Arians: Give Jason Licht Props
March 27th, 2019
Gets love from Bucco Bruce.
A lot of Bucs fans are outraged at AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht and are screaming for his scalp.
The Bucs are in salary cap hell despite losing 22 games the past two seasons and fans bark that too many of Licht’s recent draft picks are not producing.
So these same fans ask, how can a team be in salary cap hell despite losing year after year and remain anchored in Buccaneers Cove (last place in the NFC South)?
Hold up! said Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians. Speaking at the coaches’ breakfast at the NFL owners meetings yesterday in Arizona, Arians suggested the Bucs are in salary cap hell because Licht has done solid work as the lord of football operations.
“Jason has done a great job,” Arians said. “It is a testament to him that we are in this position because we have so many good players that we’ve hit on. You really want to be in this situation and not getting rid of all of your first round picks because they are no good.”
There is some truth to what Arians said. If Licht drafted so many crappy players, he wouldn’t have re-signed so many to big contracts.
This is yet another sign that the Bucs believe it was lousy coaching, not bad players, is the root cause of so many losses.
You sense a pattern here? Former Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said on “Hard Knocks” two years ago the Bucs were the most talented team he had seen in Tampa Bay. Father Dungy last year said he had no doubt the Bucs were talented enough to make a playoff run. Now Arians is talking up the talent on the squad.
It’s hard to believe so many NFL coaches talk about how much talent the Bucs have to believe all of them are in on coordinating scheme to snowball the fans.
It also explains why Team Glazer retained Licht.
And the proof seems to be in the actions of the Bucs, or inactions as some may perceive. Many Bucs fans screamed bloody murder the Bucs offensive line was an embarrassing sieve. Yet what did the Bucs do? They retained four of the five starters on the offensive line, re-upping both tackles.
As Joe has repeatedly typed this offseason: We will learn if the problems with the Bucs were coaching or players in a few short months.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:07 am
Agree, though the fact that Dotson was re-upped doesn’t guarantee him a spot this year. If a quality OT is drafted, easy to move on from him with only a $125k dead money cap hit and frees up about $4.7M. Smart to keep him as insurance until then though.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:16 am
Sure. There’s SOME talent. But not in the right places.
He’s drafted 3 Dlineman in 5 years. The same number as TE. Less than the number of WRs and RBs we’ve drafted.
We are a mess on the right side of the Oline. We made our center the highest paid center following one season playing the position after converting from guard. We have no depth on the Oline. None.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:16 am
Joe
this article sets new standards for bipolar passive aggression.
And that quote from BA just leaves me SMDH, beginning to feel like he’s a professional smoke blowing brown noser..
March 27th, 2019 at 11:26 am
Let’s look at Licht’s 1st rounders
Mike Evans top 10-15 WR in the game-Great Pick
Jameis Winston top 20ish QB in the game never lived up to #1 status, yet-Jury is out
Vernon Hargreaves III-man to man college CB drafted to play zone-Jury is out
OJ Howard-great talent but has yet to play a full season-Jury is out
Vita Vea-injury plagued 1st season jury is out
Licht has drafted ok in the 1st, awful in the 2nd
Lotta potential on the roster but that potential hasn’t produced consistently on the field
Facts Licht is good at building a losing roster
March 27th, 2019 at 11:31 am
I’d say OJ Howard = a proven stud that just needs to stay healthy. He was a top 2-3 TE last year in terms of impact/effectiveness per his opportunities.
Hell Gronk has been injury prone a lot of his career but still ended up worth it because he is simply that dominant. THat’s Howard IMO when they actually decided to use him in the game plan.
Vea needs to stay healthy as well and should do well. Neither Howard or Vea or VHIII had much injury issues in college. Their injuries have been freakish in that they aren’t chronic issues or things that could have ever been predicted.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:31 am
For all the hoopla about dumping GMC, one of our true good players, how in the world does Licht get a pass for his horrendous picks (see Ron Jones)? Talent proves out, and our talent level has been worth last place for how many years?
This clown is the main reason why the Bucs are stuck in reverse and are set for more this year. Watch- -it’s going to be a train wreck. Even with the 5th pick.
March 27th, 2019 at 11:36 am
6-10 is best anyone could hope for 3-13 is realistic
March 27th, 2019 at 11:42 am
“It’s hard to believe so many NFL coaches talk about how much talent the Bucs have to believe all of them are in on coordinating scheme to snowball the fans.”
Exactly. Why throw those quotes out there if they didn’t believe that?
