The PR Bucs Monday Mailbag is where PewterReport.com’s Mark Cook answers your questions from our Twitter account. You can submit your question each week via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag.

Below are the questions we chose for this week’s edition of the PR Bucs Monday Mailbag.

Question: Jason Licht’s franchise QB is a train wreck. His second-round CB was a healthy scratch (M.J. Stewart) His third-round safety (Mike Edwards) sat on the bench while Andrew Adams started, his offensive play-caller (Byron Leftwich) called three plays for Dare Ogunbowale in the red zone, and his hand-picked coach (Bruce Arians) is 2-5. Is this finally the end for him?

Answer: I won’t argue any of those points you’ve made. I can’t defend any of them, honestly, and you are correct in all that you said. And Jason Licht’s tenure in Tampa Bay is most likely on shaky ground. We can debate all night long about his 31-58 overall record as a general manger, and what picks have been good and which ones have been bad. But at the end of the day, it is all about success of the team, and when you look at his overall record it’s just not good. That isn’t up for debate, and Licht would be the first to say this team hasn’t won enough games under his watch.

Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But despite how we feel about Licht, who I personally like and think his draft record isn’t as bad as some fans may believe, the only opinion that matters is the that of the Glazers. At the end of the season, just like all aspects of the franchise, Licht will be evaluated by ownership. And head coach Bruce Arians may have some input. All we can do is wait and see how this team develops – or implodes – over the next nine games. Licht, like quarterback Jameis Winston, may be auditioning for his Bucs career to continue in Tampa Bay over these final nine games.

Question: Any reason they can’t cut Breshad Perriman and line up Cameron Brate and/or O.J. Howard where a wide receiver might line up and take advantage of their receiving prowess just like the Chiefs do with tight end Travis Kelce?

Answer: It probably can’t be any worse. I don’t know that that is the ideal solution for the problem but in seven games Perriman has yet to make an impactful play and looks to be one of the team’s worst free agent signings. The good news is it was just a one-year deal, so the Bucs can move on at any point and not be on the hook for dead cap money in 2020.

Bucs WR Breshad Perriman – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Why Perriman has struggled to do much is a mystery of sorts. Of course it isn’t like he has had any type of major success during his brief NFL career, but the team was hopeful his second half of the 2018 season with the Browns would continue once he got to Tampa Bay. That just hasn’t happened, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see the team move on from Perriman this week, a move that would gain them a compensatory pick, most likely a fifth but a possible fourth. While Scotty Miller hasn’t done much with his opportunities and Bobo Wilson recently cut, you have to look over the roster to see who might be the next man up. Justin Watson maybe? But how bad has he been in practice to not be able to take any reps from Wilson, Miller and Perriman?

As far as splitting a tight end and using them as a wide receiver, there is a reason they are tight ends. They use the tight ends in blocking for the run game and even as athletic as Howard is, he doesn’t have the same skillset as a receiver, or well, he would be a wide receiver. And the playbook is designed with all of the receivers working together in the pass game, whether they are primary targets or even just decoys. The timing of the routes have to be precise even if a WR3 isn’t there, but to clear things out for a Mike Evans or Chris Godwin. Basically it is a lot more complicated than just running someone to the other side of the field off Evans and asking them to run wide receiver routes.

Question: How long should Byron Leftwich’s leash be? He’s been pretty bad at calling plays. When is it enough with Peyton Barber to give Ronald Jones II the starting job?

Answer: The Bucs came in to Sunday’s game at Tennessee with one of the league’s least successful offenses in the red zone, converting just 54.55 percent of their opportunities into touchdowns. On Sunday against the Titans, Tampa Bay was even worse, converting just 50 percent of their four red zone trips into touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Titans were three-of-three in the red zone (100 percent) and beat the Bucs by four points as a result.

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians and OC Byron Leftwich – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I am speculating but it wouldn’t surprise me to see there be some discussion internally about Arians taking the play calling duties back from Leftwich or at the very least becoming more involved. At the end of the day it is his reputation and legacy on the line in Tampa Bay. If Arians fails, no one will remember who the offensive coordinator was. Quick, who was Ray Perkins offensive coordinator? Or for Richard Williamson? I have followed this team my whole life and can’t answer that question off the top of my head. See my point? All I remember is they were two very unsuccessful head coaches.

As far as the Barber and Jones debate, I have said it for the last few weeks – Jones is the more explosive back and I think he deserves to be the starter and get the majority of the carries. Personally I don’t like the platoon system, but we aren’t privy to everything behind the scenes, so maybe there is more to it. Pass blocking, learning the playbook, on time for meetings – all of those things can factor into playing time. We just don’t know. At the end of the day maybe this is just the way Arians likes things and believes it is the best for the offense.

Question: Has the finger-pointing begun in the Bucs locker room?

Answer: It was a very interesting locker room in Nashville for sure. Much different that I have seen in previous losses. There was a level of frustration and anger that I haven’t seen in a long time and I am not sure if that is good or bad. But perhaps this team is finally fed up with losing. Maybe this team is embarrassed about being 2-5. And maybe this sparks some sort of commitment to the coaches and each other.

Bucs Hall of Fame LB Derrick Brooks – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It took Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks finally having enough of being a joke of a franchise in 1996 to say, “It stops now.” And it did. The Bucs went on the road and upset a very good San Diego team that no one gave them a chance to beat and it led to a second half of the season turnaround. It laid the foundation for a decade long period of dominance. The problem here is, who are the Sapps and Brooks on this team? Is there enough leadership?

We will get those answers next week as the 2019 Bucs are in basically the same position as the 1996 Bucs. A west coast road game, against a playoff team, and coming off an embarrassing loss. I believe we see a lot more fight than most fans think. I won’t call for an upset like the Bucs were about to pull off in Jack Murphy Stadium that Sunday afternoon 22 years ago, but I also don’t believe this team is ready to lay down and give up.