Talent Spigot Is Open
August 1st, 2018
BY IRA KAUFMAN
Whether or not you’re a Jason Licht fan, you’ve got to admit it … the man’s a survivor.
The Bucs may have a 22-42 record since Licht was named general manager, but ownership likes the influx of young talent he has added to this roster since replacing Mark Dominik in 2014.
Tampa Bay will soon have a core of players drafted by Licht working on their second contracts. That continuity emerged as a key factor in the decision to reward Licht with a new contract for 2019.
Ira Kaufman shares a moment with Jason Licht and Bucs co-chairman Brian Glazer (right).
Licht’s power within the franchise continues to grow, but he’d rather give credit to his scouts and personnel department for finding players like Cameron Brate and Kwon Alexander.
Licht has learned from his mistakes — and there have been more than a few. The ghosts of Anthony Collins, Michael Johnson and Chris Baker haunt Licht from the free-agent side while the Roberto Aguayo saga turned out to be a draft fiasco.
In evaluating Licht’s work, the Glazers kept coming back to the draft-day hauls.. Mike Evans, Ali Marpet, Donovan Smith, Alexander, O.J. Howard, Justin Evans, Chris Godwin and Kendell Beckwith have all played prominent roles in Tampa.
Breeding Ground
Licht overhauled the defensive front this offseason, adding five new pieces to address Dirk Koetter’s wish list.
“The moves we made in free agency, trades and the draft brought a lot of new guys into our room,” Mike Smith said after Wednesday’s practice. “I’ve been impressed with their work ethic. It breeds a lot of competition and brings out the best. We have more depth and we like where we’re at.”
Now, it’s up to Smith to move his pieces around the NFL chessboard and tip over kings like Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton.
Licht waited a long time for his shot at calling the shots. In Philadelphia, he worked with Howie Roseman, now the executive VP of football operations for the Super Bowl champion Eagles.
“Everywhere Jason has been, they’ve won,” Roseman told me. “The man is an incredible talent evaluator and a really good people person. He has learned from the best in the business and Jason is a tireless worker.It was only a matter of when, not if, he was going to get a chance to run his own team.”
The Glazers have a long memory. They know Tampa Bay’s glory years coincided with a run of solid drafts that led to lucrative second contracts.
Prove-It Season
For quite awhile, that talent spigot shut down. Draft busts and free-agent mistakes ruled the day.
There’s a good chance half the starters for the 2018 Bucs will hail from drafts managed by Licht. That’s a pretty decent percentage.
The next step in this process is to prove these guys are winning players, draft picks who can open up leads and close the door in crunch time.
“Jason knows how to put a roster together,” says 2-time Coach of the Year Bruce Arians, who worked with Licht in Arizona. “And I think he feels very comfortable with Dirk Koetter. We had a great relationship in Arizona. You don’t always agree, but you get along and you make decisions for the team. Other teams might not have a player that high on the board — we don’t care. They fit us. You draft for your coach and your team, no matter what anyone else’s grades are. That’s why Jason will succeed in Tampa.”
Now in his 40th year covering the NFL, Ira Kaufman is the most revered sports personality and writer in the Tampa Bay area. He scored a full-time seat at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters in July of 2016. Tampa Bay’s only Pro Football Hall of Fame voter, Ira busts out columns here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and his award winning podcasts fire Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also hear Ira on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio Wednesdays at 5 p.m. during football season. Also a TV star, see Ira now on Mondays at 10:30 p.m. on Spectrum Sports 360 (aka BayNews 9). Ira also is part of the FOX-13 Tailgate Sunday NFL show and enjoys beet salads, Riesling, tennis, Chiefs victories and needling Joe.
August 1st, 2018 at 1:15 pm
In 5 years as GM he’s drafted more RBs than Dlineman. More WRs than Dlineman. And as many TEs as Dlineman
I hope the 22 sack season taught him a lesson. That’s reckless behavior and not how you build a team. Go Bucs.
August 1st, 2018 at 1:37 pm
andrew, that’s a moot point. When you draft a franchise quarterback, you put the focus on drafting around him so the offense grows with him. Licht had no choice really.
For those counting, this is Jason Licht’s 3RD contract with the Bucs.
He might not be great at Free Agency (though I think he finally did well this year), but he is fantastic at drafting and young talent evaluations.
