Beefing Up The Trenches
August 22nd, 2024
Draft strategy.
Was this a suit version of “real recognizes real?” Joe isn’t sure but a current NFL general manager with a ring on his finger seemed to impress a two-time NFL general manager who is still searching for that same ring.
Earlier this week, former Vikings and Dolphins general manager Rick Spielman, who now works for both CBS and SiriusXM NFL Radio, dropped in at One Buc Palace for the SiriusXM NFL Radio training camp tour.
Spielman was interviewing Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht. There, Spielman told Licht he really liked how Licht attacked the offensive and defensive lines in the last two drafts.
Spielman wanted to know if that’s just how the cookie crumbled or if Licht was just that locked in on beefing up the trenches.
Rick Spielman: Looking at the past two drafts, it looks like you’ve put a point of emphasis on the offensive and defensive line. Was that intentional or were you trying to follow your board and the guys just fell to you?
Jason Licht: Well, you always want to follow your board. But, the last couple of drafts, we just kind of worked out that there have been some guys in the trenches that have been up there and you just can’t pass them up. When you follow your board and you have a [lineman] up there no matter what kind of a team you have, you really cannot go wrong if you are trying to swing at a player that is on the offensive or defensive line.
Let’s be real: This was all intentional. The Bucs needed a defensive tackle since Ndamukong Suh left and the Bucs weren’t sure if Will Gholston might call it a career. Hello, Calijah Kancey.
On offense, Todd Bowles went to Licht in the middle of last season and told Licht the team had to have bigger interior linemen on offense. So these moves weren’t like Licht had an epiphany on the morning of draft day or that just by chance, all these linemen just happened to be on the board in the same way Licht and his staff built their draft board.
So yeah, Licht and his staff were focused on linemen the past two years. The needs were too great, some would say, for all of these linemen to be drafted just by chance.
August 22nd, 2024 at 9:13 am
I wonder how many more years he’s going to keep building up the roster and making his guys the highest paid in the nfl. Yes yes he drafts really well but I guess he’ll keep drafting well and wait until Patrick Mahomes is 45 before going all in.
August 22nd, 2024 at 9:15 am
Jason need to take the layup drill picks more
We need to have sec scouts for each position
He doesn’t take the low fruit enough
August 22nd, 2024 at 9:23 am
Drafting where they will be drafting in the next few years, they will never get a #1 Edge Rusher, just trade for one at this point. I would hate to go through all season with this issue being talked about every week like it has been so far this year.
August 22nd, 2024 at 9:28 am
Bucs are lucky to have Jason Licht. He is a top 10 GM in the NFL.
August 22nd, 2024 at 9:29 am
There were no Edge rushers worth AF when we drafted so at least our GM wasn’t reaching just to fill a void on the team. Very happy with the recent outcome of our picks.
August 22nd, 2024 at 9:33 am
I think the Bucs are probably waiting to see how much money they can get back from the Gregory release, and possibly will hire a edge rusher to take that position. Hopefully that is what happens.
August 22nd, 2024 at 9:54 am
Licht is crafty. Remember when he picked up Barrett in free agency. Most everyone was like, who? There will be some legit edge rushers that won’t make the cutdown for some teams, whether they are veterans or UDFA. Licht’s staff will find them, and if he thinks a player can be brought in to strengthen that position, he will grab him.
August 22nd, 2024 at 10:02 am
Always, 100%, Big Uglies first!
Trust the process. This team is about to rid itself of the SB all-in contracts. Let’s not go back into cap hell again.
August 22nd, 2024 at 10:10 am
Bucs will need to draft a DL high again due to Vita’s age, Logan Hall being bad at football and Gholston probably retiring after this season. My vote is Kenneth Grant.
August 22nd, 2024 at 10:12 am
I think they gave Gregory $1.35M. I don’t know if we can recover any of that because there ain’t no justice anymore. I think our cap room is about $20M. I just don’t think we are gonna make any big splash signing this year. Pass rushers are fabulously expensive, but they don’t give guarantees…
August 22nd, 2024 at 10:16 am
@Fred McNeil- Gregory is being released today and he has already repaid his 1.3 million signing bonus.
August 22nd, 2024 at 10:20 am
Thank you for the information, A Bucs Fan.
