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The Sage of Tampa Bay sports, Ira Kaufman, started his sports media career in September of 1976, later hopping on the Buccaneers beat in 1985. He joined JoeBucsFan.com in 2016. This week, Sage had a sitdown with the Buccaneers GM Jason Licht at One Buc Palace. Noteworthy nuggets are below.
BY IRA KAUFMAN
Bucs GM Jason Licht is confident about a franchise that slipped from 10-7 to 8-9 last season. I had an opportunity to ask him about the state of the organization in a 1-on-1 interview at team headquarters.
Q: Is this still an ascending franchise?
Licht: Yes. We have a lot of good young players from the last four drafts that we’re very excited about. We didn’t win enough games last year for various reasons. We’ll never hide behind injuries, but that was a factor. Here in Tampa, Lavonte David never got enough credit. There are a lot of players that have been here in the past that didn’t get their due for what they were. It is what it is, I’m not complaining about it. If we have a chance to win more games, there will be more players that people realize how good they are.
Q: How are you feeling about the wide receiver room?
Licht: Really good. There’s a lot of energy there — and a lot of talent. We have a lot of different skill sets among the group, starting with Chris Godwin. I think Emeka Egbuka is going to have a year like he showed in the first half of last season.
Q: Why did Egbuka’s play fall off after the bye week?
Licht: First of all, rookies coming from championship-type programs that play deep into their season, then barely have enough time to train and come right into the fray here and that has something to do with it. Then people started paying more attention to Emeka and we had the injuries to Chris and Mike (Evans), where we were forced to play Emeka in multiple spots. As smart as he is, and he’s incredibly smart, to ask a rookie to move around like that, play the X, play the Z, it took a toll on him.
Q: What are your early impressions of new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson?
A: I love the versatility he brings. I love his knowledge of the run game and the screen game. He’s got a great way of communicating. I’m really, really excited about the additions on our offensive staff.
Q: Do you feel the offensive line, when healthy, is the strength of the team?
Licht: We had only one player up front who didn’t miss a snap last year, Graham Barton. Those injuries have an effect on the entire offense. When your quarterback doesn’t feel as comfortable, just by nature, and you have guys playing different positions, you can’t get into a flow. It has an avalanche effect on the entire team. You can’t move the ball as well, so your defense is out on the field longer.
Q: Any regrets about not having better backups on the line?
Licht: Yes, of course. I always put that on myself. It’s easier said than done, though. You can’t have 10 potential Pro Bowl players on your offensive line.
Q: How much did you miss Cody Mauch’s physicality?
Licht: Of course we missed him. That’s one of my favorite things about him — playing through the whistle and setting the tone up front.
Q: The Bucs are 47-51 at home and 46-52 on the road since you came aboard in 2014. Where’s the homefield advantage?
Licht: It’s always on our mind. You would like to establish a homefield advantage with our fans and the conditions here. It is important to feel like you have an edge playing at home.
Q: Any quarrels about the schedule?
Licht: I like the way it was set up. I don’t have any complaints about it.
Q: Any thoughts about moving Jacob Parrish from the slot to outside corner?
Licht: Todd has talked to me a lot about that. We’ll see how things shake out in camp, but that’s in play. It’s a great problem to have. We’re very happy with his rookie season.
Q: Didn’t Parrish always seem to be around the football?
Licht: He’s a gnat.
Q: Have you detected an uptick in enthusiasm and passion among the players?
Licht: There’s been more energy than I can remember since 2020, with JPP. A’Shawn Robinson has brought a ton and Nacho has been lights out. Al-Quadin Muhammad and Alex Anzalone have also brought a lot of energy here.
Q: Todd Bowles says tackling has been subpar for years. Why is it going to be better this fall?
Licht: That’s just a certain mindset that’s developing with this team. I’m very encouraged about our physicality and being held more accountable.
Q: What have you seen from Benjamin Morrison, who played only 10 games as a rookie cornerback?
Licht: He’s confident, he’s athletic, he can tackle and he’s got really good ball skills. He’s got the tools to be a very good player.
Q: Did Baker Mayfield try to do too much during the 2-7 tailspin?
Licht: The way he’s wired, he’ll always try to put everything on him. Given the things he was battling through, it was a tough second half of the year.
Q: Will you to try to contain his scrambling instincts to minimize the hits Mayfield endures?
Licht: That’s a tough one. There’s been a lot of “No, no no … way to go” when Baker takes off. He’s a playmaker. That’s the way he’s built. Yes, it’s a delicate balance.