“We Need To Take That Kid In The Second Round”
January 28th, 2021
Discovery story grows.
We all know the cool story of when Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians attended the Outback Bowl in 2020. Auburn faced Minnesota when then-Gophers wide receiver Tyler Johnson blew up.
Arians, attending the game with his son, told him of Johnson, “We’ve got to get this guy.”
Some three months later, the Bucs grabbed Johnson in the fifth round. Johnson made key plays in the playoffs this month and one could argue the Bucs may not be preparing for Super Bowl LV without Johnson’s critical catches and the flags he’s drawn.
(Joe loved how Johnson, soccer-style, really sold a pass interference penalty on the game-clinching drive.)
This week, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht appeared on the Peter King Podcast and the subject turned to the Bucs landing Johnson. King could not believe Johnson lasted until the fifth round.
Licht added more detail to the discovery story of Johnson and explained to King that Arians was struck in the heart by cupid’s arrow over Johnson.
“Last year at the Outback Bowl I was able to use my wife’s suite to go to the game, and Bruce [Arians] as well,” Licht explained. “Their suites are next to each other. Bruce was at the game. I was at the game with my family and Tyler Johnson exploded in that game.”
When Johnson would make a play, Licht said, Arians would knock on the window separating the suites and point to Johnson and then look at Licht as if to say, “You see this guy?” Licht would nod his head and yell through the glass, “He’s good.” At one point, Licht said Arians yelled at him, “We need to take that kid in the second round.”
Licht said during the second and third days of the draft, Arians was often texting him and pestering him via Zoom, “When are we taking Tyler Johnson?”
Licht seemed to think that Arians would have gone into depression if he didn’t land the Minnesota standout.
“If we would have taken him with the 13th pick, [Arians] would have been happy.”
January 28th, 2021 at 5:47 am
Steal.
January 28th, 2021 at 6:28 am
Nice to see that Licht has full control of the draft with input from his head coach.
January 28th, 2021 at 6:31 am
Gonna be another Godwin-type receiver.
Great pick up by the team
January 28th, 2021 at 6:33 am
As a former Golden Gopher its unbelievable to have 2 Gophers drafted by 1 team. The organization deserves credit, as Mn. is not a hotbed for draft picks. Go Bucs.
January 28th, 2021 at 7:26 am
As a Nebraska fan I watched Tyler Johnson and Winfield dominate. When we drafted the two of them I knew we got steals on both. Tyler Johnson is turning into a stud.
January 28th, 2021 at 7:30 am
Remember all the later round receivers we struck out on…(too many to list)…..well…..we now have 2…..Tyler Johnson & Scotty Miller….
They give us considerable depth at the position….and at little cost.
January 28th, 2021 at 7:46 am
If someone pulls your jersey 5 feet out and holds it for 4 seconds you don’t – or at least you shouldn’t – need to sell anything.
January 28th, 2021 at 7:57 am
Stop preparing us for Godwin’s departure lol
January 28th, 2021 at 8:50 am
“Shouldn’t” is the key word. Very savvy of Johnson not to trust a referee to always make the right call.
January 28th, 2021 at 8:52 am
Joe may do the research after the Super Bowl, but off hand, cannot remember the last time an NFL team drafted two guys from Minnesota in the same draft and they both stuck with the team.
January 28th, 2021 at 9:02 am
@ Joes & all Bucs fans,
Check out this Bucs Fight Song I wrote yesterday morning…
Click hotlink to go to my YouTube video of it (hopefully that’s fine, Joes)
January 28th, 2021 at 9:45 am
“If someone pulls your jersey 5 feet out and holds it for 4 seconds you don’t – or at least you shouldn’t – need to sell anything.”
Honestly, the key might have been that the DB actually switched hands and grabbed the jersey with his other hand as he let go with the first one. DPI all day long but good sell by TJ. Tampa Bay and every other team in the NFL have gotten shafted by bad DPI calls or no calls. Please see the end of regulation when when we played the Raiders a a couple years ago at Ray Jay. Our DB breathed on the Raiders WR away from the play on 4th down… game would have been over… and they called defensive holding. Nobody is immune from bad NFL officiating.
January 28th, 2021 at 10:27 am
@ Eric,
Nobody is interested in your stupid song
January 28th, 2021 at 10:46 am
Erik,
I went to youTube to check it out. Not my favorite, but great passion and effort. I have ears of stone so WTHDIK
January 28th, 2021 at 1:42 pm
I think we may have found a diamond in the rough here gentleman. Hate to say it but if we can’t afford Godwin and he moves on I think we’ll be in good shape with this kid. This is what the good teams do. Draft well and replace a surplus of great players looking for a payday with talented guys on cheap rookie deals. Godwin will get paid this offseason and likely be some lucky teams number No.1 for years to come. Look at how it worked out for Stephon Diggs. No GM hits on every pick and Licht has had his fair share of ugly misses but overall he has drafted extremely well.
January 28th, 2021 at 2:22 pm
yeah he seems poised to make that nice leap in his second season
January 28th, 2021 at 2:25 pm
the receiver room is stacked…
so much so, justin watson is literally being pushed out the door…
he will have a chance with another team, he won’t disappear so fast, like bobo did