TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 2024 NFL COMBINE QUOTES

GENERAL MANAGER JASON LICHT

(On WR Trey Palmer)

"Trey [Palmer] did some outstanding things for us. He's obviously very fast. He's learned multiple positions for us – that's always tough on a rookie – but he put a lot of effort into it. [He] made some big plays for us, and so he's somebody that can take it off the top for us. We need speed, we need more speed like that, he did a nice job, [and] Rakim Jarrett too. We are looking forward to him coming back this year too, his second year off the injury at the end of the year."

(On RB Sean Tucker)

"He needs to take a big step. He missed all of the offseason OTAs because of a heart deal that he was dealing with, so that's always hard when you miss all of that stuff. He was a little bit behind the eight ball. So, he will be ahead of it this year, hopefully, because he's got a lot of talent. A lot of speed, size, all of the things you look for in a running back, so we'll see where we're at. We're hopeful."

(On the report that the Buccaneers and WR Mike Evans are 'far apart' in contract talks)

"How recent was that? There was another one that said we were getting closer [laughs]. We're working very hard on that. On both sides, both ends are, and trust me, we all want Mike."

(On if he has any thoughts on a potential rule change to kickoffs)

"I don't have a lot intel on what they're planning on doing or proposing. I'm just looking for good players here."

(On RB Rachaad White)

"Well, I think he's pretty close to being an elite receiving back and he's made a lot of improvements in running the ball, too, towards the end of the year. You have to keep in mind [that] he's still young, second year. He's doing a lot of great things. He's one of our better players and we are excited about him."

(On RB Rachaad White's workload last season)

"Yeah, we definitely would like to have more depth there, or the use of more depth there, I should say because I think Chase [Edmonds] did some really good things for us, too. We would like to have Chase back too, but to have a complementary back there – whether it's Chase or somebody else that could take a little bit of that load."

(On if DL Calijah Kancey developed at the rate he thought he would as a rookie)

"Well, he did a lot. He's super explosive. He's very smart. I think he's ahead of the curve for a rookie. He's going to be even further ahead next year. He's a super competitive guy. Usually, your draft class… your whole class kind of takes after the first pick. Calijah is the perfect example of what you want the rest of the class to fall in line on. He's always in the building, he's always trying to improve, [and] he's always asking questions. He and Yaya [Diaby] were two best buddies running around all the time, and it's fun to see how those two are going to grow together. I think they can both be dominant players."

(On how vocal OC Liam Coen has been in the prospect analysis process)

"He just hit the ground running. You know, he's figuring out how to find the locker room right now, so we haven't [had] any draft meetings with our new coaches yet."

(On TE Cade Otton)

"He made some big plays for us. [He has] been a very steady player. You know, sometimes he doesn't appear to be like the flashiest player, but he's very consistent and he's capable of being an every-down player, but he needs a complement, too. We're excited about Payne [Durham]. We will see where Payne comes along this year."

(On what he thinks separates the Buccaneers from the teams that went further than them in the playoffs)

"Well, it's lot closer than we thought and that was good to see. That was a sign of a great organization, scouts, coaches, players. So, I think when you look back to 2020, we had a lot of depth – some veteran depth, some young depth – but we had a lot of depth and I think depth might be the key."

(On if he'll look to add depth to the offensive line)

"Absolutely, always looking to build the trenches, always looking for depth, always looking for upgrades. I think that's something that we'll definitely be looking [for] not just in the draft, but free agency, through camp, and whatever avenues we have. We'll always be looking there."

(On WR Chris Godwin)

"Well, as you know, Chris, is a very physical player. He's not afraid to work the middle. He's not intimidated and that's a that's a skill in itself. He's got fantastic hands. [He is] a very instinctive player. It's just [that] he can play both spots, but he just seems to excel inside, and you that saw at the end of the year. Towards the end of the year, [he] started to make more plays for us. It's hard to find those guys and Chris is a good one."

(On draft prospects being advised to not partake in cognitive testing)

"Well, you know, that's their prerogative to not. You know, we'd like to get as much data as we can, but it's not like they're doing it for one team and not the other. So, now it just comes back to which teams can evaluate the best and I'll put my team against anybody. So, that's where [we] stand with that."

