Jason Licht Among Best At Draft
November 19th, 2024
“I don’t want to hear about it, Kaufman! You’re the one who wanted Devin White over Josh Hines-Allen so badly.”
From time to time Joe reads how fans, frustrated with this or that, want to run Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht.
This perplexes Joe.
Does Joe get frustrated Licht won’t stop at anything to find an edge rusher? Yeah. Is Joe bewildered why Licht wouldn’t go get another receiver (like playoff-bound teams such as Kansas City and Buffalo and Pittsburgh did)? Yes.
But, you sometimes have to accept the greater good. After all, Licht built a Super Bowl winner for this town. There aren’t too many guys with his resume panhandling for work on interstate off-ramps.
Judging by a graphic that came across Joe’s Twitter timeline yesterday, running off Licht would likely be a really dumb move. So only four teams since 2014 have drafted a higher percentage of Pro Bowlers than Licht (see graphic below). And 2014 was the same season Licht came to Tampa Bay and took over the draft.
Aside from his drafts, look who Licht also lured to Tampa: Bucco Bruce Arians, Ndamukong Suh, Antonio Brown, Playoff Lenny, foot-rubbing Rob Gronkowski and of course, Tom Brady. Licht also was able to steal Jason Pierre-Paul from the Giants and sign Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett on the cheap in free agency.
Why would someone want to push a guy like that out the door?
If for whatever reason Licht was shown the door, he wouldn’t make it through his back door before he started getting job offers texted to him.
But yeah, maybe Team Glazer can find the next Bruce Almighty to run the pirate ship.
November 19th, 2024 at 12:23 am
Hey Joe, I agree Licht is great in his role. “Aside from his drafts”… that’s quite a list of players he’s lured to Tampa. But as a Baker Mayfield fan I think you should have added another player to that list. Maybe that slight will give our QB that extra edge he needs going down this final stretch. GO BUCs!!
November 19th, 2024 at 12:29 am
Well said Kenton
November 19th, 2024 at 12:32 am
Jason is the best though. He’s not going anywhere.
November 19th, 2024 at 12:34 am
All the men Joe listed either will be in the Hall of Fame or they helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl. While Mayfield has been a nice signing, he’s yet to get to a Super Bowl.
November 19th, 2024 at 12:54 am
Only a dead snook implies that Jason is the reason the inept head coich / defensive uncoordinator is giving up yards and points like free drugs at a music festival. Or the reason Tom Brady experienced the only losing season of his entire life. Or how in crunch time, failure ensues.
The Glazers have seen GM ineptitude (Mark Dumdumnik). “The rebuild is complete” — a dead snook once said. LOL.
The Glazers know Jason has only had one clean head coaching hire, and that produced Bruce Arians and a Super Bowl.
They know this ain’t it, but “it” is around the corner.
November 19th, 2024 at 1:04 am
Keep adding fuel to that fire Joe. GO BUCS!!
November 19th, 2024 at 3:22 am
So, I feel the need to point out that the Glazers made him a ‘give the head coach whatever he wants’ guy until the year they finally let him have control and he hired Bruce Arians.
Up until then, it was all on the head coaches for the most part.
But I do agree he is a great GM…maybe the best. I didn’t always feel that way, but he won me over years ago.
November 19th, 2024 at 3:27 am
Dave Pear Says:
“The Glazers have seen GM ineptitude (Mark Dumdumnik). “The rebuild is complete”
Don’t forget Rich Mckay who put us so deep in cap issues that he refused to stick around to clean up his own mess. He also traded away multiple high picks. Then went to work for our division rival.
Or Bruce Allen, who signed cheap players for years because of the cap issues, and made many bad signings.
November 19th, 2024 at 3:36 am
We know how….a few misses here and there, but we roll. Debo Williams next please
November 19th, 2024 at 4:01 am
And Kyle Kennard….Debo with our 4th
November 19th, 2024 at 4:27 am
When you spend the majority of those 10 years drafting pretty high, including 1st overall, you better be top 5 at minimum in pro bowlers.