I know many here think our talent is horrific but comparatively around the league I’d say our talent isn’t Super Bowl worthy, but sure as f*ck is better than 5-11.
I’ve heard a lot of NFL quotes saying the talent gaps between teams is not that much at this level. Everyone is a professional. That’s why the Rams looked like a different team with better coaching vs Jeff Fisher despite Fischer having a sh1t ton of talent to work with. Their GM stocked the cupboard and all he could do was that 7-9 and 4-9 before being fired.
Last year we had a defense with:
2 former probowlers on the DL (McCOy/JPP) along with a 1st round pick (Vea) and another producitve complimentary pass rusher (Nassib)
2 former probowl LBs in David/Kwon
1 former probowl CB in Grimes
a 1st round CB + 2 2nd round CBs + 1 4th round CB
2nd round S pick (Evans)
conte/whitehead (4th)
It’s not like we weren’t drafting any defensive players or giving MS the worst defensive talent in the league to justify the absolute worst defense in the league. Even if 1/2 those guys are hurt you have sh1t to work with.
Seattle was much better with a ton of no names and rookies because they actually know how to coach up a draft pick.
What’s more believable – that Licht completely wiffed on all 6 secondary players he has drafted, or that our coaches sucked because we didnt’ see a single one improve through their tenure?
March 27th, 2019 at 11:51 am
lol….been saying for 2 years….the problem has been coaching/scheme not players/talent…..
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
March 27th, 2019 at 12:00 pm
813bucboi
So if coaching has only been a problem for the last 2 years what’s the excuses for the other 14 years of embarrassing football
March 27th, 2019 at 12:05 pm
“Jason Gump hooked BA and his family for their final 21 million 3 year payday…
Even Kobe wouldnt say anything bad about the Gump”
Kobe Faker
March 27th, 2019 at 12:06 pm
It’s true when you look at the roster. Most our guys were drafted right here to Tampa.
If you win with these guys you got a core you cannot keep together for a long time. But they gotta win. If they do this team can become a annual contender that’s built to last. But ya gotta win.
Let’s get good first then we can be great!
March 27th, 2019 at 12:08 pm
You can keep it together*****
March 27th, 2019 at 12:09 pm
@Coach Arians … “It is a testament to him (Licht) that we are in this position because we have so many good players that we’ve hit on. You really want to be in this situation and not getting rid of all of your first round picks because they are no good.”
On reading that, I couldn’t help but wonder if BA will be singing the same tune at the end of the year. I wouldn’t expect any new coach to come onboard and say “Damned this is the most pathetic group of losers I’ve ever tried to rehabilitate.”
Also think it’s hysterical that BA lauded Jason’s ‘first round picks’ but NOT his second round picks. Obviously he’s been reading JBF.com .
March 27th, 2019 at 12:14 pm
Coaching, scheme, player usage, player development have been our main problems. Licht isn’t batting a 1000 but no GM is. It’s a amazing how good a GM can look with quality coaches in place.
March 27th, 2019 at 12:15 pm
Just think if Jason Licht hadn’t butchered so many second round and third round picks just how far into Cap Hell the Bucs would have sunk.
March 27th, 2019 at 12:16 pm
how is aguayo doing?
March 27th, 2019 at 12:18 pm
Problems has been Coaching, Mangement, players, lack of talent, and bad ownership….is a combination of all!!!!!NOt just one thing!!!
March 27th, 2019 at 12:19 pm
tmax
as HC, dirk had more talent than the other coaches…..simple as that….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
March 27th, 2019 at 12:22 pm
“So if coaching has only been a problem for the last 2 years ”
It’s been a problem since Gruden.
Glazers haven’t hired a good coach in a long a4ss time. Hopefully they finally got that right.
we can point out W:L record but people tend to forget that Mark Domnic was GM during years in which the NFC South was much less competitive than it’s been the last 5 years. Our schedules were much easier in general and our divison was much easier. He also had a fluke 10 win Raheem season in there.
