Love For Jason Licht And A Call For Him To Act
October 13th, 2025
Bucs GM Jason Licht
Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht, the renowned offensive line whisperer, is the co-chieftain of the undisputed best team in the NFC.
However, Licht still has work to do — soon.
That’s the opinion of retired two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive end Chris Long.
Long has been a big Bucs supporter for years on his popular Green Light podcast, and via other #NFLMedia he’s involved in. Joe listens to Long because he’s candid and actually knows the roster well.
Last night, Long was throwing more flowers at the Tampa Bay GM and imploring him to add firepower to his defense.
“Take a bow, Jason Licht. To have all your guys down and be able to win that football game against a very good San Francisco team — and [the Bucs] haven’t even hit their stride yet,” Long said. “Baker [Mayfield] didn’t even play that good throughout the entire game. I don’t want to say he played bad; he played great. But he still left money on the table.”
Long went on to talk about how he watches every Bucs game and Mayfield has yet to play his best ball all season. Joe would argue Mayfield was damn near flawless in Seattle, but Joe understands Long’s point and agreed with his examples.
Also, and most intriguing to Joe, was Long almost ordered Licht to make a move by the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
Long thinks linebacker SirVocea Dennis is terribly weak in pass coverage — he trashed Dennis’ work yesterday — but he mostly wants Licht to chase a stud defensive tackle.
“I don’t think he’s working with a full deck,” Long said of Todd Bowles coaching the Bucs defense. “Losing Calijah Kancey was a big deal, a big deal, which is why I think they’re going to be a buyers at the trade deadline for a defensive tackle.
“Go get Malik Collins from the Browns. Go get Zach Sieler; rescue that guy from Miami, please.”
Joe will play along on this fine Monday morning.
Sieler has a massive salary, but maybe the Dolphins, a team on the verge of implosion, would be willing to eat a huge chunk of his deal. Sieler feels like such a Licht kind dude, a star out of Ferris State who rose from being a seventh-round pick to become a double-digit sacks guy each of the past two seasons.
Collins is a 10-year veteran who has bounced around on big-money deals since finishing his Cowboys rookie contract in 2019.
Both Sieler and Collins are 30 years old. Each has postseason experience.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:01 am
Filtering DTs that are not A-Holes and can play zone coverage on 1st down.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:03 am
Makes sense – we are in a position to win the Superbowl. There will be teams willing to do a deal
October 13th, 2025 at 11:05 am
Elijah Robert’s is showing up and showing out, needs more snaps. Licht isn’t trading for anyone.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:08 am
We definitely need to bring in some d line help for sure! Come on Licht you can do it! Go Bucs!
October 13th, 2025 at 11:09 am
Licht will NEVER make a big deal, he loves his picks too much. STOP with the insane trade scenarios, he won’t do it
October 13th, 2025 at 11:11 am
Jeffery Simmons would be real nice.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:15 am
The only way Licht trades away high round picks is for a sure thing…that is 28 or younger.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:18 am
I’m sure Licht has a wishlist, and if he could get that person without morgaging the farm, he’d do it. But those kinds of deals usually don’t show up.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:21 am
The salaries are less of a concern seeing as the season is approaching half over. Compensation is a bigger concern. What would it take? Sometimes flailing teams offer bargain prices.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:22 am
Obviously, Long knows what he talking about, but I would lean more towards edge or LB. Or even OL! Or, what the heck, just trade for a top player from each of the 4 positions mentioned above! 😄
October 13th, 2025 at 11:41 am
Been shoving feathers down aquas throat & pounding the table for jeffrey simmons for a couple weeks now!!!!
with that said, e.roberts has been playing great…
i highly doubt licht makes an in-season trade…not he or bowles style…they rather trust and develop….
5-1!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 13th, 2025 at 11:43 am
I hope Todd starts Bringing more pressure I know Goff is a good QB but they didn’t look to good last night an of this Bucs team can get Bucky an Mike back with Zyon an B Mo on defense they can beat the Lions go Bucs
October 13th, 2025 at 11:47 am
Pass rusher and backer
October 13th, 2025 at 11:49 am
I doubt the Bucs make a trade. If they do it will be a trade involving a third day pick.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:53 am
I thought Dennis looked pretty solid on Sunday. It’s difficult to make a case to go get OLB after a 6 sack game. Let’s see if they’re able to keep this up with consistency. If not then it could happen. Jason loves his draft picks and it’s not his way to part with them unless it’s a necessity.
October 13th, 2025 at 11:54 am
Lions have a secondary currently onmife support with injuries…..
After the crap that Brian Branch started after the game by not shaking Mahomes hand after it was extended then socking Smith-Schuster in the face, perhaps he might be suspended for this upcoming game against the Bucs….
Will be watching this play out in the next couple of days..
October 13th, 2025 at 11:59 am
Yeah! Let’s trade picks for a high-priced edge rusher so he can drop back in coverage!
October 13th, 2025 at 12:02 pm
Roberts has been impressing. Even CJ Brewer and Gaines.
As much as I like Nelson, I would rather send Anthony Nelson and a second round pick to get Trey Hendrickson
Of course, Yaya and Reddick are definitely both starting to flash and show signs of life.
