Todd Bowles: Emeka Egbuka Is No “Luxury”
July 24th, 2025
Defending No. 19 pick.
There are still some people irked about Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht selecting receiver Emeka Egbuka at No. 19.
One is the man behind WalterFootball.com, Walter Cherepinsky. He’s so unnerved by Licht’s pick of Egbuka that Cherepinsky now refers to Licht as “Millen.”
Cherepinsky and others believe the Bucs had more pressing needs on defense and that Egbuka was nothing more than a luxury pick added to a strong wide receiver room.
Bowles shot back yesterday, indirectly, after being asked about allegedly padding an already deep position room.
“We don’t go for luxury picks, we go for picks of good football players and we try to play them,” Bowles said.
“Jason [Licht] and the scouting staff and the coaching staff do a very good job. The draft fell as such to where we could take a receiver right there and it fell the right way in that sense.
“We had about three or four guys we were interested in, and he was at the top of that list at the time.”
For Joe the rationale was simple: Mike Evans will be 32 next month and is in a contract year. Chris Godwin is damaged goods and he had a second procedure on the same injured ankle.
And, when Evans and Godwin were both out last year, the production from Bucs receivers plunged.
So why did the Bucs draft Egbuka? Simple research tells the tale.
July 24th, 2025 at 9:26 am
Walter guy is an idiot. 0-4 without Evans n Godwin last year. Godwin coming off bad injury Mike is what 31? How much longer he going go?
Now you got McMillan and emeka waiting to take over. Luxury pick. 🥴
July 24th, 2025 at 9:27 am
It was a great pick by Licht
July 24th, 2025 at 9:29 am
They didn’t want to rush Chris back. They wanted to give him all the time he needed to get to 100%. The strange thing is that people are crying over this pick and calling it a luxury pick but many of the first mock drafts, specifically Bucky Brooks had the Bucs selecting a receiver in the 1st round. I thought they were crazy. But then they started mocking the Bucs to take an edge rusher.
July 24th, 2025 at 9:31 am
The rational behind what Bowles said is what separates good teams {Bucs} from bad teams. Cherepinsky is another blowhard with a microphone, I would love to see the idiot police storm into these guys shows mid show and just pack all their gear up and give em the hook for stupidity. “We had 3 or 4 guys we were interested in and he was at the top of the list”. How does one argue with that soundness of mind? And now it’s looking good to everyone. Almost everyone.
July 24th, 2025 at 9:51 am
Dumb Ass.
When we are torching teams come Playoff Season it might click for him.
July 24th, 2025 at 9:51 am
The pick makes perfect sense. You can never have enough weapons.
GO BUCS
July 24th, 2025 at 10:19 am
I wanted Jihaad Campbell with the first pick.
Most here, including the Joes, said it would be drafting damaged goods due to his shoulder surgery. ‘Why draft a guy who won’t be ready to go in week one?’ was the common theme. Yet Campbell, who eventually went to the Eagles, has already been cleared to play and is a full participant in training camp.
Look, we all make mistakes, including you, me and even Jason Licht. We’re human—it goes with the territory.
As a Bucs fan I hope Egbuka becomes great.
But my (and many others) belief was the Bucs overriding weakness last year was on defense, and I thought that need should be addressed first. To the shallowest of minds (see above) that makes me an idiot.
Lighten up, boys. Everyone who has an opinion that is diametrically opposed to yours is not to be sullied as an idiot. They are just like you, sometimes right and sometimes wrong.
In this case, however, it’s far too early to place judgement. Only time and game results will tell if Licht’s decision was the right one.
Signed,
The Idiot, Fyodor Doestoevsky
July 24th, 2025 at 10:36 am
I bet him early as Rookie of the year,,,, some heads are gonna roll!!!
July 24th, 2025 at 10:39 am
JA, agreed.
Also an idiot here, I’ve come around on Egbuka based on my belief in Licht and the front office. I hope I’m wrong to be honest but I really wanted defense. I’m glad we went back to back DBs, which also made me feel a little better at the time of the draft.
First 24 hours was rough though, I knew Egbuka was more than worthy of going at #19 but I was getting really worried that the defense would be forgotten.
July 24th, 2025 at 10:43 am
#9 looks so much better than last year.
July 24th, 2025 at 11:08 am
You guys act like the Bucs didn’t draft anybody for the defense. They did. Even got a first round talent. Just not the guy you wanted. I have no problem with people getting their hopes up and wanting the team to draft a particular player they fell in love with predraft. But after the pick is in it’s time to get behind the player. 5 years later if you want to spout out a ‘I told you so’. Fine.
Egbuka was probably the safest high floor, high ceiling guy in the draft. WR is pretty important position in today’s NFL. ILB is not. The Bucs knew what they had in Voss and believed LVD was going to continue to play at a high level.
July 24th, 2025 at 11:33 am
Millen’s problem was that he kept having to draft receivers because he picked poorly every time. That does not appear to be the case here. Walter is unaware, has a short memory, was not even around then or is simply a fool.
July 24th, 2025 at 12:51 pm
The opinions of the guys helping to run an NFL team >>> A guy with a site about football players.
The actual NFL guys have actual inside info, because they are the insiders
July 24th, 2025 at 1:26 pm
Keep the foot on Walter the Maroon’s neck, Joe.
July 24th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
This is not even an interesting topic anymore. All the naysayers either don’t understand drafting or don’t know the Bucs roster well. Or they’re just dumb. That is all. Next subject.
July 24th, 2025 at 1:51 pm
Props to JA for what’s gotta be close to the first-ever Doestoevsky reference on a football fan site.
July 24th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
In licht we trust. He is on a draft heater. Just let him keep doing his thing. Don’t even question it
July 24th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
Assuming Egbuka plays like we think he will Walter Foozeball will be saying”I’ve always said this kid was the smartest pick of the draft”. They should be right at home in politics.