“This Is The Time To Trim The Fat”
February 4th, 2023
“Bruce, I’m not sure this job is as great as you said it was 10 months ago.”
A seasoned and reasoned three-time Super Bowl winner says there’s a definite wrestling match happening behind the scenes at One Buc Palace.
Per the words of retired receiver Ed McCaffrey, Christian’s dad who is a regular co-host on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht knows this is the time to rebuild the franchise.
Licht is aware he’s in a salary cap crunch with an aging and talented roster, per McCaffrey, “so this is the time to trim the fat.” That’s the smart play, he added.
But that approach crosses a line in the sand surely drawn by head coach Todd Bowles, per McCaffery. No head coach who knows the NFL game wants to be part of a rebuild because that’s an excuse to lose games and a second-year coach needs to win.
McCaffrey laid out what he considers the Bowles “pep talk” to Licht and Team Glazer.
“I’m sure that Coach Bowles is talking about, ‘Hey look, we lost a great player but we got a lot of great players on this football team. And look at our division. Our division was down last year; I mean, we made the playoffs with a losing record. And we know how many of [our] guys were injured. We were decimated on the offensive line and lost so many guys. That wasn’t our best season and we won our division. Our expectation is to win the division and make a run at a Super Bowl, and we’re going to do it with the guys in this room.'”
Joe agrees with McCaffrey, who also says Licht won’t be in Bowles’ camp.
“But if you’re a general manager behind closed doors, ‘We’re rebuilding! We’re rebuilding!'” McCaffrey explained. “You’re laying the ground work for, ‘You gotta give me a year or two here in case we don’t win ball games I don’t want to get fired. We just lost Tom Brady; it’s gonna take a minute to kind of retool/rebuild.'”
Joe couldn’t have said it much better than McCaffrey.
What makes this all so interesting is that the Bucs will be able to retain enough talent next season to win the weak NFC South, Joe believes, if they land a veteran quarterback. And if you can do that, should you really be in tear-down mode?
In yesterday’s Ira Kaufman Podcast, Ira laid out that Team Glazer ultimately will chart the Bucs’ course. Yes, he went there and explained.
February 4th, 2023 at 2:15 pm
I defer to the gm. Tough for Bowles, but there needs to be longterm management of the org.
Go Bucs!!!
February 4th, 2023 at 2:22 pm
If you draft well the fat trimming and rebuilding is a natural process that takes place every year,if you dont,then you have this discussion
February 4th, 2023 at 2:22 pm
Problem is we don’t have any muscle to replace the fat
🥴
February 4th, 2023 at 2:32 pm
Start with the Left Tackle. The leader in penalties since 2015.
February 4th, 2023 at 2:33 pm
Complete tear down. The perfect coach is in place for it “Lovie Dovie 2.Oh”…another red headed QB to trot out there ( Glennon did have red hair once upon a time ) and valuable trade pieces to move at the deadline…Evans/Godwin/White ( if he’s right ). Look to ‘24 for a fresh start.
February 4th, 2023 at 2:38 pm
Still don’t understand why Bowles is the HC. Time to move on.
February 4th, 2023 at 2:41 pm
No reason for a ‘complete tear down’. Of 22 starters, mebbe a half dozen need to go
February 4th, 2023 at 2:47 pm
Do we have what it takes to win the division this season? Panthers were 4-2 in their last 6 games, and nearly snatched the division from us in a rebuild year.
Does anyone think this team will play BETTER next year without Tom Brady? Because the Panthers and maybe the Falcons sure will play better next year.
February 4th, 2023 at 2:49 pm
While everyone seems to be certain that Bowles is the second coming of Lovie Smith, or worse, I will just say this. With NYJ, he had the worst front office in the league giving him crap to work with, and the QB situation was garbage (also not his fault)…
Then, he comes to Tampa, and his first year as HC here, Tom Brady is all wishy washy about playing, is distracted in his personal life, loses 15 lbs, and isn’t as physically prepared or focused. In addition, he loses one starting guard to FA, another to retirement, and our center is injured for the entire year. All of our receivers start the year with some level of injury, the best TE ever has retired so Brady doesn’t have his outlet valve and security blanket… Plus, the offensive coordinator turns out to be incompetent without Daddy Bruce and they can’t figure out how to run the ball… The offense is garbage as a result. Pretty much every free agent they signed spent large parts of the year incapacitated due to injury.
Now Bowles is looking down the barrel of a rebuild, and he has to go along with it… And if they go 6-11 or 7-10, people will blame Bowles again. Seems to me this guy has never had a decent chance to succeed as a head coach.
