Donovan McNabb Takes Swipe At Bucs’ Front Office
February 20th, 2023
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Old Bucs fans spent a lot of years booing former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, the five-time Pro Bowler who twice led blowouts of Tampa Bay in the playoffs.
Well, Joe has discovered another reason to jeer McNabb. He appeared on CBS Sports Radio recently with host Zach Gelb and took a shot at the Bucs’ top dog in the front office, general manager Jason Licht.
McNabb pointed to the demise of the Bucs after their Super Bowl win and said it’s because the Bucs opted to re-sign all their players from the 2020 Super Bowl team.
“Tampa re-signed all 22 players or so and what happened? Nothing,” McNabb lectured. “You have to continue to be more explosive by going out and getting big-time free agents on both sides of the ball.”
Obviously, the Bucs proceeded to go 13-4 in 2021 and come within a hair of the NFC Championship game with their lethal offense. That’s hardly a sign your team did “nothing” and made the wrong decision. But for more context, McNabb was talking about how his Super Bowl Eagles are perhaps a couple of years away from their peak and need to continue to shape the roster and not rest on its current greatness.
Joe doesn’t think Licht and his team rode their glory in 2023. They played their shots with Russell Gage, Julio Jones and Kyle Rudolph and overall didn’t hit the mark.
Yeah, Licht hasn’t been the king of the draft the past two seasons, but he also wasn’t responsible for the collapse of coaching after the Bucco Bruce Arians surprise retirement.
If Joe runs into McNabb at the new Big Storm taproom in Ybor City, Joe thinks gently tossing a Bromosa in his face is in order.
February 20th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
The fans need to put on their Big Boy Pants and reject Anything other than excellence!
Otherwise the ineptitude will continue from the Glazers and their instrument Jason Licht
February 20th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Donovan McNabb? What’s he doing these days? Working at Jiffy Lube.
February 20th, 2023 at 12:13 pm
this needs to be a fire sale!
gut the roster for what vale the players still have. complete rebuild.
anyone with common sense knows it….but this is the bucs so….
never underestimate their ability to F things up.
who is this mcnabb fella?
February 20th, 2023 at 12:14 pm
Traded Up into the2nd round to draft kicker Roberto Aguayo!! That’s enough right there. Brady has been our real GM the last 3 years! Licht has just been collecting a huge undeserved Paycheck
February 20th, 2023 at 12:17 pm
Once they went for Brady, they took a short term view. This is the downside of never developing a franchise QB and building around him.
I’m starting to wonder if signing your own is the best policy, cap-wise. KC let Tyreek Hill go and won the Superbowl.
For once, I’d like to see us set up for sustained success.
February 20th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Joe, you’re protecting your seat at the table at OBP. Give me Lichts hits in the draft outside of Wirf, Winfield, and Evans. Too many whiffs for my liking Aquayo, Gay, Goedeke, Hall, and on and on. Riddle me this…how many of Lichts picks since he’s been here are still with the team. Those that are, list their contributions. Be a real journalist and not someone protecting your OBP access.
Don’t be ridiculous. Just look at the secondary that won the Super Bowl: Davis, Dean, Murphy-Bunting, Edwards and Winfield. That was the first defensive backfield in nearly 20 years that didn’t have a current or former Pro Bowler on it. Then there’s White and Vita playing massive roles in the success, among others like RoJo. “Hits” in the draft are relative to draft position. Also, Joe doesn’t judge Licht on 2015 or 2016 at this point. Those drafts are ancient history and not reflective of the team-building that exists now. Is a “hit” in the draft trading a third-round pick for JPP? It’s about the team. Lastly, Joe doesn’t hold back for “access.” That shows you’re not a regular reader here. This site was built without access and doesn’t revolve around it. Joe just wrote here that the last two drafts haven’t yielded a special player, and last week Joe noted that if Licht had nailed a superstar in each of the last two drafts this team would have a very different look right now. –Joe
February 20th, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Did pretty well in that ’21 season considering how many pro bowl-level people we lost
February 20th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
KC signing their homegrown quarterback to a very expensive long-term deal while jettisoning very effective players is the clear exception, not the rule in terms of success in today’s NFL. Arguably we had a much more successful post super bowl season than most teams. Exhibit one, the Rams this year. It will be interesting to see how the Bengals do once burrow is in the top three to five in terms of salary. The best model still seems to be a homegrown quarterback on his first rookie deal.
February 20th, 2023 at 12:33 pm
The Bucs won a Super Bowl and made the playoffs for 3 straight years. I wouldn’t say that’s “nothing”.
