Wholesale roster changes afoot from Bucs GM Jason Licht?

A long look at the Bucs yesterday, today, and what to expect tomorrow and beyond.

Well, well, well, Joe smells a shakeup. So Anthony Collins got benched and Demar Dotson was moved to left tackle. If you read between the lines, it doesn’t seem temporary, short of the Bucs drafting a left tackle in the first round (God help us).

Joe remembers Bucs general manager Jason Licht saying a huge thing he learned working with Bill Belicheat was that Belicheat said, if you make a mistake, then cut your losses and move on. Everyone makes mistakes, but hanging onto a guy with the hope he turns things around will dig your grave.

That was an issue for former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik. He fell in love with his guys and was reluctant to face the facts that some (Myron Lewis, for example) had no business in the NFL.

Collins, at best, will not be your Bucs left tackle next year. And who else will get launched? Joe can say the only guy who should be retained is Dotson. Logan Mankins is not worth the cash, and Joe is pretty sure he doesn’t want to be here. There is a reason why Evan Dietrich-Smith was let go for peanuts by Ted Thompson. Patrick Omameh hasn’t been a train wreck at right guard for a young player, but the Bucs should at least look to upgrade.

At the very worst, the offensive line cannot be kept intact for next year. It just cannot.

Changes To Defense?

If Licht is going to bite the bullet on Collins, he very much should on Michael Johnson. What a terrible swing and a miss there. Joe is pretty sure the spin that Johnson has been injured has expired.

One move lurking is finding a replacement for middle linebacker Mason Foster. Joe knows the club thinks it can get better production from the position and Lovie Smith all but said Danny Lansanah was getting a tryout there. It seems, though, defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is right. Lansanah is much better suited as an outside linebacker.

The Bucs should not be quick to unload Foster. When he doesn’t play, the Bucs cough up way too many yards. Joe doesn’t think that is a coincidence.

It seems Lansanah is all but locked in as the strongside backer for next year, so if the Bucs do want to upgrade that position, it doesn’t leave much room for Foster on the roster.

Stop Playing Stupid

Joe knows Lovie emphasizes turnovers, but let’s be honest. Those are plays of chance. Too much emphasis is being placed on making plays that aren’t always there. Playing smart is a different animal.

How many freaking stupid penalties can this team make? How about Lovie emphasizing discipline more than turnovers. Turnovers are cyclical. Playing smart is not. And the dumb mistakes the Bucs make week after week prevent the team from winning week after week.

Losers Playing Losers

One reason why the Bucs’ opening for offensive coordinator should be attractive is that the Bucs will be playing a last-place schedule, which in theory, means two easier games.

Any respectable coach who takes the offensive coordinator gig will want to use it as a stepping stone.If said offensive coordinator can take advantage of a last place schedule, then that makes his resume all the better and more valuable.

So by the Bucs clinching the 2014 cellar, it may have aided in their quest to find a decent offensive coordinator candidate.

See You In 2015 GMC

After Gerald McCoy was diagnosed with a hyperextended knee yesterday – we hope that is all it is — there is simply is no reason for McCoy to see the field again this year.

GMC is a prideful man but he has to use his smarts about this. Getting him maimed the next two weeks accomplishes nothing. Not a damned thing. GMC needs to be fully healthy for 2015.

Lovie should take the bull by the horns and explain to GMC his season is over and if he wants to be a leader, then he will sit out the final two games.

Here Comes The Pack

Ready for Green Bay South to hit town? Packers fans are flying south for a mini-Christmas vacation. And after being upset in Buffalo yesterday, Green Bay is in danger of missing the playoffs – that’s right.

The Packers are now in second place in the NFC North. Don’t think those guys are going to be loaded for bear to play the Bucs in front of 40,000-plus Packers fans Sunday?

NFL Thoughts:

Cardinals: So for the defense-wins-championships crowd, how much money are you putting on the Cardinals to win the Super Bowl? Arizona has one of the best defenses in the league but is now on its third-string quarterback. So how much cash you putting down that they win? Oh, and the Rams have an awesome defense, too. And schlop for a quarterback. They aren’t making the playoffs. Wonder why?

Steelers: Good game where the Steelers improbably beat Atlanta scoring only once in the second half. Two touchdowns by Le’Veon Bell did the trick.

