Don’t Be Fooled About The “Greatest” Need
February 21st, 2023
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Joe has a strong hunch this Bucs team will look a whole lot different when May rolls around.
First, Tom Brady is gone. And because of the salary cap pinch, it’s quite possible cornerback Jamel Dean and linebacker Lavonte David are gone, too. Joe doesn’t know how you can have a better team if you lose Brady, David and Dean.
One of the top NFL writers in the western world, Dan Pompei of The Athletic, decided to cobble together a list of the biggest needs for each NFL team with the free agency dinner bell scheduled to ring three weeks from tomorrow.
Pompei notes that no matter what the Bucs say, they cannot be expected to do any damage in January unless they add a stud quarterback.
In other words, Pompei advises the Bucs not to get distracted by the short-term need for a defensive back or linebacker.
Position of greatest need: Quarterback
Given the defensive backs who may be departing as free agents (Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Mike Edwards, Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal), the Bucs may need a cornerback or safety as much as anything. But to say their biggest need is anything but quarterback is ignoring the obvious. Tom Brady has said farewell, and the only quarterback the Bucs have under contract is Kyle Trask, who has thrown nine NFL passes and has been on the active roster for only two NFL games.
If it was up to the Joe typing here, the Bucs would be in the early stages of #CollapseForCaleb, planning to trade veterans for draft capital to use as ammo next spring, if necessary, to draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.
However, this is contrary to what Bucs coach Todd Bowles wants. Joe isn’t sure how warm Bowles’ seat is but given Team Glazer history, Bowles ought to be concerned.
Bowles is thinking short-term where the organization should be thinking long-term. And that’s a problem.
To be fair to Bowles, why would he care about the condition of the franchise in, say, 2025? If he doesn’t win now, he won’t be around for 2025, or maybe even 2024.
February 21st, 2023 at 4:02 am
#CollapseForCaleb = loser mentality
February 21st, 2023 at 4:21 am
Joe … ‘Bowles is thinking short-term where the organization should be thinking long-term. And that’s a problem.’
Unfair assessment Joe. Arians and Licht were the ones who were thinking short-term when we stocked the roster heavy-offense in 2020 & 2021 in quest of a Super Bowl. We heavily mortgaged the future in hopes of winning it all in the short-term. And then after that, oh ya, BA quit on us once he saw the writing on the wall and ‘gifted’ Bowles the opportunity to clean up the resultant mess. IF Todd Bowles truly is a ‘dead man walking’ like so many contend, it’s because he said ‘Yes’ to BA’s ‘gift’ back on 31 March instead of ‘No thanks’.
Doesn’t it seem strange to anyone that we’re not hearing anything of any substance coming out of the Bucs’ hierarchy concerning where we’re at or where we HOPE to go? Bucs definitely had an offensive identity under BA; that’s where all the money went & we’ll be paying for that for several more years. If anything, it seems to me that Bowles is trying to get us to move towards becoming a more BALANCED TEAM.
THAT’S not a short-term goal, it’s long-term because most of our current resources (and big contracts) exist on the offensive side of the ball. What we do to resolve this salary CAP mess and in free agency & in the draft should give us all a clue as to what the Bucs long-term plan is. I for one HOPE that becoming a more BALANCED TEAM is our long-term strategy.
February 21st, 2023 at 4:53 am
I don’t see the Bucs having a better than average defense if they lose LVD and Dean. There is little proof that the only QB on the roster was groomed
to take over the offense. Paying an overpriced free agent QB will just be another example of kicking the salary cap can down the road. Bowles has his shortcomings, but next seasons success or failure, will be squarely on Jason’s Licht shoulders.
February 21st, 2023 at 5:34 am
Hey Joe, remember when Pac 12 defenses made Ronald Jones look like Earl Campbell? Sorry, I’m not “collapsing” (quitting) for anybody.
February 21st, 2023 at 5:45 am
Defense rules nailed it!
Let’s enjoy the ride!
Go Bucs!!!
February 21st, 2023 at 6:05 am
If you don’t have a QB, you don’t have a chance. Simple as that
February 21st, 2023 at 6:14 am
Trade a big name or 2.
Let a few free agents walk.
Soak up all of Brady’s cap hit.
Gabbert.
February 21st, 2023 at 6:14 am
Go to overthecap .com and look at the Bucs. Look at the top 10-12 players and salaries of the Bucs, and think of the lack of production. Then try to argue that this team does not need to be blown up.
February 21st, 2023 at 6:17 am
This is a “win NOW” business, always has been. The days of having a pipeline of up and coming players is all but finished in this FA era. THIS is the price of impatience and winning, this is what FANS and ownership alike crave. It comes at a price when you shop the FA market to do so.
We have drafted some decent players over the years and I don’t think the “cupboard is bare.” We have some key positions to fill and some we hope will emerge (Hall, JTS, Trask). Lets hope they can find the right pieces.
