Jason Licht Gets A Trust Vote
August 28th, 2023
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
A fresh industry survey gets mixed results and shines a kind spotlight on Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht.
The pay-per-read, cash-bleeding website TheAthletic.com does a solid job covering NFL happenings and popped results of an anonymous survey of 23 NFL agents today.
Agents were promised anonymity and were asked a variety of questions. Joe was intrigued by how little consensus there was in the answers.
Of course, Joe was reading in a hunt for Bucs insight.
The good news is the Bucs did not get a vote in response to the question, What is the most unstable NFL franchise? Seven clubs were named, none in the NFC South.
Eleven NFL suits got votes for best NFL talent evaluator. Again, none from the NFC South.
Up next was, “Among GMs and front-office leaders, whom do you trust the most?” Sixteen team honchos got a vote from the 23 voters, and Licht was among them. One agent was quoted saying, “Sometimes (GMs) can’t share everything, but no need to be overly deceptive. Everything (Licht has) told me has basically been honest.”
Only seven GMs got votes for “best GM.” No Licht and no NFC South GM.
Twenty names were called out as a “future GM to watch.” The Bucs had two! Bucs VP of football research Jacqueline Davidson and assistant GM John Spytek.
Joe would have been concerned if nobody on Licht’s team got a nod as a potential GM. It’s an experienced group that built a Super Bowl talent base around Tom Brady, and Joe’s not counting Brady entourage members like Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown, etc.
August 28th, 2023 at 5:55 pm
I’m surprised we haven’t lost John Spytek. The organization is really lucky to have him.
August 28th, 2023 at 6:06 pm
Licht shines with UDFA. although, I don’t know how much he has to do with them…..coaches deserve some credit.
This year, Izien, Jarrett, Watts & Tucker look really good….
I think Tucker will be a star.
August 28th, 2023 at 6:09 pm
Stunning really. I just don’t see too many GMs pulling off the remarkable as much as Licht. Hes steady Eddie and Climbing! Truly Impressive…
In other news, Ronnie Brown, Pat O’ conner, a smaller surprise ~Moore got the axe as well as Rameirez and Senate…
August 28th, 2023 at 6:27 pm
In 11 drafts who are his d lineman?
August 28th, 2023 at 6:48 pm
I thought Ramirez was supposed to be the edge rushing superstar
August 28th, 2023 at 6:52 pm
I have been a Buc fan for a long time.
My dad took me to my first game at the “Old Sombrero” in 1981.
Jason Licht is the best GM the Bucs have ever had…
Rich McKay had some monumental drafts and did a fine job as well and he is the runner-up.
Bruce Allen was John Gruden’s “Do-Boy” and was good at fetching coffee and acting as a liaison between the head coach and the owners.
Mark Dominik was the absolute second worst GM in NFL history only slightly behind Matt Millen of the Detroit Lions.
Mark Dominik was a disaster.
August 28th, 2023 at 6:58 pm
Licht has done a great job.
The only real issue I have with him is this year – they should have done a full teardown and rebuild in my opinion, and instead, put a ton of dead money on next years cap.
But, we shall see. Hopefully I’m wrong and Licht is a genuine genius.
August 28th, 2023 at 6:59 pm
OK destin, fair enough BUT common man. Are saying that we should just negate ALL the rest of his work? And are you so sure the D line is that bad?
You know you’re not only being unfair, you’re being unrealistic.
Alright if you want to gage it that way, who out of the other 31 teams GMs have a stronger “overall” body of work? Don’t skip it. Answer it fairly. Infact back it up to 2018 and go from there.
Has he had some misses? ABSOLUTELY BONE HEADED ONES! But…… let’s look at the whole show. I’ll tell you what, I’ll up the anty. Which of the D line is a guaranteed fail? The rule of thumb is 3 years from drafted…
What changes got?
August 28th, 2023 at 7:01 pm
Sorry, spell checker….
” What Do YOU Got?”
August 28th, 2023 at 7:05 pm
@ Rod
“The only real issue I have with him is this year – they should have done a full teardown and rebuild in my opinion, and instead, put a ton of dead money on next years cap.”
I understand what you are stating here…
But maybe our GM is carrying out the orders from his bosses upstairs.
Maybe?
August 28th, 2023 at 7:27 pm
meh
August 28th, 2023 at 7:52 pm
If the Bucs and Baker do well this season, then Jason will be GM of the year. He is taking a huge chance on Mayfield and if it works out there will be a lot of people in the sports media that will be embarrassed.
