Four NFC South Titles… After The Super Bowl Win
January 5th, 2025
Bucs GM Jason Licht, the architect.
Some people wonder why Joe often refers to Jason Licht as the “Buccaneers Ring of Honor” general manager.
This confuses Joe.
Licht is the best GM in team history. He’ll be in the Buccaneers Ring of Honor. Tampa Bay won a Super Bowl, and then proceeded to win four consecutive NFC South titles under Licht’s watch. The last was crowned today as the Bucs beat the slimy Saints 27-19.
Did the Bucs win those four division titles thanks to historic coaching jobs? Absolutely not.
Joe is not collectively slapping around Bruce Arians and Todd Bowles, only noting that Licht put enough quality groceries on the field in all those seasons — despite being way over his salary cap credit card limit in 2023 and 2024.
So few teams in NFL history have won four division titles after winning a Super Bowl. It’s an achievement that must be recognized.
Do the Bucs have the best rookie class in the NFL? They might, but it’s absolute in the top-tier of NFL teams. And that group arrived after the Bucs got to the playoffs last sason with double-digit rookies on the roster.
Could the Bucs have been better than their 10-7 record this season? Definitely. And that’s certainly not on Licht.
Special times for Licht and his unsung team.
January 5th, 2025 at 6:32 pm
Good article. Team was more of a 12-5 talented team imo.
January 5th, 2025 at 6:34 pm
Funny. I just saw Rogers point first down with one finger. No call. Refs are terrible. Go BUCS!
January 5th, 2025 at 6:35 pm
Gangsta JL
January 5th, 2025 at 6:35 pm
Thank you Jason!! Look out for the poachers up in New England and New York. Lock up Greeny, Jackie, and Liam now please.
January 5th, 2025 at 6:37 pm
Jason is a premier GM and the main reason for this historic run.
January 5th, 2025 at 6:39 pm
Joe, you also called Winston, QB of America!
January 5th, 2025 at 6:42 pm
Winston is America’s QB. He scores for both teams!
January 5th, 2025 at 6:43 pm
Could of won 2 or 3 more easy all those overtime games and loss to the falcons still hurt and broncos
January 5th, 2025 at 6:45 pm
Not bad for a Buc.
January 5th, 2025 at 6:53 pm
Absolute Boss
January 5th, 2025 at 6:55 pm
Licht & Company’s primary weakness is drafting EDGE rushers. One could also argue that he hasn’t been all that strong at drafting corners either – we overpaid Davis and Dean for sure.
Licht should focus on building a pass rush via Free Agency and possibly one corner starting position also via Free Agency and not using the draft for it.
Pass rushers are usually hard to draft anyway so the front office would be better off using Free Agency for it – it certainly worked with Shaq & JPP.
January 5th, 2025 at 6:59 pm
Can’t argue with Lichts growth in the position.
I think with Bradys CAP hit going away and the philosophy of hanging on to your own guys that the next couple drafts should be able to improve depth behind starters.
Legit going to have to find good LBs and Edge rushers if Bowles isn’t changing his scheme.
This defense will be our downfall in the playoffs based on how it’s looked against decent qb’s with quick throw game plans.
I’m still extremely frustrated that Bowles can’t seem to run his scheme without the top of the class players. But that is on Bowles. Hopefully Licht and the staff can keep filling the roster with good players that Bowles finds acceptable for his scheme.
January 5th, 2025 at 7:00 pm
Here’s hoping he’s still our GM when he’s Tom Moores age!! Love JL!!
January 5th, 2025 at 7:01 pm
Thank God the other 3 division teams have been in a slump these past few years and the Bucs benefited…..
Right now the options are Vikings, Lions or Commanders…
The Bucs need heaven and earth moved to keep from getting embarrassed next week, much less luck out and win!
January 5th, 2025 at 7:02 pm
Can you do both? Draft one and sign a FA. Just because you havent been successful with something doesnt meant you should just stop doing it.
January 5th, 2025 at 7:06 pm
Sure, let’s go ahead and give light all the credit and completely ignore Todd Bowles.
Jason light has done a tremendous job, but let’s not pretend Todd bowl hasn’t helped this organization. Stay afloat post Brady.
January 5th, 2025 at 7:06 pm
Let’s not discount how crucial Arians was in bringing in Brady and that it was Bowles call to start and roll w Baker.
January 5th, 2025 at 7:09 pm
It’s n Licht to hire a DC that doesn’t drop Vita Vea in coverage.
January 5th, 2025 at 7:18 pm
Licht is unquestionably a top 5 GM. Deal with it. Bowels is not a top 5 head coach. In fact, he’s not a top 25 head coach.
January 5th, 2025 at 7:21 pm
Bucs are #3 seed!
January 5th, 2025 at 7:25 pm
It’s no coincidence. Jason is an absolute treasure.
January 5th, 2025 at 7:25 pm
4 titles since Drew Brees retired and Sean Payton left and the Falcons and Panthers have been dumpster fires.
Arguably the weakest division in the NFL.
Props to Licht but there are still massive problems with this roster.
January 5th, 2025 at 7:43 pm
Hey Joe, does Licht still toss himself in the pool after his team wins?