I for one, am not ready for more losing, and I sure as heck ain’t into tanking for draft picks.
Go Bucs!
February 21st, 2023 at 6:22 am
Though I’m not far off from what DR mentioned, he’s not completely corrected in his assessment.
Like I said, most of the bit of sentiment DR speaks of however BOWLES IS directly involved in cutting his own throat this year because like Arians and Licht, it at Seems that Bowles is ALSO guilty of Not Developing Kyle Trask LAST YEAR when not only did he have the chance but it was His Responsibility!
Therefore concerning the QB situation, he set himself up for failure in the UTMOST important position on the field and therefore the “team”!
Maybe it’s a sign of offensive lack of experience and preparation but definitely a death sentence to an easy transition.
It seems he just may have taken Tom Brady for granted. Bowles has his pants down around his knees right about now. Should have spent just a little attention and time with the man. The way they interacted during game days it became painfully obvious that they didn’t really know each other at all…..
Bowles EARNED some of the credit for this unmitigated disaster. Believe your own (game day) eyes if nothing else. The sooner the man figures out it’s a TEAM SPORT the better. A “Head Coach” is KEENLY AWARE of both the defense AND the offense.
Perhaps he’s finally transitioning into an “actual head coach” right about now and master of all versus just the singularly defensive coach it seems he’s always been to this point….
As location is for real estate, and talent is for athletes, WISDOM is what is at the core of every head coach.
February 21st, 2023 at 6:28 am
No, no, no. Give it to Trask or get off the pot. We need o-line and d-line, as well as secondary first.
February 21st, 2023 at 6:47 am
“#CollapseForCaleb”
There goes Joe again. Anyone but Trask. Even a 6’1″ quarterback who may or may not be available in 2024 and who likely will not pan out. Just like the hype for Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston … though at least Jameis had NFL size.
February 21st, 2023 at 7:00 am
It’ll be a good year to take up a new fall hobby
February 21st, 2023 at 7:22 am
PFF named JTS most improved Bucs player?
February 21st, 2023 at 7:23 am
I 100% disagree.
The biggest need is a decent head coach.
February 21st, 2023 at 7:26 am
Bowles is free to go and take one of the many huge offers of other teams clamoring to get him.
February 21st, 2023 at 7:30 am
Do not forget Bowles shopped himself like crazy all over and nobody wanted him. Then the Bucs hired him.
February 21st, 2023 at 7:30 am
Joe I think Bowles get 2 more years From this site I read Bowles got a 5 year contract. They might but I don’t think the Glazers want to fork out that kind of money for a buyout not this season anyway. Also we all know that this season could be a tough one. I think Bowles will have to be a 022 N Hackett to get canned this season Nonetheless I am sure they will figure out how to bring a top teal QB maybe not this year but by next season
February 21st, 2023 at 7:36 am
Drake Maye will be twice the QB Caleb Williams will be.
February 21st, 2023 at 7:43 am
They’ve failed at every step in trying to develop Kyle Trask, and it’s an organizational failure that extends way beyond Todd Bowles. To draft a QB in the 2nd round and then literally do nothing with him but have him run the scout team is asinine. Major disconnect between the front office and the coaching staff.
To not even have him dressed and on the bench with Brady on game days is absolute organizational malpractice. They had 10k coaches, one of them should have been attached to Trask’s hip all game long on game days feeding him information and Trask should have been standing there with a headset on listening to every conversation between Brady and the sideline. What an absolute wasted opportunity.
February 21st, 2023 at 8:04 am
Buc50 . A quarterback don’t mean nothing without a team around him. That’s been the problem with the bucs for years. They tank for a quarterback and they bring him to a team with nothing around him and y’all expect him to win a championship just because he’s the quarterback that was drafted in the first round. The 49ers has shown us you build the team first than get the quarterback.
February 21st, 2023 at 8:24 am
I don’t want the Bucs to intentionally loose, but they have to look at reality for 2023. They have a bad coach with no QB. That is the worst combination you can have in the NFL. I want the Bucs to clean up the cap for this year and position themselves to have a large amount of draft capital for 2024.
Also, the Bucs need to go all out at strengthening their offensive line so that the new QB in 2024 has an advantage that most high first round selections do not have.
February 21st, 2023 at 8:36 am
Bowles ruined this team…….his gameday calls were mostly failures……he throttled the offense and couldn’t get the defense to be consistent.
He isn’t worthy of a cap strangling QB……
Let’s go with the sink or swim for Trask & Bowles.
February 21st, 2023 at 8:48 am
Gotbucs,, I agree,something about Caleb makes me think Jameis. Maye seems hungrier between the two.
