Jason Licht: Bucs Can Win “Maintaining The Same Process”
March 1st, 2026
Bucs GM Jason Licht
The Bucs believe they are on the right track and have been for years.
That was the word from Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht during his 1-on-3 sitdown for the Ira Kaufman Podcast last week with Kaufman and the “Joes” at the NFL Scouting Combine.
JoeBucsFan.com: Do you feel the team is close enough where you can have like an all-in mindset for this season, to attack free agency, attack manipulating the salary cap to get the guys you want back? Do you feel that the team is right there?
Jason Licht: We feel really strong about our team. We feel like this last year, at least I do, there was just a lot of things that happened that we weren’t predicting. A lot of injuries, things like that. Now, we need to get better; we need to add more players. No doubt. I own that. But I think we can get back to a place that we were prior to this year and be even better just maintaining the same process that we’re at.
Yes, there’s a reason Licht’s staff didn’t get a shakeup while the Todd Bowles staff saw a massive overhaul. The Bucs like their process for securing players and managing a roster. Status quo is a good thing when it comes to the Bucs’ front office, the team believes.
Still, Licht said he doesn’t rule out a big, bold offseason move if it presents itself.
“We feel like we’ve got a very solid team that can contend,” he said.
Joe believes it’s highly likely, not definite, that Mike Evans returns for his 13th Buccaneers season. If that doesn’t happen, then the likelihood of Licht actually executing a bold move in free agency or via trade shoots up dramatically.
March 1st, 2026 at 9:26 am
Definition of insanity is……Bowles
March 1st, 2026 at 9:39 am
Im sorry Jason, but not with Todd. Thats why i want to focus on fixing the G position, and hit TE somewhere around 4th…..unless we get Sadiq and then hit G 3rd or 4th….or sign a big star at one of those. Styles will be gone by the time we pick….but i do like his brother Lorenzo…i dont know where exactly, but we could use him, swiss army knife type.
March 1st, 2026 at 9:42 am
Huge opportunity for trades over free agency. I think the last trade for a starter was getting Shaq Mason from the Pats. Licht has traded draft picks on or around draft day, moving up or down a few picks, but that’s it. Licht has said that it takes two to tango, but Howie Roseman trades frequently.
Bidding and competing for free agents often leaves too much money on the table and that’s why Licht doesn’t pick up expensive free agents, only Dollar Store players. Trades are a much better investment and Licht can trade away late round draft picks over a few years to pick up a high quality player.
March 1st, 2026 at 9:44 am
8 games lost to end the the season iss not on the right track, this is stupid commentary from Jason Licht. This team is not all in, as evidenced by the fact they could not get out their own way last season, lost 8 in a row, gave the head coach an extension instead of firing him and hired a rookie offensive coordinator last year. Of all the people in the world, they hire someone with no experience at the job. No they are not on the right track–FFS they kept Bowles on to run it back again. I’m out.
March 1st, 2026 at 9:51 am
As long as Todd Bowles is HC Bucs aren’t going anywhere.
March 1st, 2026 at 9:51 am
Yep the process. We are in for the joy of the process again. Oh Boy how exciting.
March 1st, 2026 at 10:00 am
What is the bet on cheapest tickets for this season? It is looking like a $25 tickets kind of year.
March 1st, 2026 at 10:21 am
Guzzie55 Says:
March 1st, 2026 at 9:26 am
Definition of insanity is……Bowles
==============================
Absolutely. If there isn’t wholesale changes in RodMunch’s favorite defense, we can expect more of the same. Biggest change needed is HC/DC. Licht is already in denial about that.
March 1st, 2026 at 10:30 am
Hes a moron
March 1st, 2026 at 10:31 am
licht better stop taking those gummies. there will be no major moves. same thing as last year. he will not draft team needs. BEST AVAILABLE PLAYER is his motto. STATUS QUO. welcome to the twilight zone.
March 1st, 2026 at 10:31 am
You finish almost winless and thats the conclusion lol. Yall got the piss knocked outta you and still you think like a caveman
March 1st, 2026 at 10:41 am
Yep stay positive
Yep on right track
Except the Bucs have not progressed since Bowles got here all we can celebrate is winning division
What other team talks about how may divisional wins they have
Answer. NONE
BUCS TEAM under Bowles has not gotten better FACT
Team has had 500 seasons every year but won a soft division
Heck most years we don’t make playoffs with our record except we are in a soft division
Stop With the shoveling of the Bull
We are not Browns fans who will except whatever junk you sell
Bucs fans are TRUE FANS want results from team
March 1st, 2026 at 10:49 am
Some people will say anything to justify their mistakes. Sorry Licht, most of us aren’t that stupid. We will keep cheering, but not blindly.