Considering this is his first GM gig, he’s doing great. Once the team is filled with good young talent, free agency will not matter.
And,fyi, going 4-1 in drafts is excellent
August 1st, 2018 at 1:40 pm
If Winston doesn’t have an amazing year he may not be the franchise QB anymore.
I hope he figures it out but it’s a coin flip at this point.
August 1st, 2018 at 2:17 pm
So much for that, franchise QB. If Winston does not show Markedly improvement within this season or the next, Its safe to say he’s on his way to being a career backup. I have not been impressed with any of this Bucs current Mngt. From the GM on down to our DC. We need to WIN..Period. All of this, we are gettin better and we should is for the GD Birds!!!! This franchise has won last than half of all the seasons its been in existence. Thats totally unacceptable. Batter Up Bucs!!
August 1st, 2018 at 2:18 pm
I am glad we extended Jason Licht’s contract. IMHO, he deserves it. In case no one has noticed, he has dam near rebuilt our team this year. Yes, he has made some mistakes, but like Pete said, this is his first GM position, and he was learning.
In my mind, we are as talented as nearly any team, on both sides of the ball. IF we continue to suck this year, then it is the coaching that will be suspect.
August 1st, 2018 at 2:31 pm
IF the Bucs do so poorly that Koetter and his staff are fired, I think Licht should get another chance to hire an HC, and this time he could bring in whoever he thinks the best person for the job is, and not worry about continuity for any player on the team. I think Licht was pressured (either externally or from his own thought process) to promote Koetter so to keep Winston with the same coach.
August 1st, 2018 at 2:32 pm
Great take aura and agree 100% with you Chris@Apple.
August 1st, 2018 at 2:51 pm
“Now, it’s up to Smith to move his pieces around the NFL chessboard and tip over kings like Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton.”
That’s sports writing gold Ira!!
“There’s a good chance half the starters for the 2018 Bucs will hail from drafts managed by Licht. That’s a pretty decent percentage.”
I count either 11 or 12 starters this year drafted by Licht.
More impressively – I count THIRTY players out of the 53 who will make this 2018 squad that were drafted by Licht or brought in as original Buccaneer UDFAs immediately following those drafts.
The current Bucs GM knows how to target young talent – of this there should be NO doubt!
August 1st, 2018 at 2:58 pm
No problem with our GM….we have the talent….time to coach them up….
After the disaster known as Dominick, Licht practically had to start from scratch to build a team……Dominick was a horrible excuse for a GM.
August 1st, 2018 at 3:07 pm
No way dude, Andrew is right. Drafting well doesn’t mean squat when your not building a core.
I like the signing but Licht needs to start building a core starting with Vae and perhaps Cappa/Benechot. If not we will keep losing.
Just let me know the last time a WR carried a team to a SB.
August 1st, 2018 at 3:07 pm
I’m still not convinced the Aguayo pick was entirely Licht’s decision. I think the Glazers made the request. Although I don’t believe they said to use the 2nd rd pick I think Licht was afraid if he didn’t take Aguayo early that Aguayo could be gone if he waited too long. It’s really not Licht’s fault that Aguayo was mentally weak when the pressure was on to perform as a 2nd round pick. I think if Aguayo had been picked in the latter rounds he would have done better.
August 1st, 2018 at 3:09 pm
Moot point my ass. No worse words have ever been typed.
August 1st, 2018 at 3:11 pm
What’s with the plumbing puns today?! 1st it’s “Showering with Jameis”, now Ira’s got his “Talent Spigot Open”!!!
Talk about being “doused” with Bucs articles!!!
August 1st, 2018 at 3:22 pm
As Jason’s teams keep getting more talented, the records keep getting worse…
August 1st, 2018 at 3:29 pm
“After the disaster known as Dominick, Licht practically had to start from scratch to build a team……Dominick was a horrible excuse for a GM.”
Truth Tbbf!
Licht stepped into a hell of a mess 4 1/2 years ago. The young talent cupboard was almost completely bare thanks to Dom – and having to work under the Lovie coaching regime for the 1st 2 years here didn’t help the team’s fortunes nor Jason’s rebuilding effort much either. Well – actually – in a way it did since 2-14 got us Winston – but losing a bunch of games from the getgo is kind of a backasswards way of trying to “build” a winning team.
