Winning With Jason Licht (Part IV): Underrated Move
March 2nd, 2025
So in celebration of Tampa Bay becoming a lasting contender under the direction of Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht, Joe has talked to a lot of people not named “Licht” about how the boss has gotten the job done.
Fans can find Parts 1-3 below:
For this edition, Joe asked longtime Bucs defensive lineman Will Gholston to name the Licht non-draft transaction that impressed him most, not including Tom Brady.
Gholston first mentioned the five-year, $27.5 million deal Licht signed him to before the 2017 season. Joe told Gholston that can’t count.
So after a good amount of thought (which Joe greatly appreciated), Gholston pointed to former Bucs defensive tackle Rakeem Nuñez-Roches.
Nacho, as he was known, was signed off the street by Licht early in the 2018 season. In 2020, he replaced Vita Vea in the starting lineup and was fantastic in his 15 starts, including the postseason.
The Bucs’ incredibly suffocating run defense did not miss a beat.
“I gotta go with Nacho,” Gholston told Joe last year. “That guy was tough, productive, great teammate, just a really good player and what did [Licht] pay for him? I mean the Bucs just signed him as a real young player with experience and he was great in the locker room, too. If you can add guys like that every offseason, you’re going to have a special team.”
Fun and unique pick by Gholston.
Joe was told by a Bucs official that the team didn’t want to lose Nacho in free agency following the 2022 season, but Nacho’s value was slightly miscalculated and he was signed quickly by the Giants on a three-year, $12 million deal.
If Nuñez-Roches, 31, is a Giants salary cap casualty soon, don’t be surprised if he’s back again in Tampa.
Winning With Jason Licht (Part III) “A Victory Lap”
Winning With Jason Licht (Part II) — The Change Of Scenery List
Winning With Jason Licht (Part I) — The Turning Point Signing
Special Guest Jason Licht Joins The Ira Kaufman Podcast — Live From The NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
March 2nd, 2025 at 12:42 pm
Licht has a well deserved reputation as a great GM.
Time to go the next step and pick an established EDGE. Unsure of who this should be except to say that Myles Garrett is perhaps the best defender in the NFL, wants out of Cleveland, and instantly makes Vea, Kancey, and the entire back end of the defense better. Well worth 1 and 2 draft picks in 2025. Just do it and Bucs are SB bound this season.
March 2nd, 2025 at 1:11 pm
Forget it Garretts not going anywhere the owner of the Browns have all the players contract so out of whack if they trade anyone they will lose thousands in cap space. Hes single handed destroyed this organization.
March 2nd, 2025 at 1:49 pm
I remember Nacho….oh yeah, if hes still got it and affordable, lets do it.
Man i love watching the O line drills at the combine, Eli Cox has stood out so far for me…i know we’re probably not going there until the 5th though
March 2nd, 2025 at 1:54 pm
We’re not going to the SB without better ILBs — even if LVD returns. Get Landry with a mid round pick and trade Dean as part of the deal or separately. Get an ILB and CB in the first 2 rounds and the Bucs could go to the SB. Myles Garrett is a great player, but the D needs more than just a premiere Edge.
March 2nd, 2025 at 1:55 pm
Dump undersized Greg Gaines, slow and gets pushed around like a rag doll every time he’s in there….should’ve never let quality DT depth in Roaches walk
March 2nd, 2025 at 2:39 pm
Thanks Joe!
I want Nacho back.
March 2nd, 2025 at 4:19 pm
Would love to have Nacho back. He wouldn’t be silent about the Swiss cheese defense either.
March 2nd, 2025 at 5:39 pm
Nacho was very impressive here. I’d love to have him back. Even at 31.
March 2nd, 2025 at 8:36 pm
They have definitely done very well finding lineman on both sides of the ball that contribute as back ups and can play in a pinch. (Except edge if course)
I would not mind nacho back for the deaf. But right now, the starting three interior lineman of VEA, Kancey, and Hall is very good.
March 3rd, 2025 at 8:32 pm
Roches has just 6 sacks in ten years.
Only 2 of those came in Tampa and that was during the 2022 season with 16 games played and 1 starten ’em.