R-E-S-P-E-C-T
August 26th, 2024
No respect.
It seems Albert Breer of SI.com is one of the few national media types that sees the Bucs clearly.
Breer is on record saying the Bucs will win the division. With so many national experts all but handing the division to Kirk Cousins and the Dixie Chicks, Breer thinks those folks are slapping the Bucs in the face.
In other words, as the famous Aretha Franklin song goes, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T… “
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t get enough respect. And I say this not to troll my podcast partner Conor Orr—who’s had some well-publicized run-ins over his Tampa takes—but to look harder at what they’ve accomplished as they got into Year 2 A.B. (After Brady).
They’ve also gone from one of the league’s oldest teams, which was a product of going all in during Brady’s three years as a Buccaneer, to an increasingly young one. They won last year while purging a record amount of dead cap charges (around $80 million) accumulated from aggressive building with Brady as quarterback. And they’ve continued to hit on draft picks.
Consider this: 22 of the 23 picks the Buccaneers have made the past three years (2022 to ’24) remain with the team. I’d bet all 22 of them make the team. Then, throw in their undrafted free agent finds, and I wouldn’t be stunned if more than half of their roster comes from the past three draft classes. And extend it out a year, and 26 of their 30 draft picks from ’21 to ’24 are likely to be on their Week 1 roster.
Joe heard Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht refer to this figure on his recent draft batting average — very impressive — Friday night during the final worthless preseason game against Miami.
Is that something to brag about? Just because those picks are with the team doesn’t mean all of them are making an impact. On face value, it certainly is something to brag about. However, Joe looks at this figure as 20 out of 23.
No one can expect a general manager to be perfect. And the following is just nitpicking in the grand scheme of things. But imagine how much better the Bucs would be if Joe Tryon-Shoyinka or Logan Hall panned out?
If JTS was a hit, Joe thinks the Bucs never would have drafted Chris Braswell. Instead, that second-round pick could have gone for, say, a middle linebacker or a corner.
Same with Hall. If Hall was a home run, would the Bucs have drafted Calijah Kancey? Don’t get Joe wrong, Kancey is going to be a beast. He may already be one, and Joe is damn happy to have him.
Had JTS or Hall, two very high draft picks, had made it, now then Licht could stand in the middle of Armature Works, rip his shirt off like Hulk Hogan, beat his chest and holler like Tarzan.
Licht and his staff have been largely nailing it the past few years with few exceptions. But imagine if they would have had just one or two more hits. Dang.
As for “respect,” folks just don’t trust Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield. If the Bucs make the playoffs again, and Mayfield gets at least another playoff win this winter, maybe the skeptics will come around?
August 26th, 2024 at 5:19 pm
Did the Bucs make any changes with the scouting department in the last few years?
August 26th, 2024 at 5:20 pm
Think so.
August 26th, 2024 at 5:21 pm
You cannot hit on every pick, but Jason Licht has a very high hit rate starting with the Wirfs and Winfield draft.
August 26th, 2024 at 5:21 pm
Yeah, Back to Back, to Back NFC South Division Champions comes easy… And to think that Four seasons ago we won “The Super Bowl”, and lost the Division… Must just be all Smoke and Mirrors, or Cheap Perfume, and Lies…
GREAT ISSUE TO HAVE!!! Thanks to Jason Licht, his staff, and the players.
GO!!!!!BUCS!!!!!
August 26th, 2024 at 5:33 pm
Arrow is definitely pointing up !
August 26th, 2024 at 5:39 pm
I just want to see Godwin re-signed.
August 26th, 2024 at 5:45 pm
JTS and Hall had better be significantly better this year or pack yer bags on the 2025 season. Now or never.
August 26th, 2024 at 5:46 pm
You have to wonder how much of an influence Bowles was with the JTS & Hall picks.
August 26th, 2024 at 5:47 pm
3 99% LEGIT REASONS PEOPLE DISRESPECT THE BUCS
1. NFCS W-L Record
We’ve won the NFCS with 8-9 and 9-8 records. Totally legit gripe.
2. Baker Mayfield
He’s a goofball. He’s been fired or cut from every team. Historically legit gripe.