People love to hate.
February 4th, 2023 at 2:51 pm
He’s got one more year to be fair to him. He needs a team that can win some games. But upper management decides. “Hey. Let’s give one more year but we’ll do what we want anyway.” Don’t think Bowles will be happy with the amount of wins next year that he needs.
February 4th, 2023 at 2:54 pm
Ownership will ultimately make the call. If the goal is a home playoff game, IMO that’s doable with a Jimmy G. Type. The cap problems are being exaggerated. I would however use next season to clear some room for 24 and beyond. They won’t be competing for a title, but owners drool over home playoff games. Unless it’s a complete teardown, there’s no guarantee you get Caleb anyway. Multiple teams will be tanking next season.
February 4th, 2023 at 3:00 pm
What has Licht bulit ever?
Brady doesn’t count.
Licht is a loser who got lucky in the Brady lottery…that’s all.
So many busts…no thank you.
February 4th, 2023 at 3:16 pm
I agree that I don’t think Bowles is getting a fair run. He turned our defense around year 1. What a difference to go from Mike Smith to Todd Bowles. I stand firm if we can get the right OC, we can reload and compete. We can trim salary wherever we can, pick up draft picks wherever possible, hang on to core players and compete next year. I just don’t want a repeat of the 10 years before Arians and Brady.
February 4th, 2023 at 3:16 pm
This roster is not THAT bad. It’s all on Licht, though. If he can nail this upcoming draft, get us younger in the places we’re aging while still letting guys like LVD, Gholston and Evans finish their careers here and pass on a pretty great legacy when you look at it. I can’t believe the same guys here that preach about winning culture want to “tear it down”… That’s ridiculous. Evaluate what you have, and bring in what you need. It’s quite simple. Not exactly easy, but simple.
February 4th, 2023 at 3:26 pm
If Bowles wanted some leeway in 23, he could have proven that he could get the team ready and had them playing hard.
He didn’t. They sleepwalked through the first half in most games and lost games they had no business losing. He can’t argue injuries, etc. because the healthy players just weren’t prepared to succeed
February 4th, 2023 at 3:27 pm
Sasquatch, I have been bashing Bowles but I really hope you’re right. I wanted the guy to be head coach, but what I saw last year, didn’t give me much hope.
He kept timeouts in his pocket to play for overtime. He was way too conservative. He didn’t take chances. Didn’t use an up tempo offense because he didn’t want his defense to get tired….Too much crap like that. Like I said though, I hope you’re right and I’m wrong.
February 4th, 2023 at 3:39 pm
All you have to do is not resign any FAs who are over 30…..that would be a very good start.
February 4th, 2023 at 3:42 pm
Anomaly, right. It’s easy to build a team with a pile of top picks. Plus what he inherited from the other drafts. Brady was the singular piece that put us over the top. it’s ok to admit. Why people have such a problem with it is beyond me. I’d bet money some here would give the Lombardi back. Talk about fake fans. Licht is a good GM. Nothing special. Look at the last two drafts. Average or below. Personally Ill never get over the Trask pick. Maybe that makes me biased
February 4th, 2023 at 3:43 pm
Tampabaybucfan: Do you really think Lavonte David is part of the problem?
February 4th, 2023 at 3:50 pm
@ Anomaly…As much as it hurts me to say this, I agree with you..
Licht came in with Lovie Smith in 2014 and as it stands Mike Evans is still imo the best player he’s drafted…His best overall draft imo was the 2019 class…His worst picks were Hargreaves/Spence; we literally got no production from those guys for where we took them…His best value pick was imo Godwin (honorable mention Kendall Beckwith/Kwon Alexander)…He’s had a bunch of head scratchers over the years (especially in the 2nd Rd)…
Our drafts got a little better once Bruce Arians came in…What I can say is Licht seems to be the ultimate survivor; I felt he should have been fired twice…First with Lovie, and again with Dirk…Brady did buy him some time; but now that Brady is gone and Bruce is not coaching we’re going to see over the next year how good/bad he really is…
February 4th, 2023 at 3:53 pm
@Sasquatch
Understand there are definitely some Bowles apologists out there, but none of what you mention has anything to do with his inability to lead a team and organization, him placing the responsibility of leadership/motivation of the team on the players instead of himself and his staff, his MULTIPLE poor/scared game management decisions throughout the season, etc. If this was his 1st year as a HC some of that stuff would be understandable and forgiven to an extent, but we’re talking about a 5 year HC with a .405 win percentage here. His coaching ineptitude was an embarrassment to the organization last year and likely had a direct impact on the performance of entire team. I was initially pissed that he was retained, but now believe he’s simply being kept around to oversee a wasted season as we trim the dead weight and reset the cap, laying the groundwork for a new HC and program to take over in ’24. Wouldn’t be shocked if the new OC we hire turns out to be that guy. Will genuinely be surprised if we finish above 3rd in the division this upcoming season.