March 1st, 2026 at 10:54 am
I would agree with him, but his lack of awareness surrounding the detriment at HC and DC is disturbing.
March 1st, 2026 at 10:55 am
I’ll take division title over the decade of depression any day. You guys who think annual Super Bowl title are actually achievable are the insane ones wearing the rose colored glasses. The only one that came close was the Patriots and you guys would still be mad and bitter at a 40% super bowl victory rate after 20 years.
March 1st, 2026 at 10:57 am
Jeremiyah Love ran a 4.36 40 in combine and was “disappointed.” This guy is the absolute top player in this year’s draft. He will be gone in the Top 5. Just give him ROY right now. His goal will be to stay healthy for the full season. Whomever drafts him improves their offense immediately by 7-10 points per game.
March 1st, 2026 at 10:58 am
I think he’s towing the company line and being professional. I think that Jason understands that the best version of this football team was ‘24 and that included a underperforming defense, a third straight prolonged losing streak in the middle of the season and a disappointing playoff performance.
And “before all the injuries” in ‘25 the defense was poor and special team abysmal
He’s not dense IMO.
He needs to go about hitting a home run in the draft, finding as many impact players on defense through whatever means that will are scheme diverse so when the inevitable 8,9 wins and out happens those players can help the new HC in ‘27 if the glazers come to their senses.
That’s all he can control.
March 1st, 2026 at 11:04 am
This is exactly the reason Licht needs to go out with TB at the end of ’26. He exhibits with comments like this that he is a big part of the problem.
“The Bucs believe they are on the right track and have been for years.”
That has to be the most stupid comment that Joe have EVER recorded on this site. Worse than any of RodMunch’s comments, and that is bad.
BTW, I noted that ALL the previous 12 commenters agree with me.
March 1st, 2026 at 11:07 am
maintaining the same process that we’re at.🤦🏽♂️
Licht is so into his draft hits and he’s great at the draft but the last 4 seasons they’ve won the division by 1 or 2 games. Bucs thinks this process makes them superior even though they just lost the division. LOL LICHT
March 1st, 2026 at 11:08 am
Im sure light would make everyone feel better if he said he was worthless and the team is terrible!
March 1st, 2026 at 11:32 am
lololololol
this guy is a 12 year loser that got lucky with brady
he sucked before Brady and sucked after brady
licht sucks
March 1st, 2026 at 11:37 am
Add players? How about these guys?
Free Agency: Alex Anzalone 3 yrs/$28.5 mil, Dre’Mont Jones 3yrs/$30 mil annd Aaron Stinnie 3 yrs/$6 mil in FA. Anzalone has just been incrementally improving for years. Stinnie is only 31.5 years old. Dre’Mont Jones is 29. He had 7 sacks, 7 TFLs, 48 tackles and 28 total pressures in 2025 between Tennessee and Baltimore. He can be an upgrade to Hall and is also very dangerous as a stand-up rusher.
Draft: Round 1 Avion Terrell CB Clemson- Morrison was worse than Thunderbird Funderburke in 2025 and gives me Jonathan Banks vibes, Terrell is the best zone CB in this draft and plays with bad intentions like Parrish and is day one starter NFL ready.
Round 2 Akeem Mesidor Edge Miami- 25 yrs old but is NFL ready as they come and plays with absolute fury. I’ve never seen a more forceful fumble forcer.
Round 3 Romello Height Edge Texas A&M- Also older, and tiny but brings a unique and diverse array of moves and set-ups. He breaks OTs ankles. Situational weapon.
Round 4 Chris McLellan DT Missouri-6’4” 323 had 6 sacks and 48 tackles in 2025. He is Mizzu-built front seven talent with four years of starts so he is ready to platoon with Vea week 1. He bats down passes and all.
Round 5 Lander Barton ILB Utah. Seasoned vet with NFL pedigree who is an athletic freak. He could start eventually but can thrive as a nickel and dime linebacker this coming season. He could use pass rush development. The Bucs need one of those something fierce.