3. Tom Brady
Outsiders (Joe’s Guilty, too) only see the QB. Suh, JPP, Shaq, Evans, Godwin, AWJ, Wirfs … whatever. TB12 won the Super Bowl. When he left NE, they fell HARD. Teams expected the same to happen in Tampa. It’s shortsighted by not without precedence.
2024 = SHADE FREE
If the Bucs win the Division.
If the Bucs finish +10 Wins.
If the Bucs win a playoff game.
Nothing anyone can say.
(Of course this doesn’t explain any of the love for ATL.)
August 26th, 2024 at 5:48 pm
Compare that with Vikings. Just read a story that said none of their 2022 pics are likely to be on the team after cut down day. That’s how you go from being a good team to a bad one.
August 26th, 2024 at 5:50 pm
If Hall was a home run, would the Bucs have drafted Calijah Kancey?
If JTS was a hit, Joe thinks the Bucs never would have drafted Chris Braswell.
——–
I don’t know if I agree with that – finding edge rushers and defensive lineman are generally done with high picks, and you want to stack depth, in particular as guys are at the end of their deals. Linebackers, meanwhile, can often be found in the 3rd and 4th rounds, like Kwon and Beckwith – both guys who looked really really good before injuries derailed their careers.
Also with Hall – he doesn’t play the same position as Kancey. While both are ends, my understanding of the defense is that Hall / Gholston are basically playing the run stuffer role – while Kancey plays the opposite end, and that job is more of a pass rusher (obviously still a run stopper in this defense, but the role is more focused on pass rush). Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong on that.
In any case if Hall is why they drafted Kancey, I think that might end up making the Hall pick a home run since I think Kancey has a chance to be a special player. Hopefully we’ll him begin his breakout this year.
August 26th, 2024 at 5:53 pm
Think Jason’s draft record improved considerably once Arians came on board. His first years were marred by falling in love with high potential al(ASJ and others) and with being in love with his own smarts (Aguayo and some others). He fished for value free agents like Swaggy Baker as well.
His best feature when he came here was admitting when he went off track and fixing it. And knowing the league well enough to go after top front office people.
He has had less to fix since Arians came aboard.
August 26th, 2024 at 5:59 pm
You know the foot and half long printouts you get from CVS, PerSmart and other stores? Save them and bring them to Ray Jay every Sunday to wave, just to remind everyone that like Jason Licht, Baker and others, everyone is keeping receipts.
August 26th, 2024 at 6:06 pm
TBBF … ‘You have to wonder how much of an influence Bowles was with the JTS & Hall picks’.
OK TBBF, you got my attention, but I’m unsure why that’s even a factor in how those 2 guys have performed. JTS was drafted in 2021 (Bowles was the DC) & Hall in 2022 (Bowles was our HC by then). Since both players are defensive guys, I would expect Jason to ask both the DC AND HC for their draft preferences. BOTH were late early round picks (#32 & #33 respectively). With Suh & JPP gone after 2021, we needed help at BOTH positions. The top players at those positions were pretty well picked over when we picked.
So JL rolled the dice, almost surely after consulting with Bowles & Arians. Both players were projects IMO, and they’ve actually progressed fairly decently … IF they’d been 3rd or 4th round picks (like Nelly was). The real issue is where WE picked them; but that’s not on them. That’s on us. Personally I haven’t given up on either of them, but I’ll be the first to admit that they’re running out of time here in Bucsville. HOPEFULLY this is the year when it all clicks for BOTH of them.
August 26th, 2024 at 6:10 pm
Dear Joe, I don’t know if you or anyone else took to heart the things I wrote in the past. They have never said anything to good about the Bucs. It took I don’t know how long for them to even recognize any of the great players that have been in Tampa. They wrote off the first Superbowl saying that the Bucs had the easiest schedule that season. Our defense was keeping us in games for a couple of years back then but how much credit did that get from anyone? Zero. And now after Brady retired we are back in the gutter. They Never Liked The Bucs. Let’s Go Bucs!!!! we’re with you all the way baby.