Not impressed with the Arians hire either. He hired him because he promised the Glazers he would fix Jameis. Which shows his lack of understanding about the modern game X and Os wise. The Arians system was already out of vogue when hired. We saw how bad it looked once the Brady magic wore off.
There aren’t many good GMs and Licht isn’t the magical outlier we get swept up into thinking about him when you look at the big picture of his career.
November 19th, 2024 at 4:40 am
Jason has done a good job. Many of the draft picks we got; most of us were overjoyed with them at the time. Reminiscing Jameis as an example. In 2015, we all were excited watching the draft and the first pick of the night is Jameis. He being the first FSU player to be selected first overall. Yes, there were some bad times, but Jason gets it done. And that is the apprehension, if at the end of the season Todd gets let go. Do the Glazers decide to clean house too? So much to think about.
November 19th, 2024 at 5:15 am
Anon. I thought you guys were really into numbers. The average pick of those 10 years is 16. That’s right in the middle.
November 19th, 2024 at 5:34 am
Jason light is not the only person who makes decisions about this football team, John Spytech is a brilliant mind and he has just as much input as Jason. If any of you have been paying attention there whole scouting team works as a collective and decision’s are made on draft day, there are some override decisions that get made but not many. The Buccaneers problem is coaching, not our personal it is blatantly obvious. We have been mediocre since Todd Bowles has taken over, we are wasting the talent on this team, and I am personally tired of it. We need a coaching staff that’s going to keep these guys disciplined on defense. Remember Bruce Arians held these guys accountable Todd Bowles does not.
November 19th, 2024 at 6:01 am
We finally have some decent runningbacks, but we have no line backers or edge rushers.
November 19th, 2024 at 6:06 am
Look who’s at the bottom of this list.
November 19th, 2024 at 7:32 am
Isn’t the hiring of a HC the responsibility of the GM? Nuf sed.
Isn’t it the responsibility of the GM to draft the best player on the board? JTS, Hall, Britt, etc.???? Nuf sed.
Isn’t it the responsibility of the GM to restock the team during the season when injuries happen? Fact is, when the GM discussed the salary cap, he specifically stated he had to keep money on hand for just such a situation. Nuf sed.
I don’t hold him responsible for the pathetic coaching, but I do hold him responsible for the above. Nuf sed.
November 19th, 2024 at 8:05 am
Agree that the greater good justifies keeping Licht. But his performance on the defensive side of the draft is unacceptable. Those draft decisions have to be taken away from Licht.
November 19th, 2024 at 8:19 am
Lies. Damn lies. Statistics. Lists of successful GMs based on Pro Bowlers in the last ten years.
Geezum! The only team on there to compare is the Chiefs. Check my math if you’re bored but 14.1% to 13.9% sounds like one player different for one year.
This list is eye candy for the eye candy watchers.
Who gives a flip about the Lions last ten years. The Falcons? Come on. The Cowboys? Make me laugh. Maybe the Ravens but I still think that they’re fatally flawed.
Second half of the season is coming up. The Bucs took the 49ers and Chiefs to the end. Have heartburn on the Falcons games but the rest…. Welcome to the NFL. It’s exactly how the league wants it to play. The outliers are when you get a Brady, a Mahomes. The rest falls to “Any given Sunday.” Step on the Giants throats this week and LFG!
November 19th, 2024 at 8:21 am
Would be better but Bucs always get snubbed. It’s not that licht is bad it’s that he he drafts pistons that don’t need to be addressed and damn please no more punters
November 19th, 2024 at 8:36 am
Drafted 3 freaking KICKERS-you do not draft kickers-NEVER. 2022 draft sees Licht trade out of #27 in first round with Jags and Jags take Devin Lloyd of Utah who has turned into one of top 3 Middle Linebackers in the league and also excels at pass coverage. Bucs get Logan Hall who until this year could not even be called “Average”. At the time in 2022 Bucs knew LaVonte was getting long in the tooth and sorely needed to inject some talent at the LB position and Licht whiffed.
November 19th, 2024 at 8:42 am
The only thing that bothers me about Licht’s drafts is the one where he said they wanted guys for special teams. I wonder how far back that set them? We sure could use a corner or another WR or DL depth.
