Bucs’ Draft Plan Didn’t Factor The NFC South
May 3rd, 2025
So back in 2012, Joe remembers Bucs big shots talking about how their first-round draft pick filled a need tied to competing with division foes.
The pick was University of Alabama safety Mark Barron at No. 7 overall. The Bucs openly were hungry for Barron to help them lock down the beastly tight ends in the division: Tony Gonzalez, Jimmy Graham and Greg Olsen.
Matching up in the formerly quarterback-loaded NFC South was a major consideration once upon a time.
Now? Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht says the division is no consideration.
Licht told The Rich Eisen Show (Joe listens on Sirius) this week that his draft planning is about building the best team and fortifying Tampa Bay’s valued positions.
Joe heard Licht and thought of the Falcons drafting two edge rushers in Round 1 last week. It’s a safe bet that was, in part, because the Bucs have beastly offensive tackles in Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke.
Regardless, the Bucs’ top-dog status in the division and a roster with limited weaknesses let them be free of desperation in the draft. That’s a good thing.
But if some Bucs fans want to argue that Licht should have displayed more win-now urgency through free agency and the draft, Joe would understand.
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May 3rd, 2025 at 5:23 pm
Factoring in the NFC South is a stupid draft philosophy……
May 3rd, 2025 at 5:28 pm
Making Bucs better is only strategy.
May 3rd, 2025 at 5:29 pm
Atlanta beat us twice with Kirk Cousins. He racked up 500 yards against us in one game.
He beat the vaunted Bucs defense twice, while putting up a 30+ burger on them both times.
Thus out dueling one of the best offenses in the NFL.
Now they have a better QB and are beefing up the defense with solid players to try and win now.
That will be tough though since they have the prelude to Bowles in Raheem Morris.
But at least they’re trying instead of resting on their laurels.
If Baker goes down the season is over. Trask is just a clip board holder.
Do stupid things and win stupid prizes. The NFC South crown shouldn’t be the benchmark of success.
Good teams shoot for the Superbowl.
May 3rd, 2025 at 5:45 pm
You’re on record as thinking Baker is a scrub. Are you saying we should have drafted a QB or what?
The NFC south crown most certainly IS at least 1 benchmark for success.
We are shooting for the Superbowl ✌🏼
May 3rd, 2025 at 5:47 pm
Lat year’s defense was in no position to look beyond any team inside the division or not. You can’t tell me that as long as this defense plays the way it did last year it is ready to beat anyone. It’s nice to feel optimistic during a productive offseason but be sure not to lose grip of the handrail.
May 3rd, 2025 at 5:49 pm
Amen here TB…
“The NFC South crown shouldn’t be the benchmark of success. Good teams (and the best GM’s) shoot for the Superbowl”.
Add in what someone out here just said a few days ago that I concurred on, about the very real element of factoring in job security …to the drawback of one-foot-in one-foot-out drafting in 2025 (a/k/a “for the future and the present).
On the Eisen show on YouTube just a couple days ago Rich asked JL about his kids, and the ages came up in the interview of 16, 14, and 11 said by JL.
Hmm, what large expense is just around the corner for almost all 3…..college. Hmm.
May 3rd, 2025 at 6:37 pm
Personally, I don’t see YET how the Bucs improved at all other than Reddick. He has proven in the past to be good. All others are 50-50. So until they show up and perform I’ll withhold my SB ticket request. Some of you guys can’t believe we’ll not be in it. Hope you are right. Maybe I have JTS Derangement Syndrome.
May 3rd, 2025 at 6:38 pm
Bucs’ defense finished last season as a middle-of-the-pack defense, surrendering 385 points (22.6 PPG) to rank #16 in the NFL. And that’s what most will assume us to still be this year … middle-of-the-pack … until we prove different.
Bucs had players Out for 58 games, and we lost 136 games to players on IR. So for just those 2, it totaled 194 games lost.
In 2023 we had players Out for 35 games, and we lost 57 games to players on IR. That total of 92 games lost is less than half of the 194 we lost last year. Yes, 2024 was brutal. And the fact that we only lost 92 games to Out & IR is surely a key reason why our defense ended up surrendering the fewest points since 2009 (325 points) and ranked #5.
The total games lost (Out & IR only) for 2022 was 149. It was 130 for 2021, and 147 for 2020. Yup, 2024 was absolutely brutal when it came to injuries, and I’m sure that it impacted our Won-Loss record and our performance in the playoffs. Gotta stay healthy, AND gotta build solid depth for those times when we can’t stay healthy.