August 26th, 2024 at 6:37 pm
Rod … Very good analysis, with the exception that I don’t think we drafted Kancey BECAUSE of Hall. Last season we had 58 players log snaps, and 12 of those were DLine & OLBs (who we’re talking about). That’s just a tad over 20%.
So if we draft 7 players every year, it’d be reasonable to assume that every 2 years we’re be drafting 3 DT/OLBs. And in fact that’s pretty much what we’ve done:
o 2023-2024: Braswell, Kancey, Diaby, Ramirez
o 2021-2022: JTS, Hall, Anthony
o 2019-2020: Nelson, Davis, Beckner
o 2017-2018: Vea, Stevie T.
So during JL’s last 8-year run as our GM, the Bucs have in fact AVERAGED drafting 3 DT/DE/OLBs every 2 years. Unfortunately, 4 of those 12 never really made the team (lower round picks). But 8 of the 12 are still with us, although to date I’d say that only Vea is a true ‘difference-maker’ (several others will be in time IMO).
Although 8 in 8 years seems like it’d be sufficient, it’s not. And thus we’ve had to ‘augment’ by signing such FAs as Suh, JPP, RNR, Gaines, Hicks, and yes, Swaggy too. Most have been excellent signings, but yes, some fell short. IMO though, we need to draft MORE, not LESS.
August 26th, 2024 at 6:51 pm
Why didn’t he say any of this when he was on with Colin cowherd in the bucs facility slurping all over the falcons?
August 26th, 2024 at 6:56 pm
Pooping your pants on two high picks like JTS and Hall really should concern everyone. There had to have been flags ignored for both of these bums to be so ineffective on gameday. I say screw the excuses and hold Licht accountable for the poop smears if you are going to blow sunshine up his aas for mid-late round hits.
August 26th, 2024 at 6:58 pm
That sounded very much like ” Hope” , Joe. It seems to be catching on around here. A little premature me thinks, but better than a hot stick in the the eye or a Saint bounty.
August 26th, 2024 at 6:59 pm
I don’t want an image in my head of Licht ripping his shirt off.
August 26th, 2024 at 7:05 pm
Jason and his scouting team are excellent. The odds of finding a solid starter is a flip of the coin or a complete crap shoot. Not role players, but starters.
Round 1 is a 50/50 shot
Round 2 is 1/3 odds
Round 3 is 1/8.5 Odds
Round 4 is 1/12 Odds
Round 5 is 1/22.5 Odds
Round 6 is 1/50 Odds
Round 7 is 1/100 Odds
Jason and his team are hitting way above par at this point.
August 26th, 2024 at 7:50 pm
Hall & Try’n will be this generations Milli Vanilli dancing around in Ybor City rocking their wigs and showin’ finesse before long. Tweeners to teen idols.
August 26th, 2024 at 7:51 pm
Raging B. It’s risk/ reward. The draft is a crapshoot or like playing the stock market. There will be losers….sometimes big losers. Emotionally, you want to hold on to that loser, thinking it will turn around and be the genius pick you took the risk on. The problem is all that time you waste waiting for it to turn around, you could have cut your loss and made profit on another investment. Pride gets in the way. JTS and Hall were known gambles. Genius picks gone wrong with every fan judging your mistake. Tough business having to be a genius. Licht’s percentage is pretty damn good. Go Bucs.
August 26th, 2024 at 8:55 pm
Yeah, Go!!!!Bucs!!!!
August 26th, 2024 at 9:02 pm
Hall and JTS will have career years! Called it. #teampositive Go BUCS!
August 27th, 2024 at 12:00 am
Win the division with the exact same record as the saints and two wins better than the falcons when they had Arthur smith coaching Desmond Ridder. We beat them by 7 points total in two games. This is all with the better drafting gm. How much more respect would he have if he didn’t throw away a couple second round picks during the Brady era?
August 27th, 2024 at 9:56 am
Joe we don’t want the outside to respect us. Sure seems like the disrespect since the beginning of the season in which we won the SB has bin the motivation for us to keep grinding out to win the division. Keep it coming I say. Let that chip on their shoulders get bigger and bigger so we keep going out to prove em all wrong.