With The Jamel Dean Signing, Jason Licht Won Free Agency
March 14th, 2023
Winning.
If “this Joe” didn’t have to catch a flight to Tampa out of Las Vegas later today, he would have been fully intoxicated yesterday afternoon after learning the Bucs kept free agent corner Jamel Dean.
Without a pass rush — Joe is totally in the “Show Me” stage with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and sadly doesn’t expect Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett to return to form after blowing his Achilles — losing Dean would have resulted in a throwback to the Mike Smith Era. That’s when the Bucs couldn’t cover receivers but made up for it by not rushing the passer.
The result was just an absolute epic nightmare. An absolute nightmare!
“This Joe” is under the unshakeable belief that you do not let good young players in the prime of their careers walk out the door. Maybe sign-and-trade, OK. But not to get away free.
(Sorry, Joe doesn’t get into this compensation picks nonsense. So a third-day draft pick in 2024 would replace Dean? C’mon!)
“This Joe” really believes Licht won free agency by finding a way to keep Dean. No, really. Everyone and his brother thought the Bucs wouldn’t be able to afford him. NextGen Stats had Dean as the fifth-best corner for allowing the fewest passing yards targeting receivers he either covered or was closest to.
That, friends, is a top-shelf corner. And these guys don’t grow on trees.
In what could have been a dark day Monday, Licht somehow found sunlight. Job well done!
The only downside was Joe’s travel itinerary prevented partaking in the many charms that Las Vegas offers to celebrate Dean’s return.
March 14th, 2023 at 12:06 am
Could not agree more. This signing absolutely points to the fact that they don’t have a pass rush, it needs to be manufactured by scheme, which BOWLES is very good at. It all starts with a pass rush, if you can’t do that then you need the DBs to help.
This gives them 2 very good CBs. SMB is gone and they will draft another because you need more than 2 in this league and this draft is deep.
March 14th, 2023 at 12:12 am
Well done.
March 14th, 2023 at 12:14 am
*claps hands and nods head* lol job well done Mr. Licht! On another note, just listened to Sean Sullivan latest podcast and he has officially become my number one draft guru! This guy knows a thing or two about the game and players we watch. Anxiously waiting on the next episode podcast! Go bucs, ps please give insight on how you feel and rank Baker Mayfield as a passer and all around Qb in the nfl mr Sullivan, Relay question for me @joebucsfan
March 14th, 2023 at 12:15 am
Failed defensive coordinator Mike smith***
March 14th, 2023 at 12:32 am
Tiger blood.
March 14th, 2023 at 12:33 am
I guess I’m not everyone or their brother. 🥸
Stanglassman Says:
February 27th, 2023 at 5:03 pm
Bowles is not going to let Dean walk. He’s like a son to him. He earned a contract with his play last year one of the very few bright spots. He’s going to make it as cap friendly as possible.
March 14th, 2023 at 12:59 am
I think there gonna address the pass rush in the draft with there 1st rounder and they probably get a LB in round two to replace David if he walks
March 14th, 2023 at 1:12 am
Great signing for the price considering he was on the open market. It took the loss of Mason. Were walking on egg shelves in regards to both the Oline and Dline for 2023 though. Going to be tough – everything is going to have to go our way to have success in 2023.
March 14th, 2023 at 1:27 am
I agree… up to a point…
Without a pass rush, it doesn’t matter if you have Jamel Dean, Darrel Revis, or Primtime Deion back there… you can only cover for so long. Without a pass rush, your defense is toast. But it will be less crispy with good DBs versus bad dones… so at least there’s that.
March 14th, 2023 at 1:28 am
* bad ones
March 14th, 2023 at 1:28 am
This is the worst opinionated news. Stop feeding this site. Sad we can’t find real solid resources in Buccs news feed.
March 14th, 2023 at 1:40 am
Two high paid corners both have never made the pro bowl. Next year Winfield going get paid what about White then Wirfs. We will have a bad season but we have two expensive corners. We have no quarterback, a left tackle and right guard position to fill going on Lichts last debacle of offensive guard this could be devastating.
March 14th, 2023 at 1:49 am
Does this mean SMB is gone?
March 14th, 2023 at 1:56 am
They say Carlton Davis is a top shelf CB kinda sounds like an overpaid Carlton Davis situation. On paper it looks good (when he’s healthy). How much of the remaining secondary will be able to resign? Including SMB and Edwards in the secondary.Davis or Dean missing games=Zyon McCollum start=L.
March 14th, 2023 at 2:03 am
Ridiculous headline. Bucs won nothing. They have an even more overpaid secondary to go with a D line and pass rush that remain depleted. OneBuc thinks it can still drag this carcass into the postseason, full of stagnant overpaid veterans and injured ones, and poorly drafting development projects that haven’t shown starting ability, further delaying the complete rebuild that needs to happen.
March 14th, 2023 at 2:05 am
Pass rusher in the draft, pass rusher in the draft!
March 14th, 2023 at 2:07 am
@ Don’t care – You are reading it and commenting on this site .. Don’t think Joe care’s what you say as long as you keep taking the time to read and write on his site.. JS ! Go Bucs
March 14th, 2023 at 2:09 am
The reason Licht is laughing is Greenberg just told him what a joke this salary cap is. Roger Goodell is such a clown.
March 14th, 2023 at 2:11 am
Steele – This is the same poorly drafted/development projects that won the Super Bowl a little more than 2 years ago.. Dean is the proof of development as is Davis. Don’t see your points dude..
