GENERAL MANAGER JASON LICHT

(On the process of scouting for the NFL Draft and if they target players from all schools or focus on specific programs)

"For sure, yeah, you can't just pin it to a [single] school. Now, there are certain programs that have had a lot of stability in terms of their coaching staff that have more success than others and it's because of the way they develop their players – you have a little bit more of a comfort level taking those players. But in terms of just tagging it, 'He comes from whatever school, he's probably not going to have a shot in the NFL.' You have to do each individual player."

(On his approach to building the roster with financial constraints)

"I don't want to say taking a step back. We're still trying to restock and eventually build another championship team and it's just going to look a little different and be done a little bit differently. We were in a position in 2020 after we won the Super Bowl to be able to re-sign all of our players, which hadn't been done, or hadn't been done in a very long time. The goal is eventually to get back into a position like that, but in the short term, we still want to win and compete for this division – and we think we can. We just want to do it without sacrificing our long-term plans, our long-term goals, as well. I think we can find a way to do both at the same time."

(On what the offense might look like under new Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales)

"Well, that has yet to be seen. We haven't even had practices yet and all that. We can go by what he's told us and he's got a lot of confidence in the system that he comes from. You can look at the Seattle system and I think a lot of that is what he's going to be employing with the Buccaneers. This is a good question for Dave, a good question for Todd [Bowles]. We just know that we interviewed – Todd interviewed a lot of candidates – I was a part of it, but Todd interviewed a lot of candidates. We're very excited to bring his confidence and his energy and what he's learned in that system that he's been a part of for a long time."

(On keeping players healthy throughout the season)

"It's tough. We always call it the war of attrition. The year we won it, we were very, very lucky in terms of not having a lot of injuries – that had a lot to do with it. A lot of it is just unfortunate circumstances, but you're always trying to stay ahead with your sports science and your strength and conditioning, your athletic performance teams – trying to find different ways to maybe put less load or less stress on certain players at certain times."

(On QB Kyle Trask)

"Yeah, we're very excited about Kyle. We're very excited about him getting the opportunity to be the starter – we'd be very comfortable with that. [We're] excited – I've used that word already but I really am – for him to get a chance to be with the starters in offseason, starters in training camp, starters in preseason, which he's never done. He was a successful quarterback in the SEC – I mean, wildly successful. We took him in the second round for a reason – we didn't take him in the second round just to be a third-string quarterback. Now, it has yet to be seen what he turns out to be, but we're confident that it's going to be very good."

(On improving the running game)

"Well, you're always looking to make some upgrades and some changes – whether that's schematic or with personnel. We feel like we do have a good, solid core group [where] that can happen. Rachaad [White] is a good, young back that is just scratching the surface of what he can do. We think with Ryan Jensen coming back [that] we've got a solid offensive line… We always want to try to upgrade there."

(On what Kyle Trask has done to show he deserves a chance to start)

"Well, first of all, he can throw the ball very well. He's changed his body a little bit with just being in the NFL with our strength and conditioning staff to where he looks more athletic than he did, to me, than he did in college. He can get out of trouble in the pocket. He's accurate, he's smart, he works hard – he's got all the traits that you're looking for in a quarterback."

(On if there might be a quarterback competition)

"You have to give everybody competition. He's the only quarterback on our roster right now. I'm just saying if he were the starter, or if he was the only option that we had right now, we'd be very, very excited about going forward with him. And he's going to get the opportunity, no matter who we bring in, to be the starter."

(On if it is a big year for OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to prove himself)

"Yes, it is, but I do think that he will. I know that we are all excited about adding George Edwards to our staff. He did some great work in Dallas last year with their pass rushers. I do think that he has got it in him and I think he will rise to the occasion."

(On OL Luke Goedeke's rookie season and how the interior offensive line is shaping up as free agency approaches)

"Well, I think Luke last year – as a rookie coming in from playing right tackle at Central Michigan to left guard, which is a move to the other side which is never easy – started the season off well, but then went through a gauntlet of some of the top premier three-techniques in the NFL. He was maybe a bit unfairly evaluated for a rookie. I think he is going to take a big step up. We've got Brandon Walton, we've got [Nick] Leverett – we've got some serviceable guys that I think can get better, and that will get better. It's not as daunting as some people think it is. I think we have pieces here that we can compete with, but we are always looking to upgrade our offensive line as a whole."

(On if Tristan Wirfs can play left tackle)

"That remains to be seen. We haven't seen it yet in the NFL. I think he has all of the traits to do it if that were the case to do it, but we haven't had any spring practices, OTAs or anything like that yet."

