April 10, 2025 • 23 mins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht spoke to the media during Thursday’s availability. GM Licht discussed his staff’s ability to evaluate prospective talent, the importance of keeping the WR room fresh, and his ideal player to draft.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Guys. I feel like I just talk to most of you.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Are we yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Business?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Uh I've got nineteen players, uh that I'd be happy
to take right there.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Is a good local day to day. How did that go?
Or how many prospects did you bring in from around
the area?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
I can't remember how many we had. It's it was good,
it was it's I always I love that day.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
We had. Uh we had a good group, good overall group.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I don't typically wanna talk about any in individuals, but uh,
we had a good group.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
It was uh competitive.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I I can foresee us having a few of those
guys on our team next to uh this, you know
after the draft.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
When you look at at some of of like the
the star powered like defensive lines for example like old
Miss Texas A and m Georgia guys that or I
should say, lines that have multiple players that are gonna
get drafted various parts. Is this sometimes hard to evaluate,
like the individual as opposed to the group, because there
(01:11):
they might be playing next to superstar players that make them.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
Seem a little bit better.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
How do you kind of parse out from superstar secondaries
or lines how the individual talent?
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I think that's goes just back to just evaluating your
skills as an evaluator.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Our scouts, you know, my staff, we you know.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
You single in, you single uh single out the player
and you and you watch the player. You know, I
guess they're playing more in waves now and they're playing
more sporadically than they did in the past. That's but
you're still watching the player and evaluating when he's in there.
It's it's a little bit tougher now. A lot of
these players at multiple positions are playing less and less
(01:55):
because the colleges don't want to want to make sure
they keep the young guys there in the pipeline without
entering the portal. So we talked to a lot of
these seniors that are coming out and they you know,
they have to be a team player, and they have
to allow the freshmen and sophomores play more, even though
they may be better, just so the team can keep
the player. So there you see a lot more Oplatuny
(02:16):
now than you ever have in the.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
In that vein.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
But how often what is it when you're looking at
a player, say the names, but a guy who transferred
right his final the year and you look at the
production he had to the new team he went to
versus the team that the production he had for the
team he was before. How do you kind of vary
that weigh that out as far as the valuation process
to where he didn't look good this year, but he
looked great last year.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
I'm still going back to watching the tape and what
he does when he's in there, not necessarily not evaluating
the numbers of the production that he had, it's what
he did when he was in there.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
On on that.
Speaker 6 (02:50):
Point where upperclassmen aren't getting as many stamps, I don't
know if it messes up your evaluation, But does that
mess up but potentially drafting a guy because he's gonna
probably need more development.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
It's a case by case basis. You know they're still
getting a lot of reps in practice. You know that
we don't necessarily see, but you you have to just
go by what you see on the tape. There could
be cases of that haven't come across that yet. Luckily
we've been drafting pretty well here, so but it's, uh, yeah,
it could be.
Speaker 7 (03:24):
You said it the when we talked to you at
the owner's meetings. You were saying that anything is possible.
You wouldn't be opposed to if somebody gave you a
good offer to trading down and getting more picks. Is
that the case in your mind more this year be
willing to trade down that in previous years with that
(03:44):
first pick.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Maybe I don't know about more. There have been years
where I've been more. I've thought about it more than others.
It just kind of depends on how things fall. You
can't walk into and say it, I am definitely looking
to trade back because you don't know what's going to
fall to you. So I do think this year is
going to be I could be wrong. You're going to
(04:08):
see maybe a little less people wanting to move up
and offering enough to make it worth your while, just
because I think the draft is pretty leveled out at
a certain point, so you might be able to get
the same player in the second round, the same level
of player as you can in the fourth round, so
(04:29):
at certain positions, so I think you'll maybe see a
little bit less of that.
Speaker 8 (04:33):
How much of that has to do with this team's
success at drafting guys that aren't necessarily in the first round,
but like the second and third rounds, like the Chris
Godwins or even recently Jalen McMillan. I mean, I know
every second and third round pick you have isn't always
a home run. Yeah, Yadyabi's been great, But I mean
the inclination to potentially tread back. How much is that
to do with the fact that you know you've been
(04:53):
able to develop guys really well.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
That are first rounders.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
It might have something to do with it, but I
think it's just this the way this draft is. You know,
we've we've gotten, we've had we've had some good production.
My my staff and the coaches have done a great job.
We've last three years. I would say the combined those
drafts were leaved so when you put 'em all at
'em up together, so we wen keep try to keep
(05:19):
doing it. It doesn't always work out that way, but
keep doing it. But I think this particular draft just
seems to be a little bit more leveled out, which
I'm excited about. It's it means it doesn't I'm not
saying that that's something I don't like about this drafted.
Something I do like about the draft.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I heard someone say this is this is a starter draft,
which you know there's not a lot of blue shit.
Probably ends around fifteen twelve. It's the true first round griefs,
but you can get a lot of starters throughout the draft,
through the through the middle of the first that even
earlier than the third round, where you can come away
with a couple of guys if you started.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Is that a fair assessment? Would you say? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Yeah, if you you know, get a little lucky, but
uh yeah you could. I say it goes beyond the
third round, So yeah, I mean, if if we do
every thing right.
