Ugly Ranking For Bucs’ GM
June 14th, 2019
Writer not kind
This is the time of year for rankings. Who’s the best? Who’s the worst? Ah, summertime!
And while one USA Today NFL writer gave Lavonte David strong marks, Cole Thompson of The Football Network was rather harsh on Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht.
In ranking all NFL general managers, those ranked lower than Licht were a team without a general manager and a general manager who is just finishing his first week on the job.
Thompson ranked Licht No. 30.
I bet a ton of you were thinking Dave Gettleman was going to be ranked as the worst GM. Wrong! There’s one whose seat is hotter than the suicide hot wings in New York. Just trust me, they’re hot and don’t try the challenge.
Since taking over, Licht’s Buccaneers still have yet to make the playoffs. That’s all in the past though since the long-time GM’s tenure should be based off this season. With the hiring of Bruce Arians, the Bucs could turn over a new leaf and end up being a competitive unit for years to come.
The real story is that Arians was brought in to fix Jameis Winston. Struggling the past two seasons, the quarterback whisperer will need to see improvement from the former Heisman Trophy Winner if he expects to stay under center much longer. If Winston struggles again, both he and Licht could be looking for work come Black Monday.
Well, much to the potential chagrin of Thompson, Joe doesn’t read the tea leaves that Licht is on thin ice. Joe believes the exact opposite.
Joe has written the following a few times already. When assessing Licht’s job as Bucs general manager, there must be a large asterisk. Licht was not in charge of personnel when inept Lovie Smith was here. That was Lovie’s responsibility. There wasn’t one player on the roster that Lovie didn’t want and that includes America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston.
Has Licht done a good job? You can’t spin it that way. Could it be he picked some good players and they just haven’t been developed yet? Yeah, Joe believes that is very fair.
But now with Bucco Bruce Arians on board, the Bucs can’t hang their hats on players not being developed. We will learn a whole lot the next few months if the problem with the Bucs was bad coaching or bad personnel decisions.
June 14th, 2019 at 2:56 am
Licht is directly connected to Jameis.
If Jameis (5th season) can’t carry his team, then Licht is toast. JMO
June 14th, 2019 at 4:06 am
So when Jameis plays well its to Licht’s credit, but when he doesn’t its Lovie’s fault? Interesting..
June 14th, 2019 at 4:15 am
Even if it was bad coaching, he drafted guys that didn’t fit Mike Smith’s scheme. He’s lucky to have a job
June 14th, 2019 at 4:55 am
Licht has not built a winning product. Period!
BA should be his last chance. But leadership seems lacking from the top so who knows.
While Malcolm was a good owner that ability has not been transferred to his kids in running either the Bucs or ManU.
The fish stinks from the head or something like that.
Hopefully BA and his golf cart can right the ship. Both Jason “failing product” Licht and Jameis “meaningless stats” Winston have much riding on BA and his golf cart.
June 14th, 2019 at 5:03 am
Joe a more interesting ranking was of current uniforms. The Bucs ranked 26. The list maker liked the helmets though.
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/list/nfl-uniform-rankings-best-worst-2019/l1mj274573xe1q60dgi7t3vl/10
Scored #1 in throwbacks…
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/list/nfl-throwback-uniform-rankings-best-vintage-looks/dg2h7ssqx2f12w8foelkojdh/20
June 14th, 2019 at 5:07 am
Jason Licht has done a poor job when it comes to TEAM-BUILDING & a terrible job of salary Cap management, BUT … as long as BA wants him here, he stays. IF BA says he wants a different GM, then it’s No More Licht. BA’s in charge … thankfully.
June 14th, 2019 at 5:15 am
I have to agree with Thompson…it is similar to what I posted here yesterday. I see JL on very thin ice…and no matter what happens to eithre, BA stays for at least another year. I’d not put a seaon record on it either–the Glazers don’t do that. They need to see a revitalized team compared to the past three or four years (and I think they will) with more energy in the community translating to better attendance than over that same period (and I don’t see that). No matter one’s view on it, the poor record, Winston’s issues, and the kneeldowns (which have impacted the whole NFL), have decimated ticket-buying/show-up support. The Glazers have no problem having a coach on hand but in need of a GM. We saw that with Lovie and JL. The order for this year is a tall one for both JL and Winston. Either way, the QB whisperer will be back next year…perhaps with a new GM and QB.