(On if he has stopped 'leaving the light on' for QB Tom Brady as he has said in years past now that Brady has retired)

"Pretty much, yeah [laughs]. I said I'd leave a desk lamp on before. Last year, I said I'd leave the light on. Maybe [this year] it's a flashlight, I don't know."

(On if there is any further campaigning to get Brady to come back for another season)

"I think he has got his mind set. I think he is happy with his decision and we're happy for him."

(On if it was worth it getting Brady back for another season)

"Yes, 1,000 percent."

(On the importance of developing your own homegrown talent)

"Well yeah, you want to draft really well, you want to develop, and you want to sign your players back that have developed well. In a perfect world, you can do that, but it doesn't always work out that way. You're not going to be able to sign everybody back. But yes, you do want to draft and develop your own. I think that is the key. Then add pieces here and there in free agency – but in free agency, the big, mega deals don't always work out. You want to be responsible."

(On if the team needs K Ryan Succop to improve his distance)

"Well yeah, in a perfect world, we'd like to have [Ryan] Succop to make some long kicks too, but he is pretty darn accurate inside of 50 [yards], so that's also very valuable too."

(On the status of the running back room outside of RB Rachaad White)

"Ke'Shawn [Vaughn] – I don't think he really has had a fair opportunity to show what he can do and what we know he can do from practice. I think Leonard Fournette still has several years left in him as a three-down back."

(On if there is any thought to re-signing safeties Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal under the current salary cap situation)

"We like those two. We will see how it works out. They're in the mix in terms of our plans, so we will just have to see how that goes."

(On if the NFC South is up for grabs this season)

"I think they're all making improvements and they're all teams to be reckoned with. We don't take any of them lightly at all, but I do think we are still in a position where we can still compete for this title. I'm not making any proclamations by any means, but I still think we have a chance to still compete and win this division. It will be an interesting year."

(On having a new quarterback and a new offensive coordinator this season and how important that makes this time now before offseason workouts begin)

"It's always important to get those two on the same page. That will be very important."

(On his strategy to evaluating wide receivers and how it has changed over time since he was a scout in New England)

"At the core, it's the same. You have different types of receivers. Your slot receiver is going to be different than your 'X' receiver and your 'Z' receiver. It's just the makeup of the room. Sometimes you lack the speed guy, sometimes you lack the physical guy. At the core, we're looking at the same. It depends on your offense and what type of your offense you're running – we're not running the same type of offense as New England right now."

(On carrying over the winning culture and work ethic that QB Tom Brady brought over the past three seasons)

"It's extremely important. We've got a great locker room. Like you said, he was lured by that and the talent – the locker room, the cohesiveness and the leadership. I think Tom's time with us – and when we signed him, we thought this… one of the things that is going to be beneficial having Tom is everybody learning, especially in that quarterback room, what it takes to be the best of all time."

(On Todd Bowles' best attribute as a head coach)

"Well, he's got a lot of great attributes. I would say his communication is great, especially between he and his players but then himself and me. So, we can talk about anything at any time and have hard discussions at any time."

(On the advantage of Todd Bowles being a scout in the past)

"Well, it's been quite a while since he did that, but he understands the process and he appreciates all the work that all the scouts and personnel people do, and what it takes. So that's awesome to have."

(On if Tom Brady signing created a new culture for the franchise)

"I believe so. He's probably one of the more dedicated (and) focused athletes I've ever been around – not probably, he is. For these guys to see what it takes for him to get to that level is extremely valuable. I think it can live on for a long time in our organization. He certainly didn't get to where he is for being a great athlete and having great wheels or anything like that, it's [because of] everything above the neck. So, these are things that everybody picks up on in the locker room."

(On if Kyle Trask picked up on any of Tom Brady's work ethic)

"I think Kyle has been around him every day for the last two years and I think it's rubbed off on him. Kyle right now is one of the players that's working out by himself every day. I see him out of my office window on the field by himself every day. I think he's realized the importance of what he has to do to get to where he wants to be."

(On draft prospects having diverse competitive backgrounds in other sports besides football)

"It just reinforces it, if we like [him]. Like Tristan Wirfs was a wrestler, a very good wrestler. When you have a guy at his size and his athleticism but also a wrestler, there's something to it. I've just been around a lot of offensive linemen with a wrestling background that have been successful. I do remind him that he did lose I think his senior year, in the state championship."

(On if Tristan Wirfs is still upset from losing the state championship)

"Yeah, still a sore subject."

