Jason Licht Says He Can’t Defend Himself
March 30th, 2025
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
This was a strange response in Joe’s mind, but in the big picture, maybe it makes sense. Maybe?
The draft is a completely inexact science. In some ways, the NFL is a different game from college football. Spread offenses dominate college ball and the way linemen block in the NFL is foreign to many rookies.
(Joe never understood the NFL gripe that quarterbacks don’t call their own plays in college and get signals from the sidelines. How is that any different than the NFL where coaches call the plays via headsets? So college coaches using sign language and posters of Kate Upton inhibit quarterback play how? Quarterbacks are too distracted by the thought of Upton possibly looking at him from the sideline?)
Joe remembers Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian often saying on SiriusXM NFL Radio that nailing first-round picks is a 50/50 crapshoot (those odds sink for each round) and if a team finds three starters in a particular draft, a team is doing well.
Even though the NFL spends tens of millions of dollars on draft research each year, the draft remains an educated guess.
In a recent sitdown with Seattle general manager John Schneider and Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht on BSPN, the two were asked to explain elements of their jobs that fans likely won’t understand.
Licht told host and former Jets and Dolphins shot-caller Mike Tannenbaum that he’s often unable to publicly defend a draft pick that doesn’t work out because he’d be throwing some of his staffers under the bus.
Or the player.
“It’s really hard … we have great staffs,” Licht said. “Lean on them a lot.
“But you are making decisions — you’re the final decision maker. And you don’t have a chance to, you can’t go out and defend yourself. People don’t understand the whole, everything that went into the decision. Like they just see the end result.
“But you can’t go out [and defend yourself]. You don’t want to throw anybody under the bus. You don’t want to explain that these things happen along the way.
“So it’s hard you have to make decisions that at the end of the day [if] you’re going to be wrong on someone, that you can’t defend yourself.”
And Licht pointed out there’s no way to do his job successfully without leaning heavily staff. So he is sort of a shield if a player doesn’t pan out. Licht will take the bullets.
Besides, as Licht noted, he’s the final decision-maker.
Just to illustrate what Licht is referring to, Joe knows of two mid-range draft picks the Bucs had in the 2010s that completely pulled a successful con on Bucs staffers to convince them they were football junkies more than willing to bust their tails 24/7.
Neither had a second contract with the Bucs and were pretty much out of the NFL after they left Tampa Bay, bouncing around on practice squads and CFL/USFL/XFL rosters. One player from each side of the ball.
Former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik — though he didn’t give up the player’s name — outed Myron Lewis on SiriusXM NFL Radio once. The other player, Joe heard from a Bucs suit, was referred to as “Eddie Haskell.”
March 30th, 2025 at 8:29 am
He takes the bullets and showers in the praise. The same scout who’s spared the criticism can also be overlooked as the savior. As it should be. The Buc always stops with the GM
March 30th, 2025 at 8:33 am
Have to wonder what percentage of JBF’s faithful readership actually knows who Eddie Haskell is, without using their www machine to find out.
March 30th, 2025 at 8:34 am
Gonna make mistakes….Im impressed with the quality of character with Buc picks…..rarely does a Buc get in trouble.
March 30th, 2025 at 9:04 am
Sweet – a mystery to solve…. Who was Eddie Haskell?
I’ll just pop a couple Scoobie Snacks and give er a whirl….
Based on the clues given – it has to be an offensive player from the 2010s – not a 1st round pick nor a 7th….
First thought was Austin Sefarian-Jackwagon… but he played games for the Jets and Jaguars after he left Tampa Bay…
So then I rip the mask off – and…..Jinkeees! – Its Kenny Bell! Who never played a live down in the NFL – and after release from the Bucs, bounced on and off practice squads of the Ravens and Broncos before catching a few balls for the Salt Lake Stallions….
And on his way out of town – The young man with the big ‘fro was heard muttering – “Yea – and I would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for you meddlin’ kids and your dumb dog……”
March 30th, 2025 at 9:10 am
Eddie Haskell was a highly drafted safety with the Bucs. But he was a clown in the locker room and was later cut.
