Sunday, 4 a.m.
The team is in his hands now. The roster. The salary cap. The future.
Where the Tampa Bay Bucs go from here will be because of the direction set by Jason Licht.
Let’s be honest. Once the season is going on, there is precious little that a general manager can do. He can scour the waiver wires, and every now and then, he can trade his team’s disappointments for someone else’s. But by and large, the rosters are set.
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Ah, but once the Super Bowl is over, it’s a general manager’s league.
Will the Bucs be able to bring back Chris Godwin? It depends, largely, on Licht.
Will they make a trade for an impact pass rusher? It depends on Licht.
Will they sign an inside linebacker in free agency? It depends on Licht.
No, everything isn’t under Licht’s control. The Bucs could make Godwin a very nice number and he could still leave for a better offer. Some other team might make a better offer for Myles Garrett. Lavonte David could retire.
But make no mistake. In this band, Licht is suddenly singing lead. He has to manage the cap. He has to improve the roster. He has to make sure the Bucs’ in basket outweighs the out basket.
It is a precarious time for the Bucs. They are an edge-of-the-playoffs team, good enough to reach the playoffs in a bad division, but not good enough to dance in confetti. Licht has to find a pass rusher from vapors, he has to find a secondary that can occasionally make a play and he has to find a tough cuss to control the middle of the field. He has to hire help with limited funds. He has to make sure this year’s draft has impact players like Mike Evans and Tristan Wirfs and Bucky Irving and no swings-and-misses like Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Noah Spence and Roberto Aguayo.
Let’s agree on this. Licht had a good year last year. His draft was among the best in the league. He brought back Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans. But, like a lot of teams in the grand middle of the NFL, he has a flawed roster.
The next few weeks, Licht has a chance to reshape the roster. More than a coach, more than a quarterback, more than a coordinator, the Bucs are in his hands now.