Bucs GM Ordered Subordinates To Stop Him From Trading Up
April 29th, 2025
Rookie obsession revealed.
Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht seems to be a man who knows his weaknesses.
That’s why he asked two members of is front office team to restrain him during last week’s NFL Draft.
No, it wasn’t because a Glazer ate the last slice of extra cheeze pizza in Licht’s junk-food filled war room. It was because Licht was so infatuated with Central Arkansas edge rusher David Walker, the GM was afraid he’s trade up for him in Round 4.
The Bucs’ draft board, draft plan and draft intel said to let Walker fall into the Bucs’ lap late in Round 4, but didn’t trust himself.
“That morning I had to tell [assistant GM] Mike Greenberg and Jackie Davidson, who handle the trade phones for me. I said. ‘Hey, listen. While everything’s calm right now. Don’t let me do anything stupid to go up there and get David Walker,”’ Licht said on WDAE radio this morning. “‘ Don’t let me mortgage the future.’
“So they would tell me, ‘We got a call. Hey, they want next year’s this or that to come up to their [Round 4] pick.’ And I would like say, ‘Ok, let’s do it.’ And they said, ‘No, you told us to warn you.’
“…I ended up being patient and it paid this time because now we got all of our picks for next year.”
Well played, Mr. Licht.
“He’s one of my favorite players,” Licht said of Walker.
Bucs edge rush/outside linebackers coach Larry Foote lost his mind in ecstasy when the Bucs drafted Walker. He’s even on video barking that adding Walker is how you win a Super Bowl.
Joe heard that and laughed, thinking if that was true then the Bucs really should have traded up to get him. Apparently, Licht had similar thoughts.
April 29th, 2025 at 9:54 am
Discipline.
April 29th, 2025 at 10:07 am
Know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em. I would not sit in a poker game with Licht.
April 29th, 2025 at 10:08 am
Preseason again will be fun to watch.
LFG!!!!
April 29th, 2025 at 10:09 am
One of the many things I like About JL: he’s humble and doesn’t hold on to his mistakes.
April 29th, 2025 at 10:10 am
I really hope Walker is the (an) answer edge. As one of the Joe’s has pointed out numerous time, “rookie edge rushers don’t usually do much in their first year”. Plus Walker comes from a small college. Reddick, Yaya and Nelson will take Walker and Braswell under their wings and coach ’em up is the hope here.
April 29th, 2025 at 10:17 am
It’s what happens when you reach for a player. They tend to be there! Trust the process I guess.
April 29th, 2025 at 10:18 am
If we get significant improvement from Braswell…..an average year from Reddick & slight improvement from YaYa…we won’t need much from Walker…
April 29th, 2025 at 10:24 am
I have the same weakness when in either motorcycle stores or gun stores
April 29th, 2025 at 10:39 am
Visions of Jack Black tied to a tree in Tropic Thunder.
April 29th, 2025 at 10:44 am
The age thing is the biggest question mark to me…
April 29th, 2025 at 10:45 am
The only good thing about preseason is being able to watch some of these draft picks show some of their skills. Which is fun but can be a little deceptive cause they are going up against future ups drivers and store managers
April 29th, 2025 at 10:48 am
Hawk
I would, he plays Aces but with a bad kicker…
April 29th, 2025 at 10:56 am
“Don’t let me do anything stupid” – Jason Licht
Someone should have stopped him from drafting a WR when a lock down CB without injury issues was right there for the taking.
There are certain positions Licht drafts well and WR is the top of the list. So I’m sure EE will be great for us long term.
But you could have gotten a high value WR later while not sacrificing the biggest need on defense.
Bowles isn’t good enough to work with broken toys.
I grade this draft a C- at best.
The future will tell the tale.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:08 am
**Swiss Cheese…** Which corner are you referring to? Because Morrison was the top-rated corner before his injury. Jahdae Barron is viewed more as a nickel like Parrish, and Will Johnson is more of a zone corner who benefited from an elite pass rush.
How many players on that Notre Dame defensive line went in the first round? Top 10? And how many from Michigan? We all know a strong pass rush helps corners, just like good press corners help the pass rush. Well, Morrison was literally told to line up against the opponent’s best receiver and play man press the entire game against there BEST RECIEVER.
The common knock is that he’s injury-prone—but football is a physical sport. If a player performs at a high level for three straight years and then has one injury-plagued season, I wouldn’t label that “injury-prone.” Is it a concern? Sure, just like it is for any player with an injury history. But honestly, I can’t name a single high-level football player who’s *never* been injured.