Licht started this re-building process with at least 1 hand tied behind his back so to speak – and its really just in the last 2 years that we are seeing this GM hit his stride and what he can do with full control over personnel.
This year’s free agent/trade acquisitions look to be good players across the board that will help this team WIN NOW!
More importantly though – By this time next year or perhaps even sooner – the Bucs will field at least 7 – and possibly 8 or perhaps even 9 starters taken in just the last 2 drafts (2017 and 2018).
(Howard, J. Evans, Godwin, Beckwith, Vea, ROJO, Stewart/Davis – with Cappa and Whitehead also being possible future starters)
August 1st, 2018 at 3:47 pm
Now, it’s up to Smith to move his pieces around the NFL chessboard and tip over kings like Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton.
And there in lies the crux of the situation, relying on a failed Head Coach to formulate plays and schemes for this defense to succeed.
Fire Smitty and replace with a more proven commodity.
August 1st, 2018 at 4:15 pm
I like the guy and I hope his future with us is not in the hands of Koetter and Winston, that’s a scary thought
August 1st, 2018 at 4:20 pm
The real bottom line Ira in your article IMO is … “The next step in this process is to prove these guys are winning players, draft picks who can open up leads and close the door in crunch time.”
It’s ALL about building a T-E-A-M that can WIN … period. Any GM can build a loser (and the Bucs have had our share of those). Agree wholeheartedly with Andrew & JimmyJack that up until this season, Licht really hadn’t done a very good job of team-building. I’m really hoping that the light came on & that this year’s FA acquisitions & draft class were no flukes (I see LOTS of POTENTIAL there).
But building a WINNING TEAM is about a lot more than just acquiring talent. It’s having the right coaching staff in-place, and about leadership … making sure that the team has the right field generals to provide leadership where it really counts … on the field when the bullets are flying (oops, make that footballs). I really believe that we’re a lot closer this year than we were in the past several years, but now it’s time to produce. I’m convinced that it takes a BALANCED TEAM to WIN … no more of this building the offense at the expense of the defense, or vice-versa. It’s time to WIN.
August 1st, 2018 at 4:23 pm
Licht took 5 years to realize that the NFL is won up front and thru defense, he has a 5 win a season team, if bucs are 5-11 thjs year he should be fired as well, passing on a top tier RB last year and possibly this year will hurt this team
August 1st, 2018 at 4:58 pm
lol….
nawl, the bottom line of this article is this is a “prove it season” for dirk and smitty and their are no more excuses!!!!!!!
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!
August 1st, 2018 at 5:28 pm
Licht took over a roster devoid of talent but for 2-3 players.
Sure, there were FA misses, but how have those hurt us? We never ran out of salary cap room; we arent locked into any bad FA contracts. Sure they cost the glazers money, but they came and they left without really costing the team or the fans anything.
All the while, Licht was continuing to stock talent via UDFAs and the Draft
August 1st, 2018 at 7:34 pm
He is an average scout and a below average roster builder
August 1st, 2018 at 7:50 pm
…and something that has to be taken in consideration. Tampa Bay does not draw the most talented free agents. We either get the over priced has beens or other teams castoffs, and backups
August 1st, 2018 at 8:01 pm
Winston will be here next year. Dont ya see Glazers are telling Licht you ride or die with this kid. He has 2 years to win a playoff game or more.
August 1st, 2018 at 8:40 pm
andrew Says:
August 1st, 2018 at 1:15 pm
In 5 years as GM he’s drafted more RBs than Dlineman. More WRs than Dlineman. And as many TEs as Dlineman
I hope the 22 sack season taught him a lesson. That’s reckless behavior and not how you build a team. Go Bucs.
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I’m sure Smitty takes his share of the blame too. But I agree. He needed to address the Dline a bit earlier than he did. I do like him as GM though. I think he will be one of the better ones.
August 1st, 2018 at 9:00 pm
Score tds and stop third down conversions. That’s the only thing holding this team back. Licht did a great job bringing in d-line talent/coach this off season. Up to Koetter to figure out a way to score. He’s on the hot seat for a reason.
August 2nd, 2018 at 7:15 am
@Buccaneer Bonzai. Moot point? Have you seen our record over these years. Also, when we picked Jameis we already had that #1 WR. What’s next to help a young franchise QB? A running game. We both kept and brought in no competition for Drug Martin after a terrible year and a drug suspension during a playoff push.
Idiots.