June 14th, 2019 at 5:23 am
I must be a seer! Kinda like Punxsutawney Phil?
1: A, J. (2019, June, 14). Extreme Job Security For Jason Licht? JoeBucsFan, article #5-comment section. Retrieved from URL
“Gregg Rosenthal, from nfl.com, rated from best to worst GM’s.”
2: Ibid
June 14th, 2019 at 5:24 am
I agree with Joe’s take that not all the pesonnel problems are JL’s fault. And I agree that JL has brought in some good players. But that’s about it.
But given three years removed from Lovie with salary cap He11 and struggles of personnel JL and/or Lovie brought on, the most prominent of which is Winston, I don’t think the Glazers are so interested in the Lovie factor and a multiyear performance review. They are out of Schlitz so to speak. I’m not sure it’s clear to many how badly a hit season pass membership has taken the past two offseasons. Opening Day may be a real stunner. In fact, with Arians and Bowles on staff, I think the Glazers would be less hesitant to launch JL at season end if there is not a drastic course change this season.
June 14th, 2019 at 5:28 am
@Defense Rules…only someone with Belicheat stature would carry that kind of weight, and i’s WAY too early to suggest the Glazers do what Arians want, especially in the GM department. It’s great Arians is looking up with his health and lifestyle concerns, but I don’t know if anyone in the building expects Arians to be here for more than a few years. The Glazers have a strategic, long-term business crisis on their hands. I am betting Arians outlasts JL and Winston, and will retired again within three years.
June 14th, 2019 at 5:41 am
Magadude … Just different perspectives of influence & power, that’s all. BA & company WILL turn this team around; the only real issue to me is how long it will take. Having a winning season this year is doable, but it’s asking a LOT considering what a mess the Bucs were when BA arrived. Could even be as bad as 4-12 IMO, although I doubt that.
I tend to think that the first half of this season will be really tough (schedule, trying to get a new defense to ‘gel’, etc) and our record for the first 8 games or so MIGHT reflect that. But once this thing comes together, it’s ‘Katie bar the door’. Personally I’m hopeful for an 8-8 season this first year, although I’d love to be surprised with something better.
Gut feeling is that BA will coach here for 3 years total, then ‘move up’ to become President of Football Operations (similar to Tom Coughlin’s position, whatever the Bucs end up calling it). It’s BA’s plan that’s building this TEAM, not JL’s. Jason knows what side his bread is buttered on, and he’ll be totally supportive of what El Jefe wants. And that’s what’ll keep him in his GM job.
June 14th, 2019 at 5:51 am
@DR…agree with most…and think the Glazers SHOULD have a President for situations like they have been in and are in, but it’s way too early to annoint Arians for anything. A large sector of people thought Lovie’s return meant great things to come too. As the Glazers work, all is frozen now until season end. If the Bucs go 4-12…which I agree could happen, all hell will break loose again…yet BA will not be fired.
June 14th, 2019 at 6:05 am
Thompson’s article is dated 6/12/19.
In it he advises the Indianapolis Colts to sign Gerald McCoy who had signed with the Panthers nine days earlier.
Either the 12 July date is a misprint or Thompson needs to pay more attention to his chosen profession.
June 14th, 2019 at 6:07 am
Defense Rules—
I have the opposite take on the season opening. Consider that all other teams are shedding their cobwebs as well. We’re also not the only team with starting rookies. I predict we open a stunning 6-0 through the rocky play of Jimmy Garoppolo and Cam Newton. Our defense will make teams dizzy. Our offense is damned solid and I submit BA has a handle on the running game.
And…and, and, and…he’s not done roster-building yet.
After 6-0, I think it then gets tough because there will be enough tape to better game plan against us.
Just remember, you heard it here first.
BTW, how can you tell an optimist from a pessimist?
Ask them to pronounce OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE.
Yes damn it, it is NOW HERE!
June 14th, 2019 at 6:56 am
BA is not worried about his professional future. This will be his last gig. He is far more into confidence building of his players and his staff. I say Licht stays as long as Arians stays. The moment he turns the keys to his successor, Licht however will be on the hot seat. #oneluckyman.
June 14th, 2019 at 6:57 am
Licht should’ve been fired and everyone knows it. He’s here only because of Arians.
IMO, it will be Arians success that dictates whether Licht remains or not.
