Will The Silence Break?
January 27th, 2020
It’s rather sad that Bucs general manager Jason Licht and head coach Bucco Bruce Arians have been quiet since the Bucs season ended.
One would think a GM and a head coach would be eager to communicate with fans, you know, the people who drive the success of the league and the organization.
Even a 10-minute public chat keeps fans engaged and, hopefully, excited. That’s not only a nice gesture to the team faithful, it’s an appropriate nod to the folks in the organization tasked with selling tickets and sponsorship for a losing franchise. Complementary football works off the field, too.
Senior Bowl week in Alabama saw legions of NFL coaches and executives do interviews with local and national media. But Licht apparently had no interest in talking to fans (and yes, when you talk to media, you are talking to fans).
Joe is quite certain that’s the first time Licht has gone silent at the Senior Bowl in seven seasons there representing the Buccaneers. He was quite the week prior at Shrine Bowl practices, as well.
How hard is it to do an interview with Buccaneers.com?
Joe is unable to believe Licht and Arians are scared to talk about Jameis Winston publicly and subsequently are in hiding. Both know how easy it is to either prearrange for a subject not to be brought up in an interview, or to just avoid a subject without addressing it directly. Joe can only conclude that Licht and Arians don’t care about Bucs fans as much as they should.
Hopefully, that will change.
As for the Jameis Winston saga, the famed Radio Row week at the Super Bowl kicks off this morning and Jameis has shown up in past years to talk about his career and to raise his profile.
Will Jameis be there this week? It’s a chance for Jameis to paint himself as an attractive free agent, or to paint himself, like Shaq Barrett did, as a guy eager to return for Year 6 with the Buccaneers because he loves Tampa and its fans so much.
Joe wonders whether Jameis’ agents will advise him to lay low or to get out there and charm the national media.
January 27th, 2020 at 4:40 am
they must stay quiet while navigating and trying to figure out if there is a better qb out there that’s available besides jameis…
in essence, jaboo is option two
#JabooOptionTwo
January 27th, 2020 at 4:45 am
mY mY!
January 27th, 2020 at 5:15 am
Television pays the profit the league.
January 27th, 2020 at 5:24 am
MirrorMirrowOnTheWall Says:
January 27th, 2020 at 5:15 am
Television pays the profit the league.
This! Fans in seats matter less and less. Maybe at this point they have nothing to say.
January 27th, 2020 at 5:24 am
Jameis talks and the fans left remember how all too recently he lost so many games for his team. They remember how he brought disgrace on the Tampa Bay community with his off field behavior, and they remember that he had the same character and football flaws and Florida State as he has now, after five years. If Winston talks, it’s certainly to get other teams and other teams’ fans intriqued…not this area. I don’t expect either Licht to or Arians to talk much. One, the season is over and Arians shoudl not continue to upstage the GM, who everyone knows should have been fired. The best thing these two clowns can do is remain silent and let fans see what they do, and how they do it as f ree agency ramps up.
January 27th, 2020 at 6:16 am
Your either a fan or not they don’t owe you anything and they don’t have to keep fans engaged when the season is over especially until the new league starts so not sure where this logic comes from,. The 2019 season is over and they don’t need to reveal anything in 2019 about what they plan in 2020, any negotiations going on Matters more than speaking about it only Jerry Jones does that and even he’s gone silent so get over it
As for Winston If he breaks the silence as usual he’ll end up saying something stupid to excuse all the interceptions
January 27th, 2020 at 6:22 am
Embarrassed the community…How? College kids have mishaps. And just how many games did this team win for FAMOUS.and how in the hell can you embarrass a community that has strip clubs on every other block…man please, like it or not FAMOUS is that guy for this team!!
January 27th, 2020 at 6:24 am
Who cares?! It’s business.
What I can’t get over is the coverage of the Super Bowl!
“Breaking news: The 49’ers plane has landed.”
“Breaking news: The team has checked into the hotel.”
“Breaking news: Chiefs players are wearing Hawaiian shirts!”
Makes you wonder where our priorities are.
January 27th, 2020 at 6:25 am
They are being quiet because Bruce the great (Hey 7-9 is great by Bucs standards) and Jason lucky dog Licht are really busy. Brucie is checking out the new line of 2020 golf carts to ride around camp in and Licht is contacting other friends in league to see who else will save his fat arse when this whole BA experiment blows up in his ugly mug.
