The Blame Game: Jason Licht & Bruce Arians Edition
January 31st, 2022
“Look, Glazer, you know and I know this growing media spin is about as dumb as trading for Sam Bradford or paying Taysom Hill.”
The stink is rising fast when it comes to how some big voices are trying to explain the expected Tom Brady retirement.
Joe brought shared yesterday how Colin Cowherd and Seth Wickersham are barking about Brady not being a huge fans of the Bucco Bruce Arians way compared to what he was used to.
This morning, NBC Sports super insider Peter King hopped down that trail, too, and seemingly threw general manager Jason Licht under the bus with Arians.
I also think as much as Brady didn’t love Bill Belichick at the end, he respected that he’d always have a coaching/personnel plan to keep the team in Super Bowl contention. I don’t know that he feels that way about the Bucs’ ability to stay dominant. And his family. Listen to Brady on his podcast this week with Jim Gray: “It’s not always what I want. It’s what we want as a family.”
One person who spoke to Brady after the playoff loss to the Rams last week said over the weekend: “He’s done.” Seems so. Now it will be on his terms to make it official.
This stuff about coaching/personnel driving Brady to retire really gets under Joe’s skin. The Bucs have won 22 or their last 27 games, including a Super Bowl. They’re not in salary cap hell. And Brady had a 2021 offensive line that protected him extraordinarily well.
Yeah, Arians and Licht aren’t good enough for Brady. If you believe that, then Joe hopes you get help.
January 31st, 2022 at 7:44 am
That loss had to really hurt Brady…..coming all the way back & then folding so quickly…..Perhaps he was thinking “no matter what I do, we still lose”
It hurt all of us….
As far as Brady leaving because of management…..BS……I think he loved Tampa, the Bucs…his teammates…..but he HATES losing. Enough so, he never loses again.
January 31st, 2022 at 7:45 am
Joe- is it true he loses 15 million if he retires before February 4th?
It seems the money due him is a deferred signing bonus, so he’ll be paid if he’s on the roster, but then he essentially must repay the money allegedly. Maybe he wants to sit on the cash for a while before repaying? Joe has no idea what the tax considerations might be and how Brady would prefer to handle. When a repayment might be due is unclear. It’s also unclear whether a settlement will be reached, which is what teams often due with superstars. –Joe
January 31st, 2022 at 7:47 am
I think it’s primarily family, but as much as he was frustrated with Belliceks controlling nature in New England, I think he missed it last year.
January 31st, 2022 at 7:49 am
Like old Neil Young sang, there comes a time. Simple as that. He’s retiring because it’s time, period. Joe isn’t Brady due a roster bonus this Friday? He probably planned to make his announcement this week after the games, and before his bonus was due. When he does sit down this week, he’ll say his reason is family.
January 31st, 2022 at 7:52 am
This isn’t rocket science.
1.We all knew this was fathomable when Mrs. Brady said “What more do you have left to prove?” after SB LV.
2. He even said recently that the decision isn’t always up to him.
3. I think I read this from Joe… Warren Moon admitted to quiting because of family pressure too, so Mrs. Brady isn’t breaking new ground here.
4. Arians and Licht are two of the best things to ever happen to us, next to Brady which wouldn’t of happened without them.
5. GO BUCS!
January 31st, 2022 at 7:53 am
During last year licht swooped up AB and fournette. This year rams swooped up vonn miller and beckham
January 31st, 2022 at 7:53 am
@Hodad PFT shot that theory down and said the Bucs will owe the money regardless
January 31st, 2022 at 7:59 am
Yes, Brady is due a 15 million bonus on Feb 4th.
He will probably officially retire after that.
January 31st, 2022 at 7:59 am
This is to funny all for clicks lol.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:01 am
@hodad yeah I think that’s it right there 20 plus seasons when it’s time it’s time I think the plan was always two more years with the extention only to work with the cap. It was a great two years being a fan during the dark years was rough Brady took us into the sun after being in the dark for so long thanks Tom.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:02 am
You know how I feel Joe (at least one if not both of you). Prior to the 2021 draft, I listed 3 priorities: In the first round, an EDGE defender (OLB or DE, take best available). In the second and third rounds the priority was CB as the CBs were the weakest position group on the roster plus they had the worst depth. Third priority was OT. The Bucs lost Haig and had poor depth which wasn’t addressed after his departure. Those to me were glaring deficiencies, and you know I went crazy on draft night (and afterward) as those priorities were blatantly obvious. There was nothing “franchise” about Trask, and taking him over a CB or OT was stupid.
1) Haig wasn’t very good and there was/is nothing wrong with the Bucs’ offensive line depth. d
2) Can never have enough good corners.
3) Nothing wrong with the Trask pick as the final choice in Round 2. The great teams always are about win-now and build for later simultaneously.–Joe
That’s on Licht. Either position would have really helped against the Rams. That’s on Licht.