Raheem – inexperienced / not ready
Schiano – horrific NFL head coach
Lovie Smith – over the hill coach who only cared about defense and still sucked at that
Dirk Koetter – only cared about offense and ran a weak locker room and still sucked at matching scoring up with his offense’s ability to gain yardage
IMO:
Dominik was HORRIBLE. Just look at how many draft picks stuck around.. basically Lavonte & McCoy. That’s it really. Drug Martin was a bust IMO. That’s a guy that totally wiffed on the 2nd and 1st rounds
Licht has been meh. Average in draft maybe. Terrible in FA. But at least he can say a lot of his picks actually deserved other contracts or got lucrative deals elsewhere. All of Domink’s picks are out of the league basically
March 27th, 2019 at 12:26 pm
The talent is so great on defense that the bucs are going to be starting probably 7 new players in 2019 and BA said its straight up competition at safety. Jason Licht is the worst gm in pro football and you can look all over the nfl for places that have flipped teams from the basement to the penthouse in 2 years. Licht took a last place team and built it into an even worst team than he was handed, thats pretty tough to do and kept his job
March 27th, 2019 at 12:36 pm
“places that have flipped teams from the basement to the penthouse in 2 years”
Like the Rams under Les Snead?
From 2012-2016 their record was 31-48 with him as GM.
4-12 in 2016.
Hire McVay. 11-5. 12-4.
Not so simple is it?
I’m pretty positive most quick team flips for successes involve coaching changes more than GM changes historically. Or both. But not keeping the coach and hiring a new GM.
March 27th, 2019 at 12:40 pm
What if instead of questioning talent we questioned the potential?
The first guy you gotta look at is the QB, right?
If there potential there and Bruce can hit it I don’t care what you say………this team will win football games. Guarantee
We seen what great QB play can do with this offense. Our offense does have the potential to compete with anybody…….but that don’t happen if you get bad QB play.
QB is one position to look at. You could argue there’s untapped potential at many other positions.
March 27th, 2019 at 12:46 pm
sounds like fake news. Licht is a terrible GM, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while. Licht has missed on so many picks that he should be FIRED.
March 27th, 2019 at 1:01 pm
The cleveland browns, the eagles, the bills, the 49ers, the chiefs, the bears are all flipping from the bottom and are on the come compared to the disarray of the bucs
and by the way LC…just an FYI but arguable the 2 best defenders on the bucs are dominiks guys, not to mention pro bowler mark baron and super bowl champ adrian clayborn, mason foster, doug martin, ghoulston, spence, glennon
dominik sucked as a GM but licht is worst which is why the bucs are one of the worst teams in the NFL under lichts watch
I mean licht blew an entire draft class and drafted a kicker in round 2
March 27th, 2019 at 1:04 pm
Does it occur to anyone else, that it is Jason Licht whom personally chose the prior coach (and subsequent coaching staff) ? The same coaching staff that now everyone under the sun is throwing dirt on all of a sudden. Not only did allow Koetter to be promoted from OC to HC, but allow both Mike Smith and HC Koetter to be in power for 3 years. Those were all his choices. Versus making other choices. Just as all of the draft selections under his regime are his.
March 27th, 2019 at 1:21 pm
The real fans know it’s bin coaching the past few years. Before the past couple years it’s bin bad coaching an bad player development an FA signings.
March 27th, 2019 at 1:47 pm
“Does it occur to anyone else, that it is Jason Licht whom personally chose the prior coach (and subsequent coaching staff) ? ”
We don’t actually know that officially that I’ve ever seen.
I thought Koetter being promoted was a Glazer decision around Winston. Mike Smith / everyone hired after that was a Koetter hire.
This might be the only actual HC he brought in himself.
March 27th, 2019 at 1:54 pm
@Dusty
Simply have to hardcore disagree on Licht being worse than Dominik.
I gave credit to the 2 players you mentioned.
In the draft IMO:
Ali Marpet
Donavon Smith
Kwon Alexander
Mike Evans
All have already been extended/gotten big contracts for their play. Domink had 2 players worth second contracts.
As for others:
Jameis Winston >> Josh Freeman
OJ Howard >> Adrian Slowborn (future potential HOF Cam Jordan on board)
Chris Godwin >>> any 3rd round or later pick by Dominik
Then you have Donald Penn (solid signing) vs
Cameron Brate (extended)
Adam Humphries (lucrative deal elsewhere)
Carl Nassib (productive young edge rusher)
Even if all these secondary players + Rojo are all busts, he is still better than Dominik. If some of those guys pan out it’s just more painfully obvious.
March 27th, 2019 at 2:44 pm
a losing team year after year and no cash available..Other teams in bucs own division with a better record have $$.. Some fans still support the bucs gm who is in charge so bucs being a loser is ok ….for some!
March 27th, 2019 at 3:23 pm
LOL #firejasonlicht and stop wasting years.
March 27th, 2019 at 6:39 pm
Fireeeeee Licht!
March 29th, 2019 at 5:37 am
I couldn’t be a better GM than Licht! Hire me! Fireee Licht!