Bucs GM Jason Licht

Interesting commentary from Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford yesterday.

Stafford is a regular guest on that annoying Jim Gray podcast, Let’s Go, which used to be co-hosted by Tom Brady.

Of course, Stafford came off a Sunday night game hammering the Buccaneers. He talked about how philosophies have changed within the Rams organization since they traded for him in 2021, a season in which the Rams won the Super Bowl.

“When I first got here, it was ‘F them [draft] picks.’ And now it’s, ‘how about them picks!’, you know what I mean? We are doing a hell of a job,” Stafford said. “And [Rams GM] Les [Snead] is doing a hell of a job of bringing in guys that, you know, they’re really good football players and they’re about the right stuff. I mean, there’s not a guy in our locker room that I can sit there and go, ‘you know, he’s not about what the Rams are about.’ Everybody’s bought in. Everybody is like-minded and [about] what it takes to be good and to be successful in this league.”

Much like Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield have said about the Bucs, Stafford said the everyone in Los Angeles is in “lockstep” with the Rams GM on the type of player on the roster.

“You know, we didn’t have a first-round pick for a while after I got here,” Stafford continued. “And he’s made the most of of guys getting picked wherever. And it goes to show you, man, it really doesn’t matter where you get picked in this draft. You know, that’s just the beginning for a lot of these guys. And if those guys have the right mindset of ‘hey, it doesn’t matter where I get picked, I’m here to start my journey in the NFL.’ Great things can happen for them.”

Joe heard all this and started wondering about the Tampa Bay roster. (For those wondering, the Rams have had just two first-round draft picks in the last 10 drafts: Jared Goff and Jared Verse.)

A lot of fans think the Bus roster is a little soft and/or the coaching is a little soft.

Joe’s not sure. The Bucs have so many guys in the same “I Am That Man” mold, perhaps more variety or a slightly different blend is needed?

Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht has done a hell of a job with the roster. He doesn’t cover kickoffs, block for punters, play pillowy soft pass defense or decide who gets injured.

Still, after watching the Bucs borderline quit as a collective group on Sunday night, everything deserves scrutiny.