Youth Movement Was Not A Specific Goal
September 3rd, 2023
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
The Bucs last year were the oldest team in the NFL. And at times it showed.
Yeah, one reason for that age ceiling was the quarterback was 45. That will tip the age scales. But man, the Bucs were slow, specifically in the backfield. Lumbering. Plays took long to develop.
This year, the Bucs wanted to get more athletic. That was a draft priority and it showed in the Bucs’ selections. However, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht said last week that getting younger wasn’t a specific focus. It just worked out that way.
“I’m very excited about it and I know all the coaches are too,” Licht said. “It wasn’t any demands like, ‘Hey, we need to get younger.’ We needed some new faces [and] we had some constraints money-wise.
“I think everybody in the building is very excited to work with the young players, especially if they’re playing well like they have so far, so I don’t think you’ll get any complaints.”
Hopefully, first-round draft pick defensive tackle Calijah Kancey won’t be out too much longer. As quick and athletic as he is, he could have made an impact Week 1 had he not blown a calf a month ago.
Overall, the speed of the young players ought to make up for some weaknesses. Guys like YaYa Diaby and Trey Palmer sure have added some juice and fun to the roster.
September 3rd, 2023 at 12:38 am
I “Do like” this years draft slections…
September 3rd, 2023 at 1:18 am
There certainly was an intention and need to get faster. Also cheaper. That obviously means younger.
You’ve really got to marvel with what Licht and his fantastic staff did with the draft and especially this year’s crop of UDFAs.
Damn near every player we drafted or brought in has a very high RAF score. Meaning game breaking speed, quickness, agility, explosiveness… General high end athleticism. Its almost impossible to believe we got players as good as Sir Dennis and Palmer will be in the 5th and 6th rounds – Ditto Sean Tucker and rookie starting nickle CB Chris Izien as UDFAs….
Kancey in the 1st – Great pick. Perhaps the steal of the 1st rd at 19.
Mauch in the 2nd – you gotta love an athletic Guard with no teeth…..
YaYa in the 3rd – Dude looks the part for sure and has turned a lot of heads thus far….
I expect tons of production in 2023 from this year’s crop of rookies. And Special Teams should really be a lot more fun to watch this year as well….
September 3rd, 2023 at 1:34 am
I finally got around to watching Swamp Kings on Netflix. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet.
If that doesn’t get you hyped about football season nothing will.
Also kind of refreshes the jobbing Trask got to the front of mind and then how we were all lied to about it. Total garbage move.
Tank Mayfield better not be captain checkdown trash and if he is we better see Trask in there ASAP.
September 3rd, 2023 at 1:58 am
Licht and the scouting team did an awesome job on the draft but more surprisingly, the amount of undrafted player that made the 53 player cut was the best I have seen from the Bucs.
September 3rd, 2023 at 2:09 am
Some people will point to 6 UFAs making the team as a reason they suck.
Just not the case here.
Most of them are from programs that excelled at coaching up these young guys to be ready to hit the ground running.
Thats what we got when we drafted Chris Godwin.
If CK is the real deal, our pass rush could be very exciting.
I’m ready to turn the page on ME13 and start looking to the future for this team.
Looms extremely promising.
September 3rd, 2023 at 3:43 am
When is the first injury report coming out?
September 3rd, 2023 at 6:19 am
The youth is just a byproduct of trimming the cap and losing some others as cap casualties and adding new, hopefully better players. I think Jasons draft process was genious in that regard. He passed on some guys in the later rounds because we needed replacements who could contribute right away.
Mauch, Kancy, Diaby, Palmer, Dennis, Durham, Hayes. All will be on the field. Some will see alot of snaps. Hopefully quality snaps. And Wow, UDFAs are coming out of our ears… Izien, Jarrett, Pitts, Tucker, Watts and Merriweather. Tucker will get some snaps for sure.
Go Bucs!
September 3rd, 2023 at 6:31 am
LOL….doesn’t look like the young guys can stay healthy either.
September 3rd, 2023 at 10:59 am
Let’s see, you wanna get guys who are (a) faster, (b) cheaper, and (c) can grow with the team… Hmmmm, that’s called getting younger. That’s the only answer. Of course, a, b, and c are the goals and youth is what gets you there. So, for Licht to say they didn’t set out to get younger, well… it was obvious they had to.
September 4th, 2023 at 9:49 am
John Spytek has done a great Job!
I sure hope we can keep him because the Man is a genius when it comes to picking players.