February 20th, 2023 at 12:47 pm
Don’t care what McNabb thinks
February 20th, 2023 at 12:54 pm
Remind me, how many rings does Mr. McNabb have? Licht made the right decision bringing back the Super Bowl team last season. A combination of injuries and relying on a nut job to fill a role for some of those injuries tanked the season.
February 20th, 2023 at 12:58 pm
Licht haters are idiots
February 20th, 2023 at 1:16 pm
Might be best if you egged on McNabb enough for him to throw his Bromosa at you. Then Ronde will catch it and none will go to waste.
February 20th, 2023 at 1:18 pm
McNabb must have just finished another one of his puking on the field incidents before he said that. Oh and McNabb, thanks again for the pick-6 to Ronde. Maybe McNabb should be next up for our ring of honor, lol.
February 20th, 2023 at 1:22 pm
Very good shot that 2021’s team repeats as champs if not for the injuries at WR and Antonio Brown going absolutely insane. There’s also no telling what the 2022 team does if they don’t lose Jensen in the first practice and Marpet doesn’t retire. GM’s can’t account for this stuff. I trust in Licht and hopefully he does us right in the rebuild.
February 20th, 2023 at 1:27 pm
Damn Alan you just took a spanking!
February 20th, 2023 at 1:28 pm
Donovan McNabb SURE knows how to win a championship.
Right??
LOL
February 20th, 2023 at 1:32 pm
Ok the bucs and the eagles are rivals it seems like.
Each looks at the other for clues but neither has affection for the other
Now, his real argument is lucht has missed on a lot of free agents.
He thinks the eagles won’t.
Since tge eagles draft well they don’t need as much. Jason has a lot of misses drafting too.
I say. Stay w Jason. He gets enough good players it’s not worth changing
February 20th, 2023 at 1:40 pm
McNabb is still butthurt over Barber.
February 20th, 2023 at 1:58 pm
Actually agree with ole puke through his facemask because he was out of shape in the superbowl, a little. The resigning’s on defense in particular didn’t work out. We got destroyed in the defensive secondary. Partly due to injury, partly because they sucked. I had no problem with bringing back Brady’s entire offense. The evidence speaks for itself. They should have retooled the defense that off-season. Licht should’ve realized how over their heads they played during that run and that theyd come back to earth.
.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:05 pm
what is McNabb talking about?
2 years removed from winning a super bowl and 3 years removed from putting together a team after signing the GREATEST FOOTBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME
February 20th, 2023 at 2:11 pm
I cannot join the Licht Haters Club.
The Bucs have had only three GM’s in their history who could build a team. Ron Wolf, Rich McKay, and Licht.
Who built the team that was a QB and a TE away from winning it all, and then went out and found the QB, who brought the TE with him?
He has earned the right to try again, in my book.
PS. Mr. McNabb, Tampa Bay Is a Body of Water.
Our teams are named for that body of water.
We Don’t Care How You Do It Up North.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:20 pm
McNabb is right. This is why Eagles, Chiefs, Bills, etc will have sustain success while we put everything in a couple of good years. That’s all we have to show for. No really special players, no cap , no QB , no good coaches, all for a couple of good years to taste victory. Hindsight is 20/20 and yes getting new players look like the right choice right about now
February 20th, 2023 at 2:21 pm
He wrong it worked up until the Bowles Blunder.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:27 pm
Two words, McScabb.
Ronde Barber.
How was it horking in the Super Bowl in front of the world while you gagged away the game?
February 20th, 2023 at 2:32 pm
GM’s that draft kickers and punters are buffoons that are trying desperately to show that they are smarter than everyone else by drafting positions no other erstwhile GM would.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:46 pm
I really don’t think signing all 22 was the right thing. Yes, I know. Easy to say that in retrospect. But just think about it. Thirty one other teams, with the best offensive and defensive football minds in the world, are adjusting their Offenses and Defenses to beat everyone… but particularly beat the champ. It is hard to stand still and not change things…grow…and expect the same results.. to win another championship…especially in this salary cap FA era.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:59 pm
Joe.. making the playoffs alone is basically nothing. You can win half your games, and half of those coming from a team in your division among the worst in the league. Just saying. What ? 20 out of the 32 teams?
February 20th, 2023 at 3:00 pm
Winning a division can be like a beauty contest at a nursing home among the four old ladies able to stand up. Doesn’t say much in some cases.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:14 pm
Alan Pearson Says:
February 20th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Ridiculous nonsense. He has whiffs, like EVER.OTHER.GM.
I’ll give you Aguayo. Obviously.
