Agreed. I also don’t think the coach has much to do with causing injuries or execution of plays (that’s the talents responsibility). Getting guys to hang together in adversity, while also making sure his coaching staff has been getting their units to play above their heads.Fair points but personnel is one thing... I'm just strictly saying the talent to begin this year, regardless of Bowles endorsing it, is still the talent. He's finally getting the most out of the talent he has and keeping offenses off balance.
He's by no means sold me on the season but he's owed some props imo.
If he keeps it up and Grizz figures it out, we are a legit contender.
I think winning while playing 1st place schedules negates the soft NFC South argument. It complicates drafting, because you’re constantly having to add significant talent while picking in the middle of each round. That’s mostly on Licht, who I believe has done a good job the past few years.
Grizz is somewhat stunted because of how the injury limitations haven’t allowed him to open up the playbook. Maybe that will pay off as some of the offensive talent gets back in the field, but it has also allowed him to see how to put the personnel in place to win, despite not having perfect protections/personnel groupings.
I’m interested to see if this staff can come up with the ability to navigate playoff wins. That’s the next step.
It complicates drafting, because you’re constantly having to add significant talent while picking in the middle of each round. That’s mostly on Licht, who I believe has done a good job the past few years.
AMEN
The exact point I have made about our edge rushers (and just had to make again about Hall).
The easiest way to get a game wrecking edge is to LOSE. If you dont lose such that you have a PREMIUM pick and you want to draft someone it becomes a REAL LONGSHOT. I think the success rate with a 1st rounder is something like 60% and then it drops into the 25% range in the 2nd round, so when you draft a DIABY in the THIRD, having him become a STARTER who contributes 8-10 sacks is a win. There are obvious exceptions (Crosby), but no one is going to pile up Super Bowl trophies drafting edge rushers in round 4. Thats why Licht went out and got JPP and Barrett and Suh . . .and even then NINE sacks came from Bowles/White blitzes.
Licht has done an INCREDIBLE job.
Not always. He's learned and part of that is MISSES, but if you just look at what he SPENT to win a Super Bowl it hardly set the team back, RELATIVELY SPEAKING . . and so the team has gone on to win division champs etc. WITH GUYS LIKE HALL .. and Diaby (credit to Bowles)
FWIW, our former versatile edge JTS is barely a ST player for the Browns, let alone a contributing edge. Thats a MISS, but many first pick post Super Bowl are and who would the Bucs have taken as an alternative?
Christina Barmore is the next DL taken but he is INTERIOR and we are "running it back" with the same team -- Suh and Vea.
I see a write up that says we could've taken interior offensive lineman Landon Dickerson. GREAT IN HINDSIGHT, but theres no way we are taking him when we are "running it back" and we have Jensen, Marpet and Cappa
Call JTS the cost of the 2021 ands 2022 "run it back" effort!
CONTEXT
The Bucs are rushing one less play per game on average as compared to this time last year BUT the YPS is 2.1 YPC lower. We are basically running at Rachad White's career average(3.8) so Line issues and no Bucky loom large
Leaving about 50 Yds of offense on the table
Due to offensive line injuries, the run game with Bucky wasn’t very good, even before his injury took him off the active roster.The Bucs are rushing one less play per game on average as compared to this time last year BUT the YPS is 2.1 YPC lower. We are basically running at Rachad White's career average(3.8) so Line issues and no Bucky loom large
Leaving about 50 Yds of offense on the table
Looking for news on Goedeke and Bucky…but not expecting to hear anything. Those two until/unless the team starts practicing next week.
FWIW, our former versatile edge JTS is barely a ST player for the Browns, let alone a contributing edge. Thats a MISS, but many first pick post Super Bowl are and who would the Bucs have taken as an alternative?
Christina Barmore is the next DL taken but he is INTERIOR and we are "running it back" with the same team -- Suh and Vea.
I see a write up that says we could've taken interior offensive lineman Landon Dickerson. GREAT IN HINDSIGHT, but theres no way we are taking him when we are "running it back" and we have Jensen, Marpet and Cappa
Call JTS the cost of the 2021 ands 2022 "run it back" effort!
CONTEXT
I'm just not a fan of making this excuse. JTS was never a good prospect. He was also a reach. Hall wasn't a reach but he traded back for a guy that played upright and was a tweener between edge and DT.
There were better prospects all around and yes it is Captain Hindsight but it doesn't change the fact that Licht went for need instead of BPA and they were massive whiffs.
The end of the first/early second is an ideal place to grab a secondary player or LB. Think of a player like Fred Warner or Lavonte David at LB. You get immense value and return...
You don't get return on a LB in the top 10. Licht hasn't been drafting late, he's been draft later LATELY.
He had a top 10 pick and went LB instead of edge..that's a bad strategy.
So he zigging when he should have zagged so to speak.
Then he goes and takes Trask with a second when historically there are ALMOST ZERO 2nd round pick success stories (Brees and Jackson were taken early second and late first respectively) and the data suggests it is a no brainier to pass on QBs in the 2nd.
So my gripe isn't about missing it's HOW Licht misses.
I'm just not a fan of making this excuse. JTS was never a good prospect. He was also a reach. Hall wasn't a reach but he traded back for a guy that played upright and was a tweener between edge and DT.
There were better prospects all around and yes it is Captain Hindsight but it doesn't change the fact that Licht went for need instead of BPA and they were massive whiffs.
Well, if the CONTEXT is an "excuse" then what is the absence of context? Misleading, right?
"Bowles wanted Hall" is demonstrably FALSE. FULL STOP. END OF STORY. He (and the team) wanted the picks. Hall was just the last one left of a group . .. and the strategy yielded Hall and Goedeke (and arguably Otton). Not bad, but if one was to criticize it would be not that Hall was a bad evaluation, it would be that the trade back was flawed . . but was it?
Maybe the JTS pick, but again the flaw there is really a NEED pick because of the Super Bowl. Even Licht called it a "flyer." Not sure its that it is AS blameworthy in the CONTEXT of running it back, thats why I even asked who the alternative would be?
You go on to make this academic point that I agree with:
The end of the first/early second is an ideal place to grab a secondary player or LB. Think of a player like Fred Warner or Lavonte David at LB. You get immense value and return...
That is the correct strategy BUT play along. .
Now you have Tom Brady. You just won a Super Bowl. You're gonna run it back, but even if you sign all your FAs back some of them, like JPP, might not make the full journey. Do you do what is best for the team long-term ("end of the first/early second is an ideal place to grab a secondary player or LB") or do you do what gives you the best chance to win now?
We don't have Tom Brady, we are only 6-2. The Red Board might give up two first round picks for an edge rusher!! I doubt Licht does that, but you're actually criticizing him now for coming as close to that approach as maybe ever. NEED drafting that GAINED THEM PICKS that became Goedeke and Otton.