Have been reading a lot of banter here about who/what is at fault with our beloved Buccaneers. The Glazer Guys/GM? The coaching? The roster?
Frankly, I see a whole lot to go around here insofar as where the blame goes.
GLAZERS/GM: They need to settle on someone that is "in the know" where the NFL is concerned. A bonafide GM that does not draft a kicker with the second pick in the draft when so many other areas need attention. I immediately soured on Licht at this juncture. What could he have possibly been thinking. The ownership needs to deliver more quality than quantity in the GM position. This will require the checkbook to be opened up wide. When or if this happens, only then will I be convinced that ownership is truly vested in their football team.
COACHING: Mike Smith needs to mosey down the road. I have watched far too many poor performances from this defense. Granted, there seems to have been a lot of injuries....BUT...New England deals with tons of injuries to key players almost perennially, yet they keep right on winning. I think this is a by-product of continuity of the coaching staff, as well as the quality of the coaching. Again, you must start with an experienced HC and not the "first year-let's give-him-a-shot" type coach (see Schiano, Raheem, Koetter).
ROSTER: I am beyond disappointed with the development, or lack thereof, of Jameis Winston. Is this a coaching isse or player issue or a combination of both? I see the likes of Wentz and Goff, both in their sophomore seasons, and excelling nicely....a real shame about Wentz. Prior to injury, you could even say Watson was ahead of the curve. But #3 continues to struggle at decision-making and with turnovers.
There is a lot more in each of these categories....I only highlighted a few. But any organization that truly IS hell-bent on being a winning and successful franchise, needs to begin at the top, working down, and by looking in the mirror.
Not for one minute do I believe it is one particular area only. This has been a collaborative effort across the board. But ownership isn't going anywhere, so we all have to just suck it up and deal with that piece. But from Licht all the way down the line of the coaching staff, needs to be gutted. It's a shame that there is not a Tom Coughlin clone available. Interesting how he won SB's with an average QB (Eli) then goes "home" to Jacksonville and we see the Jags on the cusp of a division title.
Semi-rant over.
