Jason Licht Upbeat About Return Of Calijah Kancey And Antoine Winfield, Jr.
October 5th, 2024
Joe and fellow Bucs fans sure could use a double shot of good news when it comes to the Tampa Bay defense.
No team could lose a player like All-World safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. and not feel the effects. And fans saw how their beloved defense further imploded Thursday when starting safety Jordan Whitehead left the Bucs-Falcons game early in the fourth quarter with a groin injury.
Starting defensive tackle Calijah Kancey has been missing all season. He pulled a calf muscle five weeks ago and hasn’t been on the practice field since. The Bucs have proven they don’t have a comparable replacement.
However, great news about those guys seems imminent.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht referenced the impact of those losses prior to kickoff Thursday night’s gut-punch loss in Atlanta.
The GM sounds like he knows their close to getting on the field.
“I have a pretty good feeling that next week we have a good chance of getting them all back, not 100 percent, but a pretty good chance,” Licht told the Buccaneers Radio Network. “Get through this game, get a win and we’ll feel really good into next week.”
Licht didn’t put names to his comments, but it was clear from the broader conversation that he was referring to Winfield and Kancey.
Injuries are no excuse for the Bucs’ stunning defensive implosion on Thursday night, but reality is reality.
Getting back Winfield and Kancey should make a major difference, certainly enough to beat Atlanta in the rematch on Oct. 27 at The Licht House.
October 5th, 2024 at 4:36 am
How can we say that not losing Sirvocea was the reason for the defensive implosion? KJ has a 39 PFF grade. He’s on Devin White’s level of pass coverage.
Bucs lost their best safety, their best interior pass rusher and were making it work. Then they lost their best cover LBer and it finally sunk them. It’s reality.
October 5th, 2024 at 5:25 am
getting kancey and Winfield back will be huge , kancey is a game breaker inside and got better from last year , Winfield is a superstar and best safety in the nfl . hoping whitehead , yaya etc are okay for next week . saints will be a fun game . LFB BABY 🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️
October 5th, 2024 at 5:26 am
Kancey cannot be counted on at this stage. Even when he comes back, for how long? Sirvocea is in same boat.
October 5th, 2024 at 5:57 am
I will believe it when I see it. Sounds like Licht is doing some damage control and providing some cover for Bowles’ complete fail Thursday night by inferring that the cavalry is on the way so that the boat racing the D took in Atlanta will not happen again and guys like KJ Britt will go back to riding the pine. Too bad they could not suit up on Thursday night, there is a decent chance that loss could have huge implications later in the year, especially if Bowles continues to lead this teams to up (Detroit/Philly) only to allow letdowns (Denver/ATL). that game could mean the difference between 10-7 and 9-8 or perhaps playoffs and Bowles getting launched. Well I hope the real talent actually does suit up for New Orleans. Again, when they are back on the field and actually contributing, I will believe what Licht said.
October 5th, 2024 at 7:09 am
I think Licht is doing damage control for himself. All these perpetually injured recent picks are busts so far. I don’t want hear another word about Buster Kancey until he is announced making a sack.
October 5th, 2024 at 7:34 am
All teams in the nfc south got better in the offseason. Yet, Licht took a victory lap for retaining the exact same team that quite frankly struggled in the south, despite winning the tie breaker.
This Kancey situation is beyond perplexing.
This team needed Devin White Thursday night… a guy who cannot make the Philly 53.
The games only get harder from here.
October 5th, 2024 at 7:49 am
Might take a few games to get back into game shape. Hopefully they will be at least practicing full speed pretty quick.
October 5th, 2024 at 8:04 am
@Buddy
So did you not want them to resign Mike Evans, Winfield, LVD, Baker, and Chase? And what big free agents were you expecting them to sign after resigning all those guys? The team didn’t need Devin White but they do need another competent ILB. White and Britt and not that answer
October 5th, 2024 at 8:13 am
I was happy with the signings, but it would also be nice to compliment the team with some new studs whether draft or otherwise. Let’s be honest, LVD is nearing the end.
Dom – are you happy with 9-8 / 8-9 in the weakest division in football over the past 5 years?
October 5th, 2024 at 8:32 am
I always hear about how injuries aren’t an excuse. An excuse for what? Hey Andy Reid, Patrick will be out all year. You better win another ring, no excuses.
Of course there are no “excuses” because there are no do-overs. But other than tough guy keyboard talk, what exactly are you going to do about it? Not go to games? I saw enough green at RJS last home game to tell me we don’t show up enough already.