February 4th, 2023 at 3:57 pm
I spoke about it at the time. It seemed like every FA we got had had injury problems. Even a few draft picks had missed games due to injury or fear of illness. I didn’t see why we did that but it played out as I thought. Idk who was mainly responsible for it, either.
I agree with Sasq to a point and most certainly agree with WillieG. Only time will tell but I am all for re-signing Gabbert and going with Trask. There is no way I would spend $$ on the QB position when we need to keep some of our proven great vets until next year. I am also interested mightily in the OC who we end up with. I am not sure who would play for our HC.
February 4th, 2023 at 3:57 pm
I would rather see a rebuild rather than a reload…
– Evans
– Godwin
– D. Smith
– S. Barrett
– C. Davis
Those 5 players are making $104M dollars next season. So almost half of the entire teams cap is being spent on:
– 2 mediocre wide receivers
– a 30 year old pass rusher with a torn achilies
– the worst LT in the NFL
– a CB that drops every INT that comes his way and is barely above mediocre
Are the Bucs getting a good value out of the $104M they are spending?
I agee. CUT THE FAT!!!
February 4th, 2023 at 3:58 pm
Yes !
Tear down mode
BS on the half azzed mode
February 4th, 2023 at 4:18 pm
“Let’s trim the FAT, shall we?” – Chevy Chase in the movie Nothing But Trouble.
February 4th, 2023 at 4:20 pm
Oh yeah, the NFC South is garbage.
I guarantee you, one of the teams (not the Bucs) will have a really good year and prove the whole premise of a weak division/one QB away to be another failed dream for those who can’t deal with reality.
Rebuild now.
February 4th, 2023 at 4:24 pm
Doosh,
Don’t you think adding Frank Reich to the Panthers will make them better next year? I do – I think that guy might be a good coach. Heck of a player for the Bills – remember that epic comeback he had, like 90 points down? LOL. I was hoping the Bucs would have got him.
February 4th, 2023 at 4:32 pm
The biggest problem I have either licht is he is a failure at picking 2nd round thru 4th round talent. He gets too cute by looking at the senior bowl….all bc he got marpet one year suddenly we use that as the measuring stick. It’s lazy ass scouting. Trying to ” outsmart ” everyone taking small school olineman vs guys that have truly produced at elite colleges against elite opponents. It’s why his receivers suck. He’s picked two good ones. Godwin is a blessing but other than that we can’t find that true playmaker. I’ll argue Evans isn’t that guy either. He’s not a chase or Jefferson. The guy who takes over a game. I’ll also say he can’t pick edge rushers either. We’ve been deficient on the edge for years. Barret was a gift. All of our drafts have sucked there too. Rn….this team can’t freaking scout a rb to save their lives. Ever. You had freaking so many chances, Jonathan Taylor, dalvin cook was sitting there in your own backyard and you don’t grab him over oj Howard. I almost lost my mind that day in the stadium and every time I’ve been right. Every single time. Justin reid…..yep skipped him over too. He’s a moron. We’ve passed on elite game changing players bc er have a gm and scouting dept that can’t scout.
February 4th, 2023 at 4:41 pm
I know I’m in the minority but I think the Bucs are infinitely more interesting than they have been since August. I really wish a Hard Knocks type documentary team was recording these discussions of what to do after Brady.
February 4th, 2023 at 4:45 pm
‘Joe agrees with McCaffrey, who also says Licht won’t be in Bowles’ camp.’
McCaffrey’s offering was pure speculation. No one but Licht, Bowles & a few others KNOW what’s going on behind closed doors. And I’d contend that JL is in Bowles’ camp; the 2 of them are surely tied at the hip & have the same goals in the eyes of the Glazers.
Whether you call it a rebuilding or a retooling or a whatever is inconsequential. ACTIONS are all that count, not the labels some place on them. And the required ACTIONS are pretty straight-forward once the Bucs decide on what IDENTITY they want to pursue: (1) hire a quality OC; (2) fix the salary CAP as best they can; (3) restock with FAs as best they can; (4) draft to flesh out the roster as best they can.
