Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jason Licht is one of the Best GM's in the NFL

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Feb 24, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Five. Straight. Wins. The Buccaneers are surging at the right time, but there’s one name that hasn’t received its due credit – Jason Licht.

It was a backwards way of doing things. The Glazers hired Lovie Smith to right the ship after a tumultuous few seasons under Greg Schiano. They allowed Lovie to search for the man he would work side-by-side with as Lovie had final say in all roster moves – rendering the GM position without the power or say it should have. Lovie found Jason Licht, who had worked previously in the Cardinals, Eagles, and Patriots front offices and had helped orchestrate some impressive drafts.

Two seasons later, it was Licht who would give Lovie the news of his termination and the Glazers placed in him the responsibility of finding the right head coach. Licht of course chose the guy that ran the offense in 2015, Dirk Koetter, to be Lovie’s successor and assign him the task Lovie couldn’t accomplish – win.

In order to win, however, you need a roster of talented players. That’s where Licht truly shines in ways we haven’t seen in Tampa Bay for quite a while. His ability to draft, to find players overlooked by 31 other teams in days two and three has been impressive. Like any other GM, he has his misses, but he has far more hits in his three years with the Buccaneers.

In three drafts, Licht has literally turned the team around. HE has been taking a beating since drafting Roberto Aguayo, but some are quick to forget the signings and draft picks he has made, that have transformed this team. Let’s review some of these picks;

Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) works out prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Jameis Winston

Think back to before the draft, with off the field issues Winston had. The experts were mostly split – Jameis or Mariota. At the time, being a PAC-12 fan, I was hoping my team didn’t make the biggest mistake of the decade and take Jameis. I hadn’t watched him much but his off the field issues scared me. Hindsight is 20/20 of course, but now who would hesitate to take Jameis?

The Buccaneers have had the #1 overall pick five times in their existence. Those picks have yielded Lee Roy Selmon (this guy was alright, I mean…. I guess), Ricky Bell, Bo Jackson, Vinny Testaverde and Jameis Winston. Of those #1 overall picks, my argument is none (perhaps you can make a case for Selmon) mean what Jameis means to this franchise.

Licht clearly did his research and the Jameis pick so far, looks like one of the best picks in Buccaneers’ history. That wasn’t an easy pick to make and it was the exact pick we needed. Winston and Mariotta will forever be tied together going first and second in the same class, but for now, I would take no other quarterback right now, than Jameis Winston.

Nov 27, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive guard Ali Marpet (74) guards during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Ali Marpet

All my Hobart Alumni, STAND UP! Yeah, exactly. Licht went to a division three school and pulled out a guard that no one had ever heard of. To be fair, Marpet was rising on the draft board of several teams, but in a draft where the Bucs had taken one of the more controversial QB’s in the draft (besides our dear old friend Johnny Football) Licht made the move to grab Marpet. The kid is a road grader, grinding out blocks to open holes in the run game week in and week out. His ability and raw talent are exciting to watch.

Marpet’s vast improvement over his rookie campaign could land him in the Pro Bowl in just his second season as he continues to be the most consistent player along the offensive line.

Kwon Alexander

In the fourth round, Licht went out and grabbed a linebacker with speed to get from sideline to sideline and a work ethic like none other. The draft profile on Kwon is, well, inaccurate to say the least. The profile states “plays upright and needs to work on strength in general. Alexander’s lack of instincts are ill-suited on the box…” Licht drafted a guy who was wasn’t right to play in the box, but as middle linebacker in 25 games, Kwon has 197 combined tackles, thirteen passes defensed andthree interceptions.

At this point in his second season, Kwon is tied for the NFL lead in solo tackles with 86, showing that he more than likely will eclipse the 100 solo tackles mark for the first time in his first full season, given that he played in only twelve games last season. Alexander also seems like a likely Pro Bowl selection. I’m pretty sure this guy gets chalked up in the “W” column for Mr Licht.

Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) drops a pass in the first half against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Evans

Anyone ever heard of this guy? Jason Licht clearly saw through the rumor at the time, that Manziel made Evans what he was. It’s pretty clear now that the opposite seems to be the truth. Mike has been Winston’s favorite target for a while now. With landmines like Johnny Manziel, Calvin Pryor and Justin Gilbert strewn about the first round of the 2014 draft, Licht snagged Mike Evans.

After a sophomore season riddled with criticism for dropped passes, no player in the NFL has more catches resulting in first downs than Evans. He’s fifth in the NFL in yards – marking his third straight season to start his career with 1,000+ receiving yards – third in the NFL in catches, first in the NFL in targets, and third in the NFL in touchdowns. Evans is certainly on his way to his first Pro Bowl appearance and it is well deserved.

The rapport between Winston and Evans is what will make this offense dangerous and elite for years to come as the combination of the two is something that will be built around to take this franchise to the next level. Another home run by Jason Licht.

Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate (84) runs with the ball in the first half against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

The Best of the Rest

The picks I listed are the guys I think, have been slam dunk picks. Not just guys who are starters, but guys who excel in their starting roles and could very well make the pro bowl this year. You could quite possibly add Vernon Hargreaves and Noah Spence to this list, but for the sake of not jumping the gun, we can leave them out.

The only thing I will say on Spence and Vernon is this – they look really good. The guys listed, exclude role players and even starters on the team. Guys like Kevin Pamphile (fifth round pick), Charles Sims (third round pick), Donovan Smith (second round pick). When was the last time this many guys stuck from a Bucs draft? When was the last time this type of depth has been established on this Bucs team?

But wait, there more! The list of free agents – including those players who went undrafted that were signed and are now impactful players – Licht has brought in is astounding. Brent Grimes, Robert Ayers Jr, Adam Humphries, Cameron Brate, Josh Robinson, Jacquizz Rodgers, Davonte Lambert, Ryan Russell, Alterraun Verner and Clinton Mcdonald. The list is extensive and the point is Licht has been constantly criticized by a lot of Bucs fans for two moves; Aguayo and J.R Sweezy. I won’t argue Sweezy may have been a whiff, but the jury is still out on Aguayo who has clearly improved this season.

If you need further proof look no further than this. Jason Licht has had three drafts and a total of twenty picks. Of those twenty picks, thirteen of those guys are still on the team.

That is a 65% success rate.

In that same span, the New England Patriots have had twenty-nine draft picks. Of those twenty-nine, eighteen are still on the team, equaling a 62% success rate. There is obviously a slight discrepancy based on volume of picks, but overall I’d say that’s pretty dang good.

Yes folks, there is no denying one of the most underrated pieces of this whole puzzle has been Jason Licht and his continued success will mean a lot more to this organization than those looking from the outside in, realize.