June 14th, 2019 at 7:57 am
Jameis and Jason are tied at the hip…this season will tell the tale
June 14th, 2019 at 7:59 am
His ranking fits right with his won, loss record, bottom of the pack. Nothing new here, tell me something I don’t know.
June 14th, 2019 at 8:10 am
Strictly opinion. And we all have them. Cole Thompson’s is less important than ours, because he simply looks at a few stats or such. He doesn’t even cover the team.
June 14th, 2019 at 8:12 am
Predicting 8-8….Just enough to give hope and convince the Glazers to extend Winston. Licht stays as long as this staff does.
June 14th, 2019 at 8:16 am
He’s failed at building a winning, competitive football roster with talent. The Bucs home at the top of the draft every year has resulted in 1 winning season under Licht.
Although he’s awful at his job he’s safe until Arians retires again. Probably after seeing Jameis turn it over 20 times and over throw open guys Arians will retire and a true rebuild will happen
June 14th, 2019 at 8:43 am
Jason Licht has been a below average NFL GM. But he is still better than Mark Dominik. How an office administrative assistant who never played or coached football in his life became GM of an NFL franchise shows how idiotic the Glazers are as owners.
June 14th, 2019 at 9:02 am
Those rankings are irrelevant……And those who pay attention to those rankings….guess what?…That ranking makes sense…..When Licht got into this franchise we had a roster with no talent but plenty of cap space…..now we got a mediocre talent roster in a cap hell situation………..And at the end of next season we will know his future who will probably be tight with # 3!!!!!
June 14th, 2019 at 9:06 am
A “winning” percentage of .3375% under his watch
All the while putting the team in a salary cap pickle before having to pay a franchise qb market rate
Free agency folly
Having to re-draft secondary players with premium picks the last several seasons
Supposed saving grace was his ties to Arians and help in landing him
June 14th, 2019 at 9:10 am
Thompson mentions that BA was brought in to “fix” JW. I wonder how JW reacts to that kind of talk. If he has a good to great season, will he want to stay in Tampa? A player in his last year and a good in his first year. I hope that this ends well.
June 14th, 2019 at 9:18 am
I believe Gump got a temporary reprieve when Arians was hired.
Gump could have locked in a new contract with a solid draft but he completely blew it.
If he had chose Josh Allen with the #1 pick, he would have been lauded and celebrated for his fore sight when JPP crashed.
With the 2nd pick, he could have chosen Trayvon Mullen, the best CB in the draft. Mullen lasted until the 2nd round because the SEC feared him and avoided his side of the field. He simply never had a chance to accumulate positive stats other than a National Championship. That’s why you hire “professional” scouts.
Gump chose to roll the dice with another Division 3 gamble although he could have waited until the 5th or 6th round.
With the 3rd round pick, a miracle from heaven occurred, The greatest RB in the history of the NCAA (8.2 YPC) dropped to the 70th pick because somebody somewhere branded him with the dreaded “too short” moniker. At 5’9″ he was two inches less than ideal.
Some Mel Kiper type said that because DH had a small wheelbase he was too easy to tackle. That’s why you hire “professional scouts.”
Yes, because the Memphis OL sucked he was hit early and often, usually hit in the backfield. Sound familiar? DH led the NCAA in yards after contact with 6.18 yard average for 4 years. No other RB had even 5.0. He had 57 runs of 20+ yards last year, 22 for TD’s.
Instead of a sure thing, Gump rolled the dice again, and traded Henderson to the Rams for two very late compensatory (free) picks. The Bucs were probably a little shocked and dismayed when the Rams picked two more times before the Bucs turn finally arrived. Gump could have asked for and gotten those picks had he known. That’s why you hire “professional scouts.”
The Rams were so desperate, they might have given Gump all four 3rd rounders, but Gump simply wasn’t aware.
Gump chose a 4th rounder and 5th rounder with those late 3rd round which allowed his “Coup de grace” 5th round kicker to be chosen.
I could go on all morning but I’ve got places to go and things to do.
Fire Licht Tonight!
June 14th, 2019 at 10:13 am
joe
you say, “There wasn’t one player on the roster that Lovie didn’t want”…..
but isnt that standard practice with every team?…..if an HC doesnt want a player of the team, they get cut/released/traded….