Todd Bowles knows he’s on the hot seat. Duh, every HC is on the hot seat every year; it comes with the territory. He also knows though that this defense is an absolute mess right now, and that he & JL need to be on the same page to get it straightened out.
BA won a SB but left a mess, and it’s up to JL & TB to fix it. Your caption on the accompanying picture of Arians & Bowles at the top of this article says it all Joe … “Bruce, I’m not sure this job is as great as you said it was 10 months ago.”
February 4th, 2023 at 4:48 pm
May as well rebuild. Saints may obtain Carr and if so will own the NFC South again for years to come. BUCS back to irrelevantville. Yay.
February 4th, 2023 at 4:49 pm
The division is wide open. I’m on the Derek Carr bandwagon.
I mean.. Arr! Is in his freaking name and he looks like a pirate to me..
February 4th, 2023 at 4:58 pm
I think they need to start rebuilding. They don’t and won’t have a Super Bowl roster. Last time I checked that’s the goal, not just making the playoffs. Like I said before all of us are about to see just what Tom Brady meant to this team. Bowles is overrated as a defensive coach and definitely is not a head coach. Don’t point to oh we were the whatever rated defense last year. Stats are for losers, which is what our record indicated. When it mattered most the defense folded like a cheap suit, last year against the Rams in the playoffs and this year against the cowgirls in the playoffs.
February 4th, 2023 at 5:01 pm
Feels good knowing that the fake Buccaneers fans are slowly leaving this website 😌
February 4th, 2023 at 5:02 pm
No Jim, this is a multi-billion dollar business. Forget fairness, production is the absolute priority. We look at people’s past as a predictor of the future. Bowles hasn’t changed a bit.
February 4th, 2023 at 5:04 pm
Not a lot of high spirits in TB lately. We got to find a mobile QB, it could be in the draft. Obviously the offense has to improve from last year.
February 4th, 2023 at 5:05 pm
Draft 2 OL and a QB with the first 3 picks. Draft D Smirhs replacement if you can.
February 4th, 2023 at 5:11 pm
I’m not a defender of all things Bowles does, I’m just trying to be fair. He had a sh!tty situation to work with in every season in which he’s been a head coach.
Bowles’ shortcomings as a HC are probably not fatal. Perhaps some of his in-game decision making is on the conservative side. But that’s not why the team was awful this season.
I am eager to see how things look with a competent offensive coordinator. Of course, he’ll be handicapped by a less than ideal QB situation and a transition in personnel this year. It’s going to be another challenging year, though they could still win the NFCS if they play sound defense and find a running game.
I think the man deserves a chance. The criticisms leveled at him have been a bit beyond reasonable.
February 4th, 2023 at 5:16 pm
Sasquatch,
OK. I see your reasoning. I don’t think he’s a good HC, but I’m willing to give it at least one more year. Who knows? He might develop into the next Parcells since he is in the Parcells tree, and I aint talkin’ ’bout Christmas trees, LOL.
Who knows?
February 4th, 2023 at 5:21 pm
D-Rok,
Quite possibly and the Panthers are my pick to be the surprise in our division.
February 4th, 2023 at 5:29 pm
A lot is riding on the OC position. That will reveal a great deal about where the team is heading and who the Bucs get at QB.
February 4th, 2023 at 5:32 pm
Joe in Michigan Says:
February 4th, 2023 at 3:43 pm
Tampabaybucfan: Do you really think Lavonte David is part of the problem?
No…..I just don’t think spending a bunch of money on a 33 year old is part of the solution…..
February 4th, 2023 at 5:35 pm
Saw an interesting stat today about Brady’s career… did you know that in just 3 years, Mike Evans caught the 5th most touchdowns (36) of anyone during Brady’s entire career?
And that was with them being completely out of sync this past season. Can you imagine if the offense had been the same as the previous 2 years? No doubt in my mind he would have passed Welker (38), Moss (40) and probably Edleman (41) to be #2 on that list.
Pretty crazy.
#1 is obviously Gronk, with a whopping 105 TD passes from Brady.
February 4th, 2023 at 5:39 pm
Seattle Buc is back in TB Says:
February 4th, 2023 at 5:05 pm
Look at the roster. With all our free agents on defense, and the lack of speed at RB/WR, I’d say OL is about priority #5. We still have plenty to work with on the OL, Jensen, Mason, and Wirfs is probably a top-5 right side in the entire league. At LG, we have young guys with upside to compete for the job and should be fine there. Donovan Smith is the big question…. but even there, you could conceivably flip Wirfs to LT, put Goedeke at RT, and you’re good to go. So much greater need to add speed and lots of defensive players than more OL.
