Jason Licht Rated Below Rookie GMs
June 17th, 2018
Wronged
A national publication has pored over data and studied the NFL to determine that Bruce Allen of the Redskins is in the same league as Bucs general manager Jason Licht — in the very bottom tier of league GMs.
Harsh!
Sporting News pumps out GM rankings each year and buried Licht at No. 30 overall. Keep in mind general managers who started this year are ranked higher than Licht.
On paper, it always seems like Licht has assembled a team that should be better. But the work he has done to load up around Winston and fill holes on defense needs to come with wins, as constant moving parts have made it tough for the team to jell. A bump in the standings would help Licht shake the specter of the disastrous Aguayo pick.
Regular readers here know how Joe views general managers. They don’t coach or decide who plays. So they’re immune to various types of blame.
Licht deserves at least a grade of “B” for a his draft record. In free agency, he’s struggled, missing to two of three big signings last year. But there have been successes.
Overall, Joe would place Licht in the middle of the pack of NFL GMs. So Joe believes this national ranking of Licht is complete garbage.
June 17th, 2018 at 2:44 pm
I agree with joe a Solid B
June 17th, 2018 at 2:47 pm
When is anyone going to understand it’s about a WINS & LOSS record. Pretty simple really. THATS THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS!!!
June 17th, 2018 at 2:48 pm
He can’t be blamed Raheem “YOUNGRY” regime he took the mold of the team in a way better direction nobody can deny this
June 17th, 2018 at 2:51 pm
I agree a solid B and would put him in the top 10 GMs in the league.
June 17th, 2018 at 2:53 pm
I AGREE EATING “W’S” IS WHAT MATTERS but you have to put the “REAL” effort it takes in to get there also and as a GM Licht overall is doing that! but Ughhh the stench of that Aguayo pick yeah he needs this team to win for him badly
June 17th, 2018 at 2:58 pm
Geez….watching the NFL RedZone game showing Bucs/Packers. OUCH!
June 17th, 2018 at 3:02 pm
This ranking is right where it should be. Most fans in Tampa have forgotten what having a successful team is like. Licht’s performance has sucked the life right out of the city. The guy has signed one free-agent loser after another. Any football fan would laugh hysterically if they read off the names.
June 17th, 2018 at 3:18 pm
We could have a GM like the Browns would Bucs fans rather that interestingly I wonder where he ranks?
June 17th, 2018 at 3:18 pm
What is his winning percentage, that is what counts. He has earned a D- in running this Buc team.
June 17th, 2018 at 3:20 pm
He basically picked the whole roster but he doesn’t decide who plays? Interesting take.
June 17th, 2018 at 3:22 pm
face the music Buc Fans. Mr Licht is nowheres near the top as a GM. He;s gotta start winning 1st. He might be middle of the pack or slightly lower. Start winning Bucs. And everything will..magically change. Why you guys might even be on that..We’re going to..DisneyWorld Commercial!!
June 17th, 2018 at 3:23 pm
What is his winning percentage since he became the team G.M.
Base on the number of coaches he has went through,he should be known as the coach killer. I would grade him with a D-, he has no winning season as a G.M.
June 17th, 2018 at 3:28 pm
Licht is a Top 10 GM easy.
Too many misses in FA – but very few (if any) GMs have drafted better over the last 4 years.
June 17th, 2018 at 3:35 pm
Licht doesnt coach nor put guys in position to fail or succeed. I personally dont care about rankings but I’d put him middle of the pack. I’d put the coaching staff around 30. I sure hope they have done an honest assessment and improve on their deficiencies. Or else its back to same ole same ole.
June 17th, 2018 at 3:42 pm
I just wonder does Light have complete control over the coaching carousel? The Glazers and not trying hate on them but owners tend to put their noses where it doesn’t belong i.e Jerry Jones
June 17th, 2018 at 4:06 pm
4 years, a losing record, and no playoffs. If that was the resume of a GM for another team do you think we would be as forgiving to that GM? I’d say Jason Licht’s ranking is very accurate and well deserved.
June 17th, 2018 at 5:05 pm
@Joe … ” they’re (GMs) immune to various types of blame.” First time I’ve seen you put that down on paper Joe, and I’m not convinced you really mean it. Let Joe stop you write there. Joe doesn’t type or say anything that Joe does not mean. WTF? –Joe
You certainly didn’t feel that way about Dom (at least after he left) I doubt you really felt that way about Bruce Allen (when he was here). Joe has had the same philosophy forever. GM’s don’t coach. They can’t be completely tied to the record, good or bad. –Joe A GM’s key role IMO is to create (for the coaches) a T-A-L-E-N-T-E-D roster that has the P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L to win. Admittedly though building a T-E-A-M can take time, depending on what talent you start with,
Jason started with little talent on the roster back in 2014 & wasted the first year IMO (except for ME13, our high 1st rnd pick). FA signings were an absolute disaster that year (only Evan Smith is still with us), but I’m guessing that Lovie had a lot to do with that, so Jason gets a pass. 2015 draft was exceptional (Rnds 1 & 2) but again the FAs crashed (only Chris Conte is still with us). What were you watching? The two FA’s on the O-line and the guard he traded for played very well that season and led to the elite running game and a good rookie year for Jameis. –Joe
2016 draft class was mediocre as were the FA signings (Brent Grimes being the exception). 2017 draft class promises to be quite good (I think) but again the FA signings (with possible exception of DJax … maybe) were terrible (Baker … really?). 2018 moves, in both the draft AND in FA, show promise of being the saving grace to all those bad previous moves. Jason is learning from his past mistakes it looks like, and learning well.
