No Room For A-Holes
August 14th, 2025
Offers fans inside look at drafting.
Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has made quite a name for himself when it comes to the draft. And it’s well-documented that Licht puts a very high value on character.
Joe has pointed this out, but Dan Pompei of The Athletic also referenced this in his fantastic feature on Licht published this week. The guys Licht has taken off his draft board for being a-holes or d-bags, he puts their names on a list and hands the file to Team Glazer the day before the draft, so there are no surprises to the family that cuts the checks at One Buc Palace.
Licht explained to Pompei why he has developed little to no tolerance for bad eggs.
Players with a criminal history are easily identified and disqualified. Finding players who lack passion for the game is more of an art, but no less important.
“The high draft picks who don’t make it are the ones who don’t work hard,” Licht says. “They don’t listen to coaching. And they don’t do the little things they are supposed to do.”
Licht explained to Pompei that in draft meetings months before the draft, even before a current regular season is completed, he listens closely to his staff. Much attention is paid to the area scouts who do all the digging on the player backgrounds. They’re a big part of the formula to building a good draft class.
If you haven’t read Pompei’s feature on Licht, it is about as close to a must-read for Bucs fans as there is. The fact Pompei typed the article is icing on the cake.
August 14th, 2025 at 4:55 am
Smiled when I saw Pompei mention you guys and the moniker you created for Jason. In Licht We Trust
August 14th, 2025 at 5:12 am
Gotta have a vision. This guy has one and it keeps focusing as he goes. Hard earned lessons along the way. When he’s old he’ll remember the journey more than the results. We’ll remember the results. Good memories either way. Good job Jason. You are that man.
August 14th, 2025 at 6:10 am
We’ve been through this before. It goes something like this …
‘Character guys? What about Antonio Brown. His rap sheet is as long as a roll of Charmin.’
‘Brown wasn’t drafted, idiot. He was a FA.’
‘So, it’s ok to sign FA whack jobs, but not draft them? I get it, but it defines hypocrisy if you ask me.’
‘Huh? What?’
‘Never mind.’
(If this has yet to be addressed in prior posts …)
‘Say, why does Joe keep calling Carnage Mellon, Thornton Mellon?. They don’t even sound alike.’
‘Keep this to yourself, but Joe is a big platform dive fan, and whenever he hears the word, “Mellon,” he thinks of his old pal, Thornton, the greatest platform diver who ever lived! He invented the dive, The Triple Lindy, the most difficult dive of all time, and in the history of diving. It’s on YouTube, look it up.’
August 14th, 2025 at 6:51 am
@JA,Put it down and walk away!U drunk ,man!
August 14th, 2025 at 7:17 am
He’s stated he’s avoiding FA whack jobs, too. He mentioned Mesean Jackson specifically.
That being said, the damage isn’t as great with a FA bust as it is with a draft bust. The drafted player was supposed to be under team control (with an affordable salary) for 4-5 years. They’re part of the continuity plan to stay competitive as your stars age.
Taking a one year flyer on a questionable FA isn’t nearly as risky as doing so in the draft, and if it is a mistake, it doesn’t have the long term ramifications.
August 14th, 2025 at 7:20 am
Apparently high character = susceptible to injury.
August 14th, 2025 at 7:38 am
Licht has definitely learned. The culture with no drama is best. Licht and Todd both have been doing a great job choosing players. Everyone makes errors in judgement at one time or another. We have one of the best cultures in the league right now.
AB helped us get a SB, but Arians seemed to have had it later on. AB was a great player throughout his career. Brady and others tried to help him out. I give the Bucs a lot of credit in trying.
August 14th, 2025 at 7:56 am
Licht apparently learned his lesson from Devin White about drafting a player may not have had the passion and work ethic. Ditto for VH3 from the 2016 draft but add lack of talent…..
August 14th, 2025 at 7:57 am
Can you guys copy and paste the article in here?
LOL
I’m not paying for the Athletic, but would love to read the article.
Outliers to all this… Devin white and AB.
One was a draft pick & the other an FA.
Each were huge in helping us win the super bowl.
Don’t think Licht would bring these guys to the Bucs with his current personnel format, which I love by the way.
Glad we had them at the time, glad they’re long gone now.
