Jason Licht’s messaging.

Leave it to one of Joe’s loyal readers to perfectly capture in an AI illustration what is going through Bucs fans’ minds when they hear Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht’s sometimes confusing if not crazy words (on face value) he periodically has for his team and individual players.

In the past 14 months or so, including this week, Licht has had some doozies.

* Chris Braswell will shock people. Licht didn’t mean fans needed shock therapy after watching Braswell try to chase quarterbacks.

* The Bucs are excited about edge rusher edge rusher David Walker. Mind you, Walker has yet to complete a padded practice on the NFL level, much less play in a worthless preseason game or even a regular season NFL game.

* Bucky Irving is a team leader. That was an eye-opener.

* Licht gets the vibe from his roster that it’s capable of a Super Bowl appearance in the near future, similar to the feels he had for other teams he worked for when they were about to bust out and make a run. This got a ton of reaction from Bucs fans, very little positive.

After Licht’s pre-draft media availability this week, fans freaked out over what Licht said, specifically the Super Bowl vibe.

Yes, even Joe had a hard time swallowing that line when the Bucs just lost two future Hall of Famers, one on each side of the ball, and let their best corner walk to Pittsburgh.

(The Bucky line is the one that really threw Joe for a loop.)

But this is what Joe has figured out about Licht: It’s not that Licht disrespects Bucs fans or wants to give them a verbal backhand or that he is talking down to them. It’s that Licht is far more concerned with the attitude and mindset of his players.

And when Licht says crazy stuff about his team that makes you wonder if he’s on the sauce when he speaks, he’s using his very public forum to send messages to his players that he and the team have their backs.

Messages from teams through the media to players are as old as the NFL itself.

Braswell had an invisible rookie season? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back man. Walker blew out his knee right away? Just focus on your rehab, we’re with you. You’ll be fine.

Bucky has a rough second year? Keep your chin up, Buck. You’re still our bellcow.

How will the Bucs do as a team without Mike, Lavonte and Jamel? You can still win a Super Bowl if everyone busts their tail and does their jobs, relax guys.

So yeah, as the graphic designed by Bucs fan @SaltyBuc91 below shows, Bucs players likely love it when they hear their general manager fight for them in a press conference. Meanwhile, Bucs fans scowl, wondering why their team’s GM is losing touch with reality.

Fans want Licht to be like their high school coach and call out those who may need a boot in the tail or scolded straight, not coddled.

Licht’s not going to do that. And while Licht likes to be liked by everybody, he’s more concerned with his players’ attitudes than his popularity or the court of public opinion.

And that’s why Licht will say something from time to time that has Bucs fans tilting their heads sideways the way a puppy will when it hears a strange, shrill sound.

The graphic below is an exceptional synopsis of how Bucs fans feel when Licht sends a message to a player or to the team through the media.

Joe had a photojournalism class in college once. The professor asked each member of the class to bring in an example of a current news photo that had “impact” and told a story. Joe brought in two photos: One from the Iran-Iraq War that showed soldiers celebrating in the foreground with a burning tank in the background. The second was a boxing photo with a boxer’s hand smashing his opponent’s face.

Joe’s professor loved the examples. In that same way, Joe loved @SaltyBuc91’s graphic of Baker Mayfield thanking Licht for having his back publicly while a Bucs fan stands in the background and scowls, offended with his words. The graphic perfectly captured how Bucs fans responded to Licht’s messaging for his players this week.