February 4th, 2023 at 6:10 pm
The biggest piece of fat to trim is currently occupying the role of headless coich. Trim the fat of the coaching staff. Especially the one that Blowes.
February 4th, 2023 at 6:11 pm
Rebuild? Why would we do that? We have nearly a half dozen pro bowlers on our roster. Need a competent/ game manager qb (Under Bowles, no need for throwing it 50 times a game, Gabbert/Trask probably adequate), an edge rusher, a competent DT to take the heat off Vita, a DE, a TE, a fast, TALL wide receiver, and kicker who can make 55 yarders
February 4th, 2023 at 6:19 pm
Beeej…how many Pro bowlers did we have this year? Refresh my memory. With one of the worst running attacks in the league, what else do you suggest we do to move the ball? Until this line opens holes for RB’s we will probably be a little pass heavy regardless of the QB. Regarding your positions of need, odd you wouldn’t mention CB’s or at least one safety. How about another Linebacker that will play within the system? Or the one we might lose in Free Agency or the other FA’s that will likely be gone. And Trask/Gabbert adequate, compared to Brady? Wow…
February 4th, 2023 at 6:41 pm
Who are these mystery 1/2 dozen pro bowlers BJ speaks of? Wirfs…yes. A handful of “alternates” I suppose. This team is in flux…a couple of keepers…but the higher priced players ( Donovan Smith for example ) are well past their primes. It’s the perfect time to reset the roster, clean up the cap and build back up.
I’m actually curious to see how Trask does. According to some posters…including lil’ b beano…top offender on The Chucky Cheese “watch list”…are claiming he’s hall of fame bound. I’m ready to see it.
February 4th, 2023 at 6:42 pm
They AREN’T being compared to Brady. The offense that Bowles wants doesn’t require a Brady, he wants 3 yards and a cloud of dust. 2 of 5 starters from the O line were lost before the first preseason game and weren’t replaced, and those slots were manned by people who couldn’t move a decent DT off his spot. We don’t need to FIND a new corner/safety, just need to retain the ones we have
February 4th, 2023 at 6:44 pm
“No head coach who knows the NFL game wants to be part of a rebuild because that’s an excuse to lose games and a second-year coach needs to win.”
That’s complete BS because any good head coach should love the opportunity to train and teach new players how to be successful in the NFL. And if they can’t do that then they shouldn’t be a Head coach!
February 4th, 2023 at 6:46 pm
The fat that needs trimming is Todd Bowles. And a lot of detritus left over from Arians. The team needs to total change of culture, mindset and approach. As well as a massively improved roster.
Sasquatch, Bowles abject failures cannot be excused by the “never had a chance” nonsense. He had untold DAILY opportunities to correct the decline, in more ways that we can list. These same failures absolutely defined his disastrous seasons with the Jets. He has not gotten better at it. Bad manager of people, not a leader, no vision, etc. etc. In fact instead of boldly and decisively taking action on every level, he exacerbated countless problems that were building up and worsening in the wake of Arians.
This guy gives “pep talks to management”? No, McCaffrey. He doesn’t give those. To anyone. What he needs is for management give him a pink slip.
This guy
February 4th, 2023 at 6:54 pm
The only thing Bowles has got in his defense is the possibility of winning the division again with a losing record. This is not a given. Bowles having another losing season is!! He is not head coach material. If he couldn’t find a way to have a winning season with TB12 as qb, he surely won’t without him. I see alot of comments making excuses for his poor performance! It’s all on him!! Winning coaches find ways to win. Lovers lose!!! A rebuild starts another losing season!! This is a given as Bowles is HC!! No excuses!! Ever!!!
February 4th, 2023 at 6:57 pm
Might as well rebuild!!
February 4th, 2023 at 7:10 pm
“Saints may obtain Carr” Indeed and the word out of N.O. is that Fameis is out the door.
I’ve bashed Fameis as much as anyone here. But if he’s finally able to check his EGO along with “his sheets”, and has healed enough he could at least be an interim answer.
As for all the old guys why do people keep lumping Mike Evans in that group.
He’s freaking 30. Jerry Rice admittedly the GOAT didn’t retire until 44! Perhaps a better comparison is Terrell Owens who played until 37, Randy Moss until 35.
ME13 NEVER made his bones with speed. He never had a step to lose! He’s a possession receiver who uses his basketball rebounding skills to outleap and outmuscle DB’s. IE He is always open even without the vaunted separation.
Mike’s 4.53 at the combine is not head turning for a WR. 6-5, 235 lbs with athletic skill is. ME is NOT the problem!