Speaker 9 (06:01):
Jason, can you talk about your receiver position. You've obviously
got some legacy type players. The best two receivers ever
in this franchise. You dropped it both of them, but
they're getting up there in the age and there's no
no secret about that. Jalen hit it out of the
park last year. But just the need to, you know,
constantly try to provide depth of depositions. I think Todd
told us heause, I'm not gonna look past a good player,
(06:22):
no matter what.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
It is, including receiver. If if he's the best.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Player, yeah, we could always use receivers if I think
Todd even said you you got to score points to win.
So you know, we're fortunate to have those two and
who knows how long they'll play, could be longer than
what people are saying. So and then you know, kudos
to our offense, you know, our coaches last year for
(06:47):
getting production out of you know, Sterling Shepherd and Jalen
like you said, and you know Ryan Miller and these guys. So,
but we'd always want to try to keep that group
fresh and you know, look for the next you know
j Max. So, yeah, we're not gonna look, We're not
gonna overlook that position at all if if everything falls
(07:10):
that way for us.
Speaker 9 (07:11):
Did you know last year when the draft was over,
everybody thinks that we got it really good. We had
a really good draft, right Graham, you know down the
line there's Bucky and but I mean, even by your
own standards, that's think that we'll look back on that,
I think and.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Say that was really a special group.
Speaker 9 (07:29):
Do you have a feeling when you're drafting him, did
you know what Bucky who is going to?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Do?
Speaker 9 (07:34):
You hope that you hope he will, but like, at
what point do you go, man, we got to really
good players.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Well, I'll say this, if I would have known what
Bucky was capable of, I probably would have taken him
in the second round or first round. We knew that
we had a special group of guys that the the individuals,
but you still never know until you get out there
and they start playing. So to say that we knew
(07:59):
that it was going to be what it was, no,
But just like the last two drafts previous to that,
we came out and given high fives, saying we've got
great guys if anything, so that work hard, there are
team guys, all those things. So you knew you had
a chance, and we thought at the time they were
good players, but you still never know until you actually
(08:21):
get out there. You feel confident about it, but you
never know.
Speaker 8 (08:23):
There's a lot of hybrid players, seems to be more
and more every year, Guys that you know they've had
production all off the edge, but then that can also
line up, you know as an inside linebacker. How do
you kind of balance that when and like you had said,
they may not have the numbers because again they're not
lining up you know, they're not gonna have the sack
numbers per se because they're not lining up on the
edge the whole time. How do you kind of balance
(08:46):
that with Okay, we think this guy is a full
time this, but we the tape that we're evaluating doesn't
necessarily show a ton of snaps there.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
It just takes a lot of discussion with Todd of
what he what his vision is, what his vision is
with each player, because we don't want to just take
a player and say, hey, we think that he can
do this, and so we just assume you're going to do.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
That with him.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
So it takes a lot of discussion, which we do have,
and we have a lot of great discussions about that.
So at the end of the day, we had to
all feel comfortable that if we get this player, this
is what we hope he can do.
Speaker 8 (09:19):
And what about too To that point, your staff is
your ability to pivot really, because I mean, like Luke Geticky,
you know the idea.
Speaker 7 (09:28):
I don't want to put.
Speaker 8 (09:29):
Words in your mouth, but obviously he lined up as
a guard his first year and that was what it was,
and now he's this bona fide right tackle that you
have one of the better ones in the league. Just
be having the ability to pivot. You think a guy
might be this, but he ends up being better at this.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yeah, it happens in some cases. It doesn't always happen
that way. In the case of Luke, Todd and I
were talking. It was, you know, we needed a left
tackle and we thought might have one of the best
left tackles sitting here playing right tackle, and Luke was
a very good right tackle in college, and why not
give him a shot?
Speaker 1 (10:04):
And it you know, it worked out.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Now he wasn doesn't have the prototype of length, I
guess arm length and all that, but uh, it turns
out he's you know, he he can overcome that, so
he's pretty good at it. So it wor worked out
in that particular case.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
As uh, there is every year there's some players in
the draft that have some really good tape, but uh,
they're either injured or dealing with it there he's Uh, how.
Speaker 10 (10:22):
Do you weigh when you look at a player like that,
just hate that you.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Really like that, maybe they like potentially need behind the
eight ball if they can't attend looking in camp or
training camp, or how does that want to go.
Speaker 10 (10:30):
Into the draft process.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
I guess you weighed in a little bit, but hey,
you can only evaluate what he puts out there and
what he has out there, So you weighed a little bit.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You you don't ideally.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Wanna bring in players that have a history of being hurt,
so we work that into the into the algorithm, if
you will. So yeah, you ideally you want a healthy player,
so it t you got to weigh it in a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Time in nine year, you don't have a spy with you.
How has this profit has changed? Who stepped up, who's
taken on more responsibility? And are you worried that she's
gonna go up to the same guy.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
As you are?
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Uh, we're picking so far apart, so uh uh no,
it's you know, of course I miss him as my friend.
We we've had the same process, a lot of guys
working in the process all these years. Everybody's stepping up
a little bit, made some promotions and I usually wait
till after the draft for those. But you know, got
(11:32):
guys like Rob McCartney and Mike Beale and Shane Scandal
and Tony Hardy and all this guys Byron Keifer, you
name a Mantelin, Murray. Everybody's stepping up a little bit
more into their role. So but it's it's been great.
