Jason Licht Says Why He Might Draft “A D-bag Or An “A-hole”
May 8th, 2025
The Buccaneers are very proud of how they score players’ character and how they have a clean locker room with a team-first mentality.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show recently, Licht noted how the Bucs are good at the process of removing d-bags and a-holes from their draft board. (Licht used the full terms for the hyphenated words.) Lucky for Licht, McAfee didn’t ask him to define the difference between the two.
But on The JP Peterson Show today, Licht was pressed to talk about those players he won’t draft because of their character.
How many were wiped off his draft board this season?
“I don’t know, probably 20. Maybe more,” Licht said. “Probably more. … I’ll have to look that up.”
“We have a long process of defining who we’re taking off [the draft board] and who we’re not,” Licht continued. “Now just because a guy, maybe people don’t like him, or he’s a d-bag or an asshole, we’re not just going to automatically take them off. It’s got to affect their football character and it’s got to affect the team. There’s a lot of people that fit that description that are very good football players and maybe it works in their favor. And there’s a difference between a bad guy and an immature person, and we’ll take immature and help them develop. But, you know, we just don’t want people that are going to affect the locker room in a negative way that affects the performance of others and the team.”
Licht admitted there are circumstances when a somewhat bad dude will be embraced. “We’ll take a guy that’s a little bit of a d-bag or an asshole if they can get to the quarterback, for sure,” he said.
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May 8th, 2025 at 11:27 am
I would take an a$$hole if he can cover in the middle of the field like a mofo!!!
May 8th, 2025 at 11:33 am
No dickhea.s or jackof.s either!
May 8th, 2025 at 11:44 am
More importantly, do they have that “dog” in them, or is it all about apologizing on your way to the QB, “Sorry, Ben!”?
May 8th, 2025 at 11:44 am
Mike Green is the first player that came to mind.
May 8th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
There is enough talent that they do not need to take any more Antonio Browns. Not worth it.
May 8th, 2025 at 12:17 pm
Does the rule apply to free agents? Antonio Brown?
May 8th, 2025 at 12:26 pm
The difference between the two terms, according to A.I.:
A hole: “Primarily focuses on the individual’s disregard for others’ feelings and needs. It implies a deliberate and often malicious intent to be rude, inconsiderate, or harmful.”
D bag: “While also negative, [d bag] often implies a combination of arrogance, superficiality, and a tendency towards attention-seeking behavior.”
Now I’m even more confused. What to call Lattimore now….
May 8th, 2025 at 12:41 pm
yeah he was pretty animated that day, Pat being Pat
May 8th, 2025 at 12:42 pm
Mike Green and then maybe Pearce… Norman-Lott.
Sander’s dad… but he’s hyper focused on the QB son.
Other 20 or so would be interesting to know. They’re probably not all total jackasses but they probably aren’t exhibiting that high work ethic and love for football that we expect.
May 8th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
Lattomore is simultaneously a douche hole and an a$$bag.
😜
May 8th, 2025 at 12:47 pm
AB was signed because of Brady. No way the Bucs would have signed him otherwise.
May 8th, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Licht’s process makes a LOT of sense as it may have the Bucs skipping over a few great players (Sapp?), but also avoiding many draft busts (Winston, Freeman, McCants, B Thomas, E Curry)
DT Warren Sapp turned out well because Dungy, Kiffen, Marinelli, Nickerson, Brooks, and Lynch kept him under control with a lot of hand-holding. Once he went to the Raiders, he was a mess. G Frank Middleton and RB LaGarette Blount might be others who had bad raps at draft time that did OK for several seasons.
Suh (drafted by Detroit) was a problem for the Lions, but had matured by the time he got here. Dexter Jackson not so much. AB…yuch! Gruden/Bruce Almighty Allen brought in some guys with bad raps and they all flamed out.
Can you think of any other Bucs picks or trade acquisiitions with character concerns who turned out well?
May 8th, 2025 at 1:24 pm
I say you have to roll the dice and take a chance on one, when you have a supreme elite talent with a high grade that happens to fall into your lap at a great value. If you have a ‘first-round’ grade on a guy, especially at a position of need, slides down into the 3rd-Round… Or, a ‘second-rounder’ into the 4th, & etc. Sometimes, you might even need to trade UP in order to land him. Seems-like, the Cowboys, Steelers, Eagles, & Ravens all do a GREAT JOB at this, every year. When the value is there, POUNCE. It’s all about the value. Risk versus Reward.
May 8th, 2025 at 1:41 pm
Sounds like common sense. You don’t want to draft a talent that is detrimental to the team. There will be always be exceptions when you have a great team and take a chance to get you over the edge (AB?).
Basically, in the draft, those the locker room cancers should not be your building blocks.
May 8th, 2025 at 2:02 pm
Sapp was a d-bag … but he was our d-bag, and he loved football.
If that is what Licht means, I’m fine with it.
May 8th, 2025 at 2:33 pm
Sapp and Lattimore are a cross breeds.
Sapp is an Azz-bag. And Lattimore is a douche-hole. Lawrence Taylor was both.
May 8th, 2025 at 2:56 pm
View from 132 Says:
Does the rule apply to free agents? Antonio Brown?
Teams that brown played on were 97-48-1
I’m sure every Buc Player is a complete Angel.
Other people in Companies have people that everyone at works says he’s just Great and goes home and knocks his Wife and Kids around.
