Rich McKay realized his drafts were bad and the team was stuck aka mid. Tony Dungy, the drafts, were all mid. So they decided to start to do more risky things. Sign Brad Johnson, pick up Keyshawn Johnson, sign Simeon Rice. Then ownership traded for Gruden and then the team signed McCardell, Dilger, Dudely, Pittman, Oben, Whittle.
Licht may have been over aggressive during his early start with free agents but as we have seen his drafts were the real anchors bringing down the franchise. Right now Lichts drafts are mid and most teams in that position spend money to overcome that mediocre state.
This was the dilemma the Steelers faced the last few years which is why when Khan took over as GM he has been aggressive the last few off seasons by shaking up the roster with trades and free agent splashes. But they still prioritized re signing their own home grown talent so Licht can execute this mandate and desire that the Glazers have about paying for the Bucs homegrown talent and keeping them in place. And the stability this brings to the organizational structure that the Steelers have had for many years and the Bucs replicate this now.
Licht getting 12 years to figure things out kinda says it all
...kinda like Bowles getting 4 years to figure it out...
...kinda like Bowles getting 4 years to figure it out...
Yeah they love continuity it seems. Keeping Arians in front office too.
...kinda like Bowles getting 4 years to figure it out...
haha. funny how the current Bucs are perceived.
Bowles is something like the 3rd or 4th most wining Buccaneers coach and probably the leader in division titles. Fans will say he got "4 years to figure it out" and the ownership probably thinks of him as a future ROH candidate lmao. At a minimum he delivered relevance to a Bucs team that was clearly planning on a period where they might be irrelevant (Trask as QB) while they paid off Tom Brady/SB debt.
Fans: "Bowles killed Brady" Glazers: ?
Same thing with Licht
Licht getting 12 years to figure things out kinda says it all
Badabing probably frames Licht's tenure best by breaking it into distinct periods, but Licht drafted the Super Bowl team, hired the Super Bowl head coach and lured and signed Tom Brady and his cast of characters. He will probably be in the ROH some day:
Fans: "Yeah but JTS!" Glazers: ?
For their history the Bucs are probably the worst NFL franchise w/l percentage. Since 1995 (Glazer era) though, the Bucs are probably middle tier w/l but they also have 2 Super Bowls, which probably makes them a top 10ish team since 1995
Bucs management still living off the high of the 2020 Super Bowl. Also, when comparing the "Mid" Bowles era to the "pre Brady" era...they consider it a win in the grand scheme of things.
Now...of course us fans can only be described as "disgruntled" when it comes to that historic collapse last year and them deciding to keep the head coach but they clearly weren't as impulsive despite the fatigue of going 8-9 or 9-8 under Bowles.
Now grant it, Bowles was not the head coach of our Super Bowl win but he was the DC and i bet they view him as an extension of Arians regime, despite two totally different sides of ball and coaching mentality. But let's look at some recent examples
Eagles - Doug Pederson. They won the Superbowl in his second year in 2017, he followed up with 2 years of 9-7 playoff seasons losing in Division and wild card rounds only to finally be let go after a 4 win season in 2020.
Eagles - Nick Sirianni. Dude made playoffs in each of his first 5 seasons with the team, including 2 Super Bowl appearances and 1 Victory. His Victory was in 2024, but if the Eagles go 6-11 in 2026, he may just be on the hot seat or terminated. The expectations and accountability in Philadelphia are not like other franchises even well-runned ones like Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Neither of their long time coaches would have survived as long as they did in Philadelphia going 1 and done in playoffs
Patriots - Bill Belichick. We all know the accolades of Bill Belichick. Last Superbowl was 2018 followed up with Brady's last year WC lost in 2019. He went 7-9, 10-7 (playoffs), 8-9, and 4-13 in his next 4 seasons. That was enough to move on from Bill after being the coach over 20 years and 9 Superbowl appearances with 6 victories. Still, not sure how high the expectations were in New England starting over with a rookie QB. Thus they still held him accountable.
Now let's go to Bucs. on top of the world with Superbowl in 2020, franchise high wins in 2021. Bowles takes over, still with Brady running the ship and the Bucs have a losing record in 2022. I still haven't gotten over that and probably never will. I will always remember the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but also unfortunately the 2022 disappointment.
We then strike gold with Baker Mayfield combined with one of the weakest divisions stretches in the modern era, and we still only must up 9-8 and 10-7 records in our following division titles. While sort of playing with house money, the expectations were raised. Bucs currently 1-3 playoff record under Bowles. You then go this last year which was the most egregious of them all and we finish the year 2-7 to miss playoffs.
Most of us argue that the goodwill from the SB should have went out the window with the collapse. Not sure there are many arguing to keep Bowles at this stage in Buc Fandom but they likely said, "we will give him 1 mulligan" and he used it up; as the Bucs brass likely thought finishing with winning records in the post Brady era was house money.
I personally count now 2 major swings and misses for Bowles for the 2022 and 2025 season. Not sure how many coaches get to fire their entire coaching staff twice with the same team, but Bowles was able to accomplish that. I guess despite inheriting one of the most successful/talented Bucs team in franchise history, they gave him a pass since he didnt really choose Leftwich/assistants that year.
Bowles takes over, still with Brady running the ship and the Bucs have a losing record in 2022. I still haven't gotten over that and probably never will.
ya think lol
"GOAT Brady" was not running the ship, with whole offense out on a high school field in the offseason.
"Kraft Wedding Brady" was running the ship. And with no Gronk etc.
You're sort of indirectly making my point though. Fans see 2022 as a "worst disappointment of my life." Guarantee the team didnt see it that way. Just ask Wirfs lol. But, if that is how one views 2022 then yes Bowles is immediately behind the 8 ball
Not sure how many coaches get to fire their entire coaching staff twice with the same team, but Bowles was able to accomplish that. I guess despite inheriting one of the most successful/talented Bucs team in franchise history, they gave him a pass since he didnt really choose Leftwich/assistants that year.
then he didnt fire his entire coaching staff in 2022? He fired the prior coach's coaching staff that he had no choice but to use given the date of his hire
and he did not inherit "one of the most successful/talented Bucs team in franchise history." That was the 2021 team led by GOAT Brady and with Gronk and AB. He inherited Trask Bucs . . and fixed thta by brinign in Mayfield . . like he fixed Leftwich for Canales
so, again, it should be pretty obvious (even if one completely disagrees) that there is an alternative view on Bowles that probably explains why he is still here
...kinda like Bowles getting 4 years to figure it out...
It's just some communication issues. We'll get it figured out.