They've been ready for it for a long time, so
we're all excited about that.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
You look at your tenure as general manager.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
You've had a lot of success with edge rushers coming
in as veterans, whether it's a Robert Ayres or Jason.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
Pierre Paul the trade shack.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
You're hoping the son Reddick would be the next one
in line there with the draft. Yeah, yeah, certainly seems
like the keys ahead. Maybe the Erro is putting up
for Chris braswell, but there's been a couple of misses
early on. What have you learned about edge rushers and
scouting them and how have you kind of refined that
process to get more players like a ya Ya Yabi
(12:17):
and maybe less like a JTS or a Noa's fence.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
In the past.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
It's a it's an ongoing process of evolving process, and
you're always trying to get better as an you know,
as an evaluator. A lot of those cases, I was
the one running up the mountain with the flag on
some of those guys, and it just you're not always right.
And then think I've grown in my profession of my
(12:44):
job to know that you can't always be right. But
I think as a group we look and see where
some of the traits were on some of those guys
and every year we try to tweak it a little bit,
but then you tweak it and then another player and
up has some of the same traits as some of
the ones that didn't work out but work out for
somebody else. It It kind of all depends now if
(13:08):
you have if you have a lot of good players
along the defensive line, everybody tends to play pretty well.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
So we feel good about where we're at.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And like I said, I've talked about before with Braswell,
I'm excited about what he can do this year. I
think he's gonna come a little bit of a coming
out party and in his role, and we're excited about
just the whole front.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
Defensive prospects from Georgia. Obviously, the Eagles have had a
lot of success with them.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
You guys got tay Key gun Heery. You're kind of an.
Speaker 10 (13:37):
Unique situation because Todd has seen them in person more
than most a planning coach with them, I just want
to ask you how unique that is and how much
of an advantage is for you to have such strong
connections to something that's produced such good NFL talent.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Yeah, No, it's great. They're just so extremely well coached.
You can say that about a lot of programs. We've
had success with other programs too, so I think it's
a They also were able to recruit very well and
had a lot of talent, so and then they coach
'em up well. So anytime that that kind of meshes uh,
(14:10):
it feels pretty good. But we're now we're not the
only organization and Eagles that have a connection with Georgia. Uh,
a lot of 'em do so, but we'll try to
take advantage of of those relationships the best we can.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
There's when you think about this team, one of the
first things is culture, right. Uh, there are some guys
on the draft board who have some character concerns, maybe
not crazy things, but just like you know, effort attitude
type stuff like that. How much do you trust your
locker room that you would actually bring one of those
I know, Leamonte, I am that man.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Is the mantra.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
But some of them might have some of those minor
issues that the locker room would set them straight and
get them in the right position to go out there
and to make plays. Guys who might be falling a
little bit because.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Of those concerns.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
We've we've done such a great job of bringing in
the right kind of guys for that reason, cause they
police themselves. Todd has a great culture and great relationship
with everybody, Like coaches do a great job. Not all
things that you may read about of a player having
maybe issues with its attitude or whatever it is are
(15:13):
You can't believe everything you read. But also it's a
case by case basis with those these kids are these
guys are immature. I'll take immature. I mean they can
mature pretty quickly in a locker room like ours and
fall in line. Now, there's certain things that we won't tolerate,
but a little immaturity is one that we can live with,
(15:34):
especially with the culture that we built.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
And that kind of goes hand in hand with which
are saying earlier with some of these seniors and stuff.
Have to give up snaps to keep the guys from
transferring out, and that can maybe frustrate some guys. Maybe
they don't answer it the right way, and that comes
up as a.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Red black had Sure, yep, I know when.
Speaker 7 (15:52):
Recient years, Bruce arians has studied the quarterbacks. They worked
on that with tape and helping you. I know you
got your three quarterbacks now, has Bruce been involved helping
you still, uh at all now?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Or we talked from time to time. He's he's he's
liking the golf course quite a bit right now. I
just saw him this week. Actually, Ronde went and had
dinner with Ronde for his birthday.
Speaker 9 (16:17):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
He's he's enjoying the the golf course, and uh, he's
enjoying us a stress free life right now. But I'll
talk to him from time to time. He Uh, I
always enjoyed bouncing to something off of him.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
Is he involved at all? Uh with your draft process?
Speaker 3 (16:31):
He hasn't been here for draft meetings, but I'll call
him from time to time. Give him a project or two.
Speaker 6 (16:36):
Jas enough defensive tackles. It's supposed to be pretty deep.
I heard Great Cosell last week say no, obviously he's
got contacts. He said there could be as many as
twenty defensive tackles drafted in the first three rounds. Is
it really that deep?
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I mean, I guess everything's possible. Uh, I potentially. I
guess it's anything's possible. Door run on a position, then
all of a sudden, they can all go pretty quickly.
Speaker 9 (17:03):
Yeah, what you learn from the top the thirty visits
we've seen you bring a lot of guys where you
bring guys in here, what's the process with that? And
some guys you've drafted that you didn't have it and
maybe that's intentional out about.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
I just enjoy getting to know them. There are some
guys that we talked to at the combine that I
wasn't in on the meeting for various reasons, and I
just enjoy getting to know them. Just I just like
hearing their story and I feel like I can get
a lot from it. I know that they're coached up
on it. There's really there's a few tax tactics that
(17:38):
some of our guys used to get them off their
game a little bit. But I just really just like
hearing their story and just how they've overcome some of
the things that they have, or some of them haven't
had to overcome things, but just how they're wired. So
I just enjoy meeting people. So's that's all. It's just
fun for me in general.