I’ll go one step further: What was Licht’s strategy anyway? He went all in on re-signing the veterans, which screams “WIN NOW”. That was smart, Super Bowl windows slam shut quickly. But then he drafts a backup QB with the second round pick, which screams “REBUILD”. You can’t do both, you either WIN NOW or REBUILD. Trying to hedge by doing both is suicidal.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:03 am
^Forgot to sign in.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:05 am
Apple, does he get to keep his bonus if he retires?
January 31st, 2022 at 8:10 am
We didn’t go any further due to injuries…simple as that. Go Bucs!!
January 31st, 2022 at 8:13 am
And I’m not present on the practice field or locker room, but from afar Arians always struck me as a “country club” coach. That’s why he’s the opposite of Belichick, players enjoy being on his teams. But that enjoyment can come at the expense of hard work and preparation. It was patently obvious that the Bucs weren’t prepared for the Washington game, now were they ready for either Saints games. They came out emotionally flat, no real game plans were apparent other than “play conservative” and hope the other (weaker) team folds. Then they got punched in the mouth by the far better coached, far better prepared (weaker) team. Payton and Riverboat Ron are better coaches.
And of course the stupidity and lax game planning was apparent during the Rams fiasco. The first two defensive series were all about blitzing over and over against a QB who eats blitzes for breakfast. That stupidity put the team behind 10 points early. That is on Bowles, but where was Arians in the game planning?!? And on that dagger that killed the Buc season (the Cooper Kupp completion) what were those idiots on the Buc sidelines thinking? It’s late game, don’t gamble, make the Rams earn the yards and keep them out of FG range. But no, Bowles tanks the team by blitzing. Not only it showed that Bowles didn’t learn a damn thing during the game, he obviously never ran enough (if any) drills on that blitz play. Players lined up wrong, took poor angles, or simply were confused about their role.
That’s on the coaching staff. That’s on Arians and Bowles.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:13 am
So who is to blame? Both.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:13 am
Oxycodom
That is correct. And Fournette was a great pick up and AB helped to win a Super Bowl. And AB was targeted because Brady wanted him
January 31st, 2022 at 8:13 am
This whole story is now manufactured drama now.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:14 am
People making $hit up.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:15 am
At a certain point, Brady has a responsibility to shut these media hags and click bait fiends up with a few comments. I’m sorry he had a grand master plan to retire in a certain way, but his own company blew it with the premature tweet on his retirement.
Tom, announce it. And if the crap about your feelings about Arians and Licht are false statements, say so.
I thought the Bucs would get a lot of things from having Tom Brady as their quarterback, but I never thought they’d get this kind of drama. This is ridiculous.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:22 am
If I had to guess Brady was mad at Arians for anything, it’s probably the AB situation.
Sure, in my eyes, AB was being a sourpuss about his targets and was sitting on the bench because he wasn’t gonna be getting whooped by the Jets and not get the ball and Arians had every right to be pissed about it.
But in hindsight, maybe just maybe Arians acted far too hastily about the situation and made an ego fueled decision in anger that ultimately hurt the team.
I’d imagine that Brady was none to pleased about the Bucs cutting a difference maker at receiver when Chris Godwin was already out for the year. There’s no guarantee keeping AB after what he pulled would have resulted in us going back to the big one.
But looking at the way things went down, I think it would be wrong to say he wouldn’t have given us a better shot. Who knows.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:25 am
Joe, if you so vehemently disagree, why give ink to those that (allegedly) know better? Answer….because they know better. LOL. Yeah, because that makes sense. If King’s column gets 500,000 reads, that’s a lot of influence and Bucs fans should know what’s out there about their team. ESPECIALLY when agents read the column and it could affect their clients’ attitudes towards playing in Tampa. But to answer your question, Joe writes about what Joe finds interesting. It’s been that way from Day 1 here and that’s the only threshold. –Joe
January 31st, 2022 at 8:26 am
what if:
he came here for 2 years…
won the superbowl…
wins the mvp (which he will)…
then rides off into the sunset…
i guess he did it all, jammed it in anyone’s face he wanted to jam, then hung ’em up…
#WeHadAyeShortStayGuest
January 31st, 2022 at 8:30 am
Tom didn’t like that Belichick was basically involved with everything and at the end Bruce was basically involved with nothing. Add how hard it was for us to get up for games and then one of the worst defensive playcalls in league history (D being Belichick’s specialty no less), I get it. Joe keeps bringing up the record. We might have the best talent in the league yet Tom had to keep bringing us back. & even Tom didn’t look good at the end.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:38 am
Let’s not overreact we had gd year almost won and would’ve been in nfc championship game. #ONE MORE YEAR TB12 ! LETS START THE MOVEMENT NOW!!
January 31st, 2022 at 8:38 am
So if we had to field a team with only Jason’s draft pics, what would it look like ?
Not asking it in a harsh way, just asking.
I do think Brady’s looked at what the team would look like moving forward.
Secondary?
D line ?
Backers ?
Running backs ?
Godwin gone ?
