“I’m Not Blind”
March 3rd, 2025
Fans and Joe saw it. So did Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht.
The Bucs didn’t have enough juice to stop Jayden Daniels in the playoffs last season.
“You see where we were lacking and I’m not blind — where we needed some help, particularly on one side of the ball,” Licht told NFL Daily host Greg Rosenthal, formerly of NFL.com.
Yes, the Bucs are hunting this offseason to upgrade and repair their leaky 2024 defense.
Licht said he’s acutely aware of the perils of wild free agency spending to fix issues, but he’s also quit saying he’s shopping exclusively at the Dollar Store, a one-liner he dropped two years ago.
However the Bucs proceed next, Licht said he’s uplifted by how the post-Tom Brady era has proven his front office and coaching staff has the right stuff.
He talked to Rosenthal about how the Bucs were forced to rely on rookies and undrafted rookies and the process “showed us that we have a great foundation.”
Licht added: “The answer isn’t always throwing a lot of cash and buying expensive free agents. We found there’s other ways you can do it.”
March 3rd, 2025 at 8:45 am
We need players so good that even Bowles can’t mess it up.
March 3rd, 2025 at 8:45 am
Licht has just recently been getting the credit he deserves for being a great GM. It’s nearly impossible to stay competitive while rebuilding, but somehow that’s exactly what this team has been doing. There have been a few flops while trying to find an edge rush though definitely not for lack of attempt. I’m confident there is an excellent game plan on how to fix the defensive side of the ball.
March 3rd, 2025 at 8:45 am
Well if he’s not blind or they’re not blind do something about it. They’re gonna lose out on their chance to win.
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:04 am
HC Grover
My thoughts exactly.
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:08 am
Despite not feeling the same way about Todd Bowles, I trust Livht a lot and that trust has grown over the past few seasons, LARGELY after the Jaboo experiment. I don’t think it’s possible that Bowles is as bas a coach as I (a lot on this site as well) say he is but it is defintely apparent that offense has been the priority recently. I want Bowles to succeed truly – as he did with the D for the super bowl – and I think Licht can bolster Bowles’ defensive weapons this offseason.
We do have holes for sure, but we were again a couple games (plays) short. Do I think we would’ve beat the Eagles? No. Rams? Maybe. but the Commies out played us, it is what it is.
I can’t wait for the offseason to get flowing and see what the fellas in the front office can cook up. We’re on the cusp still, window is wide open for Baker and the boys.
I hope the out of sight coaching that Todd Bowles does finally reveals itself and we can see why the guys on the team and in the building think we still have our guy at HC.
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:13 am
HC Grover Says:
March 3rd, 2025 at 8:45 am
We need players so good that even Bowles can’t mess it up.
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Yep. Very true.. The only time that Bowles has ever fielded an effective defense is when he has been handed an overabundance of talent.
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:18 am
Pretty sure the entire NFL is going to be struggling with Jayden for years to come. Philly beat him in the playoffs. The Bucs nearly did. Generational talent that I’m pretty sure the Bears fans will be negatively talking about for years to come.
Need a few more players and as always in the NFL, need some luck. Excited about 2025 and confident in the management and coaching of the team.
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:20 am
Production over potential. Landry and/or Hendrickson. Neither will cost too much (sorry Miles Garrett and Max Crosby).
Bucs are poised to make a run in 3025 and 2026. Need ability now. Doubtful there are any Edge players available st #19 that will give the Bucs better production in 3025 than Landry or Hendrickson
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:21 am
The growth and maturation of JL as a GM have been noted here by commenters in recent years. I would give him an A grade for what was accomplished during last year’s off season.
Let us hope that those “other ways” enable the kind of pass rush we need this year.
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:23 am
Damn, I was hoping I didn’t have to wait 1000 years for another ring 🙁
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:45 am
FA should tell us how Licht and the Glazers feel about a short term run to the SB. With Evans, Vea, and hopefully Godwin and LVD, the Bucs have a window. Will Licht stay with his long game plan of picking up cheaper, younger players? Or will he pick up older guys (like Mack) who can deliver now but only for a couple years?
March 3rd, 2025 at 9:48 am
Getting to the Super Bowl means beating Washington, Detroit, and Philly. Fortunately the Bucs played them all this year and I bet Licht knows what it will take to overtake them in the future. LFG!