I would not be surprised at a deal like that during the bye. See how the D line does the next two weeks, especially at Detroit
October 13th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
that means they are giving up on reddick after six games bc yaya had two sacks yesterday, sorry but i don’t think it will happen, they think they are fine in the d line, svd is making some plays despite getting beat a few times also just need depth at cb and lb
October 13th, 2025 at 12:20 pm
According to what I heard on Bucs Radio, SVD was pretty busy making a bunch of tackles. I can bet some of what he was doing led to a few sacks. I have no idea what Licht is up to, I just know how good he is. In Licht this Bucs fan trusts!! I still want to know if he jumps in a pool after the Bucs win? LOL.
October 13th, 2025 at 12:33 pm
I think everybody on the Buc defense had stellar performances except Chris Braswell. He’s really invisible out there.
October 13th, 2025 at 12:37 pm
Joe,
Which players (edge rushers) would be on your wishlist for a pre-deadline deal? If there was ever a year to do it, this would be the year.
That might be a good article for this week. GO BUCS!
October 13th, 2025 at 12:45 pm
Gotta agree with the comments on Roberts
October 13th, 2025 at 12:46 pm
Any moves that improve our front defensively would be welcomed.
October 13th, 2025 at 12:53 pm
Disagree 1000% …
Licht loves winning the NFCS. They’ll win this year without a trade. To continue, he’ll need all their draft picks and cap space.
Draft Needs: 2xILB, 1xDT, 1xOLB, 1xOT, 1xOG, 1xWR (7)
Cap Spend: Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans
October 13th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
Simmons. He has one more year on his contract. 20 mil next year. Best pressure is up the middle. I said Collins last week. I also would love Kayvon from NYG. A solid pass rush fixes many flaws on D. The D line needs some help.
October 13th, 2025 at 1:00 pm
We should do a trade with the Dolphins for Bradley Chubb, or trade with the Titans for Jeffrey Simmons
October 13th, 2025 at 1:01 pm
Agree Roberts is improving. Dennis is basically a rookie. TE’s are finding the soft spot in the middle cause the rush is just a tad slow getting there. The opposing offense IS going to make some plays too, let’s face it. But keeping them out of the end zone is what matters most, I mean 19 points is not bad, I’ll take that every game. But I like the Giants inside guy Thibidoiu or however it’s spelled, as long as there are no character issues. He’s a lot younger with still all the intagibles. I would trade for tackle before edge considering this is a 3/4.
October 13th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
The front 4 held their own. E Roberts played well.
Lavonte comes up big – again!
Kudos to the secondary. They didn’t miss Zyon.
Our wide receivers? Wow – just wow. They stepped up.
White and Tucker did their jobs.
And Mayfield? He turned the game around in 90 seconds. That was a ‘holy crap’ kinda play – lit up got the crowd. Just Incredible.
October 13th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
If he trades for anyone it either needs to be someone coming off the edge as we have no edge rush or a LB to replace Dennis.
October 13th, 2025 at 1:51 pm
I like the Simmons trade scenario. But any dude on this site that thinks we can get him cheap just because Tennessee sucks are dreaming.
He is one of the top 4 DT’s in the NFL and we would need to pay a steep, steep ransom for him.
Here is my fairly high but not ridiculously steep trade:
Titans want to get a replacement for 3 Technique Simmons, and a young cost controlled WR that is better than their cr*ppy receiving core, and they want a number 1 pick from us.
We make the deal, but it is with a number 2 pick.
Kancey, DT — McMillan — WR — and the 2nd rounder.
The Titans get younger, cheaper, and gain cap flexibility — 2 solid players for next year and a 2nd-round pick. They embrace the suck now for a better future, like a colonoscopy.
The Buccaneers get an absolute game-wrecker, a true elite talent that could transform their defense and push them into immediate Super Bowl favorites. They’re making a bold, win-now move, sacrificing future depth for immediate impact. Which most fans will not complain about until 4 years from now.
Bucs have some 17 million of cap space available so they can make this trade. It’s financially plausible.
Love it:
Vita Vea’s primary role as the Nose Tackle a massive anchor, constantly commanding a double-team block from the center and a guard. This is a “dirty job” that doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.
This directly benefits the monster 3-technique Simmons, who is then often left with a more favorable one-on-one matchup against a guard who can’t get help from the center. Talk about this working from both a run stopping standpoint and a pressure standpoint. That pressure from the middle, giving even more chances for Yaya or Reddick.
October 13th, 2025 at 2:00 pm
Trade 4 Trey…Hendrickson. He’d likely only be a rental for the rest of this season…but he could make the difference between a SB appearance or not. The Bucs will likely have to give Baker a 20-25 million/per year raise next year…so the window of making such a bold move is now.
October 13th, 2025 at 3:32 pm
Sieler and Vea would be pretty nasty together.
October 13th, 2025 at 3:34 pm
Maxx Crosby please!
October 13th, 2025 at 4:17 pm
Don’t trade draft picks. Trade players.
October 13th, 2025 at 5:15 pm
I like the thought and appreciate these trade scenarios Bc I have no idea who these dudes are. After the cultural revolution I gave up on the NFL but for following my hometown Bucs (which is why I love JBF). We need some pass rushers but I don’t think Jason is going to come up off those draft picks unless the Glazers order him to do so
October 13th, 2025 at 6:39 pm
Trey Hendrickson sustained a back injury yesterday and is listed as day to day
As long as the Bucs continue winning and don’t start hemorrhaging points (as opposed to yards) I wouldn’t anticipate any major acquisitions or changes.
Tucked away in the back of their minds is the knowledge that they have already have a player recovering from injury that they believe will make an impact on their defense next year…..that being David Walker.