January 31st, 2022 at 8:40 am
I’ll say this, IMO, almost every game but a few I caught myself questioning the play calling on offense and lack of creativity. This whole past season I thought we should have done more play action and screens. We seem a little predictable and not creative. I don’t think I saw any (very few) gadget plays or trick plays. Screens rarely look natural which makes me think we don’t practice them a lot. Just lack of adaptability. Going back to before Brady, when you have Jameis who is prone to turnovers, why do we do so many timing routes, dropback passing type plays. Brady through a pick six on a comeback last year early on – I don’t think he has thrown a come back since. It’s just not a good play in todays NFL. I think Brady realized this and made the best of it but seeing him under pressure vs the rams and us knowing that would be the case, only to give up on the run most the game, no play action, no real screen attempts (maybe one to Brate) and nothing new. Just… ugh I feel like we get out coaches s lot and Brady is a large factor to us winning. I feel his frustrations if they are true.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:41 am
“There just HAS to be a reason….”
People are just making stuff up now. Because it was “unexpected”?!
Give me a break! Anyone with any sense had to know that Brady was a whisper away from retiring at any moment, whether this year or next.
There is no “blame”.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:42 am
#1MOREYEARTB12!!!!!!
January 31st, 2022 at 8:42 am
The menu for 2022 includes the normal NFC South appetizers and for the main courses…
Cardinals…Rams…Seahawks…49’s…Bengals…Browns…Steelers…Ravens…Packers…Cowboys…Chiefs…
A discombobulated coachings staff salad and the combined w/l total % of 5.35 for desert/ Only 9 games with playoff teams and both conference champs and the Souper Bowl Winnerbefore they can even get to a playoff game.
Nahhhh!
January 31st, 2022 at 8:43 am
Someone get this rolling a online petition or a movement.. #ONE MORE YEAR TB12
January 31st, 2022 at 8:43 am
Unfinished business
January 31st, 2022 at 8:44 am
#ONE MORE YEAR TB12
January 31st, 2022 at 8:50 am
#1MOREYEARTB12
January 31st, 2022 at 8:53 am
There is no reason for Brady to rush his decision. However, the Bucs would like to know ASAP. B A said if Brady retired he would like to see what QB is available behind door #2, but he can’t open door #2 until Brady closes door #1.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:57 am
At the end of the day players don´t give a damm about their fans or the franchise….
I will be thankfull to TB 12 for my entire life, but I don´t like tge way he handle this…..The first thing you have to do is speak to your GM and Coach…that´s called respect…
Of course TB12 was a major contributor to the SB, but on the team he had ME13 CG JPP LVD Lenny and many many more….It was a team effort, where coaches and a big structure called the Bucaneers gave you a chance, and you have to be greatfull…..
I love you forever TB12, but you should be more respectfuul to the entire Bucs Nation, we ´ve earned it, again I love you, but you should domestic your big ego Sir……
January 31st, 2022 at 8:58 am
Time stands still for no man nor for any team. Witness the fact that the top four favorites lost early! Four younger hungry teams played yesterday. And the Rams who physically kicked our ass twice should be favored to win it all. Tom was a happy team cheerleader all last year. This year he grew more grim as the season wore on. He was smart enough to know that age and injuries had depleted the troops. The Rams who kicked our butts twice are the Super Bowl Champs. Brady does not want or need a rebuilding team.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:58 am
@Joe
Vehemently disagree.
1. Haeg was decent as a backup, that’s what you get most of the time in the league as OTs are pretty expensive. Once he left there was a gap in capabilities. That’s why his cost was $4.6 million for 2 years on the free agent market. That’s the sign of a capable non-starting OT. To protect cap space, the smart move would have been to draft a quality, developmental OT. Guess what? This draft was unusually deep in quality, developmental OTs. It was crazy not to take an advantage of that depth.
2. Glad we’re in agreement. That was a glaring weakness. We had the chit chat after the draft.
3. I disagree. You know the Buc Super Bowl run was going to end when Brady retired. Brady is also very robust, he doesn’t miss games due to anything less than a severe injury. With the exception of the ACL tear, the last time Brady got pulled due to injury was the 2001 AFL Championship game. Unless you think Trask is a franchise QB with Super Bowl winning capabilities, it was absolute madness to reload at that position. And if Licht thought Trask was at that level….
January 31st, 2022 at 8:59 am
What should happen in the case where a retiring superstar(Brady) wants to help his soon to be former team is a renegotiation of the contract for 2022 down to the league minimum for said superstar saving over 20 million on the cap as long as the new contract paperwork is filed before the retirement paperwork. Bucs will be fine on the cap and will still be a fine football team as well.
January 31st, 2022 at 8:59 am
Did anyone see the final game??? At the end of the game the players got Brady right into his element and in the blink of an eye, poof a very unprepared coaching staff shat on themselves. You CANNOT tell me Bowles back to back interviews did not distract him and that lazy arse BA let it happen. As far as Licht, shame on him for not addressing the DB’s and if he was aware of Uncle Bucs part-time country club, off with his head to. Brady had 2 opportunities left and Bowles and BA stole one if them, now he’s gone. Congrats 👏 Bucs fans, good like getting Wilson and the discusting criminal Watson.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:06 am
“I also think as much as Brady didn’t love Bill Belichick at the end, he respected that he’d always have a coaching/personnel plan to keep the team in Super Bowl contention. I don’t know that he feels that way about the Bucs’ ability to stay dominant.”
