FAB 3. The Best And Worst Of Licht In Free Agency

USA Today columnist Steven Ruiz recently ranked Bucs general manager Jason Licht 31st out of 32 NFL general managers. Ruiz pointed out Licht’s bad track record in free agency, and he has a point.

Bucs DE Jason Pierre-Paul and GM Jason Licht / Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Seriously, how does Jason Licht still have this job? He’s spent a TON of money in free agency and those moves have not paid off. He’s also botched most of his first-round picks, which have been near or in the top-10. And, oh yeah, he’s drafted TWO kickers! He justified this year’s pick by claiming that kicker is one of the most important positions on the roster. Let that sink in.”

After taking a look at Licht’s hits and misses in the draft, let’s examine how he’s fared in free agency since arriving in 2014 after being hired as Tampa Bay’s general manager Lovie Smith, whom he fired two years later. Here are Licht’s five best and worst player acquisitions through free agency and trades.

Licht’s 5 Best Free Agent/Trade Acquisitions

Former Bucs LG Logan Mankins – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

1. G Logan Mankins
Mankins was a late addition via a trade right before the start of the 2014 season. Mankins, a six-time Pro Bowler in New England, played two years in Tampa Bay and went to his seventh Pro Bowl as a Buccaneer in 2015 and retired afterwards, ending an 11-year NFL career. Mankins brought leadership and intensity to the Bucs offensive line in his short duration in Tampa Bay, and helped the offense finish fifth in the league in 2015.

2. OLB Jason Pierre-Paul
Licht traded a third-round pick for Pierre-Paul last season and he had a great debut season in Tampa Bay with 12.5 sacks, which ended the Bucs’ double-digit sack drought, which had been in place since 2006. Pierre-Paul was expected to have a huge role in Todd Bowles’ 3-4 scheme as an outside linebacker before suffering a broken vertebrae from an offseason car crash.

3. OLB Carl Nassib
Nassib was acquired off waivers prior to the start of the 2018 campaign and had a career year with 6.5 sacks. Nassib, a third-round pick in 2016 by Cleveland, is entering a contract year and is expected to pick up a lot of the pass rush slack for Pierre-Paul, who may not be able to play for the Bucs in 2019. Tampa Bay’s coaches are excited about how smooth his transition is to playing outside linebacker in Bowles’ 3-4 scheme.

Bucs DT Clinton McDonald – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

4. DT Clinton McDonald
Sadly, McDonald was the best of Licht’s 2014 free agent signings, and had 13.5 sacks in four years in Tampa Bay while being a quality leader and locker room guy for the Bucs defense. McDonald was a nose tackle and a fill-in three-technique tackle during his time in Tampa Bay, but played his role quite well as a modestly priced free agent acquisition.

5. C Joe Hawley
Licht would rather this be center Ryan Jensen instead of Hawley, but Hawley was a quality addition in 2016 that helped lead the Bucs to a 9-7 record, just missing the postseason by a game. Jensen has the chance to replace Hawley if he can bounce back in Bruce Arians’ scheme and play closer to the way he did in Baltimore, which led to his rich contract in Tampa Bay as the league’s highest-paid center.

Analysis: Only time will tell if Ndamukong Suh or any of Licht’s additions this year can not only pan out, but make a difference in getting Tampa Bay back into the playoffs. Licht has actually fared better in the draft than he has in free agency, as his hits have been few and far between and played a role in the Bucs’ 27-53 record with him as the team’s general manager.

Licht’s 5 Worst Free Agent/Trade Acquisitions

Former Bucs DT Chris Baker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

1. DT Chris Baker
Baker was a turd. He was not a good player, nor a good teammate in the locker room. Baker came to the Bucs with the reputation of being a lazy player and Licht should have known better as Baker actually made the culture in Tampa Bay worse during the 2017 season, in addition to being a jackass in training camp on Hard Knocks.

2. K Nick Folk
Licht’s Achilles heel in Tampa Bay has been the kicker position. He’s drafted two (Aguayo and Matt Gay), he’s traded for one (Kyle Brindza) and he’s signed a couple veterans, including Nick Folk, who beat out Aguayo. But Folk struggled and lasted just a few games before being replaced himself.

3. K Chandler Catanzaro
After the Folk disaster, Licht signed Catanzaro to a three-year deal worth $9.75 million and that proved to be a huge mistake. Catanzaro didn’t last half the year before the downward spiral cost him his job as he was cut in favor of Cairo Santos.

Former Bucs LT Anthony Collins

4. LT Anthony Collins
Licht doesn’t get all the blame for the disastrous 2014 free agent class as Lovie Smith wanted the Bucs to sign defensive end Michael Johnson and quarterback Josh McCown, but Collins is a player Licht targeted and wound up being an absolute bust as well as a locker room cancer.

5. DE Vinny Curry
There are a lot of candidates for the fifth spot in this list, but the fact that Curry was signed to a three-year, $23 million deal and contributed just 2.5 sacks allows him to edge out the likes of Johnson, McCown, linebacker Bruce Carter, safety T.J. Ward, guard J.R. Sweezy and others. I gave serious consideration to putting Sweezy ahead of Curry, but his offseason back injury while lifting wasn’t Licht’s fault.

Analysis: It was actually tough to find five good acquisitions through free agency or trades compared to whittling down the list of bad free agents Licht has been responsible for signing. Hitting on free agents around the league is actually harder than hitting on draft picks, and Licht’s track record is no different in Tampa Bay. The fact that he hasn’t been more successful in free agency is a big reason why the Bucs have had four double-digit losing seasons over the last five years.

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Like most general managers, Licht has a better track record as a drafter than he does in free agency, but Tampa Bay has really struggled to add impact free agents on Licht’s watch, and he’s burned through a lot of the Glazers’ cash in the process, as Ruiz accurately notes.

But if there is an area where Licht has shined, it’s been keeping the Bucs’ talented players in Tampa Bay. In the next section of SR’s Fab 5, we’ll examine Licht’s five best and worst re-signings.