Speaker 6 (17:57):
About what trades do you look for in the character.
You're talking about their stories obviously highlight the Scotland and
Levante in uh what they represent, but what do you
look for in terms of character when you're drifting.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Just I mean, how accountable they've been, what kind of
leaders they are, their general character, how they treat everybody
around the building, whether it's the interns or the people
working in the kitchen and uh, the janitors.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Or whoever it is.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
I try to get a we try to get a
report from everybody that touched 'em during the day. I
don't know if they realize this, some of them probably
wish they would have known that.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
It just just.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
What kind of I'd like to hear them talk about
their teammates and what players that they went against this
year and past years that gave 'em troubles, and just
to hear their confidence and your their humility too.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Josh Bizzard obviously has a lot of his plate right
now being a first time offensive coordinator. How involved is
he in the draft preparations with that title? And I
know that you're not probably s this is not gonna
be an offensive latent draft.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
Probably it probably diminishes his input.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
But where does where does he stand in the draft
process now that he's elevated.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
To the role of ocie.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Just like any coordinator we've had in the past. We
just had went through draft meetings this week we get together,
myself and a few on my staff get together with
all the coaches and meet one on one with a
coordinator and Todd obviously and talk about all the players
that we assigned them to look at, which is a lot,
and they really get into it. It's it's very helpful,
(19:38):
not just for this year's draft, but it can be
helpful down the line too what they thought about these players.
The coaches love to try to do a a I mean,
we've been watching them all year and talking to people
for over a year on these players, and they have
a basically a month to do it. But some of
the information they get is very valuable, but it can
pay dividends in the in the future or when these
players get released at some point or they're available when
(19:59):
they're free a some of it's carry over. So they
really enjoy doing it. And he's no different. He's got
a big passion for it. And I was really really
excited to see him in the meetings in his new
role this year of how just detailed he got into it.
Speaker 9 (20:15):
Anytime you score twenty nine and a half points a game,
people are gonna say they're pretty good on offense, right,
And we know the injuries and some of the things
that happen on defense. The perception is right or wrongly,
you need a lot of defensive players, and maybe is
that a good thing in that it doesn't really matter
the position you're you said you're always gonna take the
best player, or is it everybody thinks the Bucks new
(20:35):
defense and so that's where they're headed with every pick
or early.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
In the draft.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Does it matter, No, it really doesn't. Sometimes people think
that you're playing games and you're trying to throw people
off the set, and you're really you're really not. It's
it really really truly depends on how it's gonna fall.
Todd is I've got Todd excited about a lot of
offensive players, and we have a good offense, but we
(21:00):
could make it even better. You know, we do need
help on defense, and we'd be fun to see us
improve there, and I think we will without really making
any huge change. I think we're gonna be better, but
obviously making having getting some new players in there is
gonna make it a lot better. So it really truly
depends on how it's gonna fall.
Speaker 10 (21:22):
Free agency, you didn't have a ton of guys coming
up rookie contracts that you had to worry about extending.
But a year from now, your twenty two draft picks,
you've got to get a keeper and call them an autumn.
I'm sure the draft is there party right now, but
how how confident you or how optimistic are you that
you might be able to get done new deals with
those guys before this come season.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
We'll definitely be having discussions so and I mean, I
guess you just look at our past, we've really get
them done and you can kind of see the timeline
when we usually try to get those done. So we'll
definitely be having discussions. And you know that was a good,
good class and we definitely want those players all in
in our as Buccaneers the future too.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
When when you're doing your kind of run through of
what could happen, wh what resources are you using? Are
you looking at mock drafts? Are you are you listening
to look at who's bringing in who.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
For thirty visits?
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Are you kind of looking out of your corner of
the aisle look at their meeting with them.
Speaker 9 (22:14):
At the combine?
Speaker 2 (22:15):
How do you kind of develop what do you think
is gonna happen when you go through all those scenarios
for picnic teams.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
All of it, all of it, so but mainly knowing
what every team needs and our staff has done a
great job with that. And and then just kind of
knowing what they've drafted, how they've drafted in the past,
their decision makers there, whether it's the coach or the GM.
(22:41):
And and then I mean does take a rocket science
scientists to know what are the really good players in
this year's drafts. So you kind of can link it all,
but it you do, you go through all of it.
It's all all of that's involved in it, and uh,
usually works out pretty good. I've been very fortunate make
a little.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
When there's a new GM in place, maybe even a
first time gym where you don't have that history.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, yeah, does uh but you know that's that's why
this is so fun. It's unpredictable at the end of
the day. It's wherea you know, there's you can look
at all the mocks you want. I look at Mox
just as a fan.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
You know.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
If I wasn't didn't have this job, but I'd be
looking at Mos anyway. So I just enjoy looking at Mox.
But I don't put all my we don't throw all
of our chips into that OK.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Thanks guys,
Guys. I feel like I just talk to most of you.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Are we yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Business?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Uh I've got nineteen players, uh that I'd be happy
to take right there.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Is a good local day to day. How did that go?