Are you Kidding me???? we had the best roster to repeat and we gave him everything we could, Injuries happened and lots of them, then AB happened. That was not on the Coaches or GM. Heck , we even won games we shouldn’t have with back ups and we kept winning, but it finally caught up with Wirfs being out in a game we needed and still almost won. Ol Billy Boy forced TB12 out with lack of receivers/talent and where he spent his money, which was never on TB or what he needed at the end of his career, smh.
Even with our schedule next year, we could still have a shot at the SB with the draft and a few key FA signings. It is very reasonable to suggest we could have a solid roster next year IF Brady decides on one more year, it is possible.
So much speculation, i’ll wait till something is official.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:12 am
This soap opera “here’s what I think happened” stuff is really getting tiresome, even from someone who seems to be respected like King.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:12 am
When Brady was with the Pats and still to this day, they were one of the worst franchises in terms of drafting players. They definitely got some defensive pieces right but they were good at salary cap and some pieces in FA. Licht is not the best at the draft but he did what Tahmmy wanted, and I am sure what brady is referring to if this is all true is probably AB and then a relaxed atmosphere at one buc and not the same fire in the coaches and staff as the previous year
January 31st, 2022 at 9:18 am
Listenfrmafar
We agree……Deshawn Watson is a disgusting criminal (allegedly)
My tolerance for good players with character flaws is pretty high (AB)…..but Watson, I can’t support……even if he came for nothing.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:19 am
I don’t get the narrative that Bucs aren’t building Brady the team he needs. Seems pretty lazy. He’s 44 years old, the Bucs aren’t building a team for 2025. They’re set up to win again if they resign Godwin, Gronk, Fournette, Jensen. They just scored 30ppg. What more is Brady needing?
Starting to smell like the national media would rather see the Bucs implode once Brady retires.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:19 am
Listnfrmafar…you pretend that interviews don’t happen in other places but here’s what’s been going on DURING the playoffs.
The Vikings have interviewed Green Bay offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and requested meetings with six other candidates beside Morris: Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, San Francisco defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, and Quinn, currently the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:25 am
As I always told my daughter; “math IS important” OK owners here it is. Tom has gone to the superbowl on average every other year. Right??? Think about that. do the math
January 31st, 2022 at 9:28 am
Todd bowles should be fired for that last game.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:28 am
Is there any doubt Brady saying “This is no time to be going to the movies” before the Rams’ game was a shot at the coordinators and Bruce for all the film study they were doing to prepare for multiple interviews? That’s no way to prepare to get to the SB, and it showed on the field.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:30 am
Bucsfanman … ‘There is no “blame”.’
I agree. Most JBF pieces I can see a purpose for. This one? Nada. Well, unless possibly the intent is to turn Bucs fans against this coaching staff. Joe puts that down in the last paragraph, but why even open the can of worms of speculating on any presumed Tom Brady dissatisfaction with BA & the rest of the coaching staff? TOGETHER they won 1 Super Bowl & got into this year’s playoffs in this 2-year partnership. That’s not that shabby.
Chances are pretty good that Tom Brady is retiring. My guess is that no petitions from the JBF community will change that. He’ll announce his ‘retirement’ in his own time on his own terms. That’s what Tom Brady does. And as THE GOAT, he’s earned the right to do that.
As for our Bucs’ nation, we’ll survive. We’re in better shape now that we were in March 2020 when Tom Brady signed on. Got a lot of holes to fill and a lot of work to do, but we’ll get there, eventually. But that’ll be a LOT harder if we blow up the existing coaching staff & roster in the process.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:33 am
Yes, the ‘snow bird’ model for building an NFL contender has its pros and cons. We have to remember that Brady recruited a lot of the free agents, so the organization will be losing some of that leverage, too. Are we saying that the front office didn’t plan for this exact scenario? I hope that’s not the case. If so, that would be proprioception to the extreme!
January 31st, 2022 at 9:36 am
Alton D Green … Another piece of math: Tom Brady is 44 years old. All good things come to an end, eventually.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:40 am
If Brady came here, led the team to the playoffs in year one, won the Super Bowl in year two and then retired, it would be a fairytale ending.
Instead they surprisingly won the Super Bowl in year one. Got bounced by the eventual Super Bowl champions in year two.
It basically did not end how we wanted but if you told every Buccaneer fan 2 1/2 years ago that Brady was going to come here, go 29-10 and win a Super Bowl, we’d be ecstatic.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:44 am
Nothing but silliness. Arians and Licht are two of the big reasons why Brady came here in the first place. Licht has been the best gm in the league three years running and we won a super bowl in large part because of the players that Licht brought in/drafted. Arian’s record speaks for itself. Buffoons like Colin and Peter just stir the pot to see what rises to the top. The only time that I bother to read any of their nonsense is when Joe posts a link.
