Bucs Still Talking To Prospects
April 13th, 2024
The power of Zoom.
There is a successful Tampa real estate attorney that Joe follows on TikTok. Recently, she bemoaned always doing Zoom meetings. She wondered aloud if society can just return to phone calls and emails.
Joe understood her plight. In a Zoom meeting, especially in her line of work, she has to look presentable, professional. And these things are time-consuming.
A regular phone call or just shooting out emails can be done from home in sweats.
Well, let’s just say Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht doesn’t share her disdain for Zoom. This week Licht said daily the Bucs are doing Zoom meetings with prospects. If it isn’t Licht himself, it is assistant coaches and/or scouts. And Licht is a big proponent of the practice.
Licht was asked if Zoom meetings are positive and he made it clear they are.
“Yeah, 1,000%,” Licht said. “It’s been a big resource for us, and it has for other teams, too. It’s always good to see somebody face to face and talk to them. That’s always the best way, I think.
“But Zoom… I can walk through the halls right now any day here in this process and our coaches are Zooming with a different player, or our scouts, or together usually. We just get a lot more information. We gather a lot more information and get a feel for the players.”
Licht maintains you can build a bond with a player through Zoom, better than the phone.
“Yeah, for sure,” Licht said. “We try to do as much of that as we can. When the draft is over it becomes a free for all and it’s like you’re on the New York [Stock] Exchange.
“I think it does help a little bit to form relationships because everybody likes to have a little bit of a relationship and feels better going somewhere when they’ve talked to people there.”
What Licht did not say is whether these Zoom meetings have resulted in wins. To be fair, no one asked him. But hey, if the Bucs can land a good crop of undrafted free agents because the team did its homework and Zoomed with players and developed a rapport with them, well, then all the better.
Last year the Bucs had a nice undrafted free agent class. Wonder if Zoom was a factor?
April 13th, 2024 at 11:24 am
Starting in 2020, Zoom became a factor, and is probably the new “normal.” I agree with JL, you can get a much better sense about an person in the interview process than merely phone, email, or text. Personally, I despise video meetings, but that’s just me.
April 13th, 2024 at 11:44 am
Results speak for themselves….
Licht’s team is obviously doing something right.
Last year – selecting draft picks from the bottom 1/3rd of each round – first 3 picks – 3 promising starters (Kancey, Mauch, Diaby) + a 6th Rd WR3 (Palmer) And another 6th Round pick Hayes was at worst a good special teamer…. + a UDFA starting nickle DB (Izien) + 2 UDFAs who made the 53 man team and contributed well – (Merriweather & Jarrett).
Oh – and UDFA RB Sean Tucker who runs a 4.3 40 – has a 38″ vertical jump and pumped out 29 bench press reps. Tucker (prior to his heart condition being discovered) was projected to be drafted in the 3rd or 4th round due to his high end production at Syracuse and incredible strength and athleticism.
All that in one draft cycle = Killin It!
April 13th, 2024 at 11:44 am
I have done tons of Zoom meetings and I’m fine with them. Licht values character in his draft and the Zoom calls help with that. Sometimes words in phone calls can be ambiguous, but Zoon helps you see facial expressions and the character of the player, beyond the words.
April 13th, 2024 at 11:54 am
They should keep doing whatever they did last year. It was the best UDFA signing I can remember. Lead to a great camp with much better team position depth.
Buccaneers 2023 Undrafted Free Agents
• RB Sean Tucker, Syracuse
• RB Ronnie Brown, Shepherd
• WR Rakim Jarrett, Maryland
• WR Kade Warner, Kansas State
• WR Ryan Miller, Furman
• WR Taye Barber, TCU
• TE Tanner Taula, Illinois State
• OL Silas Dzansi, Virginia Tech
• OT Luke Haggard, Indiana
• OG/C Chris Murray, Oklahoma
• LB Jeremy Banks, Tennessee
• DL Nelson Mbanasor, Texas State
• LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, MSU/Tx
• CB Derek Pitts Jr., NC State
• S Kaevon Merriweather, Iowa
• DB Keenan Isaac, Alabama State
• S Chris Izien, Rutgers
• K Jake Bates, Arkansas
• LS Evan Deckers, Duke
April 13th, 2024 at 12:35 pm
I wonder who the surprise player is that gets drafted and says that he didn’t really have much contact with the Bucs, every year there is someone like that.