(On WR Chris Godwin)

He's a phenomenal person, a phenomenal player, [and] a great example to this entire team. You know, you just you almost take him for granted, he's there every day working his [butt] off. He came back from a brutal injury and came back faster than everybody expected. You know, he's just Mr. Consistency."

(On the role of the fullback in the modern NFL)

"Well, it depends on the scheme that you're going to run. It depends on how you're going to utilize it. These are all conversations that we're going to be having – more conversations, we've already talked about it. You can use a traditional fullback, or you could find a tight end that has more of a fullback type of skill set, and still call them tight end and do some of those things. So, there's different ways of doing it."

(On the safety position opposite of Antoine Winfield Jr. and if Christian Izien and Kaevon Merriweather are potential starters there)

"He is, both of those. We think [Kaevon] Merriweather has a chance of being a good player. Obviously, [Christian] Izien played well for us last year at nickel, but he [has] the safety type twitch and trigger to go tackle. Much like Antoine [Winfield Jr.], you're giving up a little bit of size, but you've got a lot of toughness there. So, there's a lot of upside with both of those players at that position. You know, there [are] obviously some players in the draft every year that we look at and there's free agency. That's a position [that] we want to make sure we have some depth."

(On what he learned about QB Baker Mayfield)

Well, it didn't take long for me to realize just what a great dude he was and what a great teammate he was. As the season went on more and more, how important it was for him to set an example of what we're trying to be as a team, and that's a tough team, that endures adversity, but also a physical tone setter out on the field. Typically, it's not a good recipe to have your quarterback trying to run over linebackers and be the tone setter, but he's willing to do whatever it takes to win. So, it's a selfless nature of his."

(On the play of LB K.J. Britt at the end of the season)

"Phenomenal. He's a great kid, too. He's just a great teammate. He's always been the same everyday, too. He [has] waited for his opportunity, he took advantage of it, [and] thrived."

(On the team's starters at cornerback last season)

"Well, the injuries are always frustrating there. I mean, it's not their fault, but injuries always seem to be a be an issue there at that position  in an otherwise very solid year in terms of injuries. I thought [Head Athletic Trainer] Bobby Slater and his staff did a great job this year. That was just the frustrating part because they're both very talented."

(On RT Luke Goedeke)

"Well, yeah, he's another guy that just wills himself to be successful. You know him, you guys all know him that cover us, what he's like. If you could take a rock and chip an offensive lineman, that's him. It's unfair, we moved into the left side, when he was naturally a right-sided player coming out of college at right tackle. [We] move him to left guard and, I think, I still think he could be a very good guard, but now don't take that as we are moving him to guard. I wouldn't say he is a bust at guard, he was still learning his way, but he's done a great job."

(On University of Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. and how to assess a player who has endured injuries throughout his collegiate career)

"Well, it's mostly the film. I mean, we'll get the medical and we'll get the assessment from our medical experts, but mostly the film. So, he's a had a hell of a two-year career [there]."

(On if he thinks this is the best class of quarterbacks he's seen in a while)

"Yeah, I think so. I think at the top there, I think it's really good."

(On how much he's talked with Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen when it comes to building the offense)

"We haven't had a whole lot of time to go through the roster building conversations yet. I mean, that'll happen as soon as we leave here and he's not going to be in deep because he's, you know, still working with his new staff and installing and all those things. I mean, he wants good players, so it's not going be that hard. Players over plays, that's what we like to hear in an interview."

(On where he thinks this year's free agency class is particularly deep)

"Well, yeah, there always are, but like I said before, like we're focused on signing ours right now. I mean, if we can re-sign Mike [Evans] and Baker [Mayfield] and Lavonte [David], Chase [McLaughlin], Antoine [Winfield Jr.] and Tristan [Wirfs], I mean, we should be throwing another boat parade. So, that's a pretty good class there."

(On the challenge of retaining your own players while adding from the outside)

"You always want good young players for depth, for the future, and so it's not that easy finding them, but it's not that hard to want to add them to the roster. We have a great blend right now, in just a few years we've changed it to oldest roster in the league to now we've got a very young roster with some good, very high-end veterans, so [we] want to keep that going.

HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On Carolina Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales)

"[He is a] very bright coach, extremely smart and intelligent. You know, positive energy [and] positive attitude. When you lose a coach like that, you know, Sean Payton put in perspective for me – at least you know you're picking the right guys, so that should give you some solace. I'm happy for him. I think we will do a great job for them, hopefully, except for two games. He'll do a great job. I'm proud of him."

(On what about Canales made him work well with QB Baker Mayfield)

His calmness number one, his calmness his attention to detail, his positivity, [and] he's always building him up. There were quite a few coaches on the staff that kind of did that – Thad Lewis the quarterbacks coach did that as well, wide receiver Coach Brad Idzik did it, and the offensive line coach helped him as well. But, Dave was very good at bringing everybody together, hearing ideas and, you know, helping Baker be the best he could be."

(On how much leeway Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen has with the offense in terms of how aggressive or conservative the offense is)

"He has all the leeway he wants. You know, my whole thing is if you're not ahead by three touchdowns, with five and a half minutes to go, you still try and score – you score the ball. If you're less than three touchdowns, five and a half minutes to go, you're not going conservative trying to run the ball and eat the clock. You know, you [have] to be smart. Obviously, any offensive coordinator has leeway coming in, but you understand what we have to do. He has to read the game when we're playing well defensively, when he might have to outscore someone, and it's never just run, run, pass, he has to leeway to call his plays. I'll have the say so on whether to go for it on fourth down, things to do on two minute, and so forth – as well as redzone – but he has a lot of leeway. I have a lot of confidence in Liam, and I think he'll do a great job."

(On the new coaches on the offensive staff)

"One of the first guys Liam brought up when he got the job was Bryan McClendon. He's a heck of a wide receiver coach. He's the guy that all the pros go to in the offseason to help get ready. [We] didn't know we can get them out of Georgia – Kirby [Smart] does a great job with this staff down there. Just talking to him, bringing hi, in, and we are very excited to have him. I don't know what led him to leave Georgia. I know he was very loved there like he is here, and I'm just happy to have him."

(On how much he's been able to evaluate this year's draft class)

I haven't had much of an opportunity yet, but as soon as we get back, we'll dive into it more. Right now, best player available at 26. You know, there will be some guys rated very high that may fall. I think we're in a good position to pick the best player."

(On the quarterback competition at the beginning of the season and if it helped QB Baker Mayfield)

I think it helped him because he appreciated Kyle, and they competed against each other. I don't think it was a matter of getting less reps with the first team. I think he saw a guy that was coming for his spot that played very well. Kyle came back and he was night and day during the summer, and I think it pushed Baker. I think Baker pushes himself anyway, but it's always good to have competition. I think it helped him become the quarterback he is right now."

(On what he learned about QB Baker Mayfield)

"Not much different. I know he has a stronger arm than I thought. I knew him very well beforehand. He was as advertised as far as being a great person and a leader, a fiery guy, very good in the locker room around the guys offensively and defensively. I think that's one of his biggest traits, bringing the team together without necessarily yelling and having to do it, but showing it by his actions – sitting down eating with the defensive guys, linebackers, D-line, O-line, [and] running backs. He keeps everybody all-inclusive, and he did a great job for us."

(On the young players on the defensive side of the ball)

Well, once they got better mentally, they became mentally tougher. You know, we had some mistakes in the middle of the season that cost us some ballgames. They came out the other side on that and they started playing consistent football, and they started playing technique and fundamentals. They got better and better, and they got better together, so I'm very excited for them.

(On QB Baker Mayfield)

"He definitely has to learn to take fewer hits. I think that's part of his DNA to know when he can go win the game and when he can't. You don't want him taking that many chances. He fought through [injuries]; he was beat up for the most part. Hopefully, we can get the ball out and keep him in the pocket a little bit more, but he has a very good feel for when he needs to run. I'm not saying he's [going to] be Lamar Jackson, but when he needs to run and get a first down, he can do that. Hopefully, he slides when he doesn't."

(On former wide receivers coach Brad Idzik)

Brad's an outstanding coach. I really liked him before Dave came along as a wide receiver coach. I know his dad; I know all about him. He's a great young coach in this league. He's going to be a heck of a coach in this league. [He is] very detailed, he participates in routes as well, [and] teaching all the time. Whether you're All-Pro, whether you're a scout team guy, he's always teaching, he's always getting guys better, and he's always out there trying to push the envelope going forward to make guys better, which makes him a heck of a coach."