January 31st, 2022 at 9:56 am
Sad to see Joe on the bandwagon. Too much Bucs and Brady NFL history to count and now you’re trying to blame someone in the franchise for going 22 of 27
January 31st, 2022 at 9:57 am
PassingThru Says:
January 31st, 2022 at 8:58 am
3. I disagree. You know the Buc Super Bowl run was going to end when Brady retired. Brady is also very robust, he doesn’t miss games due to anything less than a severe injury. With the exception of the ACL tear, the last time Brady got pulled due to injury was the 2001 AFL Championship game. Unless you think Trask is a franchise QB with Super Bowl winning capabilities, it was absolute madness to reload at that position. And if Licht thought Trask was at that level….
^^^^^^^^
Sir, You’re still arguing about the Trask pick?
1) What’s done is done.
2) What exactly do you expect out of the 64th pick in the 2nd Round?
3) There is value in a decent backup QB. We don’t know what Trask is right now, but he could develop into a decent backup. Maybe more, who knows?
January 31st, 2022 at 9:57 am
Winning doesn’t satisfy Brady says Brady. So winning 22 out of 27 games is meaningless. He left the most dominant team in the Patriots. BUCS are nothing to him
January 31st, 2022 at 10:09 am
A rising tide lifts all boats and Tom Brady was that tide that came to Tampa Bay and took them back to the Superbowl. The talent was there, all the pieces were there except for the key player – which was TB12. If we can get him to come back for just one more year it would be great whether or not he gets back to the Superbowl. At any rate, whatever happens will happen, Que Sera, Sera. Thank you Tom.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:10 am
There were multiple games where the team just wasn’t ready to play 4 quarters.
That’s coaching.
Plus Todd Bowels crapped the bed worse than other coach in recent memory.
Brady doesn’t play with losers.
And we are merry band of losers without him.
Back to 5-12 boys.
We are the suck again.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:14 am
To deny the veracity of this report is fanboy journalism at it’s finest. Y’all point to the record the last two seasons. First off, the bucs are loaded with talent. That comes from sucking and drafting in the top ten every year. To give the GM credit for this roster, is like giving Harry Truman credit for developing the atomic bomb. You still sucked without Brady, even with all the high picks. It was Brady who turned the franchise around, not coaching, and certainly not the GM. The GM also left the team high and dry in the secondary. Last season they were at best, an average secondary that played incredibly well. To expect that to happen again is wishful thinking at it’s finest. Let’s get to the tremendous coaching. Brady all but scrapped Arians offense. BA is an offensive coordinator by trade, so if he’s not calling plays, and it’s really not even his offense, then Ben fails to see why he should get any credit. If standing around on the sidelines and sitting in a golf cart during practice looking stupid is your idea of good coaching, then he’s coach of the year. The idiot defensive coordinator consistently and constantly blitzes. Even when it’s killing his team, or the situation dictates not to. This had to be incredibly frustrating for Brady. It’s called complementary football folks. You still back and make teams march down the field. 90 % of teams can’t do that, and you take your chances with the ones that can. They gave up huge chunk plays all year long. You don’t do that with an offense that scores 30 a game.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:17 am
Lamarcus , correct Brady has no tolerance for complacency. The coaches got fat, dumb & happy. Winning 22 out of 27 means nothing if it doesn’t get you a Lombardi. I’m listening to GMFB and Kyle Brant is saying you know why we are talking about TB12 yesterday and today? Because Matt Stafford retired him. NO, BA & Bowles retired him.
Bucs1987, yes other playoff coaches had interviews but how many in the final 4 had back to back interviews? Maybe your job at Walmart didn’t require a indepthed interview but most job interviews take a tremendous amount of preparation. My proof will be when Bowles comes back as Bucs DC because he can’t get hired due to that joke of a play call.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:19 am
@Joe
Yes, I am. Considering that the topic is, “The Blame Game: Jason Licht & Bruce Arians Edition” it is pertinent to discuss the decisions made by both Jason Licht and Bruce Arians”. That means decisions made by both during the past year are relevant. Otherwise, why bother opening the floor to discussion?
The alternative is to post: “What done is done. Accountability is overrated.”
January 31st, 2022 at 10:34 am
If Brady retires, will all of you fair weather Buc fans also go away? It’s almost worth Brady retiring just to get rid of you losers.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:34 am
Listnfrmafar is correct. Why any team would hire him is baffling. Ben suspects the Rooney rule is at the heart of it. That being said, we do have a lot of idiot ownership in this league. Bunch of Spaulding smails playing owner because daddy died and left them the team.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:03 am
Bqen green
Glazer kids have never been good owners, that’s why Licht did an amazing job making LV history team and the second seed this year. They can’t all be a perfect Tom Brady team.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:06 am
5 starters on offensive free agents 5 starters on defense free agents and tom brady retiring. 11 starters and about 25 mil cap space maybe. Plus an additional 10 that are backups.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:10 am
If the media is broadcasting its usual B#!! $hit – it’s more likely misinformation
January 31st, 2022 at 11:54 am
Joe……”This stuff about coaching/personnel driving Brady to retire really gets under Joe’s skin. The Bucs have won 22 or their last 27 games, including a Super Bowl. They’re not in salary cap hell. And Brady had a 2021 offensive line that protected him extraordinarily well.