Or how many prospects did you bring in from around
the area?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
I can't remember how many we had. It's it was good,
it was it's I always I love that day.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
We had. Uh we had a good group, good overall group.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I don't typically wanna talk about any in individuals, but uh,
we had a good group.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
It was uh competitive.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I I can foresee us having a few of those
guys on our team next to uh this, you know
after the draft.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
When you look at at some of of like the
the star powered like defensive lines for example like old
Miss Texas A and m Georgia guys that or I
should say, lines that have multiple players that are gonna
get drafted various parts. Is this sometimes hard to evaluate,
like the individual as opposed to the group, because there
(01:11):
they might be playing next to superstar players that make them.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
Seem a little bit better.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
How do you kind of parse out from superstar secondaries
or lines how the individual talent?
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I think that's goes just back to just evaluating your
skills as an evaluator.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Our scouts, you know, my staff, we you know.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
You single in, you single uh single out the player
and you and you watch the player. You know, I
guess they're playing more in waves now and they're playing
more sporadically than they did in the past. That's but
you're still watching the player and evaluating when he's in there.
It's it's a little bit tougher now. A lot of
these players at multiple positions are playing less and less
(01:55):
because the colleges don't want to want to make sure
they keep the young guys there in the pipeline without
entering the portal. So we talked to a lot of
these seniors that are coming out and they you know,
they have to be a team player, and they have
to allow the freshmen and sophomores play more, even though
they may be better, just so the team can keep
the player. So there you see a lot more Oplatuny
(02:16):
now than you ever have in the.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
In that vein.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
But how often what is it when you're looking at
a player, say the names, but a guy who transferred
right his final the year and you look at the
production he had to the new team he went to
versus the team that the production he had for the
team he was before. How do you kind of vary
that weigh that out as far as the valuation process
to where he didn't look good this year, but he
looked great last year.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
I'm still going back to watching the tape and what
he does when he's in there, not necessarily not evaluating
the numbers of the production that he had, it's what
he did when he was in there.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
On on that.
Speaker 6 (02:50):
Point where upperclassmen aren't getting as many stamps, I don't
know if it messes up your evaluation, But does that
mess up but potentially drafting a guy because he's gonna
probably need more development.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
It's a case by case basis. You know they're still
getting a lot of reps in practice. You know that
we don't necessarily see, but you you have to just
go by what you see on the tape. There could
be cases of that haven't come across that yet. Luckily
we've been drafting pretty well here, so but it's, uh, yeah,
it could be.
Speaker 7 (03:24):
You said it the when we talked to you at
the owner's meetings. You were saying that anything is possible.
You wouldn't be opposed to if somebody gave you a
good offer to trading down and getting more picks. Is
that the case in your mind more this year be
willing to trade down that in previous years with that
(03:44):
first pick.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Maybe I don't know about more. There have been years
where I've been more. I've thought about it more than others.
It just kind of depends on how things fall. You
can't walk into and say it, I am definitely looking
to trade back because you don't know what's going to
fall to you. So I do think this year is
going to be I could be wrong. You're going to
(04:08):
see maybe a little less people wanting to move up
and offering enough to make it worth your while, just
because I think the draft is pretty leveled out at
a certain point, so you might be able to get
the same player in the second round, the same level
of player as you can in the fourth round, so
(04:29):
at certain positions, so I think you'll maybe see a
little bit less of that.
Speaker 8 (04:33):
How much of that has to do with this team's
success at drafting guys that aren't necessarily in the first round,
but like the second and third rounds, like the Chris
Godwins or even recently Jalen McMillan. I mean, I know
every second and third round pick you have isn't always
a home run. Yeah, Yadyabi's been great, But I mean
the inclination to potentially tread back. How much is that
to do with the fact that you know you've been
(04:53):
able to develop guys really well.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
That are first rounders.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
It might have something to do with it, but I
think it's just this the way this draft is. You know,
we've we've gotten, we've had we've had some good production.
My my staff and the coaches have done a great job.
We've last three years. I would say the combined those
drafts were leaved so when you put 'em all at
'em up together, so we wen keep try to keep
(05:19):
doing it. It doesn't always work out that way, but
keep doing it. But I think this particular draft just
seems to be a little bit more leveled out, which
I'm excited about. It's it means it doesn't I'm not
saying that that's something I don't like about this drafted.
Something I do like about the draft.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I heard someone say this is this is a starter draft,
which you know there's not a lot of blue shit.
Probably ends around fifteen twelve. It's the true first round griefs,
but you can get a lot of starters throughout the draft,
through the through the middle of the first that even
earlier than the third round, where you can come away
with a couple of guys if you started.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Is that a fair assessment? Would you say? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Yeah, if you you know, get a little lucky, but
uh yeah you could. I say it goes beyond the
third round, So yeah, I mean, if if we do
every thing right.
Speaker 9 (06:01):
Jason, can you talk about your receiver position. You've obviously
got some legacy type players. The best two receivers ever
in this franchise. You dropped it both of them, but
they're getting up there in the age and there's no
no secret about that. Jalen hit it out of the
park last year. But just the need to, you know,
constantly try to provide depth of depositions. I think Todd
told us heause, I'm not gonna look past a good player,
(06:22):
no matter what.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
It is, including receiver. If if he's the best.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Player, yeah, we could always use receivers if I think
Todd even said you you got to score points to win.
