Jamel Dean & The Bucs
March 24th, 2019
General manager Jason Licht has proven to be one of the most fearless GMs in football since taking over in 2014.
Some would argue that hasn’t served him well, though he is employed and a top-flight head coach like Bucco Bruce Arians has a ton of faith in him.
Licht has been his own man in the NFL Draft. In 2014, he was part of the decision to pass on a quarterback when the Bucs desperately needed one. And he picked Austin Seferian-Jackwagon in Round 2 when the Bucs had no need for a tight end.
In 2015, Licht belted his famous grand slam in the first four rounds, including trading up to the second round for a Division III left tackle, guard/center Ali Marpet.
In 2016, Licht was going bold again, trading down in the first round to get Vernon Hargreaves because his intelligence told him the Giants would grab cornerback Eli Apple and Licht could get his man and an extra pick. Licht was right. (Though maybe he should have drafted Apple, now a starter for the Saints?) Then the GM grabbed a defensive end with a history of drug problems, Noah Spence, and traded up for kicker Roberto Aguayo in Round 2.
A year later, Licht drafted O.J. Howard when he didn’t need a tight end, and passed on special running backs in favor or Justin Evans. But then Licht worked magic drafting Chris Godwin in Round 3, before trading up to score Kendell Beckwith with the last pick of that round. What a shame Beckwith’s career was derailed by a car accident.
Last year, Licht stayed true to form as his own man in the draft, making a bold trade down and banking heavily on his three second-round picks.
And here we are.
Predicting Licht in the draft is difficult, which brings Joe to Auburn cornerback Jamel Dean.
If you’re keeping score at home, the Bucs lost their best cornerback from 2018, Brent Grimes, plus a guy they were counting on at the position, M.J. Stewart. He’s now a safety, per Licht. Hargreaves is coming off surgery, and Carlton Davis had a rookie year in which he showed promise but little more.
Don’t the Bucs have to upgrade at cornerback?
Licht said weeks ago that the NFL has morphed into a game that needs a different kind of cornerback because receivers don’t run routes like they used to.
“So the corner that had all the great change of direction and all that stuff, you know, that’s still a valuable asset. But if you’re long and you can run a little and you’re instinctive and you can tackle, you know, you’re going to be able to cover these guys now,” Licht said. “So that’s just the way the game has kind of morphed.”
Add that to Licht saying multiple times that this draft features an huge total of long and impressive cornerbacks, and it sure seems like the Bucs are going to draft one.
Dean multiple major knee surgeries in has past, but has been healthy the past two seasons. He became a household name for draft nerds after clocking a 4.3-second, 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine last month. At 6-1, 206-pounds, he’s one of those long, athletic corners Licht has referenced.
Dean told 24/7 sports that he consulted with Carlton Davis when deciding to come out after his junior season at Auburn. The former teammates are the exact same size (per their combine measurements) but Dean is faster and more explosive. It’s obvious Licht saw plenty of Dean when scouting Davis in 2017, so he has to be on the Bucs’ radar.
The X-factor on Dean is the injury concerns, if there are any. Will he fall? Will that 40 time make him a late-first-round pick? Would Licht dare draft another cornerback after investing so much draft capital at the position recently?
March 24th, 2019 at 11:34 am
Fearless = Dumb as ship….
March 24th, 2019 at 11:39 am
There are old GMs and there are bold GMs… there are NO old bold GMs….
March 24th, 2019 at 11:43 am
By fearless you meant foolish…dang autocorrect.
March 24th, 2019 at 11:58 am
Brent Grikes was not the bucs best cornerback last season
March 24th, 2019 at 12:12 pm
Easy to be fearless when it’s not your money.
March 24th, 2019 at 12:15 pm
Fearless???????? How about learning his lesson a year too late!!!!!!!! What happen to “hold them accountable”???????? The local media must be in great shape from carrying this guys jock strap around for so long!!!!!!!!
2019 season will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 24th, 2019 at 12:18 pm
Fearless isn’t a word of use….
Marginal would be my word
C minus
March 24th, 2019 at 12:41 pm
I glanced too quickly at the headline on this post, thought it said JAMES DEAN…..was going to suggest he’s no longer with us, but the King of Cool in his day….
March 24th, 2019 at 12:43 pm
Licht isn’t fearless, he often sits on his hands.
And any choice at CB or Safety in the draft should that happen round 3 or later, would be Bowles’ choice, through BA confirming. Not Licht’s. He won’t have a say till much later in rounds 5 and beyond, if any at all really.
If they stay #5, or close to it, anyone can get that right (again not Licht choosing).
March 24th, 2019 at 12:46 pm
Easy to be “fearless” with someone else’s cash!
March 24th, 2019 at 12:46 pm
While VH wasn’t a stellar pick Eli Apple sure didn’t do much for the Giants. Maybe you could have mentioned the locker room cancer he appears to be.
March 24th, 2019 at 12:51 pm
Licht and Arians have to be thinking CB. I say they draft two.
March 24th, 2019 at 12:55 pm
Fearless? More like clueless. Joe, thanks for tossing us that soft pitch comment about Licht, we all knocked it out of the park. LoL.
