Soft No More?

May 7th, 2018

Bucs GM Jason Licht.

It was an image Joe will never forget.

The Bucs were riding high. Coming off a fun “Hard Knocks” appearance and dominating the Bears and if-you-need-a-first-round-pick-of-a-quarterback-sign Mike Glennon, the Bucs then traveled to Minneapolis. If the Bucs won on the road, they would have been matching all the hype thrown their way.

Instead, they got the living snot beat out of them by the playoff-bound Vikings.

Joe had never seen an NFL locker room look like it did for the Bucs. Dudes were beat up left and right. Lavonte David had to be carried off a cart into a room to be X-rayed. Noah Spence had his shoulder blown out. Again. It is widely believed this is when America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, first injured his shoulder.

It was ugly and just a precursor of an uglier season to come.

Did Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht think the Bucs were too soft? One unspoken NFL type tells Mike Sando of BSPN that yes, Licht did think that. And it showed in the guys he signed, traded for and drafted this offseason.

The common denominator, this unnamed suit told Sando, for all the new Bucs players is that Licht wants guys that will punch folks in the mouth and steal their lunch money.

“I think they are trying to clean up, personality-wise,” an NFL suit told Sando.

Time will tell. Joe senses fans are getting tired of Bucs players, starters even, who seem to care more about playing dress-up or constantly Instagramming themselves driving down the street singing out loud to music as if they don’t have a care in the world, among other things.

It is high time winning is a priority around here. Dudes can play dress-up or sing driving down the street to their heart’s content after their NFL careers are over.

31 Responses to “Soft No More?”

  1. OneBuc55 Says:

    IF the goal was to get tougher this off-season I believe we accomplished that…Our DLine rotation on paper is pretty scary…We just need to handle our business on the field…Offensively we’re absolutely loaded…NO more excuses this season from top to bottom; it’s time to Do Something…

  2. German Buc Says:

    That was really an ugly ass-whipping up in Minnie last year.

    But to me, the season killer was the close loss to NE followed by the total blackout in the desert of AZ with AP running wild and Jameis running for his life – after 10 days of preparation!

  3. Buc believer Says:

    Sounds like Jason is tired of McCoy.

  4. R.O. Says:

    Isn’t this like the 38th time this narrative has been posted?

  5. BucEmUp Says:

    I was hoping this was about coverage, but still positive things

  6. Dreambig Says:

    Hurricane Irma didn’t do any favors to the start of the season. The Bye week got messed up and they never really developed any momentum after that. Wierd season last year.

  7. Defense Rules Says:

    Jacksonville Jaquars improvement from 2016 to 2017 gives me hope:

    2016: 318 Points Scored (#25) … 400 Points Allowed (#25).
    2017: 417 Points Scored (#5) …. 268 Points Allowed (#2).

    Different HCs, but the same DCs. Allowed well over 100 FEWER Points Allowed on defense (thanks largely to the beefed-up DLine?), but they also scored 100 MORE points on offense. QB Bortles had close to the same completion %, TDs, etc BUT … he threw a LOT fewer times. Jaquars running game improved dramatically with the addition of Leonard Fournette.

    The result? Much better defense (because of their beefed up DLine especially), and also much better BALANCE on offense in play-calling. In 2016 Jags ran only 37% of the time. In 2017 they ran 49% of the time. Huge difference. Interestingly, their average yards per carry rushing stayed essentially the same: 4.2 YPC in 2016 vs 4.3 YPC in 2017. But their TDs scored by rushing increased dramatically (8 in 2016 vs 18 in 2017). Hard-nosed, smash-mouth football on offense AND defense. And the tone was set in training camp.

  8. AKick'nTheBucNuts Says:

    Let’s also stop the soft training camps.

  9. BucEmUp Says:

    Irma had nothing to do with it. That’s an excuse. They just got their asses kicked plain and simple

  10. The Buc Realist Says:

    Yea Joe!!!! It seemed last year that they would rather do that distraction reality TV show, then to put in the work and win!!!! At least Demar Dotson said the he was worried and he said “it was a distraction”!!!!!!!!!!

    Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  11. John5 Says:

    That’s what I’ve been saying. You can learn a lot about these guys just by following them on their social media. Especially Instagram. You can make some assessments of their character based on how much they post flaunting themselves and their money, their family, their community, their training or their focus. And while I’m not saying you should judge everyone based on some posts, I think with some, it’s too evident not to ignore. I remember looking at Major Wright’s posts and items on social media thinking this guy could care less about working hard. And he seemed incredibly immature. Not a smart tenacious safety that we needed by any stretch. And we know how that panned our. Then I look at guys like Softgreaves (Hargreaves), who upon getting his NFL draft and contract with the Bucs, deleted all of his previous posts from his account. Then proceeded to post nothing but all these GQ shots of himself, his car, his clothes, etc etc. This guy thought he was an NFL Star (model?) and hadn’t put in the work. He had so many posts of himself that if you look now, he still has a ton despite deleting so many (not sure why he deletes them, maybe the other players give him crap). Softgreaves went soft. This team needs to be about training hard and playing football. But by all means follow these guys on Instagram and the not-so-smart ones with more apparent priorities will show themselves.

