Jason Licht Seems Annoyed
September 30th, 2024
“Hey Tom, I’m starting to think the media is smarter than my freakin’ colleagues. That’s how bad it’s gotten.”
Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht doesn’t waste a lot of time posting on social media.
Joe presumes Licht has more pressing concerns.
So when Licht does take to X/Twitter, Joe assumes it’s something Licht feels very passionate about.
Licht and his staff have been highly productive in the NFL Draft in recent years and their team has won three consecutive division titles after winning a Super Bowl. However, the core of Licht’s staff hasn’t been plucked by other teams with the lure of fat wages and more prestigious positions.
It’s almost embarrassing how intact the Bucs’ front office has stayed. And Joe suspects it’s not because Team Glazer is buying fancy breakfasts every day and dropping annual division-title bonuses on the unit.
After the 2021 season, Bucs-bashing Peter King, the now-retired NBC Sports NFL insider, polled 36 NFL front office types and ex-players to name their Executive of The Year. Ten general managers got votes but Licht wasn’t one of them. Ok, one could speculate Licht isn’t well-liked. Joe doubts that, but it’s at least possible there was jealousy in the ranks after the Bucs made history by returning their entire Super Bowl team, plus key backups — and then went 13-4.
However, other surveys of NFL types from other media have come out since then and the Bucs’ front office never seems to rank among the elite.
And then came a fresh bomb last week from the pay-per-view site TheAthletic.com.
Well-known NFL writers there surveyed 40 NFL executives and coaches and asked them to name their top-5 front office groups. The Bucs didn’t land in the top-13 — thirteen — per the actual article (not the X post summary below).
This got Licht’s attention yesterday and he very classily called attention to the survey and shared on X, “Love our staff. Go Bucs!”
Joe has loads of admiration for how the Bucs have built their roster and managed the salary cap through historic challenges in their post-Tom Brady world. That doesn’t mean Joe agrees with every move, but the respect is deserved.
Joe can’t imagine that in September 2024, the Bucs don’t have a top-5 front office.
How ironic that the Eagles made the list — after signing Devin White and getting humiliated again on the field by Tampa Bay yesterday.
Love our staff. Go Bucs! https://t.co/Qlqex00f2I
— Jason Licht (@jasonrlicht) September 29, 2024
September 30th, 2024 at 9:34 am
Yawn
September 30th, 2024 at 9:48 am
It sucks to not get the respect they deserve but it also keeps that giant chip on the shoulder of the organization and that seems to be when we’re at our best. Just keep chasing championships. Just keep winning.
September 30th, 2024 at 9:49 am
Who gives a spit.
Apparently, Licht. Makes sense that the boss would care about the perceptions of those with whom he works every day.–Joe
September 30th, 2024 at 9:50 am
Lombardi on his podcast is always talking about how the press anoints Baltimore’s front office as the greatest ever year after year so seeing them number one isn’t as shock.
September 30th, 2024 at 10:00 am
Detroit wasn’t relevant or stable until 2022 when Detroit started biting ankles. This is when you realize that it’s no different from pro bowl voting
September 30th, 2024 at 10:04 am
Was Devin White at the game?
September 30th, 2024 at 10:06 am
Pittsburgh? That low?
They haven’t missed the plane in decades.. and have had 4 coaches in a hundred years.
Weird poll.
September 30th, 2024 at 10:08 am
Just Win Baby!!!
September 30th, 2024 at 10:13 am
It’s criminal Jason hasn’t got any love really is. Yet rose man who can’t draft to save his life gets top 5. Overpaid another QB after one good year. Just a joke.
But!! I like being overlooked leave that down south team alone
September 30th, 2024 at 10:14 am
BUCS TRUCKIN, I wondered the same thing. I forgot he went to the Eagles. Don’t know if he was even on the field yesterday. Never heard his name called.
Re the front office, I love what Licht and crew have done. He’s kept our veterans and added critical pieces through the draft. Look at how many of his draft picks remain on the team. We’ve got a relatively young team and are building primarily through the draft. That’s how you sustain winning teams. Let the staff remain disrespected. The longer they’re together the better the chemistry and results. GO BUCS!
September 30th, 2024 at 10:16 am
Top three are tough to argue with. Everything else is a popularity contest, probably driven sampling error (Why would you ask coaches? Do they really study the workings of every other teams’ front office?).
Licht is just doing what good leaders do: lift up the people who work for him. Hire the best, reward them when they succeed, hold them accountable when they fail, help them build their careers, hold on to them if you can, and cheer them when they outgrow the organization. That’s what Baltimore, KC, and SF do…and the Bucs do it too.