So you know, we're fortunate to have those two and
who knows how long they'll play, could be longer than
what people are saying. So and then you know, kudos
to our offense, you know, our coaches last year for
(06:47):
getting production out of you know, Sterling Shepherd and Jalen
like you said, and you know Ryan Miller and these guys. So,
but we'd always want to try to keep that group
fresh and you know, look for the next you know
j Max. So, yeah, we're not gonna look, We're not
gonna overlook that position at all if if everything falls
(07:10):
that way for us.
Speaker 9 (07:11):
Did you know last year when the draft was over,
everybody thinks that we got it really good. We had
a really good draft, right Graham, you know down the
line there's Bucky and but I mean, even by your
own standards, that's think that we'll look back on that,
I think and.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Say that was really a special group.
Speaker 9 (07:29):
Do you have a feeling when you're drafting him, did
you know what Bucky who is going to?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Do?
Speaker 9 (07:34):
You hope that you hope he will, but like, at
what point do you go, man, we got to really
good players.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Well, I'll say this, if I would have known what
Bucky was capable of, I probably would have taken him
in the second round or first round. We knew that
we had a special group of guys that the the individuals,
but you still never know until you get out there
and they start playing. So to say that we knew
(07:59):
that it was going to be what it was, no,
But just like the last two drafts previous to that,
we came out and given high fives, saying we've got
great guys if anything, so that work hard, there are
team guys, all those things. So you knew you had
a chance, and we thought at the time they were
good players, but you still never know until you actually
(08:21):
get out there. You feel confident about it, but you
never know.
Speaker 8 (08:23):
There's a lot of hybrid players, seems to be more
and more every year, Guys that you know they've had
production all off the edge, but then that can also
line up, you know as an inside linebacker. How do
you kind of balance that when and like you had said,
they may not have the numbers because again they're not
lining up you know, they're not gonna have the sack
numbers per se because they're not lining up on the
edge the whole time. How do you kind of balance
(08:46):
that with Okay, we think this guy is a full
time this, but we the tape that we're evaluating doesn't
necessarily show a ton of snaps there.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
It just takes a lot of discussion with Todd of
what he what his vision is, what his vision is
with each player, because we don't want to just take
a player and say, hey, we think that he can
do this, and so we just assume you're going to do.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
That with him.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
So it takes a lot of discussion, which we do have,
and we have a lot of great discussions about that.
So at the end of the day, we had to
all feel comfortable that if we get this player, this
is what we hope he can do.
Speaker 8 (09:19):
And what about too To that point, your staff is
your ability to pivot really, because I mean, like Luke Geticky,
you know the idea.
Speaker 7 (09:28):
I don't want to put.
Speaker 8 (09:29):
Words in your mouth, but obviously he lined up as
a guard his first year and that was what it was,
and now he's this bona fide right tackle that you
have one of the better ones in the league. Just
be having the ability to pivot. You think a guy
might be this, but he ends up being better at this.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yeah, it happens in some cases. It doesn't always happen
that way. In the case of Luke, Todd and I
were talking. It was, you know, we needed a left
tackle and we thought might have one of the best
left tackles sitting here playing right tackle, and Luke was
a very good right tackle in college, and why not
give him a shot?
Speaker 1 (10:04):
And it you know, it worked out.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Now he wasn doesn't have the prototype of length, I
guess arm length and all that, but uh, it turns
out he's you know, he he can overcome that, so
he's pretty good at it. So it wor worked out
in that particular case.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
As uh, there is every year there's some players in
the draft that have some really good tape, but uh,
they're either injured or dealing with it there he's Uh, how.
Speaker 10 (10:22):
Do you weigh when you look at a player like that,
just hate that you.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Really like that, maybe they like potentially need behind the
eight ball if they can't attend looking in camp or
training camp, or how does that want to go.
Speaker 10 (10:30):
Into the draft process.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
I guess you weighed in a little bit, but hey,
you can only evaluate what he puts out there and
what he has out there, So you weighed a little bit.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You you don't ideally.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Wanna bring in players that have a history of being hurt,
so we work that into the into the algorithm, if
you will. So yeah, you ideally you want a healthy player,
so it t you got to weigh it in a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Time in nine year, you don't have a spy with you.
How has this profit has changed? Who stepped up, who's
taken on more responsibility? And are you worried that she's
gonna go up to the same guy.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
As you are?
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Uh, we're picking so far apart, so uh uh no,
it's you know, of course I miss him as my friend.
We we've had the same process, a lot of guys
working in the process all these years. Everybody's stepping up
a little bit, made some promotions and I usually wait
till after the draft for those. But you know, got
(11:32):
guys like Rob McCartney and Mike Beale and Shane Scandal
and Tony Hardy and all this guys Byron Keifer, you
name a Mantelin, Murray. Everybody's stepping up a little bit
more into their role. So but it's it's been great.