March 14th, 2023 at 2:21 am
I never understood the compensation pick protocol Joe! It seems like the NFL has a secret formula like Colonel Sander’s mix of herbs and spices and then awards picks where it always seems like New England and Dallas get uber compensation and the Bucs are lucky to get a day 3 pick for free agency losses. It has never been clear to me what separates one team from getting a day 2 third rounder but then another team missing the cut and getting a day 3 pick like back in 2020 the Bucs got a 4th rounder for Kwon Alexander but 10 3rd rounders were awarded with the Patriots getting 2 of them. Always seemed a bit fishy to me how the numbers are crunched.
March 14th, 2023 at 3:17 am
TampabayDJ82, not entirely true. The mess that we saw this past season is a full two long, tired seasons removed—jaded veterans, mentally not sharp, p”Super Bowl hangover” and beyond, and mismanaged by Bowles and Leftwich.
The SB winning team was a different one, even if some of the same names were on the roster. Brady was coming in new, Arians was the coach, chemistry and attitude completely different. They won because they were hungry, and Brady had a lot to do with it. Many of the major impact veterans—you know the ones—are gone now. They weren’t replaced or upgraded. Two mediocre drafts—those developmentals have not been instant impact, and some are busts. You saw this team, it is what it is. Even with some “big names”, they underperformed and collectively it is a team on the decline.
So with cap hell, no Brady (no QB), holes on the roster, and Bowles in charge.
Is this the time to overpay to keep guys, because you think it’s somehow a SB champion, or let them go in favor of a rebuild? A hybrid gives you exactly that, a .500 type proposition just like last season.
In other news, the 49ers signed Sam Darnold, who Shanahan likes. He will at least be a backup and possibly compete for QB1 if Purdy can’t go. So sorry, Todd Bowles, cross his name off of the list.
March 14th, 2023 at 4:13 am
Joe … “This Joe” really believes Licht won free agency by finding a way to keep Dean.’
I knew there were 2 Joes, but didn’t realize y’all called yourselves ‘This Joe’ and ‘That Joe’. Works for me.
Apparently ‘This Joe’ is the one who believes that JL should get all the kudos for the work of others. Jamel Dean didn’t take significantly less than his Market Value to stay with the Bucs because of Licht. JL only held the paper while Jamel signed it.
Dean primarily stayed because of Todd Bowles. Remember all those stories you wrote Joe about how Bowles would come in early to work with Dean & SMB & several others? Bowles is this defense’s daddy, and even in this day of ‘mercenaries’ this is how ‘going that extra mile’ gets repaid, by some at least.
And BTW, 1 contract does not a TEAM make. I agree with Steele’s point that the ‘Bucs won nothing’. We’ve got more holes in this defense than a piece of Swiss cheese. And for those who say that the salary CAP is ‘a joke’, you’re unfortunately about to find out just how wrong you are.
Re-signing Jamel Dean was a good play for 2025, and MAYBE even for 2024, but it’ll take us that long to rebuild this TEAM given what little CAP space we have to work with. No ‘buying our way out of this hole’ like we did when we added Shaq, JPP, Suh, Jensen, Brown, Gronk … and Brady … as FAs to create a competitive TEAM. This one we have no choice but to build through the draft.
March 14th, 2023 at 5:07 am
Great Job by Licht!
March 14th, 2023 at 5:43 am
Both Joes and every Bucs fan you need to realize the league isn’t the same as it was 10 years ago if you don’t have a top flight QB you are just treading water until you get one, we don’t have a top QB
March 14th, 2023 at 6:49 am
Joe, does this end the discussion of whether or not the Bucs are tanking in 2023??
March 14th, 2023 at 8:03 am
Don’t forget to thank Dean who accepted less money to stay in Tampa – the culture change is real in Tampa – the Bucs have become a world class franchise thanks to what TB brought to Tampa.
March 14th, 2023 at 8:35 am
Dean can cover all types of WR’s. He’s fast and long and strong. He’s improved every season. I expect him to continue to improve and be one of the 5 best CB’s
in the NFL.
Carlton Davis isn’t there yet.
Both have to get more interceptions.
March 14th, 2023 at 8:52 am
I am happily surprised Dean stayed, and curious how the Bucs can afford him…not to mention a gaggle of open roster spots.
March 14th, 2023 at 9:01 am
The Negative Nancy’s never give up with their negativism, no matter what happens.
You guys must really suck to be around in real life. Do you have any actual friends who aren’t dicks?
Real Bucs fans, instead of those in these threads who are only fans of themselves, and who actually think they are the world’s greatest GMs in waiting, are very happy with every positive development like the Dean signing, and are still tolerant of negative development, being hopeful of correction before long.
March 14th, 2023 at 9:58 am
disagree, money could have been better spent elsewhere
March 14th, 2023 at 10:11 am
I would add a little more clarity to what you said, Allen Lofton. Jason Licht and his staff brought culture change by building the core for a winning team. He lured Bruce Arians out of retirement who then installed a first class coaching regime. Tom Brady looked around and said to himself something like “I’m just the guy to put this franchise over the top.” and emerged from behind Door #2. That’s the big picture of how culture change came to the downtrodden Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This year will be crucial for sustaining world class relevance for the Bucs in the NFL for years to come. Jason Licht’s legacy has yet to be finalized.