November 19th, 2024 at 8:56 am
I don’t want him gone, but I do want him to get better. He’s drafted three pass rushers the past two drafts and they have maybe 6 sacks between them this season. Poor job.
November 19th, 2024 at 9:53 am
Anyone complaining about it being Jason’s fault about the pass rushers — wake up and watch what happens when a real head coach hires a real defensive coordinator. Watch what these guys can do when they’re actually coached to focus on rushing the passer and stopping the run rather than dropping into coverage. Logan Hall and JTS with a real DC and a proper scheme will play much better. So too, Yaya, Braswell, Kancey and Vita.
We do need LB help, but there’s record of Lovie telling Jason we’re good with the guys we have going back to training camp. He doubled down on that when Sir Vocea went down to injury.
November 19th, 2024 at 10:06 am
“Bucsfan” – Yeah, BUT they also did get Otten (pick #106) with one of the additional picks they received & THEN used the other pick they got back (#180) to trade up 3-spots to take Goedeke (#60 to #57), so I would say that it ended up working-out ok!!!! There’s a lot more to it than JUST Hall. With that said, I was screaming for him to trade UP for Linderbaum (when I saw that he was starting to fall), but the friggin’ RAVENS beat him to it!!!! I wanted Linderbaum with Wirfs together again, after seeing that ESPN piece on their HS Wresting Careers, etc. Unbelievable story. Imagine having THEM TWO, alongside of Barton (at G) & Goedeke… Whoa!!!! Future SET.
November 19th, 2024 at 10:08 am
This chart is more an indictment of bad coaching and a good QB means everything. Only 6 of the top 20 teams even played in a super bowl. Only 3 of top 20 won a bowl. QB’s? Brady, Mahomes and Wilson.
November 19th, 2024 at 10:10 am
Joe-Joes are at it again. Everyone wanted OB at WR but the Giants took him so JL drafted Mike Evans. There were 4 lineman available. When it got to the bucs, Tristen Warfs was only one left so JL drafted him. We all watched the same stuff on TV and saw that.
On the flip side JL drafted a ton of busts like a QB in the 2nd round (who has yet to play), traded up into the 2nd round for a kicked who later got cut and drafted a punted who was cut.
JL is the worst GM out there.
November 19th, 2024 at 10:50 am
“Don’t forget Rich Mckay who put us so deep in cap issues that he refused to stick around to clean up his own mess. He also traded away multiple high picks. Then went to work for our division rival.”
This is so wrong.
A. Mckay was known for NOT putting salary cap charges on “credit”, instead eating the charges in the current year. The first time he was ever in a salary cap squeeze was when Gruden was hired in McKay’s second-to-last year and insisted on signing half the league’s offensive free agents.
B. McKay was also known for trading second round picks for FIRST round picks the following year. The only time I recall his trading high picks for a player was the two first rounders he used to acquire Keyshawn Johnson.
C. He worked for the Falcons because he was pushed out in Tampa by Gruden. He was offered a job, what would you have him do…refuse the job because it’s in the NFC South?
Mckay was and is a talented NFL front office guy, and was basically the architect of the Dungy-era Bucs that eventually won the Super Bowl under Gruden. Put respect on that man’s name.
November 19th, 2024 at 11:41 am
Just imagine if he had not drafted Roberto Aguayo, Noah Spence and Vernon Hargraves in 2016. He would be stellar.
November 19th, 2024 at 12:05 pm
Joe…. you are the biggest griper about not having an Edge Rusher (justifiable compliant) Who is responsible for that? What will keep Bucs from going to playoffs? This falls on Licht and Bowles. One or both have to go.
November 20th, 2024 at 1:32 pm
i hate disagreeing with people that know more than me, but i am grateful to rich mckay and the super bowl he got us. Atlanta had one too under his domain.
i am not a fan of the phantom defense (using linemen in coverage). the upside of sacks and pressures turning into interceptions and fumbles doesnt offset the losses from what is given away imo, particularly with injuries.
i look forward to being proven wrong on any criticism i offer on the bucs, and generally always love our people even when i disagree. when get pissed, it is furious though.