Trask, Gabbert and a cheap transition backup qb. I don’t believe the south is going to be a pushover next year
February 21st, 2023 at 9:08 am
Draft best available athlete regardless of position-Licht cannot afford misses in this draft like last year’s mess of a draft. Drafting best available produces starters at a low cap impact as long as they are not QB’s. bucs will have plenty of need at all positions after the purge this off season.
February 21st, 2023 at 9:20 am
Let expensive free agents go, draft BPA and give young players from previous drafts as much playing time as possible next season to see if they develop into starters or not.
February 21st, 2023 at 9:34 am
OMG. I agree with oneilbuc. 😳
February 21st, 2023 at 9:46 am
Too bad our GM doesn’t have a long term mentality as he is not very good at building a roster unless he has a high pick. It’s almost as if he’s taken the draft off since the Bucs won the Super Bowl
February 21st, 2023 at 9:48 am
Rand Says
“#CollapseForCaleb = loser mentality”
Exactly!
Sorry, Joe, but after working so hard to change the culture, expecting the Bucs to tank is unrealistic. It would tell the players that losing is okay, and wipe out the culture change.
While Trask is untested, that doesn’t mean he’ll be bad. Expect OL upgrades to improve the run game and take some of the load off him.
February 21st, 2023 at 9:53 am
AlwaysBucs Says:
February 21st, 2023 at 9:46 am
“Too bad our GM doesn’t have a long term mentality as he is not very good at building a roster unless he has a high pick. It’s almost as if he’s taken the draft off since the Bucs won the Super Bowl”
Well, that is just untrue. Most of our top players have been here long term, and half of them were not high picks.
As to the last couple drafts…people have judged them harshly too soon. For one of those drafts, this will be the 3rd year…when they are supoosed to shop improvement.
For last year’s draft, it is way to early.
February 21st, 2023 at 9:54 am
Mike Says:
February 21st, 2023 at 9:20 am
Let expensive free agents go, draft BPA and give young players from previous drafts as much playing time as possible next season to see if they develop into starters or not. ”
That kind of happened this year due to injuries.
February 21st, 2023 at 10:08 am
I watched some highlights of Caleb and I get Mayfield and Kyler Murray vibes. I am not sure how he is going to transition to the NFL. His game is ducking, dodging, and sliding away from defenders which is going to be harder to do in the NFL and going to be tough to break that habit.
February 21st, 2023 at 10:13 am
In all fairness, bowels was handed a disaster. Offensive and defensive lines totally killed last season. If this organization wants to get back on track fix those two issues ASAP
February 21st, 2023 at 10:29 am
Collapse for Caleb is a dumbass idea.
February 21st, 2023 at 10:30 am
If the Bucs had any sense at all they would focus on the pass rush. Can’t win consistently without that top tier pass rush.
February 21st, 2023 at 10:30 am
Why all the #CollapseforCaleb ? How do you know he will workout in the NFL? Or that he makes it out of next college season uninjured? I would not collapse for any player. None, zero, nada. What does that show the players on this team the commitment of GM Coaches, Ownership. It would no longer be any need for team commitment. #Collapsefornextbignameoncampus. Draft Oline-Dline LB CB TE RB. Needs due to losses and lack of quality depth, players nearing their NFL shelf life. How well did the PITT game “excitement” work out in the 5 years of another “NFL ready highest QB IQ in a generation savior” work out in his 5 seasons with us? With his same QB IQ he had in college of throwing the ball to the other team on a to regular basis work out in the NFL?
Hey Joe’s you have a phone call, {Johnny Manzel on line 86}.
February 21st, 2023 at 10:33 am
Well, with that line of thinking, why draft anyone? Trade every draft pick you have.
“Loser’s Mentality” is already thinking the first quarterback drafted will be a bust.
February 21st, 2023 at 10:34 am
Caleb could be a bust. Wanna tank a season, trade away proven veterans, alienate an entire fanbase for a college kid who may not be the savior? Utterly moronic…
February 21st, 2023 at 10:37 am
Joe Says:
February 21st, 2023 at 10:33 am
Wow, that’s some serious contortion.
February 21st, 2023 at 11:00 am
It should be contrary to what all fans want. Enough of this it’s all about winning the Super Bowl. We watch this team because we enjoy football, and what’s the point of having 17 games of watching a loser just so they can win a Super Bowl.
That is basically what happened before Brady got here. Are you saying that lost decade was worth it because we won one Super Bowl?
I’d rather have a team that I enjoy watching play, I couldn’t care less about winning the final trophy.
February 21st, 2023 at 11:06 am
Drafting QBs high in the draft has ALWAYS worked out for the Bucs…. collapse for jaymiss was a great plan smh gtfoh joe
February 21st, 2023 at 11:19 am
Losing games in hope of getting a specific player is really stupid. A dropped pass, a bad kick, etc. could mean another team falls below the Bucs record and THEY take the targeted player. I can’t imagine a team playing NFL ball knowing your management really wants you to loose.