They've been ready for it for a long time, so
we're all excited about that.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
You look at your tenure as general manager.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
You've had a lot of success with edge rushers coming
in as veterans, whether it's a Robert Ayres or Jason.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
Pierre Paul the trade shack.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
You're hoping the son Reddick would be the next one
in line there with the draft. Yeah, yeah, certainly seems
like the keys ahead. Maybe the Erro is putting up
for Chris braswell, but there's been a couple of misses
early on. What have you learned about edge rushers and
scouting them and how have you kind of refined that
process to get more players like a ya Ya Yabi
(12:17):
and maybe less like a JTS or a Noa's fence.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
In the past.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
It's a it's an ongoing process of evolving process, and
you're always trying to get better as an you know,
as an evaluator. A lot of those cases, I was
the one running up the mountain with the flag on
some of those guys, and it just you're not always right.
And then think I've grown in my profession of my
(12:44):
job to know that you can't always be right. But
I think as a group we look and see where
some of the traits were on some of those guys
and every year we try to tweak it a little bit,
but then you tweak it and then another player and
up has some of the same traits as some of
the ones that didn't work out but work out for
somebody else. It It kind of all depends now if
(13:08):
you have if you have a lot of good players
along the defensive line, everybody tends to play pretty well.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
So we feel good about where we're at.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And like I said, I've talked about before with Braswell,
I'm excited about what he can do this year. I
think he's gonna come a little bit of a coming
out party and in his role, and we're excited about
just the whole front.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
Defensive prospects from Georgia. Obviously, the Eagles have had a
lot of success with them.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
You guys got tay Key gun Heery. You're kind of an.
Speaker 10 (13:37):
Unique situation because Todd has seen them in person more
than most a planning coach with them, I just want
to ask you how unique that is and how much
of an advantage is for you to have such strong
connections to something that's produced such good NFL talent.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Yeah, No, it's great. They're just so extremely well coached.
You can say that about a lot of programs. We've
had success with other programs too, so I think it's
a They also were able to recruit very well and
had a lot of talent, so and then they coach
'em up well. So anytime that that kind of meshes uh,
(14:10):
it feels pretty good. But we're now we're not the
only organization and Eagles that have a connection with Georgia. Uh,
a lot of 'em do so, but we'll try to
take advantage of of those relationships the best we can.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
There's when you think about this team, one of the
first things is culture, right. Uh, there are some guys
on the draft board who have some character concerns, maybe
not crazy things, but just like you know, effort attitude
type stuff like that. How much do you trust your
locker room that you would actually bring one of those
I know, Leamonte, I am that man.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Is the mantra.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
But some of them might have some of those minor
issues that the locker room would set them straight and
get them in the right position to go out there
and to make plays. Guys who might be falling a
little bit because.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Of those concerns.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
We've we've done such a great job of bringing in
the right kind of guys for that reason, cause they
police themselves. Todd has a great culture and great relationship
with everybody, Like coaches do a great job. Not all
things that you may read about of a player having
maybe issues with its attitude or whatever it is are
(15:13):
You can't believe everything you read. But also it's a
case by case basis with those these kids are these
guys are immature. I'll take immature. I mean they can
mature pretty quickly in a locker room like ours and
fall in line. Now, there's certain things that we won't tolerate,
but a little immaturity is one that we can live with,
(15:34):
especially with the culture that we built.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
And that kind of goes hand in hand with which
are saying earlier with some of these seniors and stuff.
Have to give up snaps to keep the guys from
transferring out, and that can maybe frustrate some guys. Maybe
they don't answer it the right way, and that comes
up as a.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Red black had Sure, yep, I know when.
Speaker 7 (15:52):
Recient years, Bruce arians has studied the quarterbacks. They worked
on that with tape and helping you. I know you
got your three quarterbacks now, has Bruce been involved helping
you still, uh at all now?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Or we talked from time to time. He's he's he's
liking the golf course quite a bit right now. I
just saw him this week. Actually, Ronde went and had
dinner with Ronde for his birthday.
Speaker 9 (16:17):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
He's he's enjoying the the golf course, and uh, he's
enjoying us a stress free life right now. But I'll
talk to him from time to time. He Uh, I
always enjoyed bouncing to something off of him.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
Is he involved at all? Uh with your draft process?
Speaker 3 (16:31):
He hasn't been here for draft meetings, but I'll call
him from time to time. Give him a project or two.
Speaker 6 (16:36):
Jas enough defensive tackles. It's supposed to be pretty deep.
I heard Great Cosell last week say no, obviously he's
got contacts. He said there could be as many as
twenty defensive tackles drafted in the first three rounds. Is
it really that deep?
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I mean, I guess everything's possible. Uh, I potentially. I
guess it's anything's possible. Door run on a position, then
all of a sudden, they can all go pretty quickly.
Speaker 9 (17:03):
Yeah, what you learn from the top the thirty visits
we've seen you bring a lot of guys where you
bring guys in here, what's the process with that? And
some guys you've drafted that you didn't have it and
maybe that's intentional out about.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
I just enjoy getting to know them. There are some
guys that we talked to at the combine that I
wasn't in on the meeting for various reasons, and I
just enjoy getting to know them. Just I just like
hearing their story and I feel like I can get
a lot from it. I know that they're coached up
on it. There's really there's a few tax tactics that
(17:38):
some of our guys used to get them off their
game a little bit. But I just really just like
hearing their story and just how they've overcome some of
the things that they have, or some of them haven't
had to overcome things, but just how they're wired. So
I just enjoy meeting people. So's that's all. It's just
fun for me in general.
Speaker 6 (17:57):
About what trades do you look for in the character.