May 3rd, 2025 at 6:45 pm
I want the Bucs to get the best available players to win the SB. A lot of fans including myself believe even with healthy players we have some major holes on defense. I was hoping they would have picked another DT,DE or ILB at number 19. Just don’t believe this team has the stamina or talent, especially with the backups to control the better offenses. I don’t know if the defensive coaching is bad or just a result of the lack of talent. I do know this team’s pass defense is terrible and cannot ever stop third down conversions. BTW, Jalen Ramsey, hell yes!
May 3rd, 2025 at 6:48 pm
I don’t think anyone factors the NFC South for much of anything these days. Licht’s description of his approach suits the present completion level within the division but the most important bit to me was “fortifying Tampa Bay’s valued positions.”
So WR, CB and outside pass rushers > ILB, S and DT. That checks out.
May 3rd, 2025 at 7:12 pm
No one in the south did anything in the draft that affects our o line in anyway. Carolina getting Derrick brown back will be a problem and Atlanta secondary got better however we have too many weapons
May 3rd, 2025 at 7:15 pm
Name one draft pick that would put the Bucs in the super bowl this year. I’m waiting…. But I can say this Bucs draft and signings is putting the Bucs in a great position to compete for one. BTW Penix is not going to bring Atlanta any closer to winning the division this year. Expect a regression
May 3rd, 2025 at 7:29 pm
Barron was a good player, and had a long career, but I never got why he was drafted so highly. You’re talking about a top 10 pick, and he wasn’t special at anything. If he had been a 2nd round pick, I think he’d be viewed a lot different. In any case, the Bucs traded him to the Rams and got a pick that turned into Kwon Alexander in return – who was a great young up and coming ILB until he got hurt, and was just never the same after that.
May 3rd, 2025 at 7:48 pm
No need to worry about the NFC South when you’re setting your sights much higher and looking at other top NFC teams to see how you match up with them. Health is going to be a key factor again this season. I do believe the Bucs D will be better, but maybe not as much as we hope for. Maybe top 15 as the ceiling, but that would be enough for the team to be successful.
May 3rd, 2025 at 7:49 pm
To those talking worst case scenario and injuries… I think there are only 3… maybe 4 guys that would really hurt our chances if we lost them.
Wirfs
Vea
David
If no one else is injured and Baker goes down… yeah that will suck and hurt our chances but there is such a solid unit around the QB that I think we could still win games with Trask.
Losing Wirfs will have a domino effect on the entire offense and I think the same can be said about Vea and Wirfs. Egbuka is there now to pick up slack if Evans or Godwin go down.
This theory goes out the window with multiple injuries but in a vacuum only a couple guys being out by themselves would bury us I think.
May 3rd, 2025 at 8:50 pm
Now that’s funny “Ancient.” The average NFL GM pulls in about $3 million a year. And Licht is better than average, so it’s hard to believe he’s drafting to make sure he has enough cash to send 3 kids to college. 🙂 What’s the most that could cost? $1 million if none are worthy of any scholarship and he wants to spoil them?
May 3rd, 2025 at 8:54 pm
Saskbucs … Last year we really didn’t lose any of those 3 or Baker for but a few games (the 4 of them only missed 2 games total). And yet it was our worst injuries year in a long time. Things just kept cascading it seemed.
And I think that had a huge impact on our defense. Every week it was different bodies in the Secondary and LB corps in particular, and that had to negatively impact communications on the field. We gave up a lot of explosive plays last year, even though Todd Bowles had guys playing off supposedly trying to prevent that.
May 3rd, 2025 at 9:14 pm
Bucs fans stupidly wanted Trent Richardson or Morris Claiborne that year. I wanted Luke Keuchly. We grabbed Barron. Getting David was a stroke of tremendous luck. Still Kuechly > Richardson, Claiborne, and Barron… combined.
May 3rd, 2025 at 9:32 pm
Falcons were 2-0 vs Bucs… can’t improve on that…
May 3rd, 2025 at 9:41 pm
Licht said pass rushers, corners, receivers, PL and DL were premier positions no matter what division a team happens to play in. He also rightly said every division game and rival is pretty tough.
May 3rd, 2025 at 10:07 pm
Brandon, you are so right about Luke Kuechly. What a great player he was, and what a great GM we have now. Licht probably would have drafted Luke over Barron. Water under the bridge though. I believe Licht has given us a team that can win another Lombardi now. There is certain degree of luck and chance involved. Injuries can kill your chances. Some occur because of stupidity on player’s part, some due to a lack of stretching or conditioning, and some are freak occurrences. However, I believe the two things that can stop this team faster than anything else is, Todd Bowles making bad decisions in clutch situations and can Grizzard effectively do this job. Much like Manning and Brady, I think Baker is ready to make his own play calls in certain situations and throw the plans out the window.