Yeah, Arians and Licht aren’t good enough for Brady. If you believe that, then Joe hopes you get help.”
Totally agree with you Joe, and as you said, they are not in Salary Cap hell, just below the mid point in the league
January 31st, 2022 at 11:59 am
Nobody is to blame for anything, We came close guys but no cigar. Lets not lose sight of the fact we have some great pieces on our team. Get us a QB and we are in the hunt. Remember what happened after out 1st SB ring? We fell apart because players left during FA. We can still be viable without Brady. But we gotta get us a QB.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:12 pm
@Joe in Michigan
Well, that about sums up your contribution to this thread and the entire season: “What’s been done is done.”
People here are discussing “The Blame Game: Jason Licht & Bruce Arians Edition”. In other words, this is about voicing opinions as to where the Bucs may have miscalculated both on the sidelines and in the front office.
According to you, there’s nothing to discuss. There never is anything to discuss other than other posters. To summarize, every post you ever write resonates, “Accountability is so overrated.”
Whatever. The rest of us wish to discuss football.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:14 pm
Again, we know for a fact Brady was displeased with lack of preparation and attention to details LAST YEAR. Do you guys really think the staff got MORE prepared and disciplined after winning a Super Bowl? Of course not. And you could see it all year on the field. Sloppy and undisciplined.
Last year we stayed healthy enough that Brady could overcome that.
This year, we did not. And he probably knows the roster will be weaker next season, hence retirement.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:20 pm
And my apologies to Joe, my previous post should have been directed to Joe in Michigan.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:21 pm
The season was great but unfortunate in terms of the amount of injuries. I think fully healthy the Bucs had a good chance of winning that game vs the Rams. There aren’t coordinators coming out of the woodwork to replace Bowles and Leftwhich, what do you expect Arians to do? Maybe Brady was upset at Arians being so supportive of his coordinators getting other jobs? I could see this as a big reason why he would want to walk away along with what it will take to retain a massive FA class.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:22 pm
NOBODY with a straight face can tell me that they KNEW that TB would sign Tom freakin’ Brady 2 years ago and that we’d be winning a SB and visiting the playoffs in each.
Lets enjoy it for what it is. We KNEW this moment would come!
Take a look. This is a far better football team since BA took over back in 2019. EVERY team goes through change. Ours was the anomaly this year on paper. However, it didn’t look like that on gamedays did it?
Consider this: Joe Burrow, a 2nd year player, is captaining his team in the SB.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:46 pm
Make The Bucs Great Again…Save The Licht House.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:49 pm
The Godwin injury can’t be overlooked. Even if they did sign him, guys coming off ACL surgery usually aren’t right until year two. The AB situation is also a factor. Brady felt Arians didn’t handle it properly. Ben is in no way defending AB, but Arians lost sight of the big picture. They kissed his ass for two seasons, then BA decides to start flexing his coaching muscles at exactly the wrong time. They weren’t winning another ring without Godwin anyway, but AB would’ve helped immensely. Brady was pissed all game because he knew the deck was stacked. He didn’t deserve to go out like this, essentially forced into retirement because of inane coaching, and a poor GM. Without Brady, the GM wouldn’t have been able to convince half these guys to come here, or take less. Gronk, LF, and yes, AB came to Tampa specifically because of Brady. It doesn’t take a genius to draft good players when picking in the top ten every year. The GM, instead of improving on a Superbowl roster, made them worse by bringing everyone back. This ain’t fantasy football. Teams aren’t built on paper. It’s completely unimaginative and terribly short sighted. You know teams are going to get pass happy for two reasons. First you can’t run on the bucs, and two, because Brady is going to get you 30+ almost every game. The logical decision would be to bolster an average at best secondary. The ghost of Richard Sherman doesn’t count. Blow someone out of the water and get a shutdown corner should’ve been the focus of the off season. Your GM acted like it was 1985. It doesn’t work that way post salary cap
January 31st, 2022 at 1:05 pm
Hope its not this year – but when Brady does leave – I will be glad when all these fake “Bucs fans” from New England disappear from JBF comments….
January 31st, 2022 at 1:20 pm
PassingThru Says:
January 31st, 2022 at 12:12 pm
@Joe in Michigan
Well, that about sums up your contribution to this thread and the entire season: “What’s been done is done.”
People here are discussing “The Blame Game: Jason Licht & Bruce Arians Edition”. In other words, this is about voicing opinions as to where the Bucs may have miscalculated both on the sidelines and in the front office.
According to you, there’s nothing to discuss. There never is anything to discuss other than other posters. To summarize, every post you ever write resonates, “Accountability is so overrated.”
Whatever. The rest of us wish to discuss football.
^^^^^^^^
What have you added, other than complaining about something that you have no idea how it will turn out? You’ve never said who the Bucs should’ve drafted, I guess because you’re too afraid that you might be wrong about it after all is said and done.