March 24th, 2019 at 1:21 pm
Jean Lafitte Says:
March 24th, 2019 at 12:51 pm
Licht and Arians have to be thinking CB. I say they draft two.
.
.
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Licht needs DB’s because he has neglected the DL….now he needs both
March 24th, 2019 at 1:26 pm
Joebucscomplaint.com so many whiners led by the Joes in the most negative year of news yet. Fans appear to be in midseason form right now and BA has yet to have a team meeting so sad but I’m sure eventually they’r be something positive written here although I’m expecting the doom and gloom articles to continue the rest of the off-season because that’s what gets clicks here
March 24th, 2019 at 1:28 pm
FEARLESS GM? Common Joe, that moniker is worse than “America’s QB”. Fearless? I can go drink 20 beers and try to dive in rush hour traffic tommorow afternoon. Would that make me fearless or just an irresponsible IDIOT? Asking for a friend.
March 24th, 2019 at 1:41 pm
Cameron Brate, Ernsberger, Gholston, Hudson, Evan Smith, and Ogunbowale cut them with Brate try to trade him for a 5th round pick that would give us some money
March 24th, 2019 at 1:41 pm
Only another week until BA sees Jamyth in action @ OBP….then the QB Draft smoke will billow ..the best gamble in the NFL is taking a QB high in the 1st round and getting 5 years of cheap QB play…trade down and take a QB with one of the extra picks…I have zero faith that Jameis will be anything other than what he has laid down so far….
March 24th, 2019 at 1:47 pm
Secondary will be fine when the front 7 can play
Linebacker, OLineman, DLineman in draft
March 24th, 2019 at 1:48 pm
hargraeves will have a good year this season
March 24th, 2019 at 1:56 pm
We need White in the first
March 24th, 2019 at 2:08 pm
Beef up the trenches an see how much better our safties an Cbs will do an the same thing on the other side our qb an rbs will do better also
March 24th, 2019 at 2:18 pm
I was all in on white until dude came out and said he wants to be drafted in the top 5 to get a 100 million dollar contract. You don’t talk about money and second contracts before the draft which kinda makes him stupid in my eyes. Not everything your thinking should be said because we know they all want the big contract but make one tackle in the nfl and stay healthy.
There’s a report out there that three teams are trying to trade for Jets inside linebacker Darron Lee and the Bucs are one of them. Dude is still on rookie contract and would eliminate the need to draft a linebacker with the first pick
March 24th, 2019 at 2:20 pm
So is the new corner that Licht speaks of the opposite of Hardgraves???
Maybe the Jets will take McCoy, a third and a seventh for Lee and Adams or get MJ Stewart in the mix !!!
March 24th, 2019 at 2:56 pm
Drafting a crappy kicker in the second round, Winston as #1 overall and below average lineman is not fearless. It’s clueless… I hope I’m wrong but I’m not impressed with Light so far…
March 24th, 2019 at 2:59 pm
*Licht
March 24th, 2019 at 3:06 pm
Joe you got a lot of nerve calling Brent Miko our best cornerbàck. He was the absolute worst player on the field in several games.
You say some off the wall stuff sometimes but that one crosses the line. After reading that I’ll just have to lump you into the rest of Bucs media that covers the team but has no alliegence towards them. No true Bucs fan would have anything nice to say about Brent Miko after last year’s pathetic performance. What a freaking joke man.
Don’t be ridiculous. Put on the film and guage who played best at corner for the Bucs. It’s a very low bar, but you’re still going to find Grimes as the No. 1 guy. –Joe
March 24th, 2019 at 3:11 pm
Licht has been VERY questionable as a GM and personnel man. Jon Robinson leaving was very costly imo.
March 24th, 2019 at 3:26 pm
If we draft Q or Oliver at 5 we may not need a CB.
Then we could move McCoy and buy or trade for a CB in May. That would be my best scenario.
Then at the top of the draft we could focus on Front 7 players for D & OL.
March 24th, 2019 at 3:49 pm
Ok Joe let’s look at the film. We’ll start with Game 1 at home on MNF vs the Steelers.
Brent Grimes was seen in that games running away from tackles. He didn’t want to hit anybody which basically wasn’t even playing football. Then he got ran over like a little boy and choked up a 80 yarders………..The guy wasn’t even trying to win and deserved to be benched in that game. You will never win with players like this on the field.
I don’t know what planet you are coming from to excuse horrible football. It must be your journalism planet because it darn sure aren’t a Buccaneers fan planet.
Again, watch the season. Assess the production. A few plays do not make a season. –Joe
March 24th, 2019 at 4:21 pm
Licht’s words about today’s cb correlate with my saying defense in this era is being built from the back end forward now not the other way around like it had been for years. It wasn’t my theory tho,Mark Shlerth said on air one day. Lead me to believe it must be something to what he was saying.
March 24th, 2019 at 4:23 pm
At one time BG was really good,his skill set just no longer messes with today game.
