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. Read them over and offer up your thoughts in the comment section.
Question: is there any realistic hope that the Glazer’s make the right decision this offseason? Coaches and GMs have cycled in and out but one thing remains the same.
Answer:There is always hope. You have to just keep trying until you find the combination that works. It is kind of like being in a relationship. You can’t just stay together for the sake of staying together. When you know it isn’t right, you have you have to pull out and find the next one and hope it is the right one.
We don’t for sure know what the end result will be this season as far as the staff and GM goes, but unless something turns around completely, it doesn’t appear it will end well. And with a new staff there will be some tough decisions made on the current roster. I am guessing this team looks completely different a year from now. And why shouldn’t it? 5-11 last season, and if they are lucky maybe 5-11 again this season.
The one thing we know almost for certain is the ownership will stay the same. This is a very profitable business and the Glazers, contrary to what some might believe, are big football fans and want to see this team win. The value of this franchise only continues to rise each season and there really is no reason whatsoever for them to sell this team.
They will keep trying. And that is the really the only thing you can do.
Question:Kinda like they book/game Where’s Waldo, where is rookie Vita Vita? Shouldn’t he have at least been in on goal line situations?
Answer: He is over behind the park bench wearing those Harry Potter glasses and weird stocking cap. Look to the top left near the fire station and you’ll see him. At 340 pounds he is hard to miss.
Actually on Sunday at New York, he was missing in action on the field for the most part. You didn’t have to search very hard to find him sitting on the defensive bench for a majority of the game. 10 games into his rookie season, there is no other way to say it than to say he’s been a disappointment. I have no explanations for him, or Ronald Jones for that matter. You really need your first two picks to be contributors if not starters. Right now, with six games to go, neither have had any impact. It is way too soon to call either a bust, but nothing I have seen so far indicates that either will do a whole lot to help this team in 2018.
As a general manager on the hot seat, this draft doesn’t exactly make ownership exude confidence in you. Not all picks will be hits. Find me a general manager who is 100 percent. Heck find me one who is over 50 percent. However, when there are players drafted after your No. 1 pick, and they are helping their teams win, and play positions the Bucs are struggling in, it isn’t a great look.
You hope the light bulb clicks on for Vea, and you hope it happens soon. This staff and front office need players to be impact players sooner rather than later. Who knows what type of player Vea becomes five year from now. Unfortunately who will be left from the front office to see it firsthand?
Question: We are so desperate for a decent kick returner, any chance we could see Justin Watson get a shot? He can’t do any worse.
Answer: I think if Dirk Koetter does in fact get fired, you can put a little of that on his handling of the special teams. I understand star kick off returners are really a thing of the past as the NFL tries to make things safer on kickoffs. However, as much as I like Jacquizz Rodgers, I don’t believe there is a whole lot of teams who shiver when they see him back to return kicks. Tampa Bay did switch it up at New York, but much like Rodgers, opponents aren’t worried about Dare Ogunbowale taking one to the house.
Same with Adam Humphries returning punts. From my perspective it appears the Bucs are just looking at safe options to be returners, not game changers. The Bucs special teams haven’t been very good under Koetter when you start factoring in the kicking woes as well. Instead of using special teams as another weapon to put pressure on opposing teams, it just seems to me it is an afterthought with this staff.
As far as Watson getting a shot? Who knows, but as you said, he can’t be an worse.
Question: Would Bucs fans be okay with keeping Jason Licht if it meant getting former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians?
Answer: You will have to ask them honestly. And I am sure they will chime in with comments on this post, and also on the PewterReport.com message boards as well.
Arians is intriguing for sure. From what he has said, he loves Jameis Winston and perhaps he is the guy who can get through to him about protecting the football. I know he and Licht have a relationship, obviously from their days together in Arizona so that is a plus for Licht. The thing is, general managers don’t normally survive two coaching changes. I don’t know if Licht is back in 2019 if Dirk Koetter is fired. But if he does, and Koetter is fired, expect to see Arians name talked about often due to the connection between the two.