(On the hiring process for an offensive coordinator over the last two offseasons)

"You do a thorough coaching search just so you can see what everyone is. I can't go by the names of people. You have to find what's right for you and your team. Everybody is [going to] have a scheme coming in – it's not the scheme that attracts you to them, it's understanding your scheme and if someone stops it, then what do you do? Can you think after that, and can you fit in as well with the players and the coaches and the culture we have on our team? And that takes a while to do and unless you go through quite a few guys you're not going to really know. You can guess, but once you go through all that, and once I went through all of that with Liam, I knew he was the right fit, so it was very easy to hire him."

(On what convinced him that Liam Coen was the right guy for offensive coordinator)

"Well, I've seen him coach the past couple of years. I was fortunate enough to have a Bye Week when Georgia played Kentucky this past year. I was fortunate enough two or three years ago when Georgia played Kentucky down there to have a Bye Week when he was with Kentucky. Then, I saw him go with the Rams and there's a lot of things that he's done. You know, the fact that he's been with Baker [Mayfield] before was a part of it – not a big part of it, but it was a part of it. I think Baker can play with any coordinator, but it helped keep some of the coordination together and the continuity together from that standpoint. Liam is a very bright guy. Kentucky had a heck of a rushing game. He was with Sean McVay, who had a hell of a passing game. He knows both, he understands that, as he gets more comfortable, sees how he fits the players, I'm very confident he'll do a good job."

(On what grade his son gave Liam Coen when Georgia played Kentucky)

"I don't think my son knew the offensive coordinators right then and there. He's a freshman, so he's still coming along."

(On what players emerged as leaders this past season when the team was struggling)

"Other than the coaches, Lavonte [David] and Tristan [Wirfs] come to mind, and the fact that were 4-7, we were losing games off of one or two plays. You know, we lost to Atlanta in two minutes, we lost the Houston in the two minute, so we were right there and we were winning ball games. We could have easily had 10 or 11 wins and we understood that, so we didn't try to tear it apart, but we knew as a team, we had to get ourselves together. We knew where we stood in the division, but the leaders were Lavonte, the leaders were Tristan, Baker [Mayfield] stood up and led some, Luke Goedeke stood up, Vita [Vea] stood up, [and] [Antoine] Winfield Jr. always stood up. Those guys came together, they never lost faith, and we went on a run."

(On evaluating players)

"You're not going to get a lot out of guys doing a whole bunch of drills. The film doesn't lie. If a guy runs a 4.20 40[-yard dash]and I haven't seen him on tape, I'm [going to] say that was fast, let me go back, and watch him. I'm not [going to] say I want him. I'm [going to] say let's see how he plays. How he plays is the most important. The athleticism, what they do at the combine helps to see how versatile, or how stiff or non-stiff they are, but if the film does not show the speed or the film does not show the tenacity or tackling, the combine really doesn't mean anything to me."

(On how the combine tests can help in evaluation)

"It can help you look at guys. It helps guys get looked at on tape. It helps you go look at the tape and want to dive do a deeper dive into them, and the scouts do that anyway. It helps you want to do a deeper dive and say, 'Hey, he's got height, weight, and speed. Let's go look at this guy. He may fit what we do,' and then you kind of determine it from there."

(On WR Chris Godwin)

"Chris Godwin has meant everything to this franchise from a leadership standpoint, from a work ethic standpoint, from a making plays standpoint, just from a culture standpoint. He does everything the right way. His work ethic is unquestioned and unrivaled, great toughness, [and] extremely smart player. He can go in there and mix it up, can go outside and make plays, has great hands, very unselfish, can block as well, as well as run with the football on some jet sweeps. So, everything Chris has done to this date, he's been a marvelous example of what a Tampa Bay Buccaneer is."

(On how much more production the team can get from the offensive line)

I think we can get a lot out of all of them out there. You know, Tristan as well. Technique and fundamentals are never to be let go. He can clean up some things and get better there. He'll be the first to tell you. He's a great player but he can get even greater."