May 3rd, 2025 at 10:14 pm
I would also love to see the Bucs bring in Gronk for a few days this offseason to help show our TE’s his tricks and secrets to greatness. We would not have won that Super Bowl if Gronk wasn’t on our team. He was the epitome of Clutch player with a will to win like few others have.
May 3rd, 2025 at 10:30 pm
@brandon
I wanted Keuchly that year too.
In fact, it’s in the archives of JoeBucsFan.
Teacherman777 has been on this site for a long time.
Keuchly even looked like Schiano. Keuchly and David.
What could have been?
On this site, I also called to convert Barron to LB.
Teacherman777 is a visionary.
May 3rd, 2025 at 10:52 pm
Baker Mayfield is Alex Smith a good quarterback but can’t get us over the hump. NFC Championship or bust!! The Chiefs went 13′-3: with Alex Smith and he made it to the pro bowl and they still drafted a quarterback in the first round. They got tired of the going to the playoffs and losing in the first or second round. No more excuses for Baker and I don’t want to hear anything about the defense or less they give up 30 points. NFC Championship or bust no more excuses!!
May 3rd, 2025 at 10:56 pm
” If Baker goes down we are in trouble” . What a Da statement if any team loses their starting QB they will be in trouble.
May 3rd, 2025 at 11:04 pm
17 points. Hold your opponents to 17 points per game average and you can win the super bowl.
May 3rd, 2025 at 11:04 pm
Woodan. We don’t know that if Baker Mayfield goes down I don’t wish that on no player but again he’s Alex Smith he can get you to the playoffs but he can’t win the big games. NFC Championship or bust no excuses!!
May 3rd, 2025 at 11:08 pm
Big Mac. What our defense ranked in scoring because that’s the only stat that matters is how many points a defense gives up . Yards don’t matter anymore because of the rules that goes against the defense. At some point the quarterback is going to have to will us to a win and Baker Mayfield hasn’t prove he can do that so far in playoff games or do or die games for both teams.
May 3rd, 2025 at 11:12 pm
I see it is hot QB takes time- here goes: the Bucs are due to lose a QB to in hey for 4-6 weeks. The Bucs’ injury luck has been average to bad but at the QB position they have been very lucky for years.
I think Trask is Matt Cassel or Matt Flynn- a back-up who can thrive in a strong offense and make himself a hot commodity. Licht and Co. are worthy of trust and aren’t skimping on offensive weapons so resigning Trask and his revamped mechanics is a low key smooth move. This offense limped by without Evans and Godwin- it can be vital without Mayfield.
May 3rd, 2025 at 11:19 pm
I’m watching the playoff game right now against Washington right now and the defense just stopped Washington on the 2 yard line in the 4th quarter this is what I be talking about when it comes to Baker Mayfield.
May 3rd, 2025 at 11:28 pm
And on scoring defense- yes 17 ppg will win a Super Bowl but let’s be real- the target is 20 ppg in this day and age.
The Iggles won it with the NFL leading 18.1 ppl but San Diego, Denver, Minnesota and Green Bay met the 20 ppg threshold and came no closer to sniffing the Super Bowl than the Bucs did.
Defense is the area with the most room to improve but there are dimensions to building a Super Bowl winner. It’s not just that one QB or stingy defense or simple injury luck. I like Licht and Co’s voodoo- it plays loose but hedges itself well, so far…
May 3rd, 2025 at 11:29 pm
What’s funny…is a permanent lack of sufficient higher education is folk behind aliases.
The “college” mention was not the sole determining factor, and $1 million aggregated perhaps a little north is a fair figure for 3 kids all in to REAL schools yeah.
It was never presented as the sole determining factor of a monumental financial household adjustment when losing GM employment, and you’re not pulling that W2 so you don’t have any personal financial acumen on his 1040 $500k this way or that way, son.
What I can tell you with properly obtained educational information is you thrown a Federal 39% tax bracket on every gross dollar he makes, with a stay at home wife, 3 kids, perhaps aging parents to partially or fully care for given his age bracket, housing lifestyle etc, then YANK AWAY the GM W2 unexpectedly through a decade or more of the highest financial aggregate burden he has even seen coming (given all factors I just listed), and see if an ex-GM a year or two later….can float ALL THAT over that next decade or more on a National Scout paycheck, or perhaps best case another Vice President of Player Personnel title at whichever next team might hire him. That would easily be 1/5 to 1/8th of the W2 then in new job versus now.