January 27th, 2020 at 6:29 am
Although it would be easy for Licht & Arians to avoid questions about Winston…..I really think fans just want a good decision in the end.
If that’s what happens….they will forgive them for not speaking earlier.
January 27th, 2020 at 6:31 am
It’s pretty simple to me, there not sold on Winston. When asked about Shaq, BA said “He ain’t going anywhere”. I believe they’re have a FA QB they want and will draft one. I would say Winston could be asking to much but there have been zero reports about contract negotiations between the two sides and usually that info would be leaked out/reported
January 27th, 2020 at 6:35 am
Funny what I remember about last season is the only way we won games the first half of the year was a GREAT passing attack, led by the QB, and in the second half of the year with a better balance from the defense. But yeah I’m sure people are just hung up on alligations that proved to be unfounded from 7 years ago.
January 27th, 2020 at 7:02 am
And I remember all the turnovers, inconsistent play, and inefficient accrual of some major offensive statistics. The yards and pints are awesome, but it came at a cost too high for the team to be successful.
Turnovers seem twice as likely with Jameis as with other QBs. We haven’t had playoffs in five years of Jameis, on an affordable, rookie deal, and now he’s supposed to take us to the playoffs in year six while costing us $30 million?
No thanks! He’s not that good. I’d rather utilize the cap space to sure up the defense and to resign chris Godwin. Set an example and invest in the best. Don’t hope the turnovers just stop, because they haven’t.
January 27th, 2020 at 7:24 am
Culverhouse had more class and cared more about the fans far more than the glazers. Bucs have the proven worst owners in pro sports. its been proven on 2 continents with 2 sports. Glazerd could careless about the fans or results…. they get thier nfl handouts in the form of revenue sharing and laugh at you fools who believe they give a crap and are trying to field a winner….
BA and licht are silently because the only right thing to do is bring the savior back. They are just letting the bible thumbing hypocrites and anti jameis losers sweet….
I feel a lovie type 2 win season and total meltdown of ba and his staff
Ba is lovie 2.0
January 27th, 2020 at 7:37 am
SteveK
Way to cherry pick stats… hypocrite… bucs have not had a playoff game in 13 years nearly 3x longer than Jameis has been a buc not just the 5 years you choose to focus on. Bucs have not won a playoff game in 18 years…. jameis has had to play against 2 defensive units each week. his own and opponents. Cancer93 and the mentally weak lvd led the worst defensive units in NFL HISTORY during jameis tenure with minor league Buccaneers. Way to show your hatred by blaming a 43 year old problem on a 25 year old savior…
Jpp’s driving skills or lack there of coupled with not participating in offseason workouts delayed the defense from improving costing bucs playoffs not jameis int….but let’s not let reality get in the way of simple minded hatred from an ignorant fanbase
January 27th, 2020 at 7:49 am
“Word on the street”, is that they are “hiding” because they are embarrassed!!!!!!!!!!! With the terrible gm blaming coaches and ole stale biscuit saying how he had all the quick fixes to everything, then only to have a LOSING SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And for those keeping score, Fitz and jay-miss with split time, had more passing TD’s, passing yards and less INT’s in 2018!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 27th, 2020 at 7:54 am
Keep in mind with all the love rightfully flowing Kobe’s way…. Kobe was forgiven and was given a chance to make up for his youthful mistakes. Let me remind the woke and snowflakes who ignore history or are not intelligent enough to understand. kobe was the face of the nba and major market teams not a small market afterthought. I realize asking a small market redneck community to give a person a chance to grow is a stretch that being said take a moment and reflect. Are you a better person for the hatred your project on jameis or are you a card carrying hypocrite like Dungy the clown….
Give jameis a running back, a defense that is consistent for 16 games an upgraded oline then get back to me your apologies when he leads the team to the promise land..
If an entire sport and major market franchise can forgive kobe im sure this irrelevant small market minor league franchise will do the wrong thing and runoff the savior…
Remember jameis was never charged……
January 27th, 2020 at 8:02 am
Last time I’m going to tell ya Fitz can’t carry FAMOUS’S jock strap!!!