Will he owe money from the one year contract? I think it’s 3m. Or will that be a loss?
August 22nd, 2024 at 10:35 am
@HeyJude – the signing bonus was the only guaranteed money on his 3 million dollar deal so the Bucs will not lose any money since he paid it back.
Gregory actually lost over two million dollars himself by not showing up to work. He repaid his signing bonus to the Bucs and is also required by the CBA to pay over a million dollars in fines for the days/games he missed during training camp (the fine money goes to charity).
August 22nd, 2024 at 10:39 am
Thank you, A Bucs Fan. Sounds good for the Bucs and charity. Not so good for Gregory.
August 22nd, 2024 at 10:40 am
Do it. Every. Year.
I love beef.
August 22nd, 2024 at 10:41 am
No offense to cows.
August 22nd, 2024 at 10:42 am
Bucs HOPE Chris Braswell is the truth like YaYa has proven. Now we talk like every pick Licht makes is gold. Logan hall is logging major snaps in the preseason and that position was just as important in the third round or was Trey Palmer a failed pick too?
Both our edge rushers were free agents when we won the Super Bowl and yes the cap hell was worth it because we haven’t missed the playoffs since.
August 22nd, 2024 at 11:11 am
Licht must have been booze binging when he made the call to Gregory.
August 22nd, 2024 at 11:44 am
The outrage over Gregory is misplaced. He ended up not costing a dime, nor did he infect the locker room negatively. It was a no risk – possible reward play by Licht. Who else was he gonna get for darn near the vet minimum? Now is the time to begin looking around at other teams who are deep, who they cut and their practice squads.
Meanwhile, Gregory needs some serious guidance in his life. Hope he gets it.
August 22nd, 2024 at 11:49 am
Absolutely love it. I’m obsessed with this draft strategy. Remember when Dominik wouldn’t draft O-Linemen before the 5th round. My god.
Build through the trenches and build through the draft.
If I’m correct, the 2024 Bucs will only have 2 starters (Bredeson, Mayfield) that weren’t drafted by us.
Every one else starting is homegrown talent: On offense:
Evans, Godwin, Wirfs, Goedeke, Mauch, Barton, Otton, Palmer, Irving, White.
On defense:
Vea, Kancey, Hall, JTS, Diaby, Lavonte, Britt, Winfield, Whtehead, Dean, McCollum, Tykee Smith. All home grown.
August 22nd, 2024 at 11:56 am
I used to really love homegrown back in the day.
August 22nd, 2024 at 12:08 pm
I wonder if a team drafted treach players exclusively rounds 1-3 and other player positions 4-7 in every draft how’d they fair. Your Qb would have 4 seconds to find someone open and the RB would have huge lanes to run through. On Defense your line would dominate. Rushing the QB and shutting down the run.
Teams are kinda doing this now but just on premium positions. Qb, LT, DE/Edge & WR. Only drafting exceptional players at the other positions like Graham Barton.
August 22nd, 2024 at 12:24 pm
Beef. It’s what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
August 22nd, 2024 at 12:43 pm
@Dave Pear – The outrage over Gregory is misplaced. He ended up not costing a dime, nor did he infect the locker room negatively.
Meanwhile, Gregory needs some serious guidance in his life. Hope he gets it.
Exactly @Dave but you know how some of these 80 year olds are 🤣. Anytime cannabis is brought up they go all “reefer madness”.
Mentioning mental health, psychology , etc could get you labeled woke, a cupcake, retard etc.
by some fat man drinking a legal DRUG PROVEN to cause millions of deaths and untold misery to many many years after year after year.
August 22nd, 2024 at 1:07 pm
Baloney.
Rather than wasting time and effort on this piece of human debris, the Bucs instead could have signed someone else who had equal or better numbers who had a desire to play football, get a spot on the 53-man roster and win games.
And who knows, this unknown guy might have been able to have an (positive) impact on games with the Bucs.
Instead, the Bucs wasted time and effort with this slug.
August 22nd, 2024 at 1:44 pm
Disappointed
“Human debris” . That’s what you call a man who you DO NOT KNOW because he has issues you DO NOT KNOW squat about?
Hope you receive more compassion for your problems when/if you need them.