LVD is not the problem but he’s just too expensive unless he’s willing to give a large discount to remain.
So I know there are two Joes so I won’t say HE is schizoid…but which is it…promise to compete or collapse for Caleb. If it’s the latter then any player worth his salt would ask for a trade.
I toss out Jameis and his history here is certainly an issue. BUT if he’s affordable I one of his biggest bashers while he was here would say do it, IF the coaches are sure he’s become coachable and healthy. He already has a connection with our future HOF WR. Bowles will undoubtedly plan on a better running game.
I’m not suggesting JW would be a Messiah who can lead the Bucs to the promised land I’m however of the belief that with a great defense JW could be like Dilfer, eat his ego and play to win not for personal stats.
February 4th, 2023 at 7:12 pm
Doesn’t matter what Bowles thinks. He’s done after next year. Rebuilding is the smart play. Sorry, this roster is no longer very good. You can count the really good, young players on one hand. Wirfs, Winfield, Vea, Godwin, and maybe Devin. Time to offload the older guys with big contracts and build through the draft. It’s the smart move.
February 4th, 2023 at 7:15 pm
UCF:
Licht drafted five starters on a Super Bowl winner in the second round. That ain’t awful.
February 4th, 2023 at 7:37 pm
Goatfarmer … ‘The biggest piece of fat to trim is currently occupying the role of headless coich. Trim the fat of the coaching staff. Especially the one that Blowes.’
Why don’t you try coming up with SOLUTIONS for a change instead of your non-stop dribble? And when I say SOLUTIONS, I’m talking about thinking the problem all the way through.
IF the Bucs took your suggestion seriously and fired Bowles (which they won’t), WHO REBUILDS THIS DEFENSE? What DC is behind Door #2 that you know of but none of the rest of us do? Our defense is in a shambles right now, just like it was in 2019 when Todd Bowles came onboard, only worse. He rebuilt it in ONE YEAR and took it from a defense that was stocked by Jason Licht prior to 2019 & which allowed 464 points in 2018 under Mike Smith … with a #31 ranking … to a defense that allowed 355 points in 2020 … with a #8 ranking … and oh ya, won the Super Bowl.
Our defense underwent a radical transformation in 2019, from a 4-3 to a 3-4, and added tons of new pieces TO FIT THAT DEFENSE (Shaq, Suh, White, Dean, SMB, Edwards plus several others). Are you really naive enough to believe that JL deserves the credit for transforming that defense? Or even for drafting those players who fit Bowles defense so well? Look at JL’s drafting record for defenders prior to 2019 before you answer. You won’t have to go far beyond Hargreaves, Stewart or Spence to find your answer.
February 4th, 2023 at 7:49 pm
Bowles went 10-6, 5-11, 5-11, and 4-12 before the Jets canned him. He certainly had a playoff caliber roster here, in which he went 8-10 with terrible clock management, etc. What makes anyone think that Bowles can lead the team on a REBUILD? 5 seasons is more than enough history to give you an indication of what’s going to happen next. It IS a rebuild year, make no mistake. If they try to piece it together like Gruden did, it’ll be years of 7-10, 8-9, and you have to rebuild anyway. Took the BUCS more than a decade to recover from that the last time. I still think they should let Dean and Bunting both walk, too. Hence no one seems to remember, when they aren’t playing well (which is often), they aren’t playing at all. Each one misses half the season intermittently with injuries. Rebuild the d around White, Winfield, Tryon, Vea and Davis. Rebuild the o around Wirfs, White, Godwin, Otton, whatever Evans has left, and hopefully Trask and Hainsey. That’s more than one draft. Even with free agency, that’s 3 possibly 4 drafts. Just throwing it out there. We have a few complimentary pieces on d, but very little on o. Gonna take some work. Bowles will be long gone before this team starts to win consistently again. They should have just cut the cord. He’s a terrible head coach.
February 4th, 2023 at 8:23 pm
@ Sasquatch,
Appreciate your level-headed take, but more than a few coaches have done more with less talent than Bowles. Wilks in Carolina just last season being the latest example. Much like any player, after 5 years in the league you are what you are… don’t see a reason to continue the charade. He’s a solid DC though, just not HC material imo.
