The PFF Tribe Loves What Jason Licht Did In Free Agency
March 18th, 2024
Good news?
Joe isn’t sure if this is a harbinger of good or the kiss of death.
The PFF tribe seems to like many of the free agency moves by Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht. Though they didn’t document their love/hate of every signing, the four signings highlighted by Brad Spielberger were all given no less than an A- grade.
And what would the PFF tribe be without their GD grades?
What surprised Joe was that Licht was given an A for signing safety Jordan Whitehead.
This is a very nice reunion for the Bucs. Whitehead, whom they drafted in 2018, has played more than 900 snaps in each of the past five seasons and has a ton of versatility. In his final two seasons in Tampa before going to the Jets, he played free safety and strong safety at about the same rate, whereas in New York he was primarily used as a free safety. Having him and Antoine Winfield Jr. on the backend should give Todd Bowles two versatile safeties who can play all over the field and cause confusion for opposing offenses.
With Whitehead paired with Winfield, Joe thinks the Bucs may just have a top-five safety tandem.
And yeah, it is an understatement that the Bucs upgraded from Ryan Neal to Whitehead.
March 18th, 2024 at 4:13 am
The PFF tribe finally got one right.
I can’t wait for the draft, JL always has a sleeper pick from a small school that plays way bigger than their program. This year’s sleeper candidate — Belonzo Chagranting, from D-3 Cheboygan State. An RB in college, he projects to Edge at the next level. Would be a great 7th round / UDFA pick by Jason.
Think Cam Gill but with more speed and beef.
March 18th, 2024 at 5:47 am
i gotta agree joe…top 5 safety tandem…maybe even top 3
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umm dave pear…yeah if they do draft your cousin that would be really cool, lol…but we actually do need a running back with speed and beef
#JoeyWagyu
March 18th, 2024 at 5:50 am
And Izien will take a huge jump. So will Hayes as his backup.
But we are very thin after Dean and McCollum.
We desperately need 2 more corners.
1st round: Center. Guaranteed Starter.
2nd round: LG with some center experience.
3rd round: Tall, fast outside CB project.
4th round: New Safety project for Bowles to mold. Hopefully 6-3. And a 4.4 forty.
5th round: OG project. To push and piss off our top 2 picks.
6th round: SS/ILB moneybacker project. A guy who can play inside the box on 3rd down. To replace Britt for example.
7th round: BPA. A guy who dropped because of an injury.
March 18th, 2024 at 6:01 am
i see no reason why we aren’t signing dee delaney…i like him as a back up corner – he’s a true system player…
and bryce hall – who we got from the jets as a back up corner…he also has the size of dean, zyon…………..(and cd3)
delaney might be expendable if they’re definitely set to draft a corner tho
March 18th, 2024 at 6:03 am
The PFF is correct. So happy we got Jordan Whitehead back too!
March 18th, 2024 at 6:09 am
@teacherman:
you might need to jump on that morning coffee broski…… 🙂
as things currently stand….to not have 1 or even 2 edge guys in your mock is ……………need i say more
i think you’re going too heavy with safety and OG…those might both be edge picks – but not exactly in those slots – higher slotted picks for edge…
i’ve heard izien might get a look at safety and zion can play some safety…but i do see a cb getting drafted…
and i can’t see us drafting 3 o-linemen…once center or one guard…..or maybe one of each…certainly not 3…
imho
March 18th, 2024 at 6:14 am
i see it something like this:
1 – edge or center
2 – center or edge
3 – edge
3 – wr or cb
4- licht wild card pick
5- ilb
6- tom brady
7- crock turdy
March 18th, 2024 at 6:33 am
listen, we lost DW who is no edge, but he’s a pass rusher…gone
we lost shaq
we prolly won’t resign shoyinka
that’s 3 gone after 2024
cam gill is probably not signed past this year…if he’s even signed right now…
i don’t think nelson is signed after this year…
in short, we need edge guys…so probably drafting 2…even if we sign one big time edge rusher
March 18th, 2024 at 6:38 am
maybe the bears will cut Ngakoue…
but his stats really fell off last year…
might be losing a step heading into his 9th season
March 18th, 2024 at 7:34 am
Jeep pass defense has always gotten better. No more busted coverage because it took too long to learn the defense or Neal really wasn’t as good as he thought. EVERYONE thought he was a steal
March 18th, 2024 at 8:34 am
This has been one of Licht’s best off seasons. He’s the best GM in the NFL right now.
March 18th, 2024 at 8:57 am
Not sure what players folks here are seeing in the draft that would make any difference for the Bucs – especially where they are picking. It’s a very weak draft for pass rushers and the one or two that might be able to start right off the bat will be long gone before the Bucs pick. Practically every team is looking for a pass rusher.
March 18th, 2024 at 9:12 am
He should never have been allowed to leave for the Jets. Huge mistake
March 18th, 2024 at 9:47 am
Best GM in the NFL? Gotta be John Lynch with the 49ers. He’s building a potential NFC dynasty with a young dynamic QB seventh round pick. To top it off SF has 11 draft picks this year. He’s building an amazing franchise. To be fair, Licht should be considered top 5.
March 18th, 2024 at 10:00 am
Logan Ryan, Keanu Neal & Ryan Neal were all band-aids at best. Bringing home Jerome is a solid upgrade. Loving our new/old safety tandem.
March 18th, 2024 at 10:29 am
Yeah it’s frustrating how teams like the 49ers keep getting 3rd round compensation picks year after year and we get lucky to get 1 6th rounder….
March 18th, 2024 at 10:34 am
I applaud Licht for being able to bring back our key free agents. Still, I don’t see how we are going to be any better than last year. At this point, we are hoping (not a strategy as Lee likes to say) that we’ll see continued improvement from some of our newer players (i.e., Mauch, Diaby, McCullum, Kancy) and that we’ll hit on a few of our draft picks. The free agents we signed seem more like replacements than improvements, but we’ll see (again, there is that ray of hope). If the Bucs can bring in an impact pass rusher (Riddick maybe?), upgrade the interior offensive line, and add a running back (I was hoping for A.J. Dillon), then I would expect to see improve, not based on hope, but on tangible evidence of change. There’s still time, so I’m hopeful. 🙂
March 18th, 2024 at 10:52 am
It is time to get out of the house and into some fresh air, Dave Pear.
March 18th, 2024 at 2:55 pm
@Dave Pear
Did you make that name up? Literally no scouting report of this dude anywhere