September 30th, 2024 at 10:16 am
I’m glad no one was plucked. This front office is hands down one of the best, and (selfishly) keeping it intact is nice. I would hate to lose any of them.
September 30th, 2024 at 10:18 am
White was a healthy scratch. Hopefully, this is the humbling experience he needed.
September 30th, 2024 at 10:20 am
*playoffs
September 30th, 2024 at 10:23 am
You must then ask yourself-Why are the Bucs as a team and our front office consistently underrated and overlooked?
It is simple pure envy and jealousy on the part of the writers , because we live in paradise and they do not.
September 30th, 2024 at 10:24 am
Bucs fans know how well Jason and his staff have done here building a TEAM, bringing in winners and cutting losers, finding gems in the draft, paying the players that deserve the big bucks, and not wasting money on primadonnas. The next two years will win over a couple of those other executives. Perhaps those other exercises are pissed Jason won’t trade the likes of ME13, CG14, or LD54!
September 30th, 2024 at 10:25 am
What the Bucs have accomplished while digging out of salary cap hell after winning the Super Bowl is impressive.
Licht’s front office has been building a team through the draft, finding UDFA’s that have shown they belong in the NFL, and picked up free agents while shopping at the Dollar Store.
We just beat 3 decent teams to start the season while missing some of our best players. That doesn’t happen with a great front office.
September 30th, 2024 at 10:26 am
^^^^^^. …. without a great front office
September 30th, 2024 at 10:46 am
Ring of Honor GM? Seems like Joe is pandering
Guy builds a winning roster 40% of the time and Joe wants to build him a statue next to Rachel Watson in the JBF HQ.
I know any GM after Dominik would be an upgrade but Licht need to keep building winners to get any love
Very short list in NFL history of teams that won a Super Bowl and followed it up with three consecutive division crowns. No pandering. Just reality.–Joe
September 30th, 2024 at 10:47 am
This disrespect wins gambling Bucs fans money so I am ok with it.
September 30th, 2024 at 11:03 am
It doesn’t matter… what matters is the Bucs front office IS TOP 5 and no worse… Going back to 2020, the Bucs have been among the best teams in the league… consistently… that’s a five year period of being among the best… that CAN’T be done without a great front office.
September 30th, 2024 at 11:15 am
Who cares what other executive staffs think of Tampa’s Executive staff. What matters is how you finish.
Hopefully it translates into Championships and long term staff retention.
September 30th, 2024 at 11:25 am
Licht hasn’t built a winner he did buy a Super Bowl same as the falcons are trying to do. GM’s are most remembered when drafting quarterbacks, pass rushers, running backs, secondarily tight end and wide receivers. Besides Evans and Godwin those other key starters were free agents. Licht needs to deep his toes back into free agency next year but he won’t compete financially for top tier players so a trade is the only play
September 30th, 2024 at 11:25 am
I can think of a few reasons why he isn’t thought highly of. JTMs, Logan Hall and his constant propensity of picking OT’s and trying unsuccessfully to make them transform into OG’s. It takes three years to do that and by that time they are ready to hit FA so what you have done is develop an OL for another team and it’s back to the drawing board. See Alex Cappa.
September 30th, 2024 at 11:27 am
Polls like this are for losers. Only one thing matters and the Bucs just need to keep their eyes on the prize.
September 30th, 2024 at 11:29 am
Howie Roseman with Phily is supposed to be a genius. Well he kept Nick Siriani as HC and fired the coordinators. Bad decision, Siriani seems like he’s losing the respect of his team AGAIN, and Roseman supported him. Give me Licht any day.
September 30th, 2024 at 11:30 am
Whenever the Bucs start receiving flowers, they always start playing like females out there. (No disrespect to females, it’s just a man’s game. It is what it is.)
I only want us to receive accolades AFTER the season is over.
September 30th, 2024 at 11:51 am
I noticed that many of the media headlines emphasized that the Eagles lost rather than that the Bucs won. We will ever remain a small market franchise, no matter how much we win.That’s life. It’s OK.
September 30th, 2024 at 12:32 pm
One as to wonder if a boatload of Glazer cash is in the mix as to why the staff hasn’t turned over. Or could it be possible our guys just LIKE other?? Just PERHAPS, those voters are miffed that their offers have been rejected??? On my part, I’m glad the gang has stuck together.
September 30th, 2024 at 12:35 pm
Are the front Office staff salaries public info? I don’t really care, but they might provide insight to the great unwashed public (that would include me, LOL).
September 30th, 2024 at 12:43 pm
Personally, continuity of Jason’s staff is a credit to him and their performance is good for the Bucs. Let the disrespect continue to roll. Bucs fans know our team performs much better as an underdog, and conversely comes out soft and flat like an undercooked crepe when they’re full of themselves.