August 14th, 2025 at 8:03 am
Seems like Jason has learned these things through experience. He’s picked his share of bad hombres/ lazy players, e.g.- ASJ, Hargreaves, ….now we need to learn how he decided that he doesn’t need to draft punters or kickers
August 14th, 2025 at 8:05 am
Ditto, KA- I hate hitting paywalls for an occasional article. Given the number of links to different sites that I receive from friends, they must have subscriptions as a significant line item in their budgets.
Assholes are assholes- glad they are kept away from the team.
August 14th, 2025 at 8:24 am
Not paying to read the article. The splintering of media into thousands of pay-per-view sites is not sustainable. Not paying for media. Deleted CNN app for that very reason.
Everybody complained about cable TV forced bundling. Is this any better?
The only way to end this ransom is not participate.
August 14th, 2025 at 9:25 am
Jmarkbuc Says:
August 14th, 2025 at 7:20 am
Apparently high character = susceptible to injury.
^^^^^^
I’m not sure if you’re new to this whole football thing, but players sometimes get injured playing it. I hope this helps.
August 14th, 2025 at 10:25 am
“even before a current regular season is completed”
thats right! Scouts are always on it, or should be. Putting this one out now, Clemson LB Sammy Brown….keep a close eye on that kid.
August 14th, 2025 at 10:39 am
In hindsight than he would’ve picked Mariota who was squeaky clean?
August 14th, 2025 at 11:25 am
“Hodad Says:
August 14th, 2025 at 10:39 am
In hindsight than he would’ve picked Mariota who was squeaky clean”
Or traded out of the #1 overall for a king’s ransom. He would have been skewered mercilessly for doing it, though – at the time. Especially by the resident FSU fan club.
I doubt he’d take someone like Winston now, given the laundry list of red flags he carried when he came out.
August 14th, 2025 at 11:38 am
Hodad and StormyInFL – There was a lot of hype around Winston. He did very well playing at FSU. Yes he did have some severe baggage. And I am not talking about the crab legs. Many players have a connection for food and other perks. Nothing new there. However, on draft night, many of us were jumping up and down for the 1st round pick and it was Jameis. You are right, Licht nor Bowles would take him now. Lovie was the coach at the time.
August 14th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
Licht learned his lesson with JTS. Just look at the last 3 drafts.
JTS is Licht’s most important draft pick because he learned from it.
Just saying.
August 14th, 2025 at 12:22 pm
“Players with a criminal history are easily identified and disqualified.”
LIES!!! DID YOU KNOW THE FACE OF THE BUCS IS A CONVICTED CRIMINAL?
Baker Mayfied has committed a crime, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced.
You’re a hypocrit, Licht.
(100% true but pretty funny at the same time. Look it up.)
August 14th, 2025 at 1:01 pm
I think it was mentioned in the article that he learned that just because someone makes a mistake doesn’t mean they haven’t learned from it and were doomed to repeat it. That was in Pompei’s article. I am so glad all the stuff I did earlier in my life isn’t public knowledge. and I learned and am alive in spite of it.
August 14th, 2025 at 1:10 pm
Look, I remember watching Winston’s first game at FSU and was wowed by it. I said then I hope we draft this kid. But guess what happens, they grow a little older and do stupid things….we didnt see that coming. Lesson learned.
And yeah I remember that JTS pick when I was pushing for Landon Dickerson…but guess what we miss sometimes, dont beat us up. I remember pushing for Winston and that TE Howard in 2017. We make mistakes, thats how you learn. I thought i f’ed up on Hall, but he’s coming around now. Braswell, too, i dont know whats up with him. But the ones we hit on? hey Jason is on his game.
August 14th, 2025 at 1:27 pm
I want another SB, so if that means we have A-holes on the team like DW and AB., So be it. Seriously, coaches and GM’s don’t keep their jobs with high value guys that are low motor or injury prone and can’t stay on the field.
Sly pirate what are you talking about? disorderly conduct, public intoxication as a college kid. Misdemeanors not felonies. Give me a break.
August 14th, 2025 at 4:22 pm
I can remember way back when I was a young basketball fan, Frank Layden was coach of Utah Jazz and he said he would not have any a-holes on his team because he had to spend six months a year in close quarters with them and life was too short. He turned that franchise from one of the worst in league history into a pretty consistently good one. RIP Frank! Very funny man!