Nobody gets a pass, everyone should do their job. But to say we would have won if we had elite players on the field is not an excuse, just a reasonable assumption
October 5th, 2024 at 9:13 am
@Buddy
I’m happy with resigning our core guys instead of losing them, and continuing to build the team the right way like Licht & Co. have done. A third of the teams cap space last year was in dead cap money. They weren’t supposed to win the division let alone win a playoff game. And I think this team has improved slightly. Whitehead, Barton, and Tykee Smith have all been upgrades. I’m still hopeful this team will win 10-11 games this year. They were never going to solve all their needs this past off-season. They still had 56.7M in dead cap this year and will finally get out if their bad cap situation in the 2025 off-season. I’m expecting an even bigger jump next year because of that
October 5th, 2024 at 9:23 am
As long as Todd operates against a statue like Cousins by only rushing four meh guys with Vea on the bench at the most critical time in the game, and dropping the likes of Braswell and Nelson into coverage to cover guys like Pitts, Robinson and Algier, Superman and Batman coming back to the starting 11 wouldn’t change anything. The scheme sucks and has been exposed for even the most ardent Todd apologist to recognize.
October 5th, 2024 at 10:22 am
The Secondary looked exactly like they did I during the Preseason. Dean is just a sorry excuse of an NFL Veteran, at this stage of his career. I honestly, do not see HOW you could be THAT BAD!?
October 5th, 2024 at 11:52 am
Kancey? I got banned the other day for saying it, but he’s now missed 36% of the games since he joined the roster. Should have put him on IR in the preseason and used the roster spot on someone who can make it onto the field.
October 5th, 2024 at 12:42 pm
Part of the reason for all this gripping is because sports fans love to hate their opponents! I get that. I didn’t hate Atlanta until this game. But after Rah running his mouth about “bad blood” and then all the cheap shots at the knees and late hits…I now HATE Atlanta and Rah just like I hated New Orleans and Peyton.
But hating on your opponent is just part of the fun. But we let us delude ourselves into believing Kirk Cousins sucks (just because he’s overpaid 2 things can be true! Yes Cousins is OVERPAID, but he does NOT suck.
Next game we’ll have the HATED Saints!!! We’ll make fun of their QB Carr but the reality is he can slice and dice a LOT of NFL secondaries if given time and if the Bucs play like they did in the Benz Dome they’ll get the secondary embarrassedd again in the Superdome!!!
My focus is on getting Winfield back!!! Without his help the middle of the field is a bullseye for Carr! Kancey would be the frosting on the cake leading perhaps to putting Carr on his butt where he can’t dissect the Bucs secondary.
October 5th, 2024 at 1:35 pm
Dave Pear is spot on. Doesn’t matter who’s on the field when you have Bowles as HC. He’s demonstrated time and time again he knows how to lose. His defensive schemes are awful and he needs to take the reins off of Coen.
October 5th, 2024 at 2:24 pm
What about Goedeke? How bad is this concussion??
October 5th, 2024 at 2:42 pm
What exactly is the deal with Goedeke? A first concussion doesn’t last this long. Marpet sure didn’t. Does he have serious brain injury or not?
October 5th, 2024 at 4:44 pm
Here is what I think I know about Kancey injury. I have had the same injury. When it happens it feels like somebody shot you in the back of the calf muscle with a 12 gauge shotgun. It is so painful you have trouble walking for a week. The injury is very slow to heal and reinjury is always in the back of your mind. I am sure Kancey is getting the best therapy to recover. Five weeks seems actually pretty quick to recover from this kind of thing. Hope he is good for the rest of the season.
October 5th, 2024 at 4:52 pm
@EnoughAlready- why would they put him on IR during the preseason when he didn’t hurt his calf until the very last practice before the first game?
Calf pulls are tricky and can turn into an Achilles injury. Mcaffery’s the prime example right now.
The good news is he’s been running for the past two weeks. Next game he’ll play.
October 5th, 2024 at 5:18 pm
A Bucs Fan says, ” Bucs lost their best safety, their best interior pass rusher and were making it work. Then they lost their best cover LBer and it finally sunk them. It’s reality.”
I agree! Also, the in game injuries added more leaks. The ship was taking on water until one too many leaks doomed it. This team needs to get healthy fast!! Then things will look promising again!
October 5th, 2024 at 7:43 pm
If you can lose to Atlanta and Desmond Ridder when you’re at full strength you can definitely lose to Kirk cousins and be swept you just hope it doesn’t happen. Both of those guys have to get back in game shape
October 7th, 2024 at 8:26 am
Biggest draft needs this off season. EDGE, MLB, DT, CB