That said—who would you have taken at corner in that spot? Personally, I feel like we got the same guy at 53 that we would’ve taken at 19.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:12 am
O my lord.
THIS ..is why this complacent Cornhusker with that attitude will never be mistaken for Roseman, DeCosta, Schneider or other diligent GM’s.
“Don’t let me mortgage the future”??!
“Don’t let me mortgage the future”!?!
Is he serious? That moving up a few sports IN THE FOURTH F-ING ROUND is “mortgaging the future”?
This is the complacent attitude that permeates our supposed captain of the team-building ship. It literally costs a low round 5th or high 6th to move up in the 4th 10 or so spots. Maybe a solid 5th rounder in 2026 instead.
This lackadaisical thing, with that attitude, shouldn’t be at those important controls. Horrendous how much that philosophy…can stain things.
Roseman moved up TWICE in the draft. Both DeCosta and Roseman, Beane and Schneider move up and down ALL THE TIME in every draft, you know why….because they’re BRIGHT diligent people who dutifully compile their player targets, and tomorrow us promised to NO ONE, and they unabashedly go get their man!! Without second-guessing, without cowardice, and WITHOUT delusionally mistaking moving up in the 4th round a few spots…is “mortgaging the future”.
Mortgaging the future is…the Browns trade of picks for Deshaun Watson. Or Mike Ditka’s trade up for Ricky Williams. Those are “mortgaging the future”.
Moving up in the 4th, would be exhibiting one facet of the select few best GM’s. Not this complacent Cornhusker.
And it explains, alot. Unfortunately.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:14 am
Josh
Jahdae Barron has a shot at being an all pro corner for 10+ years.
You can build a defense around guys like him.
And we needed to focus on defense early to try and get the best players possible that can step in and make an impact right away.
Instead we got depth pieces to backup the broken toys Todd loves to play with.
I like EE and he will help us win games long term.
But remember all this in the fall when the defense gives games away down the stretch.
Forget my opinion and just look at the facts we see on the field.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:40 am
Smelly Swisscheese. We got the best available in the first round and we got a 1st round draft pick in the 2nd how will play this year because of Dean is always hurt. Go away troll
April 29th, 2025 at 11:46 am
I agree with you, SwissCheese. We’ll see how it all plays out. I think Jahdae is more of a safety/nickel corner—he always plays off coverage. I’ve never seen him in man press, likely due to his size, unlike Parrish. Watched every Texas game this year I’m an Archie Manning fan. I’m really looking at scheme and fit here, and this year’s picks should allow the offense to expand exponentially. On defense, it gives us the opportunity to return to the scheme that won us the Super Bowl: man-up press, pin your ears back, and go after the quarterback.
That said, time will tell—it all comes down to what we see on the field. As a Bucs fan (and I want to believe you are too), I know I’m hoping you’re wrong and that Parrish and Morrison turn out to be absolute steals.
April 29th, 2025 at 11:52 am
This guy is the opposite of JTS!
He came from nothing!
He’s hard! He’s tough! He’s mean!
He will play great against the run and he will get sacks!
He’s one of my favorite picks too.
He looks HARD!
He’s had to earn everything in his life.
As his HS coach says “he’s ferocious!”
It shows in his face!
I don’t like pretty boys like Myron Lewis, like Trey Palmer, like Vernon Hargreaves, like JTS.
I like grimes and gritty gangsters!!!
Show me a face with pain and struggle!
I don’t want no pretty boys on our defense ever again!
April 29th, 2025 at 12:02 pm
Does anybody here have any idea which NFL team SwissCheese is rooting for?
I see Cheese and obviously think Green Bay but I know those fans and they have too much class.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:02 pm
Swiss cheese I feel your pain about our pass defense, the main thing is that no one of us knows where Godwin is on his rehab , the only reasonable answer after resigning Godwin in offseason is he had some type of setback. Morrison will take Deans job and Parrish will take Izen spot our secondary will be tremendously better, trust me I got tired of watching Josh Hayes and Tyreek Funderburk probably like all fans. Are position rooms are stacked with competition let the best man win . GO BUCS!!!!!!
