Hidden Bucs Personnel Get A Spotlight

July 28th, 2024

Bucs assistant GM John Spytek was a key figure in the latest “In the Current” focusing on how a draft class is built.

Yeah, Joe already wrote about the latest “In the Current” episode from the Bucs that looks at Bucs scouts and takes fans behind the curtain of prospect interviews at the combine in Indianapolis. It also dives into front office meetings where Bucs scouts and personnel suits, including AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht, argued the pros and cons of various players before they were drafted.

Joe’s favorite was discussion of Georgia safety Tykee Smith. The video shows Smith breaking down tape for the Bucs in Indianapolis. At one point, Smith asks outside linebackers coach and pass game coordinator Larry Foote what he is looking for.

Foote nodded toward the screen showing Smith’s plays for Georgia and said, “We need that kind of physicality.”

Then, the scene cut to a meeting where the Bucs are hashing out the benefits of Smith. Senior personnel executive Byron Kiefer banged on the proverbial table for Smith with a passionate defense.

“I just like that, we have culture, you can put sayings all over the building and all of that,” Kiefer began. “Who we bring in backs that up. If we don’t bring in players that back that up, those [slogans] are meaningless, right?

“Those [players] carry what we are trying to be. We say we want to be this and so if we bring in some guy who doesn’t want to put his face in the fan, it’s about me, and all of that [it destroys the team’s credibility].

“We bring in this motherf*cker [Kiefer jabs the air with a finger], they’re like, ‘Oh, they’re right.’ Players know. You can’t fool the players.”

Licht responded to Kiefer’s advocacy for Smith saying, “You can’t go wrong with the right kind of guy.”

Apparently, Smith is the right kind of guy.

Some other highlights:

* In Graham Barton’s combine interview, he was asked what he knows about the Bucs. Barton replied, “I know you have a pretty freaky tackle in Wirfs.”

* Assistant general manager John Spytek was a key figure in this 34-minute video. In pre-draft meetings, Spytek discussed pass rushers. He said of YaYa Diaby, “I think we found one. We have to find another one.”

* In trying to put together the draft board, Spytek said, “The one guy I think we need to put in here is [Chris] Braswell.” You can hear Licht mumble under his breath, “Oh, yeah.”

Later, Spytek continued about Braswell.

“Every time I was looking for Dallas Turner… this guy [Braswell] was running through somebody’s face and making plays.”

A selling point for the Bucs was Braswell’s quarterback pressures.

“He had the most pressures in the SEC,” director of player personnel Rob McCartney said. “And for playing in a rotation, that says a lot.”

* This video wasn’t just about the rookie draft class. There were nuggets about Bucs veterans. While it isn’t clear when exactly these meetings with Bucs personnel staff took place, it was clear from the discussions the Bucs had every intention of re-signing Baker Mayfield, who was a free agent in March.

* In discussing Chris Godwin, it’s not clear who was speaking but what was clear is how much the Bucs respect Godwin and believe he makes any quarterback better.

The comments underscored how Godwin provides a security blanket and gives quarterbacks confidence that he can always bail them out. “He’s going to be where he’s supposed to be. He’s going to catch it.”

This may have been one of the best videos the Bucs have produced in this series. It was an excellent behind-the-scenes peek at how a draft class comes together.

10 Responses to “Hidden Bucs Personnel Get A Spotlight”

  1. Crickett Baker Says:

    At first, I was disappointed in the production but I viewed it again later and they had fixed everything that I had disliked. So, I now agree with everyone who enjoyed it.

  2. NJbucs23 Says:

    It was well done. Smith is going to be an absolute star, I can tell he’s gonna be one of my favorites. West Philly gonna bring it !

  3. Dude Says:

    That last few minutes of the episode where they’re showing the UDFA scramble needs its own episode, hats off to the media department at 1 Buc because that was better than hard knocks for the draft lovers.

  4. MadMax Says:

    We got this….rest assured my friends

  5. Hodad Says:

    Smith will be to the nickel position what Winfield is to the safety position. With his ability, and the way Todd will use him, he’ll become another Buc defender offenses will have to game plan for. This kid is a game wrecker.

  6. infomeplease Says:

    Very insightful view behind the draft curtain! The Bucs appear to have that dept covered very well. Next… Actual results! LFG!

  7. Dave Pear Says:

    Hide them in a closet!

    Licht’s team is incredible.

  8. Rod Munch Says:

    Sounds like a good watch.

    But why would I want to intercept cancer? I’d prefer to deflect cancer, knock it down, have it go incomplete, have it turned over on downs, but I certainly wouldn’t want to intercept it. Do people think about the slogans they put on shirts?

  9. unbelievable Says:

    @Rod – the phrase sounds dumb, but could also be interpreted as you’re intercepting cancer before it gets to its intended target… who’s to say the cancer isn’t then kicked out of the stadium into oblivion immediately after said interception?

  10. Citrus County Says:

    Rod Munch Says:
    July 28th, 2024 at 2:03 pm
    Sounds like a good watch.

    But why would I want to intercept cancer? I’d prefer to deflect cancer, knock it down, have it go incomplete, have it turned over on downs, but I certainly wouldn’t want to intercept it.

    unbelievable Says:
    July 28th, 2024 at 3:30 pm
    @Rod – the phrase sounds dumb, but could also be interpreted as you’re intercepting cancer before it gets to its intended target… who’s to say the cancer isn’t then kicked out of the stadium into oblivion immediately after said interception?

    ^^^^
    Either way, I say cancer sucks.