January 27th, 2020 at 8:04 am
This is the most important Bucs off season in quite some time. I don’t blame Arians or the good ol’ Backstabber to be talking to the media. Heck, JBF is notorious for dissecting things that aren’t there or things that were not said. I can almost hear the question now, “Bruce, last year you said that Shaq Barrett ‘ain’t goin’ anywhere. Are you willing to say the same thing about Jameis Winston who is also a free agent?”
January 27th, 2020 at 8:08 am
I’m with you there, Bucsfanman. Super Bowl week on radio row is the worst week in radio and every year, every radio host that is on the row tries to make it a bigger spectacle than it is. Every guest is soft selling (or sometimes hard selling) their products or charities and really don’t give a crap about doing a good interview.
January 27th, 2020 at 8:10 am
I remember the Giants game where Jameis went up against up a rookie QB
and was holding his own until about the twelve minute marrk of the fourth quarter. We were up by three on 3rd and five on the giants around 30 or 35 the thirty five yard line.of the giants. It appeared Jameis was looking elsewhere
as Evans ran a crossing route across the middle. in the sweetspot in the zone.
Jameis tries to get an off balance ,poorly delivered ball to Evans that sailed high and behind Evans.for his lone INT. This pass to Evans was wide open for the
entire route with a gimme first down and possible YAC yards. This is what keeps
Jameis from being elite. He waited too long to throw the ball to Evans,had bad footwork, and tried to get off a throw with a very odd delivery..
This was Jameis’s opportunity to finish the drive and put the game away.
The kicker missed the kick at the end of the game but the game should have been won long before that.
January 27th, 2020 at 8:18 am
The silence will not break until they are done shopping. I would guess we will not here anything until after the combine.
January 27th, 2020 at 8:23 am
Neither BA nor Licht has time to speak to the Buc faithful since “they be ballin'”.
Just check your sheets
Peace, out.
January 27th, 2020 at 8:25 am
Fans don’t matter bc most TB fans are just dumb af. And as for making smart decisions you don’t even realize it’s the fkn Bucs you’re talking about. These morons passed up on the best DE in the draft last year to select the worst mlb to come out of LSU in 6 years.
Jaboo option 2 should run run run and join the EXTREMELY long list of players who have won super bowls after escaping the den of depression.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Jon Robinson signs JAmEiS as he must have been the one to recruit/draft him in the first place. He’s the only one at OBP (at the time) with any eye for talent.
January 27th, 2020 at 8:34 am
Valrico
The def gave up a 28-10 lead at the half to a rookie QB. A rookie QB who came out and scored 15 points in the third (no turnovers no fumbles no ints). The turnover in the 4th was qrt did not result in any points given up.
The Defense gave up 30 points to a ROOKIE QB playing in his first NFL game. And the a kicker can’t make a 34 yard fg. But you’re right the game should have been over bc no other def is giving up an 18 point lead to a rookie much less allowing 31 points.
Come on people WAKE TF UP!!!!
January 27th, 2020 at 8:39 am
Joe, you may be wondering if BA, and Licht care about the fans. I can tell you this fan doesn’t care about either of them.
January 27th, 2020 at 8:56 am
Oh Bob, I’m betting that there’ll be a flurry of ‘But the Giants loss was clearly Gay’s fault and had nothing to do with Mr Entertainment’. The very idea that EVERY play in a football game is significant … whether it be a play made or a play missed … is lost on far too many. A TD on the first play of the game counts the same as a TD on the last play of the game. One just has more ‘drama’ associated with it.
There’s a site (teamrankings.com) that keeps tons of interesting stats. One of those is ‘NFL Team Average Scoring Margin’. Bucs ended up pretty much in the middle (#13) with a PLUS 0.6 Scoring Margin (458 points scored vs 449 points allowed). The best? Ravens with a PLUS 13.7 Scoring Margin, followed by the 49ers (PLUS 11.3), Patriots (PLUS 11.1), Chiefs (PLUS 9.7). Of the 12 teams in front of us, only 2 didn’t make the playoffs (Dallas & Rams). Of the 18 below us, only 2 did make the playoffs (Seattle & Houston).
Actually it’s a very simple stat. Easy for some to conclude from just that stat that IF our defense had done better (not given up as many points), we would’ve had a much better Average Scoring Margin than our paltry PLUS 0.6 AND thus we could’ve made the playoffs. I agree. But could also conclude that if Jameis hadn’t thrown any Pick-6’s on the season, our Average Scoring Margin would’ve ALSO been much better (up to PLUS 3.6 without the 7 Pick-6s). That would’ve put us in #9 spot (just behind Titans but ahead of Bills) … and we could’ve made the playoffs that way also.