February 4th, 2023 at 8:35 pm
If Jason didn’t miss on the first 2 rounds the last 2 drafts we don’t have this discussion
February 4th, 2023 at 8:49 pm
How to say “#CollapseforCaleb” without saying “#CollapseforCaleb”. SMH
We tried to win at any cost when Brady was here. I gotta say Bravo to GM and staff and Owners. But it always comes down to ” If ya wanna dance to the band, ya gotta pay the man”. This season, our next season, and the season after. We took a chance and we Won a Super Bowl and made the playoffs 3 seasons in a row. But you can not expect to pay for it one way or the other.
Go!!!!! Bucs!!!!!
February 4th, 2023 at 8:50 pm
RustyRhinos Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
I must be in the JOES DOG HOUSE!!!
February 4th, 2023 at 8:52 pm
Can’t hit em all. EVERYone in the league thought Jaymiss/Mariota were future hall-of-famers
2019 draft:
1 Devin White
2 Sean Murphy-Bunting
3 Jamel Dean
3 Mike Edwards
4 Anthony Nelson
5 Matt Gay
6 Scott Miller
7 Terry Beckner
February 4th, 2023 at 9:05 pm
Patrick … ‘Bowles went 10-6, 5-11, 5-11, and 4-12 before the Jets canned him.’
Was just looking at Bill Belichick’s record when he was Cleveland’s HC from 1991-1995. In those 5 years he went 36-44 with only 1 winning season. He was fired in 1995 after a 5-11 losing season, and subsequently spent the next 5 years reuniting with Bill Parcells with the Patriots & Jets. As ‘luck’ would have it, he became the Patriots HC in 2000 … and promptly went 5-11 in his first season.
Had the Patriots fans been the same as current Bucs fans, Belichick would’ve been made to walk the plank after that year, since he had a losing record as HC for 5 of his 6 years as HC. But the Pats hierarchy stuck with him, and the rest is history.
Belichick BTW is a defensive coach, and is about as stubborn as any HC has ever been. It’s the Belichick way or the highway. Guess Pats fans haven’t minded though since his teams have gone 254-88 since that first year as Pats coach.
Not saying that Bowles is a Belichick, but sometimes you have to look a little deeper before making statements like ‘5 seasons is more than enough history to give you an indication of what’s going to happen next’.
February 4th, 2023 at 9:06 pm
Beenj, i agree can’t hit em all. Every year teams reach and take a chance trying to get the next franchise QB,they look past the negatives,jaymiss and mariota were never thought of as future hall of famers,they both had many red flags as to why they wouldn’t be successful at the next level. You cannot miss in the first 3 rounds,no excuse
February 4th, 2023 at 9:46 pm
@ DR what are you babbling about? Belichick?
These are the stupid comments that make me vomit.
Bowles is not Belichick…never will be.
Bowles is a loser. A dinosaur. He is worthless.
February 4th, 2023 at 9:48 pm
Honestly with a defensive minded HC it kind of handcuffs what this team can be in terms of identity for the rebuilding as it is an offensive oriented league.
But if the Bucs are going to be more balanced on offense I say just upgrade the OL and double down on improving the defensive front seven to be younger and faster. Hicks can hit the road as he was worthless. As much trash people talked about Suh at least he was available on game days.
Need to find an interior DL to pair with Vea and possibly replace Gholston. Then draft an ILB that can play three downs and a CB that can play boundary opposite of Davis.
February 4th, 2023 at 10:26 pm
@Defense Rules
I understand what you are saying…but Bowels has a horrible style too. With Bill, everyone knew he was a no-nonsense, no excuses guy. Bowles is just…well, he could guest star in Walking Dead as a zombie.
Because the Bucs kept him, the OC hire is going to be unimpressive. The Bucs are giving the fans no reason to believe in them by keeping Bowles. Honestly? I’d rather they fired Bowles instead of Leftwich and let a new HC make the decisions.
As I recall, even his Jets defense got worse the longer he was HC, so we have that to look forward to.
If wee are all wrong about him, I’m sure most real fans would be happy to admit it…and change our minds about him…but we have absolutely no reason to put faith in him or any of his staff at this point.
February 4th, 2023 at 11:57 pm
In Bowles defense….it was the Jets.
The Jets.
February 5th, 2023 at 12:08 am
@buc1987 – he had freaking tom freaking brady and couldn’t mange a winning season….you think he will with Carr or Trask or Mayfield?
Let’s use the brains God gave us here…
February 5th, 2023 at 12:10 am
And 5 seasons…one with Brady is MORE than enough to determine if someone is a good head coach or not. Like it or not…win or get fired. Win with Brady or get fired. Some people are just losers…it is what it is
February 5th, 2023 at 3:01 am
The Anomaly … ‘Bowles is a loser. A dinosaur. He is worthless’.
Congrats on missing the point.