January 5th, 2025 at 7:44 pm
Licht, Spytek and the other unsungs….we know how 😉
Gangsta Licht!
January 5th, 2025 at 7:45 pm
Only credit given to Jason Licht, like not Todd Bowles
#BlameBowles
January 5th, 2025 at 8:25 pm
We are lucky to have Licht. Clearly one of the best in the business. Anyone who says otherwise isn’t paying attention and doesn’t follow the team closely enough to understand how well he has built and drafted over the last 6 years.
January 5th, 2025 at 8:39 pm
Licht is thr man. We are spoiled and lucky to have this guy leading our ship. I am very thankful for him. Keep building that roster! Keep Spy and Coen though. Can’t afford to lose either. Throw bags of booty at them if necessary!
January 5th, 2025 at 8:47 pm
“4 titles since Drew Brees retired and Sean Payton left and the Falcons and Panthers have been dumpster fires.”
To be fair, the 2021 team was talented enough to win the Super Bowl and would have won the division even if the other teams were strong.
January 5th, 2025 at 9:28 pm
Trask to the future Davis dean bunting whitehead Edwards and Winfield all drafted by Jason and fully went thru the gauntlet of QBs in 2020. Brew Rogers and mahomes and our DBs played great in the post season.
January 5th, 2025 at 9:45 pm
But let’s trade draft capital for an old player. Licht needs draft picks so he can work his magic.
January 5th, 2025 at 9:48 pm
After all of that we have the 3 seed? WOW. Go BUCS
January 5th, 2025 at 10:15 pm
Elio-T says: Weekest division in the league. AKA a stupid comment. That doesn’t matter it’s the division we are in a superbowl and 4 NFC South titles in a row. Mic. Drop Jason . Thank you
January 5th, 2025 at 10:29 pm
Wonder how much Licht learned from the JW debacle? Wonder how much input he had in the actual choice?
I know I personally screwed the pooch on that one. That’s when I joined JBF and the debate was 99% focused on who to take JW or Mariota. Because of his character issues I leaned toward Mariota, but Nole supporters convinced me JW has simply been “immature” and not simply a guy not blessed with abundant character.
So I made two mistakes there. JW was a horrible choice, Mariota would have been no better. The mistake I’ll share with a certain blog operator was that the only way to truly get a starting NFL QB was a very high first round draft pick.
I wish I can remember the poster here who absolutely got it right! He pointed out correctly using the draft capital trade chart the Bucs couldn’t have gotten at least 3 probably 4 QUALITY players instead of JW. What would the team look like now with 2 other first rounders and maybe a couple of 2nds?
So Rod I’ll beat you to it, admitting mistakes that is. Just as you’ve been wrong about Baker, and JW for that matter, I was as wrong on JW. See it doesn’t kill us to admit errors it sets us free to make some more!
January 5th, 2025 at 11:10 pm
St Pete- i remember that. I think i posted here because I was upset we didn’t make the trade. Chip Kelly wanted Mariota in Philadelphia and offered us half the team for him. I thought it was the modern day Herschel Walker trade. I hated the Jameis pick because of his history and had trouble cheering for my team because I despised americas turnover machine.
Philadelphia won ?2 championships with that defense. We lost with Jameis.
That being said, I love licht. He’s taken us out of the lost decade and it’s been a sweet ride the last 5 years.
January 5th, 2025 at 11:42 pm
He’s The Architect!
January 6th, 2025 at 12:32 am
Everything happens for a reason….w/o JW, we wouldnt have been in positions to draft our big guys, Big V and Wirfs, plus others….you gotta keep that in mind 🙂
January 6th, 2025 at 1:24 am
The Patriots certainly had their Brady/Belichick dynasty. And, Reid and Mahomes have theirs going. And, I am not suggesting that what the Bucs have accomplished so far is by any means dynastic yet. But, it certainly has been high quality football!
As free agency and the salary cap and scheduling have evolved into their current competitiveness promoting forms, teams have been more likely to experience something like Tampa’s Gruden Super Bowl crash than dynastic success.
And, it makes sense; aspiring and desperate teams pay dearly for players with championship success thinking that they just need that one more piece. Successful rosters so often become the unaffordable victims of their own success as players cash in; surely everyone should prepare for their future financial security as they are able; and the NFL uses up most players before they ever really establish a secure future.
Sometimes a Tampa gets a Brady for a magical year; rarely do they invest so heavily in repeating that magical year; and for a team to have multi year success while adhering to a budget that is allowing them to pay down the debt they incurred trying to keep their hands on the magic, well that is where so many teams lose it as Tampa lost a decade so to speak.
Of course I want to see a dynasty in Tampa. But, decades not lost are still pretty damn good things to have when you remember not having them!
January 6th, 2025 at 4:58 am
Hats off to Jason and scouting staff. Time to go to work .Our weaknesses are
pretty obvious. one bad thing thing I heard ,is that its not a very good draft for corners which should be a priority. A shutdown corner would be a high priority,IMO.
January 6th, 2025 at 3:56 pm
We must keep Greenberg as asst GM. He is important cog.
January 6th, 2025 at 4:42 pm
National experts put us down for being in a weak division. Wins against the Lions and Eagles and Commanders negate that criticism.