April 13th, 2024 at 12:44 pm
Zoom and Teams are the standard now. Saves travel money for meetings and interviews. However, interviewing online is an entirely other discussion. You just need to make sure the person you are interviewing is the real applicant. So much going on with that and JL wouldn’t have to worry about it since they know who they are talking to. Sounds like a lot of collaboration and talks are going on at One Buc Place. A good sign.
April 13th, 2024 at 12:46 pm
I am NOT a fan of zoom. I either have beer can in the background or I absently minded get up and get a beer. Not a good “I’m working right now” look.
April 13th, 2024 at 12:51 pm
Seems like it. LOL
April 13th, 2024 at 1:05 pm
Let me make sure that I’ve got this right Joe. There’s a female real estate attorney who you follow on TikTok who disdains doing Zoom meetings because she has to look presentable & professional, but considers that too time-consuming.
So it’s fine to do social media (TikTok) in your underwear for the public at large (and for no pay), but too time-consuming to actually get dressed & look presentable on Zoom for potentially paying clients? Got it. Given what attorneys charge per hour, I kinda think that she’s got her priorities backwards.
Oh and I’m now concerned about you too Joe. Admitting in writing that you’ve been following a female attorney (on TikTok or elsewhere) might have some negative consequences in this age of rampant litigation.
April 13th, 2024 at 1:18 pm
The boss who doesn’t have to do them himself loves zoom meetings. Go figure!
I can remember dressing in a suit and standing up to make business calls from outside an office. And forced a smile. They said it all transmitted.
The world has gone to sh!!!
LOL
April 13th, 2024 at 1:41 pm
Indeed that would be a good question. Chop chop Joe, and no, not that Chop.
April 13th, 2024 at 1:58 pm
TBH, my only experience with Zoom is virtual Dr visits. Not a fan at all.
April 13th, 2024 at 2:01 pm
I can dress up and I’m still too ugly for Zoom.
April 13th, 2024 at 2:31 pm
Bucs cannot jump outta the blocks with a passive defense. Look who’s on the schedule for 2024 season.
Baltimore Ravens
Philadelphia Eagles
San Franscisco
Dallas Cowboys
Detroit Lions
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
April 13th, 2024 at 4:54 pm
Height: 6 – 3 |
Weight: 308 lbs |
RAS: N/A
Highly awarded four-year starter with a great feel for blocking. Smooth, fluid and efficient. Fundamentally sound, bends his knees and sinks his butt at the line of scrimmage. Fires off the snap into blocks and gets leverage on opponents. Squares into defenders and turns them off the line. Displays outstanding blocking vision, knows where he is on the field and seals opponents from the action with great body positioning. Keeps his feet moving, works his hands throughout the play and anchors at the point. Immediately picks up assignments, sees the blitz and works well with teammates. Quick to the second level, effective blocking in motion and moves well on his feet. Does an outstanding job quarterbacking the offensive line.
Not a dominant, drive-blocking linemen. Struggles to finish blocks.
Frazier is a thinking-man’s center who blocks with tremendous fundamentals and intensity. He offers possibilities in a variety of blocking schemes and should be the second center drafted in April.
April 13th, 2024 at 4:56 pm
I copied and pasted from tony Pauline mock site…2nd Rd maybe 3rd for top center
April 13th, 2024 at 5:34 pm
Don’t look now fans, but the UFL is entertaining… bring back the Bandits!
April 14th, 2024 at 6:24 am
BucBen61
I actually like Frazier more than JPJ.
Barton is the true 1st rounder IMO
He should go before JPJ if teams have done their homework and didn’t stop a month ago, when everyone fell in love with Powers from a stupid Senior Bowl practice.
Wouldn’t even be surprised if JPJ is still available in the 50s.
Frazier has what Hainsey lacks and that is a wide base. You never see this guy on his ass like you do Hainsey.
April 14th, 2024 at 10:50 am
@Defense Rules- if I had to guess, I would bet money there is no way she’s producing TikTok’s without also spending tons of time on her hair and makeup (and prob using some filters on TikTok too). Much ado about nothing.
The entire premise of this just screams “okay boomer” with an eye roll.
If she’s a real estate agent, there is a zero percent chance she doesn’t also read and write dozens of emails everyday, if not more. Like just about any other professional career… lol. Besides, zoom didn’t replace emails and phone calls, it replaced in person meetings.