BA and GMC are the perfect example…..BA didnt want/need him….licht had no say in the matter…..
every HC in the league has final say of the roster…..if that werent true, HC’s wouldnt be involved in the draft process or final cuts…they’ll just leave it all to the GM….
when players are cut during TC, who’s office do they go to?….who tells them they’ve been cut?……the HC not the GM…..every hard knock ive seen had players being told by the HC that they were being cut…..
every hard knock ive seen had the GM asking the HC, who do you like between player x and player y?…with the HC making the final decision….
you act as if lovie was the first HC in NFL history to have final say of the roster….
that notion is false….
GO BUCS!!!!!
June 14th, 2019 at 10:14 am
No.
June 14th, 2019 at 10:29 am
talk sh!t all you want, but licht screwed up when he listened to a bunch of people who doesnt know football and fired lovie…..
the team was young and lacked talent but was still in the playoff hunt up until kwon got suspended…..they were forming an identity…..running the ball and stopping the run….
once lovie was fired, it all went down the drain…..we couldnt run the ball or stop the run or pass….
that 2016 team wouldve won 9games if my wife was coaching them…..that is evident by going 5-11 back to back years after adding more talent and players regressing and looking like a shell of themselves…..
now licht has brought in BA to clean up his mess and has given him the keys to the house, car and shed lol…..
lets pray it works this time…..
GO BUCS!!!!!!
June 14th, 2019 at 10:30 am
I agree with Jean. Licht and JW are now surgically attached at the hip. JW does well or else. If JW does well the team will do well. If the team doesn’t do well JW and Licht will have a new address next year…barring some weird injury sequence.
June 14th, 2019 at 10:52 am
“I predict we open a stunning 6-0.”…Todd
Congratulations, Todd, you won! You have clearly published the Pollyanna Post of the Year (PPOTY). Beating the Rams in LA and NO at home will be interesting. Myself, I predict a 49er win to start it all off.
We’ll see.
June 14th, 2019 at 11:00 am
joe
from the info ive gathered, it seems to be a collective afford with only a few teams having either the GM or HC having final say…..
lovie did have a “final say” clause in his contract but that can be misleading….first, we didnt have a GM at the time of his hire…..second, imo,its similar to monken having the “OC” title but dirk calling the plays….who’s really pulling the strings?…..
but in regards to the bucs, since licht has been GM, he’s had final say…
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: GM Jason Licht said he trusts his scouting staff and those involved in the pre-draft process so much that he lets them have complete access to the draft board daily. It’s a collective effort when it comes to finalizing the draft board, but when it comes to the final decision, Licht has the final word. — Mike DiRocco
GO BUCS!!!!
June 14th, 2019 at 12:35 pm
Oddly enough, one could argue that the Backstabber did his best work when Lovie Smith was here. Drafting Mike Evans, Kevin Pamphile, Jameis Winston, Kwon Alexander, Ali Marpet, Donovan Smith, signing Logan Mankins, picking up Brate and Humphries. Not only that, the best deal in his career is trading away Mark Barron as he used those picks and trade capital to draft Alexander and Marpet. All of the players I listed above, with the exception of Mankins, made it to their second contract. No one in the 2016 draft deserves to make it to their 2nd contract. Only 2 players drafted in 2017 should make it to their 2nd contract.
Let’s not forget that Lovie’s last season here was *still* better than Dirk’s last two seasons here.
June 14th, 2019 at 12:41 pm
I believe that to be true but for all the blunders and gaffes Backstabbin’ Jason Licht has made during his reign of terror, I will never hold the Jay-Miss pick against him. In that year, with that team situation, making that pick will always be the right decision no matter how things end up. For as much as Joe doesn’t like to admit it, the team was deliberately tanking in 2014. Jay-Miss is still better than Mariota even to this day.
June 14th, 2019 at 1:15 pm
d-rome
great post!!!!!
and if lovie inept, i wonder what smitty is?….
GO BUCS!!!!!
June 14th, 2019 at 2:01 pm
Please stop with Pro Bowl QB, 18 other QB’s decided not to go and he got in. Now like I have been saying Licht is the worst GM in the NFL. He is killing Winston no run game, no defense and a below average o line.
June 14th, 2019 at 7:40 pm
Less than 7 wins and another cap space fiasco sent him packing.
June 15th, 2019 at 7:39 pm
Should of fired him with Koeter. But will see how bad Koetwr and staff really where soon enough. My guess is a little of both. But who made the decision on personal? Did Koeter have a say in personal or was it all Licht? Have you asked Licht that before?
June 16th, 2019 at 12:51 am
Firrrree Licht!