January 31st, 2022 at 1:24 pm
I have always felt our defensive coordinator was overrated and was unsteady. I felt the same way after watching us lose this last game. Maybe Brady agrees. I about went crazy when the announcers were talking about what a highly desirable Coach this man was at the same time we were getting kicked around the field and getting fouls for unsportsmanlike conduct.
January 31st, 2022 at 2:11 pm
@Joe in Michigan
I contribute quite a bit in terms of player assessments, even in real-time during the game threads. You on the other hand have nothing more than a skirt and pom poms.
January 31st, 2022 at 2:43 pm
I don’t think, I wouldn’t think, Brady has any issues with Licht – it was Licht who went out and signed AB for him.
If Brady does have an issue, I assume it would be with Arians. I mean, again, just look at the AB situation. When he was suspended, you have Arians, needlessly, needling him, saying ‘we’ll see’ about bringing him back, etc. Totally unnecessary, and almost certainly what lead to the blow-up on the sidelines, where, again, just read the Arians version of events — he’s the one who told AB he was cut, it wasn’t AB that quit first, that’s according to Arians own words. You already have depth issues at WR, and Arians cuts Brady’s favorite target in the middle of a game because he didn’t hear him say he’s hurt, and thought he just didn’t want to play. That’s as stupid and unprofessional as it gets from a HC. Obviously AB went full nuts, because he’s an idiot and a nutjob, and the media is lazy so they just went after the most obvious angle, but if you read everything, piece it together, Arians triggered that situation.
So basically, I can see Brady being annoyed with Arians. Also, I believe it’s obvious he can’t stand Leftwich, thinks he’s a hack. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think he can stand him. That’s one area that really might be rubbing Brady the wrong way.
But I don’t think anything there is unworkable — they’re just annoying, stuff that could be fixed. Frankly Licht should ask Brady, what do you want, and then just make it happen.
January 31st, 2022 at 2:43 pm
PassingThru Says:
January 31st, 2022 at 2:11 pm
@Joe in Michigan
I contribute quite a bit in terms of player assessments, even in real-time during the game threads. You on the other hand have nothing more than a skirt and pom poms.
^^^^^^^
Dude, if you know so much and contribute so much, contribute who the Bucs should’ve drafted in the 2nd round.
January 31st, 2022 at 2:54 pm
Passing thru summed it up pretty well @ 8:13am this morning…
At a minimum -Bowles should offer to resign.. I’ve not seen BA ever take responsibility& don’t expect that to change now.
Brady will now wait till after SB to announce retirement for family/personal reasons
January 31st, 2022 at 3:24 pm
August 1976 … ‘they are not in Salary Cap hell, just below the mid point in the league’.
Salary CAP, at this point in the 2022 season, means close to nothing IMO. First & foremost, salary CAP relates to the Top-51 players on a team; Bucs only have 46 players under contract right now, so we’re still shy of that 51 number. Secondly, a number of the players in our current-46 have never made the team & probably never will make the final roster (camp meat?). Thirdly, some of those under contract will retire, be traded, or be released. And fourthly, there are a number of ways to manipulate salary CAP as we’ve seen (via bonuses, incentives, etc).
So what we’re seeing right now maybe makes for an interesting discussion point, but it’s pretty much meaningless. Really doesn’t mean too much UNTIL the season starts & the roster is set. Then it counts.
There’s an absolutely excellent article on SI.com (dated 2 Mar 2021) written by Andrew Brandt, previously the financial guru for the Green Bay Packers. It’s titled ‘Business of Football: Understanding the Salary Cap, Dead Money and Impact of 2021 Decrease’ (at https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/03/02/business-of-football-understanding-the-salary-cap-dead-money ). Unlike any other article I’ve ever read about the salary CAP and well worth reading, IF Joe opts to let that link through. If not, search for the title on Google.
January 31st, 2022 at 3:33 pm
@Joe in Michigan
Sure, the Bucs should have drafted Kevin Joseph at CB with their second round pick. He would have been the second best CB on the Buc roster.
That’s not the point, however, which isn’t surprising as you get lost easily. The point was that Licht committed a strategic mistake in not taking either a CB (by far the worst position group on the roster), or a developmental OT (backups are expensive on a cap-constrained team, and that draft was unusually deep in OT talent).
January 31st, 2022 at 4:07 pm
I call BS on this hypothetical theory. Tom Brady was mentally tired of the Patriot way. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. This is the most fun he’s had playing football and we were VERY competitive and Brady literally was handed the keys to the offense – whatever Brady wanted, Brady got. Total BS journalism.
As much as the Bucs benefited from this marriage, Brady also benefited greatly. He won a SB without Belichick and ended that narrative of Bill being solely responsible for the SBs and Brady being a system QB. We had the same coaches and exactly the same team in year 2. We weren’t perfect, but for the most part we were successful until injuries. We were 13-4, who in their right mind thinks that was a failure?
January 31st, 2022 at 4:10 pm
There was a period of 6 years when Brady was a Patriot, where they only won 1 Super Bowl. You can’t win them all every year. You need a lot of luck (plays, non-injuries) along the way.
