Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jason Licht turning the corner as GM?
By Rob Leeds
Jason Licht had a shaky start to his career with the Buccaneers, but with the outlook on the future starting to improve, he may move off of the hot seat.
Jason Licht has not been the most popular general manager amongst Bucs fans. Several mind-boggling draft picks and free-agent contracts have seen to that.
A debacle as big as the one that occurred with the drafting of Roberto Aguayo in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft would be big enough to keep most people out of their field forever, but Jason Licht kept his job and shockingly drafted Matt Gay in the 2019 NFL Draft in the fifth round.
Drafting two kickers since 2014 alone is enough to turn the fanbase against its GM, but the free-agent signings have generally no better. Mediocre players have been overpaid, and talented players that have potential have been let go.
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Looking past all of the poor decisions that have been made by Jason Licht, 2019 has started to see an improvement in his decision making.
The Buccaneers had a great group of rookies in 2019, and part of that had to do with Jason Licht delegating some responsibility to Bruce Arians. Utilizing a smart coach when you have one is important as a GM.
Jason Licht was also able to land their biggest free-agent signing ever, Tom Brady. Brady may be past his prime, but the Bucs are adding a veteran quarterback with playoff experience to help get them over the hump.
In addition to Brady, the Bucs have also added several other talented players in free agency, even though these are few and far between. Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, Ryan Jensen, and Ndamukong Suh are all signings that have paid off for Tampa Bay in a big way.
The 2020 NFL Draft and the regular season will be very telling as to whether or not Licht is starting to improve. If the Buccaneers have another great draft class and can make a run in the playoffs, Licht’s job will become that much more secure.
If, on the other hand, the Bucs have another 7-9 or 8-8 season and miss the playoffs, Jason Licht will start to feel the pressure even more than before.
Next. 2020 could finally see the Bucs use Ronald Jones properly. dark
It would take many seasons for Licht to make up for some of the awful draft classes and deals that he put together, but the Buccaneers are in a good spot now and Jason Licht should get credit for his role.