February 21st, 2023 at 11:23 am
BIGGEST VS REQUIRED
If the Bucs had the best QB in the game they wouldn’t win. The Bucs need to fix the OL before they get a QB. The biggest needs are left tackle and left guard.
February 21st, 2023 at 11:26 am
Hard to take Joe’s CollapseforCaleb seriously when he wanted us to take Johnny Manziel instead of Evans ah ha hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaahahahha and still was under the impression that Jameis (Mr. 30/30, America’s Clown QB) was a Franchise type QB.
February 21st, 2023 at 11:38 am
“If it was up to the Joe typing here, the Bucs would be in the early stages of #CollapseForCaleb, planning to trade veterans for draft capital to use as ammo next spring, if necessary, to draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.”
^^^^^^^^^^^
You might win too many games with Evans and Godwin, so you’d HAVE to trade them off…Young QB gets to Tampa, then you need to draft WR’s who might or might not work out, bypassing O-Lineman because you need to find him some weapons…No thank you.
February 21st, 2023 at 11:53 am
This Joe thought Manziel should’ve been picked over Evans and was a Jameis supporter until the bitter end. His evaluation of QB’s is off, badly.
February 21st, 2023 at 12:04 pm
Caleb has freakish skills. He also appears to be playing out of control. No matter how much people drool over his natural athletic talent, there’s no guarantee it translates in the NFL. I can’t believe one of the J03s would be willing to tank a season for him. Mor0nic. On second thought, it shouldn’t surprise me.
February 21st, 2023 at 12:06 pm
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
February 21st, 2023 at 9:53 am
AlwaysBucs Says:
February 21st, 2023 at 9:46 am
“Too bad our GM doesn’t have a long term mentality as he is not very good at building a roster unless he has a high pick. It’s almost as if he’s taken the draft off since the Bucs won the Super Bowl”
Well, that is just untrue. Most of our top players have been here long term, and half of them were not high picks.
As to the last couple drafts…people have judged them harshly too soon. For one of those drafts, this will be the 3rd year…when they are supoosed to shop improvement.
For last year’s draft, it is way to early.
Bonzai,
Licht is going into his 10th draft and we still need a QB, Pass Rusher, CB, Kicker, LB, OT, OG, Safety & RB. He’s had 4 really good draft’s and the rest are not pretty. Last two drafts teams picking after us or in the same area have managed to find impact players while Licht is picking guys who aren’t contributing
February 21st, 2023 at 12:16 pm
If the Bucs tank, it will be at least 10 years and 4 coaches between now and the next playoff game. Why? Look at Bucs history. How stupid. Bucs can’t rebuild any more than they can develop a rookie QB. Not in their persona.
And no way the Toadster agrees with that. Nor the players.
Please stop with the tanking on purpose nonsense.
February 21st, 2023 at 12:30 pm
If I had to guess, Blaine Gabbert or Kyle Trask will be the starting qb and the other his backup! That’s all this team can afford!! The team will lose significant man power as the free agents run for the hills!!
February 21st, 2023 at 1:41 pm
The Bucs have no money and they still owe Brady 35 million after restructuring his deal in 2021. They have limited options through the draft for QB since the better QBs are going to go in the first 10 picks. So, all you have left are mid-level QBs, who might come at the right prices like a Carr, Mayfield or even a Garrapolo. It really doesn’t matter, because the Bucs have neither draft capital or money. On top of that, they are going to lose a boatload of veteran players to free agency. Good luck Bucs.
February 21st, 2023 at 2:46 pm
You simply cannot win 70% of your games in this NFL without an above average QB. God luck Bucs.
February 21st, 2023 at 2:57 pm
A “loser mentality” is also sticking with a HC with a long track record of fail.
February 21st, 2023 at 6:03 pm
sasquatch Says:
February 21st, 2023 at 10:34 am
Caleb could be a bust. Wanna tank a season, trade away proven veterans, alienate an entire fanbase for a college kid who may not be the savior? Utterly moronic…
what is moronic is Todd Bowles is our head coach–we will never be competetive with him. Our roster has aged out. Bucs need to scale down and get the capp off our back. We need newer players, this year selling ME to another good team would be doing him a fave. Getting Gage sold is asolid also. Need a draft pick for ME. Now not when it is too late.
February 22nd, 2023 at 8:09 am
Mike Johnson. Again without a team it doesn’t matter who the quarterback is. They need to build the team first than get a quarterback look at the 49ers . Or how about Justin Herbert who’s a good quarterback but his team ain’t that good how playoff games the Chargers won or even made it to?? The Packers missed the playoffs last year with Rogers. But the Seahawks made the playoffs with Geno Smith . Build the team and we can win with a young quarterback.