January 31st, 2022 at 4:11 pm
This report is good old yellow journalism at its finest. That’s it.
January 31st, 2022 at 4:24 pm
Listen Linda and Biff Barker may be right.It ain’t over until it’s over.
Brady’s retiring blah blah blah. With this type of media frenzy, if he doesn’t retire, this will be one of his biggest comebacks and another great part to his legacy ? Let’s Go !!!!
January 31st, 2022 at 4:45 pm
i blame the coach and GM for bringing us a glorious superbowl and a strong run at another.
the jerks.
January 31st, 2022 at 4:48 pm
Passing Thru: Kelvin Joseph was taken with the 44th pick. The Bucs had the 64th pick. You have to pick someone that was taken after the 64th pick, you nitwit.
January 31st, 2022 at 5:06 pm
Leave it to the bucs, one of the worst franchises is north American sports history to make Brady so sick, that he retires. The franchise that nearly ruined my friend Steve Young. The franchise that had top ten pick, after top ten pick, and still couldn’t field a decent team. Y’all took a gift from Bill belichick, and promptly dumped on it after one year. Did Brady manage to hold off the incessant stupidity for one year? Yes, but don’t forget they won during a season when no fans were allowed in stadiums, and got incredibly lucky because they faced a package of choking dogs in the playoffs. BTW, a home superbowl, which was a huge advantage.
January 31st, 2022 at 6:33 pm
Joe in Michigan:
That was my first choice at CB, as I projected him available in the third round. I keep my picks honest as I write out my picks in advance. Does it matter? The Bucs could have taken Adebo or A. Robinson, Elijah Molden, or just about any other CB taken in that draft range, and that CB would have been the 2nd or 3rd best CB on the roster this season. Yes, that’s how bad Dean and SMB played this season. The CB roster was barren of talent and paper-thin in terms of depth.
Or Licht could have taken an OT. Plenty available if they weren’t happy with the CB selection, they could have always taken a CB in the fourth round (instead of a WR, which at the time the Bucs had an embarrassment of riches).
Either way, you’re really too thick to stay on topic. One more time, and read this slowly: It was a strategic mistake to not draft a CB, any decent CB prospect in the second round. Or the third round. Or the fourth round. Almost any of those prospects would have outplayed the street free agents that the Bucs were forced to use on that roster. Worse, some of them would have outplayed either Dean or SMB if given the opportunity.
January 31st, 2022 at 6:46 pm
It’s like He dated a chick and realized he was out of her league
January 31st, 2022 at 8:59 pm
Thanks DR, excellent article about the Salary Cap which is a “yearly jambalaya mystery” lol
He said the Bucs are one of the better teams, but what does that mean after the “2021 all in” offseason by the Bucs?
We shall soon see, free agency is about to be knocking at the door.
GO BUCS!!!!!
January 31st, 2022 at 9:17 pm
Bqen green the Bucs have 2 Super Bowl Championships, there are still 4 teams that have not been to the Super Bowl, let alone win it.
The Bucs are 1 of the 14 teams with multiple Super Bowl wins.
So that is better than 18 teams in a 32 team league
And by the way, the Pats have also lost the most super Bowls 5
So yes the Pats know the thrill of victory 6 times, but have also tasted the agony of defeat on the biggest stage more than anyone else.
So say what you want Bqen, there are 18 teams that would like to be in the Bucs shoes.
GO BUCS!!!!
February 1st, 2022 at 1:41 am
Opinions ate like butter holes we all got them. So here’s mine.I think there’s a lot that went on that we will never know for sure. I do know that I’ve watched Brady from the time he at Michigan till his last game against the Rams. Brady at least 3 times this year looked out of sorts. Body language. The saints and Washington. He looked the same way against the Rams. I believe he wanted more up tempo and quick hits run a few more and honestly celebrate the touchdown and win but stop with all the other middle school stuff. Pointing every first down celebrate by rowing a boat because you got a turnover but yet your still losing the game. I believe those couple things were annoying. Leftwich is predictable and Brady knew he would be in for a tuff game. Very little chip blocking very few 3 tight end sets geeze. It would have allowed an extra blocker a match up issue for the defense and someone to check the ball off if pressured. It still allows 3 receivers plus the back to go out. Plus Bell is an excellent blocker and pass catcher but hey let’s cut him. I know it was for Lenny but I think there was another move they could have made. And I believe the BS. All the time about so and so didn’t play or wasn’t involved because of the package we ran today. Wow. Arians is vindictive get on his bad side and you stay there pretty much . I could ho on buy why
February 1st, 2022 at 5:39 am
Passing Thru: The fact that you think you know more than Licht and his scouts is comical.
February 1st, 2022 at 5:52 am
Kelvin Joseph: 0 INTS, 16 Tackles this season, missed 6 games, with serious character concerns. Hahahahahahaha
February 2nd, 2022 at 12:19 pm
Brady performed poorly against the Rams. He made the mature decision and moved on. It’s time for the Bucs to move on too, and start Trask.