You're talking about their stories obviously highlight the Scotland and
Levante in uh what they represent, but what do you
look for in terms of character when you're drifting.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
Just I mean, how accountable they've been, what kind of
leaders they are, their general character, how they treat everybody
around the building, whether it's the interns or the people
working in the kitchen and uh, the janitors.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Or whoever it is.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
I try to get a we try to get a
report from everybody that touched 'em during the day. I
don't know if they realize this, some of them probably
wish they would have known that.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
It just just.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
What kind of I'd like to hear them talk about
their teammates and what players that they went against this
year and past years that gave 'em troubles, and just
to hear their confidence and your their humility too.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
Josh Bizzard obviously has a lot of his plate right
now being a first time offensive coordinator. How involved is
he in the draft preparations with that title? And I
know that you're not probably s this is not gonna
be an offensive latent draft.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
Probably it probably diminishes his input.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
But where does where does he stand in the draft
process now that he's elevated.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
To the role of ocie.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Just like any coordinator we've had in the past. We
just had went through draft meetings this week we get together,
myself and a few on my staff get together with
all the coaches and meet one on one with a
coordinator and Todd obviously and talk about all the players
that we assigned them to look at, which is a lot,
and they really get into it. It's it's very helpful,
(19:38):
not just for this year's draft, but it can be
helpful down the line too what they thought about these players.
The coaches love to try to do a a I mean,
we've been watching them all year and talking to people
for over a year on these players, and they have
a basically a month to do it. But some of
the information they get is very valuable, but it can
pay dividends in the in the future or when these
players get released at some point or they're available when
(19:59):
they're free a some of it's carry over. So they
really enjoy doing it. And he's no different. He's got
a big passion for it. And I was really really
excited to see him in the meetings in his new
role this year of how just detailed he got into it.
Speaker 9 (20:15):
Anytime you score twenty nine and a half points a game,
people are gonna say they're pretty good on offense, right,
And we know the injuries and some of the things
that happen on defense. The perception is right or wrongly,
you need a lot of defensive players, and maybe is
that a good thing in that it doesn't really matter
the position you're you said you're always gonna take the
best player, or is it everybody thinks the Bucks new
(20:35):
defense and so that's where they're headed with every pick
or early.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
In the draft.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Does it matter, No, it really doesn't. Sometimes people think
that you're playing games and you're trying to throw people
off the set, and you're really you're really not. It's
it really really truly depends on how it's gonna fall.
Todd is I've got Todd excited about a lot of
offensive players, and we have a good offense, but we
(21:00):
could make it even better. You know, we do need
help on defense, and we'd be fun to see us
improve there, and I think we will without really making
any huge change. I think we're gonna be better, but
obviously making having getting some new players in there is
gonna make it a lot better. So it really truly
depends on how it's gonna fall.
Speaker 10 (21:22):
Free agency, you didn't have a ton of guys coming
up rookie contracts that you had to worry about extending.
But a year from now, your twenty two draft picks,
you've got to get a keeper and call them an autumn.
I'm sure the draft is there party right now, but
how how confident you or how optimistic are you that
you might be able to get done new deals with
those guys before this come season.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
We'll definitely be having discussions so and I mean, I
guess you just look at our past, we've really get
them done and you can kind of see the timeline
when we usually try to get those done. So we'll
definitely be having discussions. And you know that was a good,
good class and we definitely want those players all in
in our as Buccaneers the future too.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
When when you're doing your kind of run through of
what could happen, wh what resources are you using? Are
you looking at mock drafts? Are you are you listening
to look at who's bringing in who.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
For thirty visits?
Speaker 2 (22:11):
Are you kind of looking out of your corner of
the aisle look at their meeting with them.
Speaker 9 (22:14):
At the combine?
Speaker 2 (22:15):
How do you kind of develop what do you think
is gonna happen when you go through all those scenarios
for picnic teams.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
All of it, all of it, so but mainly knowing
what every team needs and our staff has done a
great job with that. And and then just kind of
knowing what they've drafted, how they've drafted in the past,
their decision makers there, whether it's the coach or the GM.
(22:41):
And and then I mean does take a rocket science
scientists to know what are the really good players in
this year's drafts. So you kind of can link it all,
but it you do, you go through all of it.
It's all all of that's involved in it, and uh,
usually works out pretty good. I've been very fortunate make
a little.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
When there's a new GM in place, maybe even a
first time gym where you don't have that history.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, yeah, does uh but you know that's that's why
this is so fun. It's unpredictable at the end of
the day. It's wherea you know, there's you can look
at all the mocks you want. I look at Mox
just as a fan.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
You know.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
If I wasn't didn't have this job, but I'd be
looking at Mos anyway. So I just enjoy looking at Mox.
But I don't put all my we don't throw all
of our chips into that OK.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Thanks guys,
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Intentionally Disturbing
Join me on this podcast as I navigate the murky waters of human behavior, current events, and personal anecdotes through in-depth interviews with incredible people—all served with a generous helping of sarcasm and satire. After years as a forensic and clinical psychologist, I offer a unique interview style and a low tolerance for bullshit, quickly steering conversations toward depth and darkness. I honor the seriousness while also appreciating wit. I’m your guide through the twisted labyrinth of the human psyche, armed with dark humor and biting wit.