Crows: Joe Flacco had a nice day, throwing for 221 yards on 20 completions with a score. All this guy does is win. Joe would take him in a heartbeat.

Bills: The Bills defense rose up and forced Aaron Rodgers into arguably his worst game of the year. Maybe he should bang Olivia Munn more often on gamedays?

Bengals: OK, so the Browns defense couldn’t stop the Bengals at all, and the Browns’ offensive line was a complete and total sieve, and it’s all Johnny Football’s fault? In his first start? Please!

Colts: Andrew Luck had a terrible game (by his standards) but still threw for a pair of touchdowns to get the Colts over the hump.

Chiefs: Snapping a three-game losing streak, the Chiefs got payback on the Raiders who started the streak. Alex Smith woke up from hibernation and threw for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns, just when Chiefs fans were about to throw the towel in on him.

Patriots: Tom Brady… yada… yada… yada.

Giants: Odell Beckham went off with three touchdown catches and 142 yards, all from Eli Manning.

Broncos: Peyton Manning… blah… blah… blah.

Jets: What a dreadful game this must have been to watch, Gang Green against the Titans. A one-yard plunge by Chris Ivory with three minutes left did the Jets good. Oh, and this Thursday night, the Titans play at the Jags. No thank you.

Lions: The Detroit Lions lead the NFC North with two weeks left in the season. Who woulda thunk that? With a first-year coach, too. Imagine?

Seahawks: The Seahawks just beat up the 49ers who were down to their third-string running back, and he too was hurt. At 7-7 it doesn’t look like the 49ers will be playoff bound.

Cowboys: They sure look like they are in the driver’s seat for the NFC East crown. Wonder if Chris Christie will be working for Jerry Jones in the near future?

Passing To All Fields

1. Was anyone else bored by the Heisman Trophy show Saturday night? Joe understands BSPN milks the hell out of this with an hour of programming for a 15-second announcement. It just shows how, as a country, we are hungry for football and this was the first Saturday evening without college football since the summer. But, geez. Enough, already.

2. So “The U” has more documentaries made about it than it has national championships in how many years? That’s right up there with Michigan’s Fraud Five.

3. Remember not that long ago when college football ended and the NFL had Saturday games in December? Why has that not happened in the age of Roger Goodell’s oversaturation of the NFL? Joe loves to watch Army-Navy, but why can’t there be a Saturday night NFL game on the day of Army-Navy? C’mon Goodell, you are missing out on network cash here.

4. Joe likes the Division I-AA playoffs on Friday nights. That’s good football. Better than most of the schlock that BSPN puts on Friday nights during the season.

5. It’s that time of year again. Joe watched his first college hoops game Saturday night, Gonzaga at UCLA. Joe doesn’t hate college hoops, but it is a depressing change of season knowing football is winding down. And, holy cow is UCLA struggling this year. Yikes.

6. So it seems Raiders owner Mark Davis may unload general manager Reggie McKenzie. That would not be smart. McKenzie comes from the Ted Thompson school of GMs and the Raiders have a very nice nucleus of young players. They just had a helluva draft last spring. This would not be smart, but apparently, Davis isn’t smart.

7. Is there a more over-reported and over-covered non-story than NFL teams moving to Los Angeles? The reason there is no team in Los Angeles is because there is no suitable stadium. If there was a decent stadium there, there would be a team there already. Someone wake up Joe when there is a groundbreaking for a new stadium. Until then, it’s 20-year old talk akin to sending a man to Mars. All talk; no do.

8. Food for thought: Remember when Lovie Smith wanted to hire Tony Sparano as offensive line coach? Sparano was also an offensive coordinator with the Jets. Notice there may be a housecleaning in Oakland. The Raiders are playing much better since Sparano took over. Joe is not saying this will happen, but don’t be shocked if Sparano joins the Bucs in some capacity as an offensive assistant.

9. Outside of Godzilla Mike Evans, Joe is starting to get a very, very, very empty feeling about the Bucs’ 2014 draft class.

10. Joe can’t take credit for this line and can’t remember where he read it, but if the Rays move to Montreal, will Bill Foster throw out the first pitch in the inaugural game?