  12. Phil Says:

    Maybe this year we can have some hitting in training camp instead of the girl scout camp Koetter ran last year. I understand that you don’t want players to get hurt but they need to get prepared for what they are going to see in the regular season. The Bucs were very soft last year and that has to change if the Bucs are going to better this year.

  13. German Buc Says:

    As nearly always: Defense Rules nailed it!

  14. Bucnjim Says:

    This D for the past decade has had Hardy Nickerson rolling his eyes in disbelief. Surprised it took Licht so long to realize you are either tough or not. This CANNOT be taught! It really cracks me up when I hear this player or that player is going to start playing with more aggression. Let’s hope this Defense is now action packed and not action figure packed.

  15. Dusthty Rhothdes Says:

    You either tough or you are not and these dudes play in the NFL so they have to have some toughness in every single one of them to a degree, the problem has been jason licht and his every single year changing his philosophy on building a team. The guy has not been consistent since day 1 and that is why the bucs are where they are as cleveland south. Guy in Tennessee who came from here had a philsosophy since he started there and has never wavered and the titans are a hard nosed physical run it down your throat team with a solid defense, this is year 5 and we as fans still have zero clue what to expect out of this team

  16. Wausa Says:

    I agree that Irma was not the reason the Bucs d-line was awful and the o-line was below average.

  17. passthebuc Says:

    Practice soft so no one gets hurt.

    That would be like the military not training before they go into battle.

  18. Bucnjim Says:

    Training camp gets you physically fit it does not make you tough. I remember opening the season against the Ravens years ago on an extremely hot day. Seeing them in black I was thinking man they are going to melt out there. Nope they man handled us so bad it was an embarrassment. Especially their offensive line against our D line. The big nasties up front on both sides of the ball bullied their way up and down the field. No trick plays no bombs just did whatever they wanted. That is the difference between finesse and tough.

  19. Nole&aBuc Says:

    You play like you practice. Soft practices create soft players. When the buc’s have physical practice’s then they will have a chance at being a physical team. What good is a healthy but soft, timid team that doesn’t have the toughness to compete?

  20. Bucsfanman Says:

    Nole&aBuc- Well said! My high school band teacher (yes, I was in band!) used to say, “practice does NOT make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect!”

    Defense Rules- “BALANCE” on offense. Yes, please, and thank you!

  21. Capt.Tim Says:

    It wasnt about “soft”. Thats some candy assed sport reporter term.
    Ussually employed, just before a cheap dig at a star player- with some click bait BS.

    But of course, that couldnt happen here.
    No reason to prod the zombies

    What matters is talent.
    The Bucs didnt have enough. Not even close.
    And Intelligence.
    Looks like Licht is taking a page from the patriots.
    Smart guys

  22. 813bucboi Says:

    but dirk and smitty were run out of ATL because their team was soft…..why are some surprised?…..

    #NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!

  23. Guzziep Says:

    #JIMSWARTZ2019……don’t see anything soft about our next headcoach

  24. Dubcity06 Says:

    Definitely tougher and nastier. McCoy, the captain, is the main one breeding a soft culture in TB. Hope they trade and get value after this year

  25. feelthepewterpower Says:

    Taking a page out of the Eagles playbook who were too soft under Chip Kelly.

  26. Mike Johnson Says:

    You still soft as Diary Queen custard until you can come up to at least 8-8. Any finish less than that And I say invent a Sunami and sweep both Koetter and Smitty out to sea…Forever!!!!!!!!!

  27. DB55 Says:

    Licht is such a troll.

    Who doesn’t love the softest over-paid, over-hyped DT in the history of the league?

    Does it matter that he can’t stop a run on the goal line to win a game or several games as it turned out? NO bc in Tampa we just love gentle giants with great smiles.

    Who cares that since he’s been here the Bucs have finished in last place? No one cares.

    Licht is such a troll.

  28. StPeteBucsFan Says:

    I don’t want to go all crazy here but we need to stop playing to not lose and begin playing to win.

    If Tom Brady can run QB sneaks…a much larger…more athletic #3 could do that this year especially running behind two nasty dudes at Center and Guard.

    Minor detail but sometimes it gets really frustrating missing 3rd or worse 4th and really short

  29. firethecannons Says:

    Defense Rules and John5
    thanx for good comments! Cappa needs beefing up, I wanted us to draft this guy but I think we picked him high, hopefully they work with this guy to get his diet, and workout regime maxed out, hoping he can look a bit more like our new center Ryan Jensen. I fully expect he will be in the lineup sooner rather than later. Hoping the addition of Vita Vea will be a motivator for GMC, hard to expel that memory of him crying in full view on the sidelines, seriously cringeworthy!

  30. ATrain Says:

    Joe call it like it is……….

    McCoys soft play

    McCoy is the one who stated “We were Flat today”

    Oh well got a million for that gam

    MCCOY NEEDS TO STEP UP

  31. chickster Says:

    Hate to be a bummer but I don’t think we have the coaches to get it done 2019 will be the bucs season . Our gm has done a great job with talent but his coaching picks are awful besides jamis will be suspended to start the season hopefully only 1 game but our commish is a wanna be judge an jury in all things .