BOTH sides of the ball had problems last year, as well as our S/Ts. We’ve got the foundation (HOPEFULLY) to be a playoff TEAM this year. We just need to FIX several things … on offense, defense & special teams. These next 3 months are when we set that foundation, via free agency & the draft. Interesting times ahead.
January 27th, 2020 at 8:57 am
They are not sure which direction to go. Simple.
January 27th, 2020 at 9:06 am
Bob – a fine example of situational football. This is where JW is in the bottom 3rd of the league. Dropping $30M+ annually for a poor situational football player is why this decision needs to be handled by the adults. Joes tend to get fussy with access to info this time of year. The rest of know there isn’t much to discuss until they get it sorted out.
In BA I Trust!
January 27th, 2020 at 9:25 am
“Joe can only conclude that Licht and Arians don’t care about Bucs fans as much as they should.” – Joe
That is such a blatant attempt at manipulating them, lol. First, that’s ludicrous. Second, the new regime was front and center last January talking to fans/media as a new coaching staff was formed. –Joe
Seems like we saw this before…like last offseason.
January 27th, 2020 at 9:32 am
For the record, the “real” fans will take their silence and admission of guilt over all the lies and BS that bruce Arrogance aka ole stale biscuit told all of last offseason!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 27th, 2020 at 9:38 am
Did Arians attend the senior bowl last year? No.
https://www.joebucsfan.com/2019/01/bruce-arians-coaches-pass-on-senior-bowl/
January 27th, 2020 at 9:39 am
El Buco Realisto Says:
January 27th, 2020 at 9:32 am
“For the record, the “real” fans will take their silence and admission of guilt over all the lies and BS that bruce Arrogance aka ole stale biscuit told all of last offseason!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ”
Just curious, how exactly do you support that opinion?
January 27th, 2020 at 9:53 am
Agreed Bonzai, we saw this last year with GMC.
January 27th, 2020 at 10:07 am
They are chatting with other QBS agents to see what’s available
January 27th, 2020 at 10:34 am
Joe, nice touch with “Complementary football works off the field, too.”
January 27th, 2020 at 10:38 am
I get that you make a living covering the Bucs, but those men make a living too and have the organization they are hopefully going to improve to answer too as well as the fans who you seem to want them to appease by putting more wins on the board. That’s why your not caring about the fans shtick is such tripe. What the heck are you talking about? Joe doesn’t make things up. Fans like to hear from owners, coaches and GMs. That’s not pretend. If those segments of the teams cared, they’d be sure at least one of them was talking. Again, as Joe wrote, talk to Buccaneers.com if you don’t feel safe elsewhere. Joe’s not going to sanitize his opinion.–Joe Makes you sound like regular media types and not a sports writer. Maybe we should call your man crush on the current head case of a QB, Jameis derangement syndrome. I have waffled back and forth on him, but if they play their game right, they can have him back cheaper than the 30 million you seem to think he is worth. That would be caring about the fans more than talking to you and overpaying jameis. Get over it
January 27th, 2020 at 10:52 am
Tmaxcon,
How is 28-42 a “savior”? What has been accomplished? One pro bowl- as an alternate, and a lot of yards and points. Also a lot of losses.
What do you think that Jameis’ third leading receiver on 2019 was the opposing defense- with 7 touchdowns/ and an 8th called back to penalty.
It’s not hypocritical to look at the team first, and understand the QB turns it over too damn much. Come on dude.
January 27th, 2020 at 10:52 am
DB 55
I kind of think you helped make my point . If the other team scores you have to match or else game set and match. A 66 % QB rating in the fourth quarter iof all
Jameis games kinda tells a story.Especially when he has over 100 possibly 110
in his second quarter.
January 27th, 2020 at 10:56 am
DR
THE bad special teams ,poor running game, and defense excuse is just so tiresome. I felt compelled to bring up Jameis needs to do his part.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:02 am
adam
i think you’re on to something….
imo, the silence is bad for JW…..they sure werent silent about shaq….
they all must be studying a prospect in the draft or FA….JW might be plan C…..
GO BUCS!!!!!
January 27th, 2020 at 11:07 am
This organization is a not a fan-first culture.
It’s obvious.
