Idk if Baker is done for the season but Licht going into the year with Bridgewater is a felony.
He is not an NFL backup and there's no way Trask is worse than him.
He didn't go after a LB with some late picks at the trade deadline. There were options... Dallas got the Cincy LB for a 7th.
He failed to address LB... He failed to address line depth.
He extended Bowles and let Coen walk.
None of this means we should fire Licht or anything like that but he does not get a pass for this awful off-season.
I still like his draft picks. I like that he got Dean to take a reduction. No issue with the Reddick signing...
But he failed this team during the offseason and at the trade deadline.
He extended Bowles and let Coen walk
They shouldn’t have gotten “cute” with it like they did.
Should've offered it outright.
Neither Bowles nor Licht get a pass, except maybe for injuries. And even if you say all the key players are healthy is that Bucs team competitive with the Rams? I am nor sure it is. So, it would ultimately come down to what the view of this team was INSIDE OBP before all the injuries. Fans definitely saw the team as a SB contender and the team sold it that way, but did they actually believe that inside the halls? Who knows?
They look more like a team that is slowly building through the draft, almost exclusively. That's sort of like the post-Gruden era (ugh). Supposedly because of the debt cap etc. but is that really still an issue? I saw an article the other day that the Eagles have an astounding $400 million in voidable contracts. I know that is not a direct parallel, but boy they are financially all-in right?
No depth means injuries mean more...
And drafting Hall and Braswell etc means we can't compete in the trenches
Whoever decided to extend Bowles before the season, yeah....braindead move.
as i have stated in multiple threads, you clearly let Bowles coach this year and see how it plays out. He would have either gotten fired (or as i like to say "Promoted out of the head coaching role") or extended in January. His contract was expiring for 2026 season, there was no need to extend him.
Bowles isn't the answer, and we knew that last year, but unfortunately due to his winning track record in this garbage division and winning culture post Brady, there was NO WAY they were getting rid of him for Coen. Just wasn't realistic and many of the players would have resented Coen for taking Bowles job.
While it looks good on madden or a message board, just was never going to happen in real world.
Fast forward to now and it's likely Bucs go 1 of 2 ways - (1) Baker misses time and they collapse and miss playoffs and (2) Bucs hang on to win shit division and get bounced in first round.
in either of those 2 situations, most fans would say it's time for a change.
However, judging by the Bucs actions this summer by extending Bowles, id say it's more likely then not that Bowles is back for 2026 no matter what. Don't shoot the messenger, just living in the real world here folks. He gets a mulligan this year due to injuries.
I know they fired Gruden after an extension and all but extending Bowles and then him "meeting" expectations with another division title and playoff exit just doesn't add up for a termination. Are we suggesting Glazers/Licht had higher expectations after watching Bowles led teams go 1-3 in the playoffs, 2 of which were first round home playoff losses? If they did, why would they have expected this year to be different?
I agree he's not getting fired.
Coen should have been the coach tho... But hard to fire someone who just won the division.
But Licht in terms of building the roster did not do us any favors. Godwin signed and I think we all wanted him to have that as a feel good... But the reality is he did it because Bowles did him dirty.
So we owed him so to speak. 20m/year invested at LB and d-line would have gone a long way
I have been championing this for years ever since the SB year where you drafted Wirfs and Winfield Jr he thinks he is some type of draft whisper and the smartest guy in the room. just look at out drafts since the SB 2021 complete bust no one player still on the team(passed on Humphrey, Nico and Amon) 2022 not much better Goedeke is probably the best of the bunch(passed on Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker, James Cook, Nik Bonito). 2023 avg at best Kancey can't stay healthy, Diaby and Mauch serviceable(passed on Brian Branch and Puka). 2024 looks like another miss Barton serviceable, Bucky and Mcmillan injured. 2025 to early, then lets not get into his terrible track record with free agents since 2020 outside of Baker its ugly to say the least
and many of the players would have resented Coen for taking Bowles job.
I wonder if it would be the same players who continuously come out for big games with no heart, no hustle, no sense of urgency, and looking completely lost.
They can hit the bricks with Todd.
People criticizing Bowles don't understand how hard is to win the NFL. Ravens, Chiefs, Texans, Steelers are also 6-5 after being the playoffs last year. Vikings are 4-7, Commanders are 3-8.
and many of the players would have resented Coen for taking Bowles job.
I wonder if it would be the same players who continuously come out for big games with no heart, no hustle, no sense of urgency, and looking completely lost.
They can hit the bricks with Todd.
Yup
People criticizing Bowles don't understand how hard is to win the NFL. Ravens, Chiefs, Texans, Steelers are also 6-5 after being the playoffs last year. Vikings are 4-7, Commanders are 3-8.
Ravens lost Lamar and he's still hurt and they've consistently won more games in a harder division.
Chiefs no comparison, cmon.
Texans have turned it around after a poor start and won 3 games with a backup QB. Plenty of injuries too.
Steelers perennial 10 win team that gets bounced in the first so a solid comparison.
Vikings much harder division and won more games.
Commanders were one of the easiest teams to see regress in the league.
None of these teams get to play 6 cakewalk games in the NFC south. The only division worse is the afc south
People criticizing Bowles don't understand how hard is to win the NFL. Ravens, Chiefs, Texans, Steelers are also 6-5 after being the playoffs last year. Vikings are 4-7, Commanders are 3-8.
The analysis of Bowles is akin to a beauty contest because it is about valuing levels of objective SUCCESS.
To that point, Bowles was elevated to HC from DC
Koetter was elevated to HC from OC
If anyone would have said back in 2016 that IF you make Koetter the HC you will win the division every season and be in the playoff every season, hopefully EVERY fan takes that bargain because the Bucs had only 8 wins in the prior 2 season.
Bowles is on the verge of accomplishing that same deal, the deal that every Buc fan takes gladly in 2016.
Koetter and Bowles are both discussed as failures even though Koetter finished at the bottom of the division twice, i think?
oddity of expectations
People criticizing Bowles don't understand how hard is to win the NFL. Ravens, Chiefs, Texans, Steelers are also 6-5 after being the playoffs last year. Vikings are 4-7, Commanders are 3-8.
Ravens lost Lamar and he's still hurt and they've consistently won more games in a harder division.
Chiefs no comparison, cmon.
Texans have turned it around after a poor start and won 3 games with a backup QB. Plenty of injuries too.
Steelers perennial 10 win team that gets bounced in the first so a solid comparison.
Vikings much harder division and won more games.
Commanders were one of the easiest teams to see regress in the league.
None of these teams get to play 6 cakewalk games in the NFC south. The only division worse is the afc south
Ravens are still only 5-3 with Lamar. 0-3 vs winning teams. 5-0 vs Cleveland, Jets, Dolphins and Vikings. They havent even played the Steelers or Bengals yet so you can't say it's because of the division. We're only 2-0 vs the NFC South.
What do you mean Chiefs no comparison. Are they not 6-5?
Don't say "plenty of injuries too" like we haven't been NUKED by injuries.
According to ProFootballReference we've played the 2nd hardest schedule in the league while missing half the damn team.
To be fair teams like Baltimore Pittsburgh and buffalo likely questioning if they should make a change at head coach
Licht has been criticized rightfully for several things. He's been good and bad and everything in between. I don't particularly have a huge issue with him. Maybe prefer to stick with him unless we have to find someone else who the new guy we must have needs someone else. I'm really hoping we go in a different direction with bowles. It will just kick the can of awful playoff team to mediocre average team overall with bowles down the road. He's not a good coach beyond those. I like the guy but he sucks. We need better. Who I couldn't tell you. Ideally an offensive mind.