I hope the Fowlclowns are favored at home. Please.
September 30th, 2024 at 1:19 pm
This Bucs organization is the best it’s ever been in the 49 years the team has existed. Maybe the folks hired by Licht like and respect him and each other. Bucs have plenty of locker room chemistry/camaraderie, no reason why the same good feeling doesn’t exist in the front office. Okay, Bucs, we don’t always play well on these primo night games. How about beating Atlanta and shocking a few of us?
September 30th, 2024 at 1:33 pm
It’s bitter sweet. Bitter cause we arnt getting the respect or recognition that other teams have never bin able to do and with the cap hell we’ve bin in as well. Sweet cause we’ve bin able to keep the staff together and you can see how well we’ve bin drafting and developing. Doubt that happenes when staff keeps getting pulled away. All I gotta say is that it’s literally the Bucs vs the world. Most if not all doubt us and yet we keep winning divisions let’s go Bucs
September 30th, 2024 at 1:51 pm
Dunno if Licht is annoyed for himself, but he’s smart to show up for his staff.
September 30th, 2024 at 3:00 pm
It just depends on the criteria… I mean, how far back are you going? If you’re talking current, then the Patriots would be next to dead last, but if you’re talking ‘historically’ speaking, or are only going back 5… 20-years, or whatever, then that’s going to play a big part. This list just looks like a random thought, “Wild West” kind of list, where people just said whatever they ‘thought’ they were supposed to say, without any real ‘thought’ put in. I mean, the Chiefs, Ravens, San Fran are all obvious choices… Is Coaching Staff included!? If so, then I would put the Rams ahead of the Bucs. The Lions obviously, has had a great front office of late, but haven’t they lost some pieces recently, including on the coaching staff!? Kraft still owns the Patriots. The Steelers feel like they’ve only missed the Playoffs maybe, just a ‘handful’ of times, throughout the past several decades and are without a losing SEASON under Tomlin. IF, you’re only going for the past 5-years, then yeah, I’d say that the Bucs are in the conversation for a Top-5 Ranking… Otherwise, they’re probably ranked real real close to where they deserve to be. So, other than that, who cares.
September 30th, 2024 at 3:03 pm
They are jealous little britches. They can’t do what this staff can and they think it’s just luck. Look at how many draft picks are still on this team. Some mistakes sure but his first pick ever was Mike Evans that’s a immediate phuxk yeah!! He’s gotten better a lot better over the years and it shows. Let em hate and wonder how your pulling it off while they suxk thier thumbs and just cry baby.
September 30th, 2024 at 4:08 pm
Jerry Jones got snubbed, too. Cowboys always have talent. Very patient with coaches, despite what the pundits always expect.
September 30th, 2024 at 4:32 pm
The Bucs are my team. Always have been. Always will be, but being the best of the NFCS is no great accomplishment over the last three seasons. This season appears to be different. Right now it’s a tossup between three teams, and even Carolina looks to be improved. How many other divisions could the Bucs have even made the playoffs as a wildcard? The division is something more than just respectable this year. We have a chance to earn respect over the next month or so. I lost all hope after the Denver disaster. Yesterday helped, but I worry that the Fleagles are still in a death spiral from last season. October should be very interesting. We sure could use Kancey and Winfield Thursday night. Go Bucs.
September 30th, 2024 at 7:30 pm
He didn’t make the list because of Devin white and last years debacle no other gms and front offices are made liars at press conferences injury or healthy scratch which one was it?
September 30th, 2024 at 9:21 pm
13 is pretty disrespectful considering the Bucs achievements the past 4 seasons and counting
September 30th, 2024 at 9:53 pm
Licht & Co. have managed to miss on less picks than some others. Scrap together a roster capable of contending 4yrs straight…All while paying for the all-in yrs and keeping key core together.
But he’s not going to get any credit for building a team a QB away from greatness because Brady is Brady. Leaving the impression that TB12 was the tide that rose Bucs boats to get a SB ring. While mediocre W/L record in his final year, Canales given credit for the Baker reclamation project & multiple yr misses on top picks standing out more than keeping core competitive, which leaves a mixed bag impression of the FO’s results.
I’d rather be sneaky good and effective as a NFL GM, than admired, poached & duplicated in this regard. Continuity of brain trust is a good thing!
October 1st, 2024 at 2:52 am
Are we to believe that the mainstream media is just a bunch of BS artists Joe?
Say it aint so!
Go Bucs!
October 3rd, 2024 at 6:07 pm
Unimaginable!
While I often complain about area f the exam I feel are repeated neglected,
It’s all small potatoes compared to the Bucs SUCCESS!
Jason Licht and his staff have to be near tops, if not tops, in the league.
Just Crazy