August 22nd, 2024 at 1:58 pm
Bulls(p)it. He signed a contract. He conned a team. He reneged on his contract. Don’t want to get called out for your wrongs? Don’t (pretend to) work in the public eye.
How many guys yesterday at One Buc between the Bucs and Dolphins also have issues we don’t know about? They showed up for work.
August 22nd, 2024 at 1:59 pm
Can’t help but think George Edwards vouched for Randy and him not showing up makes coach look bad/burns that bridge.
August 22nd, 2024 at 2:07 pm
“Hope you receive more compassion for your problems when/if you need them.”
* Even when you disappoint people and can’t follow thru on commitments because of those problems. I’m sure thats never happened to Joe or anyone here but it just might 1 day.
Judge not ……..
August 22nd, 2024 at 2:17 pm
You don’t know what you don’t know. What if Shaq Barret didn’t show up to camp last year and decided he didn’t to take the year off from football. Only he and the team knew why. Fans would be acting just like they are to Gregory. You have no idea what’s going on in other people’s lives. Passing judgment is never a good idea. Maybe it’s not a major family personal issue or that his anxiety isn’t as debilitating as he claims.
August 22nd, 2024 at 2:24 pm
Fully disagree. Pretty obvious what happened to Shaq and his family. That’s a far, far, far different cry than suing the NFL and Broncos because a collectively bargained labor agreement won’t let an employee pull bongs during the season.
Joe is very confident is suggesting of the 160+ players that were at One Buc yesterday, at least one had something on in his life that was messing with his head. Yet they somehow showed up for work.
If Gregory was really dealing with something, he couldn’t have shown up once in Tampa (he sure as hell showed up in Tampa to sign his contract) and told Bowles like a man he can’t play??? Maybe the Bucs could have helped him if he asked for it?
Remember, his absence was unexcused. Not like Bowles is some hardarse.
Sorry, playing the pity card for Gregory is misguided here.
August 22nd, 2024 at 2:28 pm
Sometimes things just play out STUPID.
(1) Licht offering Gregory a contract. (he set himself up for disappointment) STUPID
(2) Gregory not showing up, (I think he was never going to show in first place.) STUPID
August 22nd, 2024 at 2:53 pm
I don’t think this had anything to do with bong hits or weed. Wasnt he trying to get cleared for a pharmaceutical compound that contains THC? Thats not clearance to “pull bongs” , whatever that is.
I’m not advocating for Gregory. I’m just pointing out the extreme judgement along with lazy narratives.
I too wish we had more quality depth at his position but I’m not ready to call the dude a loser, worthless, a piece of crap, etc cause my favorite football team needs more pass rush and I’m pissed off he didn’t provide it.
August 22nd, 2024 at 3:44 pm
If the Bucs are doing well, maybe Mack or Bosa will be available for a reasonable price at the deadline.
August 22nd, 2024 at 7:38 pm
Go trade for an expensive edge rusher spare no cost!
We already got the highest paid Safety and LT
Go get a disgruntled star on the edge bring him in and pay him
If that means Micah parsons for two first round picks JUST DO IT !!!!
August 22nd, 2024 at 8:20 pm
You missed my point Joe. This was If Shaq hadn’t gone public. If you or all the Bucs fans weren’t privy to what happened and why he didn’t report like Gregory. I realized this wasn’t happened. My point was you don’t know how debilitating his anxiety is or if something horrific happened in his life. Maybe he’s just a lazy stoner who has all the talent in the world but doesn’t like football very much. I’ll go as far to say it’s probably more likely. But you don’t know. Its just better to not judge someone because you never walked a day in their shoes.
August 22nd, 2024 at 11:07 pm
I have always believed tgat the better the bucs of line is, the better tge bucs will be.
Been watching 50 years.
Right now I have us being better next year, not too bad right now.
Wirfs is my favorite o lineman we’ve ever had, sorry paul.
August 22nd, 2024 at 11:19 pm
I wish our Rock Star GM would stop looking at the West coast or D2 schools for pass rushers .Fla boarders on two of the best SEC teams in GEORGIA AND Bama but he doesn’t draft from them enough. Philadelphia and Green Bay see It why not the Bucs.
August 23rd, 2024 at 4:55 am
He needs to go back to the well next year and find a stud to replace Hall at DT and draft CB’s, ILB and a legit backup for Vita.