April 29th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
Swiss Cheese…your takes are chocked full of holes!!!! EE was obviously their BPA and not just on draft day….this wasn’t a ” from the seat of your pants choice” . If he was there they were taking him so please STOP your redundant BS
April 29th, 2025 at 12:26 pm
This is one of my favorite draft picks. Cannot wait to see him on the field. Angry hands and plays like a QB Killer.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:39 pm
BPA in a position of need and a fit for our schemes. I believe every player we drafted fits that description. I was thinking Barron would be the pick as well but I think Morrison will end up being a better corner for our defense and what Todd wants to do. Morrison was first round talent so we did alright I believe and the hip was not an injury it was a corrective surgery that had to get done. A surgery that was done in high school on the other hip, and what did he do the year after that surgery? Only 6 interceptions as a rookie nbd
April 29th, 2025 at 12:40 pm
Over the last, what 6 years Roseman has had to maneuver around to get good players into Philly. If he believes he has to do that to get the players he wants then he has to do that. If Light staying put to grab the guy he’s targeting then so be it. Just because us armchair GM’s think this or that it’s Licht and his staff that are the pros here, need to remember that. And he was only talking about 1 pick here. If I read right he was talking about someone wanting to trade up into their spot, maybe for the guy he wanted. Remember trading up 1 spot for Wirf, which I though was stupid, until Licht made it known that someone else was looking to jump 1 spot in front of them. If he really thought so highly of a player he could trade to get he would have done it but it takes another willing trade partner.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:51 pm
Then you must have loved Green. Oh wait, character is key….guys who help opponents up after every play.
I personally prefer the character of a Suh, he wanted to kill you and didn’t show up at work to make friends or reminisce about college days.
April 29th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
And let’s continue to justify Morrison’s injury/surgeries while most of you were so adamant that Campbell was damaged goods. Hip swivel seems kind of important for a DB. But, “in Licht we trust.” [Repeatedly said to the cadence of the cartoon Goonies chanting, ‘we love Popeye, we love Popeye….]
April 29th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
I never understood how David Walker was a 4th round pick to begin with. i got him at 4th best pass rusher in the draft behind just Carter, Green, and Jalon Walker. So Kudos to Licht for holding firm and grabbing this steal.
April 29th, 2025 at 1:33 pm
This is probably how we lost out on bassa. I think Licht is great but I do think if you love a guy you should go get him….
April 29th, 2025 at 1:37 pm
ChiBuc, I would have loved Campbell where Philadelphia picked him—or at 53. OMG, what a steal that would have been! Even with the injury, it’s a classic risk vs. reward scenario, and in the second round, Morrison is *Amazing value*. Jihad Campbell would have been as well if he were still available.
We got a player in the first round who will almost certainly have his fifth-year option picked up. If we had taken Morrison in the first, I would’ve been upset because of the injuries—but I didn’t expect him to make it to 53 either.
April 29th, 2025 at 1:49 pm
This is probably how we lost out on bassa. I think Licht is great but I do think if you love a guy you should go get him…. Saying your plan worked out bc you got lucky isn’t really success.
April 29th, 2025 at 1:51 pm
JL just wanted those guys to help him hold his water there. Might be singing a different tune if some jerk like KC sniped him the pick before like Basse. JL is not afraid to trade. He just knows his temperament is to just go get the guy. Glad it worked out for Walker.
April 29th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
Who says the Bucs “lost out on Bassa?” Not even sure they targeted him. From what Joe was told they are happy with their ILBs. And that was before Saturday.
April 29th, 2025 at 3:20 pm
What is it with this odd love for Bassa from a couple of arm chair GMs
Bassa may be just fine as a Mike LB in the NFL but dude is not close to a sure thing.
Draft Buzz has different services rankings. One had him as high as 52 (Walter Football), one had him as low as 172 (ESPN). There were a whole bunch of middles there suggesting that the 4th round seems to fit where he might have been taken.
April 29th, 2025 at 3:26 pm
SwissCheeseDefense Says:
April 29th, 2025 at 10:56 am
“Don’t let me do anything stupid” – Jason Licht
Someone should have stopped him from drafting a WR when a lock down CB without injury issues was right there for the taking.
There are certain positions Licht drafts well and WR is the top of the list. So I’m sure EE will be great for us long term.
But you could have gotten a high value WR later while not sacrificing the biggest need on defense.
Bowles isn’t good enough to work with broken toys.
I grade this draft a C- at best.
The future will tell the tale.
^^^^^^^^^
Your last sentence is true, we’ll know in 3 or 4 years. So why are you whining now? I’m sure if Ebuka is top notch and your guy Barron is just okay, you’ll change your name to something else.