March 24th, 2019 at 4:29 pm
These GM looking for Richard Sherman types. Carlton Davis fits the bill. Just keep in Pete Carrol gave him,Earl Thomas and Kam Chancelor a chance but didn’t begin to make a name for themselves until after a few years in this league. During the “you mad bro” which was they’re coming out party Tom Brady was on the field calling them a bunch nobodies,asking them “who are you” during the game. That was all the motivation they needed. Some round here want microwaved results. Give a little time man.
March 24th, 2019 at 5:58 pm
Joe …… brent grimes the best corner in 2018???….. are you partying with Noah Spence.
Everybody has his opinion but this time you missed by far…..
Take it easy with cannabis my men……
March 24th, 2019 at 6:41 pm
Gauge. G-A-U-G-E. “Put on the film and gauge who played best at corner for the Bucs”.
March 24th, 2019 at 7:21 pm
Apple is no good, him and his mom were major headaches for the Giants. Like Miko and Brent but less talent. There’s a reason why he was traded to a desperate saints team.
Side note, Gronk just retired and NE needs a tight end. Bucs have two, one very expensive one with less talent than the other…
I love Brate, one of my favorite Bucs, definitely earned his paycheck, but man that move makes too much sense
March 24th, 2019 at 7:31 pm
You guys are missing the point. Joe didn’t say Grimes was good. He said he was the best on our roster when taking the entire season into account. BG sucks, but Joe is right. That’s how bad the state of our secondary is. Why we haven’t inked Morris yet, I have no idea. Trade Brate to free up the cash and do it.
March 24th, 2019 at 7:41 pm
Sorry Joe you can sit alone in the corner thinking Miko Grimes was the best of anything on this football team.
It wasn’t one game. Miko avoided concact all year. Like I said he wasn’t trying help this team win nothing.
How bout the last TD given up this season? Happened cause Miko got himself lost in the endzone……God awful performance wire-to-wire.
He was repeatedly picked on all year for gimme 6-7 yarders. And almost everytime he avoided contact and handed away YAC.
I didn’t see any other CBs getting lost on the field and running away from the tackle. Only Miko did. He stood out as one of the worst football players on the field, get outta here with this best business.
But hey give him a pat on the back all you want. Don’t expect no one else to buy it. The rest of Bucs Nation wants nothing to do with Miko. We honestly have nothing but bad things to say about this player.
March 24th, 2019 at 8:02 pm
Joe that you stand up for Grimes after he quit because of his embarrassing pay is disappointing. I’m sure Miko gave you lots to write about but you can’t defend the guy.
March 24th, 2019 at 8:51 pm
Quick, someone tell me. Will Bruce Allen be barred from the room during the draft while Licht calls each pick?
Question number 2: What if N. Bosa and Q Williams are off the board but J Allen is available, then what kind of offer will it take to persuade Licht to trade down anyway?
OK, take your time and think about it. What say you?
_____________
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!
P.S. I think he will be “damned if he does or damned if he doesn’t” trade down. The last question becomes is Licht fearless enough in this situation?
March 24th, 2019 at 8:52 pm
If Allen is there I can’t see the Bucs going anywhere but 6 if the Giants get scared someone is trading there for Haskins
March 24th, 2019 at 11:51 pm
Draft down and get LB Bush and Guard Lindstrom; there are plenty of good CBs in the second round if we can’t get an experienced Veteran CB—if you want a 4.3 speedster who is a press corner and a good tackler take Ohio State’s Sheffield, if you have an extra second pick in the deal take Charles Omenihu a DE who can spell GMC and replace him when he retires. (18 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks for Texas in 2018) 3rd Round We have three speedy change of pace backs and no 3rd Down Back who can do it all. Take Powerful Snell Jr. who can diagnose Blitzes and protect Jameis with crushing blocks yet can catch passes if needed like Brate, yet can run breaking tackles for first downs since we don’t have Hump to get 1st downs and as well can replace Barber if he is hurt or needs a breather. 4th Rd. Best DT remaining 5th Rd. Wesco FB/TE WVa. an Alstott Clone who can run in TDs in Red Zone (6’3” 274 lbs and caught 24 of 26 passes for 366 yds, and is a super blocker as a FB). 6th Round take QB Tyree Jackson if still there; 7th Round Georgia WR Terry Godwin, 4.49 40 and shifty run back on kickoffs and can play in the Slot.
March 25th, 2019 at 4:42 am
Dean would be a good 5th round or later gamble…it would be stupid to risk anything sooner because he is injury prone. Having a couple healthy seasons won’t change the reality of that.
Joe said for years that Bucs coaches could not develop corners. If that’s true, we don’t need a corner. If Bowles really is good, he can work with the guys we have.
And don’t believe for a second that Stewart really is moving to Safety. In a few months, that claim will be forgotten.
March 25th, 2019 at 4:50 am
scbucsfan Says
“Joe that you stand up for Grimes after he quit because of his embarrassing pay is disappointing. I’m sure Miko gave you lots to write about but you can’t defend the guy. ”
Clearly, you have not been listening to the Ira podcasts. Joe has consistently been respectful, but said that Grimes pretty much destroyed any chance of being signed because of his attitude about the money and not wanting to give 100%.