March 30th, 2025 at 9:12 am
I don’t know who the other “Eddie Haskell” player was. Not a good nickname to have if you’ve ever watched the Beaver.
If anybody knows who that is, please post that players name. I’d love to know. LOL
March 30th, 2025 at 9:35 am
Good point Smashquatch!
March 30th, 2025 at 9:56 am
I gotta think Vernon Hargreaves comes into play here somewhere
March 30th, 2025 at 10:00 am
Joes says, “(Joe never understood the NFL gripe that quarterbacks don’t call their own plays in college and get signals from the sidelines. How is that any different than the NFL where coaches call the plays via headsets? So college coaches using sign language and posters of Kate Upton inhibit quarterback play how? Quarterbacks are too distracted by the thought of Upton possibly looking at him from the sideline?)”
Vent much?
March 30th, 2025 at 10:09 am
I remember Tom Landry starting that ‘calling in plays from the sidelines’ crap. Loved watching Billy and Sonny duel with him
March 30th, 2025 at 10:09 am
I just hope Eddie wasn’t too hard on the Beaver last night
March 30th, 2025 at 10:20 am
I get the GM’s gripe about quarterbacks not being anywhere near as trained up. Stats are misleading, they’re better because the game has opened up – it doesn’t necessarily mean quarterbacks are better. What happened to throwing guys open, deep outs outside the hash, knowing everyone’s blocking assignments, making calls at the LOS. Guys like Peyton Manning, that’s a real qb. Yea the added element of escapability is beneficial but guys reliant on this ONE READ RPO BS and throwing to wide ass open tight ends down the middle of the hash – I mean, ok. But if that’s all these guys know how to do out of college then I’m sure that’s still infuriating to anyone that wants to run a grown up, professional offense
March 30th, 2025 at 10:40 am
Paul Brown actually had radio transmitters in his Browns quarterbacks’ helmets, calling in plays when the NFL banned it. One quarterback said during a game that he began picking up a police scanner and not Brown. LOL
March 30th, 2025 at 10:52 am
Some day maybe we’ll hear who made the decision to take JTS? If it wasn’t Licht then say goodbye to him.
March 30th, 2025 at 12:30 pm
Shystinko. Still thinks he’s good. Lol
March 30th, 2025 at 12:40 pm
Wasn’t it Landry that also sent rotating QB’s in every play with the call? Staubach and Craig Morton.
March 30th, 2025 at 1:13 pm
When a guy sits out a whole season because of COVID. He’s probably a miss. JTS
March 30th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
Good afternoon, Mrs. Cleaver. I saw young Theodore running down the road…
March 30th, 2025 at 2:49 pm
Doesn’t it needs to go both ways?
They’ve missed (everyone does) but they have a lot of big wins. Wirfs, Goedeke, AWJ, Bucky … Pro Bowl players found in each round of the draft.
March 30th, 2025 at 3:10 pm
Lt. Dan, Landry used to send the plays in with his tight ends. I remember Billy Joe Dupree and I think Mike Ditka…but it was 50+ years ago.
March 30th, 2025 at 5:13 pm
Jean Fugett was another. George Allen eventually poached him
March 30th, 2025 at 7:53 pm
Every team misses, it’s going to happen. The key is to limit the misses though, which Licht & Co have done a good job of for the most part.
March 30th, 2025 at 8:18 pm
Licht’s worst draft pick was and always will be Winston.
It set the franchise backwards instead of forward.
Only the GOAT was able to push the team over the edge.
Great FA signing by Licht for sure.
But his greatest achievement as the GM came from signing FA players that were drafted by someone else.
Mike Evans was a can’t miss prospect. Any couch potato could see that.
March 31st, 2025 at 3:31 am
Not saying Licht has done anywhere near as poorly as most of our GMs. But I sill gotta ask if he was influenced at all by anyone on the Aguayo pick…
Even then I trusted that Licht knew what he was doing, but wow, that one still has me wondering. Dude threw himself under the bus.
Go Bucs!