So whether he gets a ‘B’ overall is kind of irrelevant to me. It’s more ‘What have you done for me lately’ and lately (2018) Jason’s been on fire. Whether it’s being on the hot seat fighting for his job … or whatever … I have no idea. All I care about is that it translates on the field during real games. And into W’s for a change. Jury’s still out on that, but I’m ‘cautiously optimistic’.
June 17th, 2018 at 6:17 pm
I don’t think the Solid B for Licht from means much…….what grade was given to Dominick?…….B+, A-
Didn’t grade Dominick?…..How ’bout now…
June 17th, 2018 at 6:32 pm
Agree w Buddy, all that matters is W and L’s.
Potential and what you do ‘on paper’ means nada
June 17th, 2018 at 7:04 pm
I’d put him around #18 – #22 right now.
Fairly or not (and I think it IS fair), the GM has to be tied to his record.
His drafting is most certainly in the top-10 of the league, but free agency has been hit or miss. And you can say he doesn’t coach or choose who plays, but he does have control over the coach. That is his responsibility.
Now with all that said, I do not want him gone. I think he is a pretty good GM who does learn from his mistakes and is not afraid to move on. That’s important. This team simply underachieved last year, but some of that was from not addressing glaring issues like o-line and d-line. Hence the lower ranking.
Just my 2 cents
June 17th, 2018 at 7:06 pm
Great teams are built through the draft, not through free agency. Licht would have a B+ if it wasn’t for drafting a kicker in the second round last year. Secondly, you can’t expect rebuilding a team from scratch in a short 3 years. Third, GM are graded on fixing their mistakes. Licht, a former lineman realizes that games are won in the trenches, which he has done an outstanding job this offseason. Fourth, GMs can only do so much when it comes to trusting his coaches. Lastly, a few teams have mastered their salary caps as well as the Bucs. We will be set for years by not having a large pool of dead money like most teams each year.
June 17th, 2018 at 7:46 pm
Dang Defense Rules……. you were on a real tear
Ouch.
June 17th, 2018 at 7:58 pm
FA always comes down to who do you want to overpay to come here?
June 17th, 2018 at 8:04 pm
He is still being nailed because he stuck his neck out on Aguayo
June 17th, 2018 at 8:05 pm
Licht gets an F simply for picking Winston over Mariota.
June 17th, 2018 at 8:23 pm
Alabama BucFan, yeah we pretty much always finish in NFC South basement, haven’t won a playoff game since 2002, but we’ve mastered the salary cap like no other team you say. Maybe we should petition to start like a Super Bowl for team accountants? You know so we could compete in one.
June 17th, 2018 at 8:28 pm
That’s so demoralizing. He deserves more respect then that. People expect this franchise to recruit FA’s like all the storied franchises, but that’s not the case. This Buccaneer franchise has a not so darling history except for a few glory years sprinkled in since Coach McKay. Maybe it will happen this year? I personally think Licht has done a bang up job. There are a few FA’s the last couple of years I thought he should have reached out too, but without firsthand knowledge, I’m not sure he didn’t try. This is Tampa Bay by the way. His drafts have made up bigtime for his kicker mistake by far. He certainly, if anything, should have been ranked in front of all rookie GM’s ..geez
June 17th, 2018 at 10:35 pm
report is accurate
Jason can scout okay, not great but okay.
He just has no vision when it comes to building a roster.
Let get 55 and 20 in the building,
We blew it with 47 on so many levels.
Brooks doesn’t lose at anything.
It’s time
June 17th, 2018 at 10:49 pm
>>> Brooks doesn’t lose at anything. <<<
Except the arena league. If that is what the Glazer boys can expect from Brooks he should be banned from ever going near the Bucs offices.
Don't think Lynch would ever draft a kicker in the second round, not even a good kicker.
June 17th, 2018 at 10:50 pm
When he was hired Licht was a novice GM. Unfortunately, he came in with the stupid idea to build our team by taking the BPA in the draft with no concern about the real needs of the team. That has been the reason we have stayed in the cellar since he was hired. You build a winner by building the trenches first. Being a Lineman himself he should have figured that out but he didn’t until this year. However he finally has figured it out and he deserves a long term contract this year. I have been his biggest critic in the past and I hope my past posts helped him finally see the light. The Glazers need to disregard his ranking as a GM.
June 18th, 2018 at 12:25 am
I agree with him being in the back half
He is an okay scout, maybe average
but his roster building vision is really limited.
June 18th, 2018 at 9:07 am
His drafts are probably close to the NFL average in success rate. However, how many years have we had GLARING needs that could have been addressed in FA but, seemed to go ignored? Receiver (until last year) running backs, cornerbacks, pass rusher (since time immemorial). He has drafted more FBs than DEs!?!? He seems to recognize obvious and DIRE needs MUCH later than anyone with one good eye!
Finally, this off-season he goes all-out to acquire lots of D-line help now that he (evidently) finally understands that his job is on the line. His job has always been on the line! The need for D-linemen has been there for a decade, as WE ALL know! Yet, another epiphany!
I hope the on-the-job training is over, for everyone!
June 18th, 2018 at 1:08 pm
He as done good and bad but the bad was very very bad, Aguayo, Baker, VH3
He is tied to Jameis/Bucs success since JW was drafted which remains very bad.
June 19th, 2018 at 7:45 am
WOW Joe Licht graded a B
You must have been drinking too much of the Licth Juice
Everyone please check the duties of the General Manager
It would be nice to see some poles taken on things like this — Joe actually has run several Licht polls. In the most recent, fans graded him a “B+” as a drafter. Ira Kaufman gave him an A-. Joe stuck with a “B”. Overall, fans typically average giving Licht a “B” grade.–Joe
A-B-C-D-F
GO BUCS.