August 28th, 2023 at 7:56 pm
Licht built a team enticing enough to pull BA out of retirement and recruit the GOAT. In a year you have to take a healthy bite out of paying the piper, he drafts maybe a handful of kids that are going to get snaps on this team, may have found a serviceable qb for $4 million a year, and may have lit a fire under Trask. As referenced above, he isnt just one person, which is why I think he works well for this organization. With the coaching carousel here, you never hear any stories about his ego.
August 28th, 2023 at 8:53 pm
Rod Munch Says
“…put a ton of dead money on next years cap.”
I have seen this mentioned before…but I don’t understand how. He’s clearing Brady off the books this year…and a few others.
There will always be dead cap. It’s part of having a team and there is rarely none of it.
Also, there is the Bowles factor. They can’t very well fire him fairly next year if they give him no tools this year.
Finally, there is team culture. It took decades to change it, and now is a dangerous time to risk it. Cleaning house means tanking, and teams that tank have a losing culture.
August 28th, 2023 at 8:55 pm
But I also think he has become a great GM. Early on, I didn’t, but he’s grown into the role.
Which is why I donhold his first few years against him.
August 28th, 2023 at 9:00 pm
Winning is the best deodorant. Wait for the stink if this season goes as Vegas predicts.
Longer memories recall the scene as it was in the late 20 teens. Remember how not 1 but 2 kickers were drafted and released before they were old enough to shave. The man who was either extremely confident about the value of drafting kickers or was doubling down to mask the insecurity of feeling created by trading up to take a kicker in the 2nd round…was the same who released that 2nd kicker after a bad afternoon.
The stats weren’t good that first year. The multiple missed kicks in one game were dreadful. As rookie kickers go, however, Gay was projectable with a strong leg. Licht revealed that drafting a 2nd kicker was due to insecurity when he cut Gay. He’s doubled down on that, now, by never drafting another kicker. He did display a need to mask the insecurity by drafting a punter after the 2nd kicker he drafted & released became an All-Pro. Had Licht been acting in confidence, maybe the Bucs would still have the kicker who signed the most expensive free agent contract in the history of kickers in the nfl.
There were plenty of opinions back then and plenty of ammunition for lovers & haters to defend their opinions…which is to conclude that Licht is more or less what the poll in the athletic seems to be claiming, extremely average. No genius, not a dumbass, just run of the mill, winsome losesome mediocrity that can win a Super Bowl with a little luck and the good fortune that Jon Gruden chose Carr over Brady in the spring of 2020.
August 28th, 2023 at 9:06 pm
destinjohnny Says:
August 28th, 2023 at 6:27 pm
In 11 drafts who are his d lineman
_____________
Heard of Vita Vea? How many highly drafted DP has he had? Three. Vea and Kancey and Hall the last two drafts. This will be a good DL this season.
August 28th, 2023 at 9:07 pm
why nothing about all the cuts today…
the rosters gotta be down to about 65 guys right about now and no one’s talking about anything or surprise cuts…pat o’connor, ronnie brown, etc
August 28th, 2023 at 9:12 pm
colts releasing perriman…
he did pretty well with baker in cleveland…could he be picked up because they had a good rapport in the past…
they just cut veteran david moore
August 28th, 2023 at 9:24 pm
Moore released. Wolford and Russell released.
August 28th, 2023 at 9:27 pm
DL Pat O’Connor released.
I used to know the Prac Squad rules, but they have changed over the years. Anyone know the qualifications?
August 28th, 2023 at 9:29 pm
This one hurts.
RB Ronnie Brown released. I hope he makes it to PS.
August 28th, 2023 at 9:33 pm
Bucs are going to or have already released today these notables:
Jose Ramirez, John Wolford, Pat O’Connor, Ryan Miller, David Moore, Patrick Laird
August 28th, 2023 at 9:34 pm
since covid, you can keep about 16 guys on the practice squad…so the full roster equals about 69 guys if you want to include the practice squad…
so chance are about a dozen guys we cut, if they make it thru waivers, will be back on the practice squad…
i say a dozen because we’ll probably scoop up about 4 guys other teams cut loose that we’ve been keeping an eye on
August 28th, 2023 at 11:07 pm
The practice squad rules have evolved to the point that for smart GM’s serious depth problems only occur if all your injuries are at one or two position groups, something that hit us hard last year. Another nice feature in the new rules is that 6 of your 16 can have any level of NFL experience so you can stash veterans there, You can also designate some of them as protected, so there is no danger of another team scooping them up for their 53. I think that number is small though.
August 29th, 2023 at 12:43 am
That number is 4 to protect so 4 of 16
August 29th, 2023 at 1:06 am
Gazers need to be planning on how to keep Licht and Spytek. Polls be damned.
Go Bucs
August 29th, 2023 at 5:35 am
F AB
August 29th, 2023 at 8:17 pm
Wait I forgot our best pas rusher jTS