Gay was a good pick. 5th rounder and the guy is a Pro-Bowl kicker, despite a little inconsistency in year 1. The mistake was cutting him. Very good 5th round pick.
Goedeke had a rough rookie year playing at a position he had never played before at a much higher level of competition than he did in college. Later in the season, he played well at RT in his one opportunity. Probably will become a quality long-term starter for us.
Your judgment on Goedeke is EXTREMELY premature, and likely wrong,
Logan Hall didn’t get a lot of action as a rookie. Calling a guy a bust after a rookie year is also EXTREMELY premature. He will need to step up into a starting role this year, and we’ll see. No reason to give up on him after a learning year.
So, your examples suck outside of Aguayo.
Every GM has bad picks. Not every GM has built a roster that has won a Superbowl. Like a lot of people here, you lack perspective.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:15 pm
NDog is an Idiot Says:
February 20th, 2023 at 12:14 pm
Yes, you’re an idiot.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:22 pm
TampaBayBucsFanSince1976 Says:
February 20th, 2023 at 2:32 pm
Bill Belichick has been known to draft a punter or kicker. Yeah, he sucks.
Licht drafted a great punter. Field position matters, and he’s already one of the best punters in the league. Those guys are not just walking the streets.
Matt Gay is a Pro Bowl kicker.
Aguayo was a horrible pick that made no sense, there’s no debating that.
So, on kicker/punter picks, Licht is 2 out of 3.
Perspective.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:25 pm
How do you really replace a GM…it’s not like Harvard or MIT offer a Masters program in it. I think GM is more of a relationship with ownership…must have complete trust there..then his job is to have a great cap person and to consistently improve scouts / player personal. Plus. Need to have relationships with agents.
I agree, we can improve in some areas of our scouting and decision making…and maybe if next year really sucks the Glazers will decide to find a new GM and coach….but that means really starting over….and can take years to rebuild those scouting departments…
Go Bucs!
February 20th, 2023 at 3:32 pm
“Tampa re-signed all 22 players or so and what happened? Nothing,” McNabb lectured.
___________________________________
Uh, they were about 1 play away from the NFC championship actually. But I guess you could also call that “nothing” lol.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:40 pm
Plus because we have been winning we’ve been drafting near the back of the 1st round. Unless Licht traded away the farm to move up we don’t get the top 15 marquis players. jeez
February 20th, 2023 at 4:01 pm
“Tampa re-signed all 22 players or so and what happened? Nothing,”
—–
The Bucs were one play from winning another SB. The only team in the playoffs that year that was beating the Bucs was the Rams, and that game came down to one play. No one else in the playoffs was taking out Tampa.
I even said so before the playoffs, the only matchup I feared as having to play the stupid Rams, or if the Saints sneaked in, and they didn’t.
Being one play from another title is hardly a failure.
But what do you expect from a low IQ imbecile like McNabb. No wonder a smart player like Ronde owned this moron.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:08 pm
everybody pans the aguayo pick. At the time he was the most accurate kicker in the history of college football…ever, like, no one else more accurate. We were coming off a season where our kickers had actually lost us games.
The pick sucked, Aguayo for whatever reason, had a complete mental collapse. But man, the revisionist history is absurd.
Licht has been a stellar GM. He’s been a stellar drafter, and he’s been stellar at cap management. The GM is not accountable for the injuries and issues that derailed our superbowl defense. And don’t say it was his job to draft the depth to replace it. That’s crap and frankly by the end the depth, which was starting to help us along, also got hurt. By the time we played the Rams we were so injured and depleted it’s amazing we almost beat them.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:32 pm
Greg G – Also, Roberto never missed a kick that changed the outcome of a game. In his one chance to hit a game winner, he made it. I’m not a FSU fan at all, but a ton of kickers have bad rookie years and go on to be really good. The Bucs bailed on him way too early.
Meanwhile, in 2019, Gay loses two games for the Bucs, and everyone thought he was awesome. Makes no sense.