Round 6 Luke Altmeyer QB Illinois- Baker Mayfield’s back-up/clipboard Jesus/understudy
Round 7 Avery Smith CB Toledo- former QB, very sticky, great at the catch point. Questionable speed
March 1st, 2026 at 12:02 pm
Doubling down on complete falsity.
The new American way.
March 1st, 2026 at 12:22 pm
The defensive front 6 or seven is probably worst or for sure top 5 worst in the NFL
March 1st, 2026 at 12:33 pm
Courvoisier Dennis was actually an NFL starter last year. That should tell you everything you need to know about Licht and Bowles. And Hopein1hand, up there, thinks Anzalone and Barton would be an upgrade. God help us all.
March 1st, 2026 at 12:38 pm
He is as delusional as that Scot Renalds (algo wouldn’t allow me to spell it properly the last time I tried about two months ago). I’ve never read much of his BS. Because, that’s exactly what it all is. It’s unbelievable that some of you people are STILL buying into/believing all of thisSAME BS Bucs Propaganda by these same CLOWNS. They are nothing but straight-up LAPDOGS. T-Krass included (but he’s just dumb – he literally mentioned Malik Willis and “franchise-tag” in the same sentence and phrase on Friday). But, Renalds on the show was just LUDICROUS. Complete BS Propaganda. It’s spitting in our face and telling us raining, just straight up GARBAGE. And, T-Krass just nods along with it and licking ace. It’s Pathetic.
March 1st, 2026 at 12:46 pm
I mean the guy is other dumb, blind, brainwashed, or just a complete total LIAR if he really believes what he’s spewing. It’s all BS. Just straight GARBAGE. It’s Pathetic. They ALL need to go. But, of course, the Bucs FO/Ownership must have to love ‘em. SOMEONE must hold them to account. It’s all TRASH. Just more of the same sh!t. No matter what, and at all cost. Total propaganda 💯. It’s meaningless.
March 1st, 2026 at 1:20 pm
Always a Bowles fan on here haha
Can’t win Super Bowl every year
REALLY CAPT OBVIOUS
But not backing a Coach that can’t do better than 500
And AGAIN the ONLY REASON we won division is this soft division
Remember one year we had a losing season and won the division
March 1st, 2026 at 1:23 pm
Jason Licht, has become delusional.
March 1st, 2026 at 1:47 pm
Guzzie55 … ‘Definition of insanity is …….. Bowles’.
Jason Licht … ‘We feel really strong about our team. We feel like this last year, at least I do, there was just a lot of things that happened that we weren’t predicting. A lot of injuries, things like that.’
Guzzie I think you need to include JL in your definition. It’s humorous to hear a GM say ‘There were a lot of things we weren’t predicting … like injuries’. YGBSM. But hey, JL felt ‘really strong about our team’ last season. Well, apparently until the unpredictable (?) injuries happened I guess. Then he must’ve realized that we had ZERO DEPTH where it mattered (like in backup QB, or OLine depth). And THAT falls on the GM who stocks the cupboard, not on the HC.
Too many on this JBF site praise Licht for his drafting prowess. I’m obviously not nearly as enamoured as most. And not just with his drafting, but his lack of quality free agent pickups. Fans need to start holding him accountable if we’re truly gonna fix this roster.
March 1st, 2026 at 3:26 pm
Defense Rules Says:
“… he must’ve realized that we had ZERO DEPTH where it mattered (like in backup QB, or OLine depth). And THAT falls on the GM who stocks the cupboard, not on the HC.
———————————————————————————
The Bucs clearly could have used one more proven interior swing backup, but it’s not accurate to say we had ZERO depth. Sua Opeta, projected to be the primary backup at both guard spots, suffered a season-ending injury at the end of training camp, was a legit experienced swing interior player.
March 1st, 2026 at 3:29 pm
I agree with Licht.
The only thing I have against Bowles is how he threw players under the bus last season…but he seems to have made up with them.
Last year was mostly injuries, with a few exceptions…the OC for example…Riddick…etc.
But, no doubt…a healthy year (hopefully) means they better get to the NFC Championship game at least.
Also…I think Bowles retires after this year, so if our OC is any good, he may be our next coach.