“Not saying that Bowles is a Belichick, but SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LOOK A KITTLE DEEPER before making statements like ‘5 seasons is more than enough history to give you an indication of what’s going to happen next’.”
February 5th, 2023 at 5:54 am
@Defense,
To be fair, sometimes you have to look beyond the one “once in a lifetime” coaching turnaround as an example to site. You also fail to mention/take into account who Belichick’s QB was during his resurgence as well, or his performance after said QB recently left him. And how that same QB led a team that excelled under BA but cratered under Bowles. Believe Bowles has a MUCH higher chance of maintaining his losing ways like the Ray Perkins, Richard Williamson, Marion Campbell, Romeo Crennel, Leeman Bennett, Rich Kotite, David Shula, Rod Marinelli’s of the world. Plenty of great OC/DC’s out there that aren’t HC material, which really isn’t anything to be ashamed of. Just because you’re good at your job doesn’t mean you’d succeed at being CEO. And legit question… if you don’t think five years is enough time to prove someone’s ability/inability, how many years ARE you willing to waste of the careers of players and patience of fans?
February 5th, 2023 at 8:04 am
I’d give Bowles another shot. He got the job late and was handed a clearly less talented roster and not a lot of latitude or time to adjust His offense was locked in with a not great without Arians in BL and an aged TB. The 2022 Bucs were horrible in the trenches on both side of the ball. There was no player leadership – no Jensen, no Suh, no JPP. and I don’t care about the reasons, but TB was not all in. Then you have the front office paying huge $$$ for washed up players while letting good young talent walk. Out goes Cappa, Whitehead. In comes Julio Jones, Hicks, Gage, Rudolf. Signing a not great Fournette to a huge deal to appease TB. And then keeping Darden because we traded up for him. Injuries are part of the game but with such a weak roster there just wasn’t enough talented depth to overcome. And now it’s rebuild time. If I was Bowles not sure I would have taken the job in the first place.
February 5th, 2023 at 8:08 am
I think we have all observed that Bowels thinks he can do no wrong. That is the ultimate of anyone in a leadership position. So….if you look beyond hid W-L record as D-rules suggests, there you have it.
February 5th, 2023 at 8:09 am
Foor….funny. I though last year was supposed to be all set up for him to get his “shot”. Very likely, this team will be less talented than it was last year, not more…without Brady and all the FA losses. Go ahead…wish on a star the Bowles is the next Belichick or Reid. But I think if he isn’t, this year or two transition window probably won’t turn out well. I think he is what he has shown to be. And if that happens, we will likely see the same old Bucs for the foreseeable future, as Jordan said.
February 5th, 2023 at 8:33 am
Could be Mark, but 2022 was going to be a mess regardless of the HC. The running joke by Joe and other Bucs hype sites was we had all his talent. Never did. And I’m all for the rebuild. I’ve never said Bowles is Reid or Belichick. Most likely scenario is another losing season with miserable talent and Bowles gets canned. But again, deluding everyone with the all this talent hype is a joke. Just calling it out.
February 5th, 2023 at 10:43 am
FF. Not saying we had KC or Philly talent in 2022. But to go from 12-4, to 8-9? Sure we had some injuries and loss of talent. That happens every year. But we did have some draft picks and a superior punter to add to our talent as well. Just saying… 10-7 or something similar? Very possible with the talent we had and good coaching. But this team is going downhill. And until Bowles proves he is more than the HC we saw in NY or here last year, who stoically make some poor and costly in game decisions on the sidelines, I will believe we underachieved with him at the helm.
February 5th, 2023 at 10:47 am
FF…Excuse me… 13-4 and a couple plays away from the NFC championship game. And I think, a good chance for another SB.
February 5th, 2023 at 12:49 pm
I think DR is actually proving the point that TB is a great DC, but NOT HC material.
Remember when BA said he had one thing he did on Defense and that was tell Bowles when to send the house.
I’m sure he was even more involved than that.
Why bot have a great offensive MIND help you figure out what their offense is gonna try to do.
If the HC has ZERO involvement in the offense, then he is the DC not the HC.
At what point this year did any regular fan watch a game and hear a commentator say this Todd Bowles is a great coach and his defense is next level?
We heard his defense is stale and they look old and slow.
Of course he got the Jets to play hard, they ALWAYS expect to suck.
Our team expected to win a SB because Tom Brady laced up his shoes.
All this to say, the best thing that can happen to the Bucs is a 5-12 season followed by drafting Caleb Williams anyway.
We just need Todd Bowles to be, well, Todd Bowles