And that son, in the nervous pervis job insecurity vibe he always gives off that wifey reminds him precariously about likely all the time.
THAT’S…what drives personal motivations son. Family financial anxiety at that level, as likely the sole financial breadwinner, and would be irreplaceable, and THAT’S what makes some men, cower. And yeah many GM’s have catered to their own long before him. He’s no risktaker anymore.
He’s got a ton coming up, and would greatly ensure his collective family stays in THAT standard of living, h3ll yeah.
Education.
May 4th, 2025 at 1:42 am
Hmmm, walter football has us mocked as picking 10th next year…dont know bout that lol
May 4th, 2025 at 1:43 am
None of the picks by any team are proven yet, so asking people to name a player drafted this year who can take us to the superbowl is unrealistic.
And really, no single player at all could do it. It’s a team sport.
A more realistic question:
On paper, since that is all we can go by atm, does it seem this draft will improve the defensive ranking by 6 spots?
Answer:
It’s possible. Other teams also made improvements, and injuries are always a concern But right now, on paper? Very possible.
May 4th, 2025 at 3:00 am
Sooooo, you’re saying Licht is so foolish he hasn’t saved $50,000 a year (plus interest) for his kids’ higher education over the past 10 years?
Or he operates terrified of his wife because he’s blown most of the $20 million or so he’s banked after taxes since taking the Bucs’ job?
Got it!
I’ll take the safer bet that Licht got a little financial advice along the way and isn’t fretting college for his kids.
May 4th, 2025 at 6:00 am
lol the bucs were within a few points and plays of not getting out of the south last year. they needed help all the way to the end to win.
licht would look stupid if he acted like just winning the division was some sort of consideration and / or goal. he isnt the booster club who trot the divisional runner up trophy out like some do around here….
May 4th, 2025 at 7:19 am
I’ve got high hope that penix starts out slow, cousins struggled with interceptions and we know the level of rah’s coaching ability. My gut tells me Atlanta fights for the division this year. Can’t wait to hear the cannons fire on sundays at Ray Jay with my daughter 🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️
May 4th, 2025 at 8:20 am
Licht/Bowles are focused on one goal: win games. The team who wins the most games wins the Division. Pretty simple fact. The Falcons might have beat the Bucs twice, but Tampa Bay won more games. Go Bucs!!
May 4th, 2025 at 8:43 am
You can lead a horse to water….but. (Only the bright ones drink).
Much much higher education.
Brick walls, just brick walls sometimes, obtuse instruments.
May 4th, 2025 at 8:45 am
Broke Jersey transplants…hacking behind aliases.
May 4th, 2025 at 8:54 am
I don’t mean to BRAG, but I went to community college
May 4th, 2025 at 8:59 am
the defense & coaching are the problems – period. let me run down 5 HUGE games and the numbers. balt. – kc – dallas – 2 with atl.. dallas off. with RUSH put up 26 (+ 6 over game ave.) balt. 41 (+11 over ave.) KC 30 (+7 over ave.) atlan in 2 games put up 67 ((+ 10 per game over ave) the offense ave 27 pts per game – just 2 below ave. cosidering that dall. – kc, and balt, have good def. thats not bad. if this defense doesn’t perform much better, bowles will be gone. you can’t count on the offense to put up 30 + per game, because other teams have a DEFENSE also. if defense doesn’t allow 10 to 12 play drives – 70 yds – 7 min time poss. that will help. good grief, my calculator broke just adding up those drives.
May 4th, 2025 at 9:35 am
Coward 🙂
May 4th, 2025 at 9:53 am
All of you hating on the defense I was also in your boat…perplexed by the 1st round pick. However, even I thought about it the defense played well early in the season before major injuries to positions with limited depth crept up on us. This year, we shared up and fortified most of them. Yes, we are gambling on Dennis to be healthy but he very much liked the part of a staying MLB when healthy. Everywhere else we certainly improved our depth drastically it seems. Our starters were already solid when healthy, now even if they aren’t the entire season or backups will be far better moving forward
May 4th, 2025 at 9:56 am
Community college here, too! Don’t understand Licht trolling and hating. He’s better than most GMs.
My wife and I are high school teachers with kids in college. Licht will be ok. Maybe one of his will go Bright Futures.
