The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went all in a few years ago with veteran players led by Tom Brady as they pursued a Super Bowl. They achieved that goal, saw some players and coaches ride off into the sunset, and had to press the reset button.
On Friday, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht praised the team’s coaching staff for developing the new-look roster.
Speaking with the team’s media, Licht acknowledged the role the coaching staff led by Todd Bowles has played in developing the team’s younger players.
“One thing [about] Todd [Bowles] and his coaches – they’re not afraid to play young guys and they love to develop young guys. That makes our job – my job – really easy, because we love young talent. We don’t love getting rid of older guys, that’s not the point. It’s [that] we want what’s best for the football team. . .we’re very happy with the way it’s worked, and now, we’re hoping to win this year, too.”
There are not many more healthy relationships in the NFL between a general manager and head coach than the one between Bowles and Licht in Tampa Bay. When a team has that sort of relationship, things are more fluid, and you see the results you can generate.
Both men now look toward the 2024 season, where they hope to build on a strong 2023 season that saw the team return to the playoffs.