Brown just wore it on the outside. He could play and 3 teams took him on after it was known he had issues. . Even Clowney had problems with a team that got him sent home and eventually released by the Browns. Think the Bucs won’t give him a look? Some team will for sure.
If the NFL didn’t have a squeeky clean objective I would bet some coordinators would look to Prisons for some of the biggest, strongest meanest SOB’s to put on their front line. If I could get you out on Work Release would you like to come play some football for me? Bubba How about it? Of course they wouldn’t want anyone let out early for good behavior.
May 8th, 2025 at 3:32 pm
Thanks for letting that one go through, Joe. I was pushing my luck.
May 8th, 2025 at 3:57 pm
Fan of the south, I don’t want Clowney because I think he’s washed up. He has never had a 10 sack season either. He only had 5.5 last year. He did have 9.5 in 2023, though, I guess. He was affordable. I think he was due $8.4 million with $2 mil guaranteed, according to what I read. It was a 2 year $20 mil contract. Apparently the Panthers aren’t enamoured with him. I don’t really hold what he said in Cleveland against him too hard, but it seems even the Panthers don’t think he’s worth keeping. Even with a cheap contract.
May 8th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
I hope I’m not the only one who just watched Kay Adams interview with Bucky Irving. This guy is the epitome of of what Licht is looking for. Really, if you haven’t seen it try to see it. I’m cool with the Cowboys having Pickens. Guys like Evans and Godwin and Egbuca and Bucky and White and Otten and McMillan and that’s just our ballhandlers. I’ve watched football for many years and I’ve never seen anything like it. Seriously. I didn’t name Tucker or Culp. Stunning talent. Seriously.
May 8th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
“A D-bag Or An “A-hole”
Has he met GoneGator or gina711?
They qualify for that group immensely.
May 8th, 2025 at 4:56 pm
What’s wrong with you ToddBowles#1. You have a D-bag up your A-hole or what?
May 8th, 2025 at 5:01 pm
Kenton Smith
Look who went that direction……
May 8th, 2025 at 5:36 pm
ToddBowles#1, seeing this story title this morning I figured some knucklehead might take it a little bit far. Didn’t think that knucklehead would be me…oh, well!
May 8th, 2025 at 5:51 pm
Kenton Smith
All good man. As you know I’m usually the one going overboard!
May 8th, 2025 at 6:33 pm
That’s interesting, I know an individual that contracts with organizations to do one thing for them and one thing only, go through the people that they are thinking about hiring and interview them. This individual I’m talking about will know if the person is going to be a good hire or a problem hire. The organization hires and doesnt hire on this person’s word. They have a success rate of about 90%. They have a gift that allows them to have a conversation with, really anyone, and know if they are a moral or an immoral person. For big organizations i guess this saves them a lot of headachs and possible lawsuits in the future. I can see why Licht tries to be picky on who he brings on. I have never seen anyone this good. It truly is amazing. And they stay pretty busy with mostly repeat customers.
May 8th, 2025 at 7:00 pm
I’m sorry you didn’t get enough attention as a child bro 😔
May 8th, 2025 at 7:01 pm
And the AZZbags have it…. Sounds like a bowling team. I want on it.
May 8th, 2025 at 7:14 pm
My softball team was the skid marks. Pretty catchy.
May 8th, 2025 at 10:17 pm
i was shocked that only 20 guys made the bad boy list. it would seem most teams got just as good of guys as we did if that number is true.
May 9th, 2025 at 4:05 am
Kancey is the new Sapp.
He is a psycho. He hates losing. He’s mean. He talks trash.
He’s the opposite of GMC.
Kancey could honestly have 16 sacks this year.
He’s a 1 sack per game kind of player.
And the “towel tackle” will haunt him all off-season!
PS- Sign Gronkowski! Or trade for Mark Andrews.
Otton is TE #2 in the NFL. An elite number 2 TE but an average TE #1. Because of his size.
May 9th, 2025 at 6:13 am
There is a HOF player who rest his soul, stated that if it were not for football he would have been in prison. One of the absolute toughest individuals to ever play.
Ray Nitschke. An asshole yes but never heard anything about him being a locker room problem. One of my all time favorite players.
Go Bucs!
May 9th, 2025 at 8:35 am
I just came across the 1980 Monday night rematch of the Buccaneers and the LA Rams. I was very impressed to see again how it took not one, not two, but three players to keep LeeRoy Selmon in check for most of the game. Dewey, Wood, Bell, House, Giles.. What a refreshing look into the past.. Boy, times sure have changed in TV production; they had many signs of “love” for Cosell, Marideth
, and even showed them in-game, while they were commenting.. long close-ups of Buccaneer cheerleaders, fans in the stands. (Sadly, I didn’t see my dad and I in any clips, but did of our seating area of the Old Sombraro, miss ya, dad!)
May 9th, 2025 at 9:15 am
I think Ryan Jensen fit the criteria well… except GETTING TO the QB.
May 9th, 2025 at 10:15 am
D-bags and a a-holes are what cost Baker Mayfield to be stabbed in the back in Cleveland to eventually end up in Tampa Bay. I wonder what his thoughts are on this subject?
May 9th, 2025 at 11:10 am
No floosies or scallywags either!
May 9th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
Or Jackwagons! Austin anyone????
May 9th, 2025 at 5:17 pm
I get the feeling he’s making an oblique reference to Warren Sapp here. Heh.