Resisting The Urge
October 1st, 2024
“Rondé, you make me feel special.”
It seems Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht might have stress management challenges that fans don’t realize.
Legendary Bucs cornerback Rondé Barber spends a lot of time mingling at One Buc Palace. He has an active key card to One Buc Palace and not only works for the team website and preseason broadcasts, but his insight is sometimes sought by Licht and the front office.
So when Barber speaks, Joe pays attention.
During Barber’s visit this week to the NFL Spotlight w/Ari Meirov podcast, Barber explained that while Licht has crafted a clear profile for the team-first players he wants to draft and sign in free agency, sticking to the successful model is a struggle.
“To actually be able to go out and do it and resist the urge and temptation to go find somebody that might not fit into you, that’s hard. That takes discipline and it takes like a real vision,” Barber said. ” … I know that’s the reason why they’re successful and they don’t get enough credit for it.
“It’s a shame that people don’t realize that their way is the way. And they just keep having success because of it.”
Joe would bet that Barber is speaking from experience, as in he knows players Licht was crazy tempted to sign but passed on in the name of the system.
Does that make Licht “a system GM?” (Various idiots in past years used to call Barber “a system cornerback.”)
Barber’s comments make the 2024 offseason signing of edge rusher Randy Gregory even more odd than it was. Gregory had a history of issues and didn’t show up for training camp or mandatory minicamp.
Regardless, Licht maintaining a division-champion team for three years after winning a Super Bowl puts him in rare air, especially given the team’s historic salary cap issues last year following wild spending during the Tom Brady years.
Still, Joe would applaud wildly if the Bucs gave a middle finger to their principles temporarily, which led to them bagging a talented pass rusher before this season ends.
Ira Kaufman Dives Deep Into The Bucs’ Blowout Of The Eagles, Locker Room Insights And Personnel Decisions; Talks Atlanta Showdown & More
October 1st, 2024 at 9:47 am
Watched a long Ronde career highlights video the other day just because… Man I miss him. Had the Super Bowl dvd and watched that from about ages 1-8 religiously, seeing the names of that defense on the stadium every time gets me going. Need that back
October 1st, 2024 at 9:53 am
One of the most underrated players of all time, pretty ridiculous that it took him 10 years to get into the HOF.
October 1st, 2024 at 9:57 am
Some teams has a lot of success with these head cases . New England use to get them for the low low, and revives their career and win championships. Kansas City brings back their ex players all of the time, Kareem Hunt, Ju Ju this season. They brought back Mecole Hardman last season, and he scored the winning TD in the Super Bowl.
If a team has a winning culture they can motivate these headaches
If a team has a losing culture then their negativity will spread like a virus, ruin the locker room..
October 1st, 2024 at 9:59 am
Simeon Rice may be the most underrated currently and Simeon has HOF numbers.
October 1st, 2024 at 10:04 am
Too bad they can’t foresee who’s gonna be injury prone before we bring them here.
October 1st, 2024 at 10:25 am
Randy Gregory – that was JL caving to the temptation…it happens.
October 1st, 2024 at 10:29 am
Any idea what the Jets want for their disgruntle edge rusher ? Go Bucs.
October 1st, 2024 at 10:42 am
I really don’t see them doing anything about an Edge Rusher…. getting 6 sacks with one seems pretty darn good without a big name edge rusher. But if they did, it would be awesome to watch perhaps.
October 1st, 2024 at 10:42 am
Lt. Dan
Exactly although I do concede Gregory was a low or no cost deal.
But the “principle” is what Ronde is heralding. Not recognition of talent but recognition of MORE than just talent. AB had perhaps the most talent at his position for awhile but he was a CANCEROUS DRUG! Did the Bucs win with him, yep, were they embarrassed and distracted by him absolutely. He was clearly a violation of the “principle”. No more Swaggys and Winslow Jr.s and JFROs doing their best Michael Jackson impresonations.
And so in anticipation of the Muncher who would take Jack the Ripper if he could win a football game, yes you CAN win with losing personalities but it’s much tougher. Why make a difficult game even harder?
These kind of guys like AB who are clearly talented troublemakers are like drugs. Man they feel great when you first take them but they are beyond dangerous. AB was the Fentanyl, DW45 was only like weed so if he can clean up his act perhaps it’s time to take another look.
So that is a REAL question. Would DW45 violate the “principle” at this point.
IMHO that’s open for conjecture. If he was the DW45 of last off season let him rot in Philly, if he’s a chastised young man who simply wants to get back on a winning team with guys he enjoyed then yeah give him a “look”. Explain the “principle” to him and tell him he’s on a short leash. If that’s a deal breaker the Bucs could say, “We understand, good luck with your next team.”
October 1st, 2024 at 11:18 am
Good thing Licht wasn’t our G.M. when Sapp was in the draft. Remember that? A sure fire top three pick dropped to 16 because of illedged pot, and coke use. Probably both true. Licht would’ve stayed away. Sometimes you just got unpucker your.
October 1st, 2024 at 11:59 am
It explains why we didn’t spend a high pick and a ton of money for Hassan R. (For whatever reason, if I type his last name I get moderated lol) He is NOT a team-first guy, gets furious when asked to drop into coverage, because he can’t get sacks that way
October 1st, 2024 at 12:28 pm
I don’t think that means everybody has to be a boy scout. Would he turn down Ray Lewis?
October 1st, 2024 at 12:31 pm
StPete … ‘So that is a REAL question. Would DW45 violate the “principle” at this point. Explain the “principle” to him and tell him he’s on a short leash.’
Eating humble pie can do a lot to a person’s ego, and cause them to radically rethink their approach to dealing with various situations & people. Devin, like Jameis, was ‘anointed’ a leader instead of truly earning it. As a consequence, neither of them were truly good leaders, and both ate some humble pie. And yet both of them are very talented, just were not very ‘mature’ in their approach to life. Maybe (?) Devin’s learned a lesson?
October 1st, 2024 at 12:31 pm
StPete … ‘So that is a REAL question. Would DW45 violate the “principle” at this point. Explain the “principle” to him and tell him he’s on a short leash.’
Eating humble pie can do a lot to a person’s ego, and cause them to radically rethink their approach to dealing with various situations & people. Devin, like Jameis, was ‘anointed’ a leader instead of truly earning it. As a consequence, neither of them were truly good leaders, and both ate some humble pie. And yet both of them are very talented, just were not very ‘mature’ in their approach to life. Maybe (?) Devin’s learned a lesson?
October 1st, 2024 at 12:32 pm
Guys like Sapp and Ray Lewis knew better than to raise a diva stink in their locker rooms. They weren’t the only guys in there with HOF stamped on them. They left the diva nonsense outside.
October 1st, 2024 at 12:59 pm
Hodad
100% on sapp… cutting Shaq Barrett was a team first move also!!! the reality is guys put their family and career first. They play for money. Wirfs was a hold in but was not on the field not to risk injury and to get his bag. Get the best players period. You know how to avoid cancers in the locker room after desean Jackson swaggy baker, Vernon Hargreaves III and so on.
October 1st, 2024 at 1:14 pm
I wouldn’t call that system-driven, more like “principle-driven” or “character-driven”.
October 1st, 2024 at 2:51 pm
While discretion is the better part of valor sometimes expediency rules. I trust Licht to weigh the costs against the benefits according to the situation. Gregory apparently did not cost too much.
October 1st, 2024 at 3:00 pm
I was proud of Sapp for suspending his “deviant” behavior until his football career was over. That is, as far as I know. He is a lovable rogue to me.