March 3rd, 2025 at 10:09 am
And we beat all three of them with a healthier team than we had most of the season. Just had too many major injuries to sustain anything at the end of the season. Just shows how important a healthy secondary is.
And don’t forget about Chris Godwin.
If we had Godwin, Winfield Jr and Hall healthy for all 17 games, imagine what a difference that would have made.
Instead, those guys were pretty much out for the season and we had additional injuries to inside linebackers and secondary depth… and Dean, of course, missed his standard hand full of games and this time right at the end. Hard to overcome.
March 3rd, 2025 at 10:31 am
They weren’t able to stop Daniels because of the linebackers.
March 3rd, 2025 at 10:53 am
Licht says, “The answer isn’t always throwing a lot of cash and buying expensive free agents. We found there’s other ways you can do it.”
Apparently not. The Defense, particularly the secondary, sucks. It’s great when you can stuff the run, but not at the expense of letting opposing QBs throw for 400 yards. Go lay down some big $$$ and get a proven edge rusher in FA. No more shopping in the bargain bin. Use the draft for ILB, CB and S.
March 3rd, 2025 at 11:00 am
I m gonna go hard with the coaches and players we put on the field and not give one care about what others have to say about them. If you’re a fan, that’s what you do. If you’re not on the payroll, the best thing you can do for your team is lift them up. In the history of competitionn, a contest has never been won tearing down your own house.
March 3rd, 2025 at 11:15 am
They’re not shopping exclusively at the Dollar Store now. They’re definitely in the Marshall’s/TJMaxx or Walmart-Target range now. Maybe JCPenney or Sears.
March 3rd, 2025 at 11:17 am
And like a wise investor, you don’t buy high (Sweat).
March 3rd, 2025 at 11:40 am
Despite all of the the injuries they made it to the playoffs so the coaches are doing their jobs. Yeah I was pissed when Detroit knocked us out of the playoffs in 23-24 and there were a few issues on Bowles behalf. There were quite a few games this year that had some problems coming from ultimately Bowles. The Washington game at the end was on Baker, the interception was one of a few issues but we’re good with that. These guys fought their asses off last year losing players left and right. Got to give them some real credit on getting to the playoffs, at times it was lights out on defense and that was awesome y’all. Toss the injury bug and who knows, we could have re watched our last Superbowl and done just what the Eagles did. Don’t talk that bug up again, please.. Go Bucs!!!
March 3rd, 2025 at 11:55 am
Wonder if Bowles will be coaching in 3025!
March 3rd, 2025 at 11:56 am
Nobody knows how good the Bucs defense might have been without the rash of injuries. Most games, we had 30-40-50% of the starters missing. For all anybody knows, the problem is not the starters; it’s the depth on defense that is lacking. Fortunately, many players got far more snaps last year than they might otherwise have had, gaining valuable experience. A few diamonds were discovered in that rough.
March 3rd, 2025 at 12:51 pm
Only thing I can see for sure is we are not going to trade draft picks for expensive people. The only way you can make it in the NFL is to have a fair percentage of your people on rookie contracts
March 3rd, 2025 at 12:54 pm
Probably, and still have a .499 average.
March 3rd, 2025 at 3:20 pm
The Bucs didn’t have enough juice to stop Jayden Daniels in the playoffs last season.
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Uh what? They held him to 16 points.
If Baker doesn’t fumble, they win the game.
March 3rd, 2025 at 5:19 pm
Right on it HC Grover.
March 3rd, 2025 at 7:08 pm
Turtles live a long time.
March 4th, 2025 at 8:03 am
Rob Munch. I agree with you bro Baker Mayfield can help you get to the playoffs in a bad division but he chokes in the playoffs and he’s done that 2 years in a row. He did have a good season though but I want championships not just playoff births!! If we don’t get to the NFC Championship this year it’s time to draft a quarterback in the first round in 2026 .
March 4th, 2025 at 12:36 pm
Bowles has his faults but WTF is up with the hate from our fans? Spoiled? I don’t get it. With the teams we’ve had, we’ve been to the playoffs every year. Arians couldn’t repeat with the same super team. It’s the freaking NFL people, take a dose of reality. Our fans are so fickle, if you can’t agree with that, you’re blind.