a solid foundation as well and we will see where we shake out.
April 3rd, 2018 at 7:54 pm
One last thing. Let me tell you how disengenious some in this fan base are. I see them praise the rams as the standard bearer. Never mind the fact the rams had not been to the playoffs since 2004. They stayed in the basement of their division with countless 3-13 to 7-9 seasons. Those same fans bash the bucs for similar results eventhough the bucs were last in the playoffs in 2007. The rams finally won last year and fans of the bucs want to use them as the franchise standard? All while overlooking the fact that a new gm came in in 2012 with fisher and built that team from the ground up. Licht has to build this team from the ground up. There are no quick fixes. Some in this fan base are unbelievable.
April 3rd, 2018 at 8:00 pm
SOEbuc, why the angst over James at 7? Several mocks have him landing with the Bucs at 7 and for good reason. He’s one of the best prospects/athletes in the draft and he fits a position of need for the Bucs.
While I am an FSU grad and homer, I would take James no matter where he went to school. He’s can help out in coverage and against the run and i believe he is a better true Safety than Fitzpatrick (and i have no problem with Fitz).
He and Evans would make a great Safety tandem for years to come.
April 3rd, 2018 at 8:22 pm
Fu@k off DB55!
April 3rd, 2018 at 8:34 pm
Derwin James isn’t even the best corner in the draft.
Stupid FSU fans.
April 3rd, 2018 at 8:36 pm
@Gobucs
Well that makes sense, considering he’s a strong safety and not a corner.
Maybe refrain from calling other people stupid when you have literally no idea what you’re talking about.
April 3rd, 2018 at 8:41 pm
Yeah, well he’s not a corner so who’s stupid?
April 3rd, 2018 at 8:47 pm
@gobucs
Thats because he is a safety lol. Buc fans smdh
April 3rd, 2018 at 8:58 pm
Okay guys. Last year, Vegas had us at 8 wins and over was favored. It soon moved to 8 and 1/2, but Joe made a thread where he posted a copy of a bet on over 8 at -30. He was razzed a little bit about the size of the bet, but he made a good point. Also, rated our conference toughest in the NFL, by a wide margin. I don’t how many times I heard some commentator say they were surprised that the NFC South was so tough or that no one expected the NFC South to be the best conference in the league. The guys in Vegas said it with their win total lines. A corollary to being in the toughest conference was that our schedule was also rated one of the toughest.
This year, they probably won’t post a total on us if Jameis is still swinging in the wind on the Uber thing. Assuming it’s dismissed, 7 or 7.5 would indicate that Vegas likes what we did in the off season. 6.5 is what I expect. A number less than that would indicate Vegas thinks we didn’t improve as much we think we did. Everybody is talking about how smart Cleveland has been. The optimism there is palpable. I’m expecting Vegas to start them at 4.5 or 5; talk about a bubble burster.
April 3rd, 2018 at 9:01 pm
Gamberlo
If Vegas put up 6.5 or 7 total. I’m taking over. Last year 8 and over was a trap.
April 3rd, 2018 at 9:20 pm
I agree with SOE. I just don’t think James is the guy.
April 3rd, 2018 at 9:25 pm
With the Patriots trade of Brandon Cooks to the Rams today for Rams 1st rounder, now the Pats have TWO 1st rounders, and TWO second rounders!!!
SOMETHING IS GOING DOWN!!
I’m thinking they are planning a move-up towards the top of the 1st for the QB that will replace Brady!!!
I think Licht has a good relationship w New England, sooooo how about a trade down with them?? We could get a boatload of 1st & 2nd rounders for our 7th…
April 3rd, 2018 at 10:27 pm
@Lord Corn- Great little nugget about the Rams picks.
I agree about trading back if you can, more picks is always better.
It’s funny when I was reading through your summary of those draft picks by the Rams I was thinking “damn, Licht has picked up a lot of good talent in his drafts”.
It’s unfortunate how completely bare our cupboards were from all the drafts before him, even going back to Gruden’s last few years…
April 3rd, 2018 at 10:29 pm
@Bucsfan1988- if they are really going for a QB, I think they would try to get higher than #7.
April 3rd, 2018 at 11:13 pm
Unbelievable, I would agree BUT you know the Bills are gonna be in that fight as well. They got better 1st rounders than the Pats do. Heck, what if BOTH teams executed trades to move up???
That would be an INSANE first night of the draft!
Wouldn’t mind seeing it.
April 3rd, 2018 at 11:57 pm
Oh yea I definitely think we’ll see more movement (there’s already been a lot). Hopefully we find a partner to trade down so we can nab some more guys in the early rounds.
April 4th, 2018 at 12:26 am
DB55…roflmao
April 4th, 2018 at 12:29 am
Dancer93…. LOL
April 4th, 2018 at 12:34 am
Hey you want grit? That’s why I want Nelson!!
Am I scared of Aron Donald of the Rams? You dam right…..That guy takes games over!! Let me get Nelson in here and we shall see what Donald can really do. If Nelson is the real deal we can stuff the big DTs in the league.
Once we gain an ability to shut down the dominant DEfensive Lines in this league we can start opening up our Oline and get D.Smith, Marpet, Jensen and Nelson finding downfield blocks and bruising the 2nd & 3rd levels on the other team. At the least we are getting Barber pounding the ball and I would bet on him all day to give us positive yards. I love Quiz’s game. Awesome bench player. He is always prepared and above average most all of the time.
Whoever gets drafted to come Rush for Tampa will have a ton of pressure. Every fan wil be expecting results. Top 3 draft pick on a RB seems necessary but I have no problems getting our RB with our fifth round choice if the value isn’t there earlier.
But it all starts with gritty lineman. Give me five Bulls on Oline kicking ass and demanding the same from the RB. That’s what I wanna see!!! And I’ll take Evan Smith backing up this Line all friggen day. Benechot can throw his weight too. I like him but he needs to figure out how to move his feet and defend that speed rush. Wester looked very nice as a backup too, but I haven’t seen him play tackle which is a bit scary.
CONCLUSION:Draft a gritty G spot then get that flashy RB……so much easier said the done.
April 4th, 2018 at 12:37 am
Then it’s Winstons turn