Bucs GM Graded
December 18th, 2020
“Jason, you did well this year.”
A respected NFL reporter has cobbled together a list of general managers ranked into tiers. And it seems the guy running the show for the local team did just fine.
Per Mike Sando of The Athletic, the wheeling and dealing and drafting that Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht pulled off this offseason, and the Bucs on the cusp of breaking a 13-year playoff-less curse, puts Licht into the second tier of NFL shot-callers.
The Buccaneers, with one winning season in seven years under Licht (9-7 in 2016) and two in 11 years since firing Jon Gruden, completed a Hail Mary by landing Tom Brady this past offseason. Brady’s salary is guaranteed through next season. How far can the Buccaneers go during that relatively tight window? They could finish anywhere from 8-8 to 11-5 this season.
As far as Joe can tell, it’s difficult to see where Licht went wrong at all this past offseason. He landed the biggest fish in free agency.
Licht also had a dynamite draft. Is anyone whining now about Licht trading up one spot to get Tristan Wirfs?
Also Licht got one of the most reliable kickers in the game and filled the roster, especially on offense, with a virtual Pro Bowl team. If the Bucs somehow stumble down the stretch or are one-and-done in the playoffs, you sure as hell cannot pin that on Licht.
December 18th, 2020 at 11:03 am
Don’t forget Windfield Jr
December 18th, 2020 at 11:07 am
1 game at a time…
GO BUCS!!!
December 18th, 2020 at 11:09 am
He did do a pretty good job this offseason.
Biggest mistake in my opinion is not having any young QB for Brady to groom after he is gone. (No, Blaine Gabbert is not that guy lol).
As for his tenure overall- not nearly enough high draft picks have gone into the lines, especially the defensive side. The offensive line has come together pretty well now with the addition of Wirfs. It will be interesting to see what happens with D Smith. And obviously that entire 2016 was just a catastrophe, but that is what it is.
December 18th, 2020 at 11:10 am
*entire 2016 draft
December 18th, 2020 at 11:12 am
Next year, we will see how well he juggles the salary cap, to keep our team together.
But I agree, he has done a great job this year.
December 18th, 2020 at 11:15 am
I like Licht and think he has gotten a bad rap over the years. Kickers seem to be his biggest nemesis but thankfully he finally has one. Now if he lets him go shame on him.
December 18th, 2020 at 11:22 am
Smith just put on covid list
December 18th, 2020 at 11:32 am
Yup D Smith is out for Sunday
December 18th, 2020 at 11:33 am
That is a problem for Brady
December 18th, 2020 at 11:33 am
And he seems terribly upset about not being able to play…. NOT!
December 18th, 2020 at 11:34 am
“Biggest mistake in my opinion is not having any young QB for Brady to groom after he is gone. (No, Blaine Gabbert is not that guy lol).”
People are quick to forget that we have Josh Rosen on the PS. Im not saying he is the future, but he definitely fits the bill of ” young QB for Brady to groom after he is gone.”
December 18th, 2020 at 11:39 am
Hopefully they draft a project qb this upcoming draft. Year 1 was for Brady, hopefully year 2 is a combination now and future.
December 18th, 2020 at 12:10 pm
unbelievable Says:
“Biggest mistake in my opinion is not having any young QB for Brady to groom after he is gone. (No, Blaine Gabbert is not that guy lol).”
I agree 1000% with this.
Hard to fault him though, when the picks have mostly worked out. Still, he could have gone after a young, untested free agent.
December 18th, 2020 at 12:32 pm
Antonio Brown?
December 18th, 2020 at 12:36 pm
His will be remembered/graded on what happens this year. If we win a couple of playoff games he will look like a genius. If we are one and done he will not. This a one year shot, there is not enough money next year to sign everyone. Next year will be back to the drawing board and Licht will have to pull out his crayons again.
December 18th, 2020 at 12:45 pm
Thank you Neal I was thinking the same thing. All these people keep saying we need to draft a QB are totally forgetting that we have Josh Rosen on our practice squad. There’s your young QB to groom. Now draft some pass rushers to groom behind JPP and someone to groom behind Suh. Also find someone to push Smith for the LT spot unless their thinking about moving Whirfs next year(which I hope they don’t but wouldn’t be mad if they did) Has anyone heard how the late round pick D lineman is doing? I think he was from Nebraska or Oklahoma.
December 18th, 2020 at 12:50 pm
Unbelievable,
Don’t forget about Josh Rosen.
Licht got him for practically free.
December 18th, 2020 at 1:09 pm
Bonzai,
Still he could gone out and got a young untested free agent.
I’m literally stunned! Josh Rosen was a free agent , check!
Hes Tested between the cards and phins. But considering where those franchises at the time He was there it’s fair and accurate to state He got put into 2 sh@t situations where he wasnt going to look good no matter what.
Next draft and the last one the team needed line help in the first round. So it’s 2nd min that you could draft a QB. I say min but that’s not realistic because our needs at other positions. So it’s a late round pick or free agent this upcoming draft.
Now where are you possibly going to draft a first round talent or aquire one in free agency? Rosen is a 1st round talent whom many considered the best QB prospect of his draft class. We signed a former 1st round talent to sit and learn and we will not find a higher talent level player in the draft, period.
I’m guessing you guys have been smoking crank or something because we have what you say we dont…….Or am I going nuts and you’ve got a plausible explanation for this elephant sized oversight?