The Glazers have never gotten it.
Licht doesn’t get it.
Arians isn’t out there like he used to be.
Within three years, Licht will be wearing another team’s colors and the Bucs will be in his rear view mirror while Arians will be accepting his invite into the Cardinals Ring of Honor. We’ll hear him tell an Arizona crowd that his heart will live there til the day he dies.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:21 am
Oh,I left out the kicker,who is not allowed to have multiple mistakes in a game.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:41 am
Here is what we know about their silence.
They have been silent. That leads to a lot of speculation. I take Joe’s point that the Bucs’ front office could have massaged it more. I also agree that Joe represents we the fans…he and the media are our only pipeline to the Bucs.
Joe is seeing this divisive debate everyday. It’s literally turned fan against fan.
So I understand that some of you think Joe has gone over the top…I disagree but I accept that point.
The good news is most of us…either for or against keeping #3 agree to trust BA.
When they make…and finally announce their decision…all of us who trust BA…still the majority here on both sides…will come together.
January 27th, 2020 at 11:41 am
Their heads are probably still spinning from trying to find some sign that says Jameis will be better next year.
There are not a lot of those signs around. That last game wiped out sooo much that could have been spun into a positive.
If Jameis starts next season like he has in all the rest of them, we will need another QB to come off the bench. Would have been smarter to have seen how Griffin did when it counts, but that is hindsight.
Drafting a QB is a must.
If Jameis is back again, there will not be a fair competition. It will be on the sloped shoulders of Jameis to make this team win. I don’t think he can carry a team for a whole game, much less a whole season
January 27th, 2020 at 11:55 am
realist
only losers like you and smitty think about yards….lol…
its all about wins!!!!!!!….
real fans know we had more wins this year than last year!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
January 27th, 2020 at 12:05 pm
literally nothing to gain with statements right now. nobody will become less of a bucs fan because they didn’t hear from the GM for 6 weeks, but they will absolutely use inconsistency between some vague statement in January and a complicated decision in March to call for that GM’s ouster or use it as evidence that he is an incompetent liar. once the decision is made, all of the preamble becomes irrelevant
the only reason licht or Arians should comment on it is to erode the player’s leverage, but even that comes at risk of alienating the potential leader of your football team. the echoes of Bruce’s last press conference reverberate through the media even now when Winston’s future is brought up, and that’s sufficient
so yeah, saying nothing and focusing on scouting seems pretty smart right now
January 27th, 2020 at 12:21 pm
@813broccoli
That is why Incompetent loser lovie should have been thrown out like the trash he was after 1 year with 2 wins!!!!!!!!!!!!! That buffoon even had the juice over the roster and was allowed to set back the franchise for a decade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ole stale biscuit has to have a 13 win season this year to pass Coach Koetter’s win total!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is not likely at all that he will reach it and most likely will walk away after the failure of a season this year will be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 27th, 2020 at 12:23 pm
BTW There is only ONE QB in this draft that I would spend a first round draft pick….Joe Burrows who is almost certainly headed to his hometown team in Cincinnati.
Next year Trevor Lawrence joins that group for me.
Right now I suspect there are some talented guys who will fall to the second but in the first…I want the BPA starting with tackle and perhaps including an edge rusher.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:49 pm
The longer this goes on in silence the less the chances are the Jameis returns. At the very least Jameis is not their priority or that deal would have been signed sealed and delivered by now.
January 27th, 2020 at 5:09 pm
I’m under the impression that neither BA nor Bud Licht attended the senior bowl. If so, that is a very sad commentary….other strong organizations are on record stating how valuable the senior bowl can be. E G. the 49ers went from the next to last in 2018 to a super bowl appearance this season….oh yeah, they were the coaching staff for last year’s senior bowl. What a coincidence!!!! They had to have benefited immensely from that but we send only the running game ( or lack of running game) coordinator and the OL coach to this years game…unbelievable!!!! The onlycrelief will come when the Glazers exit the NFL. This organization is a disgrace
January 27th, 2020 at 6:13 pm
So… because Joe doesn’t have quotes from Arians or Licht in late January, that means the team doesn’t care about their fans??
As a season ticket holder, they let me and all the other season ticket holders onto the field after the Colts win. That was AWESOME! That made me feel special.
So no, I’m not offended that Arians and Licht aren’t taking interviews for a few weeks in January.