Bryon Leftwich: Extra Sensitive About Cuts
July 1st, 2021
Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich
It seems you don’t just get a thank-you handshake or a good-luck text from Bucs playcaller Byron Leftwich if you get dumped from the Tampa Bay roster.
Leftwich explained in a chat with NFL.com that he takes the grim reaper role far more seriously than that.
The memory of getting axed from his beloved Jaguars in 2007, just a few days before the season, is a memory burned in Leftwich’s mind — for good reasons and bad.
“Once you get cut as a player, everything else you can deal with,” Leftwich explained. “That’s the way I approach the cutting process the way that I do.”
For Leftwich, getting cut was very rough but the best thing that could have happened, he said. It led him, eventually, to the Steelers, where he got to meet Bucco Bruce Arians, learn from and mentor Ben Roethlisberger and youngsters like Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders.
When a Bucs player gets cut, Leftwich said he counsels the guy on understanding that getting cut doesn’t mean they’re not good enough, and orders them to not let him or any other coach affect his relationship with the game of football. Don’t you dare let getting cut get in the way of your dream because that’s what’s in your head every night and guys have been cut and gone on to the Hall of Fame, says Leftwich.
It was obvious Leftwich is very passionate about the subject.
Joe wonders now how Leftwich may have worked on Leonard “Playoff Lenny” Fournette, who said he struggled mightily with his late ouster from the Jaguars last summer.
Yes, Fournette pouted midseason and was on the verge of getting cut by Bucco Bruce Arians, but maybe Leftwich and others kept Fournette on the right side of that fence before Arians famously laid the law down on the stud running back.
July 1st, 2021 at 1:47 pm
I couldn’t tell a guy that he’s going from making $400,000 down to $12 a hour
July 1st, 2021 at 2:30 pm
This is going to be the hardest year for cuts. It is almost guaranteed that a few guy we cut and want back will be picked up by other teams.
The only position I see where we can cut an extra player or two is the DBs. Only Winfield, Whithead and Edwardss for safeties and Calton, Dean, and Sean Murphy-Bunting for CB are safe. If I was a betting man, the Bucs will wait to fill and extra safety and CB after the 53 cutdown.
July 1st, 2021 at 2:39 pm
And you wouldn’t have to Pete. Players get per diem (rookie or veteran amounts) during training camp, and get their yearly salaries broken out into game checks every week once they’ve actually made the team.
Plus, what’s with this blanket notion that players are either in the 2% making 400k or are working bad hourly wage jobs? These are college educated young professionals who’ve demonstrated work ethic and initiative. Sure there’s some dull crayons out there, but by and large these guys have highly marketable skillsets. My company employs at least a couple dozen former collegiate football players in construction management across the country. These guys are tailor made for our industry as just 1 example.
July 1st, 2021 at 3:19 pm
Joe keep these Byron Leftwitch articles coming. Fans like me are closely monitoring the comment to see when fans are gonna face the music and give Byron a much needed apology for the endless critism.
So far not a single apology yet. Fans gone silent. The few that do choose to speak have created some bizarre conspiracy that Tom threw out the playbook and installed an entire new offensive system during halftime of the Chiefs game………I will admitt its hilarious if nothing else.
So lets go boys. Enough with the silence yall called for Byrons head. And even some called for Bruces. Then ya had to watch the mAGIC 813 was telling us about guide us to a Super Bowl. Time to make ammends and lets move on. We dont hold no grudges in Tampa Bay.
GO BUCS!!!!
July 1st, 2021 at 3:27 pm
Concering the article. This is a good nugget of info. When you can treat a player with respect like that they will remember. Players talk and youd be a fool if you dont think stuff like this matters to potential free agents.
Not to mention players have come to play under this staff and made some serious mulah. Look at Perriman, look at Shaq, look at Godwin…….the list goes on and it includes many players from the Arizona days as well. Next year we gonna see many more get paid like Cappa, Lenny, RoJo, AB, Davis ect. Tampa Bay would probably rank as the most desirable destination for any athletes including Ice Hockey players.
GO LIGHTNING!!!!
July 1st, 2021 at 3:55 pm
I’ve always wondered if coaches help players catch on with other teams. Any insight into this Joe?
July 1st, 2021 at 4:09 pm
It’s much better to get cut from this Bucs team. The BUCs strong roster and winning attitude will insure that more guys get a second shot.
July 1st, 2021 at 4:10 pm
Shoulda still stuck with ROJO he’s out true #1 and work horse. Our run game and offensive efficiency would be better if BA would make him or main runner.
July 1st, 2021 at 4:21 pm
Nice article. Leftwich clearly has a clue. Whether he will turn out to be a great offensive coordinator or not is still a question mark. But he is clearly a capable NFL coach.
July 1st, 2021 at 4:26 pm
Mr. Leftwich was a bad pick for Jags as Winston was for the bucs so one day Winston may be a good coach.
July 1st, 2021 at 5:38 pm
I have great respect for coaches and managers who car about who they cut or fire…..it’s more difficult to care…..it’s easy to not give a sh()t.
July 1st, 2021 at 5:54 pm
It’s really heartwarming to see some compassion in such a cutthroat business. I got cut from the sixth grade basketball team. It crushed me. By the way, I sucked at basketball. I would’ve cut me also.
July 1st, 2021 at 10:28 pm
A quality of not only a good “manager” (coach) but a man of character. Firing someone and have them thank you on the way out isn’t always easy, very few can do it well.
July 2nd, 2021 at 12:31 am
ben Says:
“… one day Winston may be a good coach.”
.
.
Good for the team to roll their eyes at.
July 2nd, 2021 at 3:00 am
JIMMY JACK
totally agree. In the playoff run I was wondering where the BL and Bowles critics went. Suddenly people forget there were plenty of “fans” on here calling for both of them to be fired
July 2nd, 2021 at 3:09 pm
For once, I agree with Medicated Pete. That’s a rough conversation.