But, with that said, Roberto’s ‘most accurate’ kick nonsense, was nonsense. It included extra points. If you removed those from the equation, he was still good, but his numbers didn’t jump off the page. Then when you see his range was like 52 yards… for me, I didn’t kill the pick at the time because I just heard all the BS about his accuracy, without context. But if you are spending a (very late) 2nd rounder on a kicker, that guy had better be able to make 60-yarders all day long, and that wasn’t who he was. In that regard, I didn’t like the pick. However that doesn’t change the fact he got railroaded.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:34 pm
McNab should wipe the manyaise off his sticky chin before he opens his recepticle.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:47 pm
please! don’t try that mess Joe! McNabb is gonna beat your azz all over that establishment if you even think of pouring a drink on him… keep your insults on the internet for your own health & safety LOL
February 20th, 2023 at 4:53 pm
The BUCS have the worst GM. And owners. They win one Superbowl and for next 10 years they barely win 5 games. Patriots and 49ers are committed to excellence and few other teams. BUCS organization are happy with one Superbowl every 20 years. If they don’t bring in a good QB we’re done. Licht isn’t even in the top 20.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:25 pm
E.Vi. Says:
February 20th, 2023 at 4:53 pm
Perspective… Bucs have won 2 Superbowls in the last 20 years. Many teams have zero.
There are plenty of knocks on this organization — never developing a franchise QB is the most glaring one…
The Glazers are not among the best owners, but they’re far from the worst.
If you want to argue that we haven’t established a long term sustainable winning culture, you’d be correct. How many teams have? We wanna get there, and I’m sure the Glazers wanna be there too.
We’ll see if Licht can steer this back in a positive direction after this year’s cap maneuvers, draft, and free agency. If Bowles fails as most people expect this year, the organization has a chance to establish a new direction in 2024.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:37 pm
Lots of Joe Tryon and Trask fans here.. Licht is a genius.
Let’s not forget about another UF product with a wasted Top pick
February 20th, 2023 at 5:37 pm
@ E. Vi.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
When is the last time the 49ers even made it to the Super Bowl ? I believe in the mid 90’s !!!?? Go find another place to spew your garbage. Go Bucs
February 20th, 2023 at 5:38 pm
All Donovans suck.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:39 pm
What about Rojo? Darden?
I’m sorry our key contributors in the SB run only came here because Brady. Licht is on a short leash and should be judged with Bowles this year.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:42 pm
I can’t stand all these bandwagon Bucs fans ! Same people who were on this site 2 years ago talking about winning 2 in a row. Now that our Bucs don’t have Brady you all act like we will be doomed for the next 20 years ? You probably never watched a Bucs game during the lost decade. Go Bucs and get lost fake fans
February 20th, 2023 at 5:42 pm
I’m talking about offensive side. The D balled out at the end of season but didn’t sustain the success. Question to Joe what’s lichts Team philosophy? Which side of the ball has he built into a true strength
February 20th, 2023 at 7:25 pm
“Bucs are happy to win a SB every 10 years. Worst owners. Worst GM”
LOFL. Besides the Pats with Brady, any and every other team would absolutely kill to win a SB every 10 years.
There are multiple teams that have never won a SB. Multiple more teams that have only one it once, some of which were 30 – 40 years ago if not longer.
The Glazers are mediocre owners, but they could be much worse. Licht has been one of the better GMs this organization has ever seen.
If we could only draft and develop a dang QB (and pass rusher), you would see more sustained success.
February 20th, 2023 at 7:29 pm
Brady brought Gronk with him and antonio brown.
Those are 3 of the best at their positions.
February 20th, 2023 at 8:05 pm
donovan mcmadd sounding like nothing more than a buc hater
February 20th, 2023 at 10:15 pm
Licht is a good all around scout and deal maker most the time. It just is the matter of fact that the Bucs don’t have what it takes. Did everyone not know this was coming after Covid Bowl championship at home 3 years ago with the GOAT. Shut cho fatazz up Donovan. Still crying that Ronde shut down the Vet.
February 20th, 2023 at 10:31 pm
Im a huge longtime Bucs fan, but I agree with Donovan. I don’t think he has any other motive than giving a very insightful accurate view.
The Bucs blew it. I love BA’s rough and easy personality, but honestly think BA shares some blame! They put him in the front office, and I believe his loyalty for his “protéges”, Leftwich and Bowles forced the Bucs Licht and Glazers to continue with what was terrible, embarrassing coaching.
February 21st, 2023 at 5:21 pm
If Licht drafts a f$cking kicker again this year earlier than round 6 to replace succop I will lose my mind and will stop defending Licht i think he has done well aside from one or two drafts. Keep in mind Justin Evans and Kendall Beckwith had unfortunate injuries but otherwise looked promising in their young career. Imagine if they panned out how much stronger this team would be.
February 21st, 2023 at 5:28 pm
Rob Munch – pretty sure I watched aguayo singlehandedly cost the bucs a few losses. The one vs the Pats stings. Pretty sure he missed like 5 kicks, cant recall what was 3 or 1 but it ended up being the difference of the game. Two other picks Beckwith and Evans, man what we cpuld have had with them. Young, promising, too bad for the injuries.