(On CB Zyon McCollum and where he might play next season)

"We'll see by the time free agency and the draft ends up. You know, we'll see where our pieces are to see where we can move them. It's a tricky thing because he can play corner, he can play safety, he can play nickel, he can play either safety spot, so where he plays kind of won't be determined probably until the summer."

(On the trade that the Carolina Panthers made to move up in last year's draft)

"I didn't think much of the trade, because it didn't concern us at the time. I think Bryce [Young] is a tremendous talent and he's [going to] be great for this league. I think CJ [Stroud] has tremendous talent as well. He had the pieces and the scheme around him in Houston, and as you can see, they both can play. One started one way, the other one started the other way, but you can't determine their careers until they're done. You can't go off one year, you have to wait till they're done to see how they play, and I'm pretty sure they both be great quarterbacks."

(On Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young and Houston Texans QB CJ Stroud)

"Obviously, the scheme fits CJ right there better. Bryce has got off to a rough start. It's hard playing as rookie quarterback. He's trying to do all the things that you have to do. In CJ's case and ended up great, [and] in Bryce's case it didn't. That doesn't mean he's not a good quarterback. That just means the jury is still out on. I have a lot of belief in him. I personally think he's a very good football player."

(On negotiating with the team's free agents)

"It's going to work out the way it's meant to work out one way or the other. You can hope for things and wish for things. Like I said, we [have] time now. The league year hasn't started yet, so we have time, and this is a time to talk and meet and try to iron out some kinks. You have to prepare for the worst, you have to prepare for the [best], so either way – and I'm hoping this the right way in the way that Baker [Mayfield] and Mike [Evans] comes back – because you know, those guys are two great players, you have to prepare for it, as a coach, so and that's all we're doing."

(On the assistant coaches that departed for other opportunities this offseason)

"Well, it's great thing because they get promotions, they go on, and move on. You know, it's a bad thing is because of the relationships you develop with those guys and understanding what they meant to your organization. When you play them it's a good thing, because you know them and they know you, so it's a matter of who knows each other better."

(On WR Mike Evans' performance this season)

"Mike did a heck of a job. He came to work every day, he came into play every day, as you can see as a result from his statistics. You know, he he's been here for like a decade and he's done the same thing every year. He's been very consistent. He's very dynamic yet he's very humble off the field, but he's a confident player. He's one of my favorite players. I have a lot of respect for Mike and everything he does. He's earned what he done."

(On potential free agents returning to the team)

"We still have some time for that right now. Again, before the new year started, everything is not up in the air right now. If that happens the other way we'll have a plan for it, but right now, everything is tempered right now, so we'll see what happens."

(On free agency)

"You have to look at everything free agency no matter what."

(On WR Trey Palmer)

"Obviously, he had a few drops, but Trey is a very tough and talented player. I think the sky is the limit for him. Route running can always be better as a rookie. I think the NFL season is a shocker. It's a little longer than the college season, longer than they expect. I think the training he'll do this offseason will prepare him for next year. I thought he had a very good rookie year, especially getting him that late. He wasn't afraid of the situation, he's a smart football player, he's a talented football player, and I think he knows how good he can really be."

(On what his staff is talking about in preparation for the draft)

"Well, we're just getting them all in the building number one, so we haven't had really but one staff meeting and right now that's just getting the playbook together, getting the things ironed out that we want to get on, and get on the same page. So, when the players come in, everybody's speaking the same language. That's the path we're on right now."

(On RG Cody Mauch)

"I think starting on offensive line as a rookie is one of the hardest things to do as in the NFL. Cody [Mauch] did it kind of seamlessly, so you don't really talk about him, but he was a rookie, and he was going up against All-Pros every week. He held his own, he's a very smart player, he's a very tough player, he's a very dedicated player with a year in his system, and him getting in the weight room. I look forward to big things from Cody."

(On the importance of pressuring the quarterback)

"Well, it's tough because it's such a passing league right now. They're kind of limiting you to press coverage and man to man, where you can't put your hands on them as much. You [have] to try to do things to try to fool the quarterback, or the offensive line, or the receivers, or somebody. You [have] to show pressure, sometimes bring it, sometimes not bring it. I think sometimes it's up, sometimes it's down, but if you have a good feel for how you line up, you can create things off of the same looks, I think it helps you some, but you [have] to have players to execute it."

-BUCCANEERS-