December 18th, 2020 at 1:11 pm
Will,
Oklahoma. Suh was on 620 Monday and said the guy is a great learner and is progressing well in the role he’s asked to fill.
December 18th, 2020 at 1:20 pm
Allbuccedup,
Next year we have 17 of 22 starters returning . Signing the few remaining free agent starters shouldn’t be a problem at all. We will lose AB, fornette and upgrade with younger cheaper players. We sit with the 8th most cap space going into next year…and it’s not going to be great to be a free agent looking at a huge pay day next season.
Stop the doom and gloom, if this team is one and done we will have the privilege of seeing the same team next season.
December 18th, 2020 at 1:28 pm
D1 its a Bucs life. Enjoy guy uh!
December 18th, 2020 at 1:37 pm
How can you approve of Licht ??.. What is his won/loss record for all the years he has been here???
December 18th, 2020 at 1:49 pm
Licht is a horrible GM and his record proves it; the man has wasted 2 picks on kickers and then do not forget that his draft picks got better when bowles and arians got here….wirfs fell to the bucs…..2016 draft where are any of those guys now?
December 18th, 2020 at 3:09 pm
It took him long enough to put together a roster that can make the playoffs. He’s largely been a disaster.
December 18th, 2020 at 3:32 pm
If we make it to the NFC Championship game, Licht deserves gm of the year.
December 18th, 2020 at 5:36 pm
My honest opinion of Licht is that he’s just okay. Some of the draft picks that didn’t work out were partly due to terrible coaches who had input on the picks. His improvement in drafting has a lot to do with Arians and Bowles having input, IMHO.
Some of the free agent signings, such as Anthony Collins, Michael Johnson, D-Jax, and Swaggy Baker were disastrous. Others were good (Shaq, Jensen). The trade of a 3rd Rounder for JPP was a great heist, but Dave Gettleman is probably rated one of the worst GM’s.
December 18th, 2020 at 5:47 pm
Brady and a good defense is the only reason they are in this position. Brady picked the Bucs because Brees didn’t retire that why Licht seemed surprised when he called him.
December 18th, 2020 at 6:18 pm
D1, I forgot about Josh Rosen. I wouldn’t mind seeing what BA can do with him. I really don’t think Brady is the QB mentoring type.
December 18th, 2020 at 6:20 pm
ben Says
“How can you approve of Licht ??.. What is his won/loss record for all the years he has been here???”
He doesn’t play or coach the team. And he also did not get any say in what coach was hired until Arians. If anything, the fact that we are winning proves he made the right moves.
December 18th, 2020 at 6:32 pm
D1 you are a true buc s fan keep up all those positive vibes we need more like you here instead of all the room and bloomers.
December 18th, 2020 at 8:05 pm
Agreed with Pigsuey…. D1 brought the truth. “Elephant sized oversight” HAH! Nailed It.
In BA I Trust!
December 18th, 2020 at 8:13 pm
How do you NOT approve of Licht??! He’s put together the best receiving Corp in football. He got Scotty Miller as a bonus. He got Vita Vea and Tristen Wirfs, both are beasts! He got Ali Marpet. He went out and got JPP and Suh. He got AB and Tom Brady and Gronk. He got Davin White. He got Winfield Jr. He got Cam Brate. This is a butt load of talent. Sean Peyton would have a dynasty with this crew. As a GM I think he’s got a great eye for talent. He doesn’t coach, he’s the GM.
December 18th, 2020 at 8:14 pm
Oh yeah, don’t forget Shaq Barrett!
December 18th, 2020 at 9:12 pm
I’ve always liked Licht with all the haters. Great scout. knows how to make deals and scoop players out the gutter and UDFA. JPP, Hump, Marpet, Brate, Godwin, Vea, Shaq, Nassib, Scotty, White, Whirfs, Weinfield Jr, etc… Wait, I forgot the GOAT. He’s had more wins than losses. Took a so-so coaching scheme finally to get us to guaranteed 8-8 which is the true disaster.
December 19th, 2020 at 7:28 am
Arians is not the quarterback messiah everyone thinks he is, its called being at the right place at the right time. In Arizona he had another older QB he didn’t have to teach. Now hes got arguably the best QB ever. Its Brady that deserves credit for this season not BA sorry D1 for the negative vibes.
December 19th, 2020 at 3:38 pm
D1 ?Oklahoma? A DL player we drafted this year? Did we draft anyone from Oklahoma?
We did draft this guy: —->
In the 6th round, pick 194 DL Khalil Davis, Nebraska.
Nebraska you know where Suh, David, and Licht are all Alumni.
Oklahoma? As a matter of fact, I just looked, we do not even have one single player on our Active, Practice Squad, Injured reserve, Reserve/Covid, or Reserve/Opt-Out players list. From Oklahoma?
D1? I wonder… 🦇man is this you?
A great 2020 Draft Licht!
Bring on the Falcons.
Go Bucs!!
December 19th, 2020 at 11:09 pm
@Unbelievable—-Josh Rosen may be that guy. He lost his jobs to an organization that wanted Kyler because of the offense coming in, and a team “tanking” to get a guy (Tua), respectively. No, he hasn’t been great, but his sample size is way too small to call him a failure. And karmically growing up the way he did (super rich), you could almost argue his comical bad luck in the NFL has balanced things out ☺️.
December 20th, 2020 at 2:18 am
Licht has really surprised me this year. I had him graded as a C- prior to this year and today I would rate him a solid A. What got into him? Must be “The Sickness”