Coaching is more of problem area with this team until proven otherwise.
May 4th, 2025 at 9:58 am
I trust the call of resigning Trask. The Bucs management has worked hard to build a team of character and camaraderie. If Trask does have to stand in for Baker, you can bet the offense will support him. Rather see what he can do, than have spent millions on a FA backup QB. Well ok, Aaron Rogers may still be a FA. Maybe he is ready to be a backup!
May 4th, 2025 at 11:41 am
Atleast now Gedoeke can be called GeDonkeyKong now that he’s developed into a beastly lineman. Baker is playing at a high level now that he has a beastly line in front of him and keeping the strength of this team humming is important. Emeka can contribute from the get go until Godwin is back to full strength and the new defensive players start clicking together. Hopefully Reddick and our new dlinemen can put more pressure on on qbs and Dennis is healed and the defense can do a better job holding a lead.
May 4th, 2025 at 11:47 am
Oneilbuc, do you think that Washington having the ball for 60 plays, 35.5 minutes and NO punts had ANYthing to do with the outcome? Baker only had 18 attempts, of which he completed 15
May 4th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
@Ancient
Have you thought of writing any more fiction?
May 4th, 2025 at 3:35 pm
tankathon has saints missing out on Manning by one spot (browns)
May 4th, 2025 at 5:31 pm
Baker Mayfield is Alex Smith he will put up some good numbers in the regular season because of the team around him on offense but he will never get us over the hump. The Chiefs went 13 -3 with Alex Smith and they won their division every year he was the staring quarterback all but 1 year I think and they got knocked out of the playoffs the first and second round. Then they drafted a quarterback in the first round and the rest was history. That’s why we all know that Patrick Mahomes went to a good situation. And right now we are in the same position the Chiefs were in with Alex Smith and y’all are satisfied with it. Alex Smith couldn’t get the 49ers over the hump and they went out and got a quarterback and went to the Superbowl. If Baker doesn’t get us to the NFC Championship with all these weapons then it’s time to move on and draft a quarterback of the future. If not then we will be just spinning our wheels in the mud and watching the Falcons are the Panthers passing us up eventually!! NFC Championship or bust no more excuses and next year it will be Superbowl or bust if Baker is still our quarterback.
May 4th, 2025 at 11:16 pm
Onei, to compare Baker to Alex Smith is kind of a joke. He wasn’t the same quaterback Baker is. He was good but not as good. He had a passer rating of 104 twice in 14 years. All the rest was in the 90’s or less. In college he didn’t do near as good as Baker either. Alex had a passer rating one year of 176. Baker had 2 years of almost 200. No one in the history of college quarterbacking equaled Baker. You dont know of what you talk about my friend. He dominated in college like no other. He beat Mahomes twice. Mahomes never beat him. If it wasn’t for dumb coaching decisions he would have won a national championship.
The thing we have to do to make it all the way is to stop making stupid mistakes. Way too many times we were about to score and invariably someone would do something totally foolish and the drive would end with either 3 points or a big goose egg. We have to find a way to be MORE disciplined. Also, it would help if Grizzard could solve the problem it seems we have of marching down the field like we owned it, like we owned it, in 5 or 6 plays to only stall out and kick a field goal. If we could pull those things together, no one could beat us. We are so close to being virtually unbeatable. Our problems have nothing to do with Baker. It’s like Bowles said after the Washington game, Baker is the reason we are here. It would be good if you remembered that. What the coach says, kind of matters. And you want to get rid of him if you don’t get exactly what you want, when you want it. 🤔
May 4th, 2025 at 11:34 pm
You seem to forget Baker took a team that was 0-16 the year before he showed up and 3 years before he arrived they were 4-44. They were a terrible team. He took them to a playoff game which they hadn’t done since before he was born. The year Kansas City went to the superbowl he had them beat if not for a targeting play that cost them a touchdown. Baker is the last player we should get rid of. We had Kansas City beat this last year. All we had to do was throw for 2 instead of kick for 1. Remember they went to the superbowl?? Get over whatever problem you have with him, he aint going no where because the people on the inside that KNOW and truly matter like him a lot and that’s ALL that matters. When we as a team do the above, we will be in a superbowl and Baker will be the quarterback that takes us there, BOOM!!!
May 5th, 2025 at 2:26 am
There is a reason ESPN has voted Baker as the #1 college quarterback of the 2000’s twice now. They looked at 90 quarterbacks and he has come out on top twice. To compare him to Alex Smith is just embarrassing.