(On evaluating the 2022 rookie class)

"Rachaad, we've talked about Rachaad – Cade [Otton] and Ko [Kieft] – Ko, for minimal playing time compared to some of the others, made a big impact in his role. Then Jake Camarda, [I'm] extremely happy with him on our roster. I think the arrow is definitely going up. I think Luke [Goedeke] and Logan [Hall] are going to take big steps this year."

(On how DL Logan Hall can progress in year two)

"He needs to add some good weight but he has to get some strength. I think he's so athletic and he's doing all the right things. I definitely think we're going to see progress this year."

(On his evaluation of CB Zyon McCollum's rookie year)

"First of all, Zyon did an incredible job on special teams for us. He's learning the position in the NFL, he's where I thought he would be coming out of his rookie year. We knew it would take some time; it doesn't happen all the time where you see a late-round pick become a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. Kudos to teams that did get that, but I do think he's got the potential to be a starting corner in the league."

(On Brian Daboll's success in his first year as a head coach)

"Well, he did a great job. I've known Dabs for a long time. I believe he was an intern or a scouting assistant when I was with New England. Just incredibly passionate about the game has a unique way of simplifying what appears to be a complex situation. So, it's no a surprise he did well, I'm very happy for him. "

HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

(On where the defense can grow)

"I don't think we had the turnovers we've had in the past – we've got to get better from a turnover standpoint. We can get a lot better in red zone defense. Obviously, getting better revitalizing stopping the run."

(On S Mike Edwards)

"I thought his tackling got better from when he first came in. I thought he filled in a great void playing safety, being multiple at different positions for us. Then he got nicked up a little bit and kind of played the rest of the season banged up – but I thought he was a warrior for us and he fought."

(On if someone told him before the season that NT Vita Vea would lead the team in sacks)

"I wouldn't have believed you. This is the first 3-4 [defense] team I've been a part of where the outside linebackers have not led the team in sacks. We've got to get better in that area, I think. No disrespect to Vita – I'm glad he did and we had some good interior rushes with Vita, 'Nacho' (Rakeem Nuñez-Roches), [Akiem] Hicks and Will [Gholston] and all those guys, but when Shaq [Barrett] went down, it was kind of a letdown. I thought [Anthony] Nelson did some good things as did Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka] but from an experience standpoint, just getting back there consistently – I think we've got to get better there."

(On CB Jamel Dean)

"Dean had a very good season. I thought Dean had a very good year, especially the first half before he got injured. He's a guy that's going to be commanding some attention."

(On the biggest challenge heading into the offseason)

"Obviously, it's going to be offensive continuity as a whole. Losing a guy like Tom Brady, you have to revamp your offense some. We have a new guy coming in with a new system. I think the chemistry is going to be very important in the offseason – bringing those guys together and understanding what we're trying to do. That'll be the biggest and most important thing right now coming into the offseason with a new coordinator."

(On S Antoine Winfield Jr.)

"Since he was so young, he gets better mentally every year. His tackling is outstanding, his intensity is outstanding, what he does for the team is outstanding. I think he's one of our top three defensive players. He can only get better with experience, you know? I don't want to move him around as much this coming season than I have this year – I'll try to leave him at one spot as best as I can. I think he'll master that spot and get even better for us."

(On what positions are strong in this year's draft)

"I'm not sure because I'm just getting into it. We had some time off during the offseason and I'm hiring coaches, so I'm not sure which ones are strong or weak. I know there's some cornerbacks coming out in the first, the tight ends have a strong class. I have to really look at everybody else."

(On if the team's financial situation prevents them from being involved in free agency)

"No, it doesn't. We're going to be smart about it. We understand we're over the cap coming into this. We have a plan and we have a long-term plan that we're going to go by. We don't want to sacrifice one year for paying someone as opposed to sacrificing the future, but we'll go out and we'll be smart about it. If the guy has a long-term plan or can hang out and play with us, we'll take a look at him. It's also a desirable place because we do have talent around him and people may want to come and do one-year, prove-it deals. We'll see what happens in the next two or three weeks and we'll go forward, but we have a plan of what we want to do."

(On if having QB Kyle Trask on the roster precludes the team from drafting a quarterback early)

"It doesn't preclude you from anything. It's going to be a competition at every spot – that's going to be every year. As long as [I've] been a coach, there's going to be competition. We'll look at everybody. We'll try to take the best players available. We'll see who can help us, who can try to help us, but Kyle will compete. He's the only one on the roster right now – he works hard, he works at it in the offseason and we'll see what he can do. I think everybody is coming into it with a clean slate, with a new coordinator, so everyone will be learning at the same time."

(On if he has ever had this much uncertainty at the quarterback position in his time as a head coach)

"I've been here once before. It all depends on who we sign. We'll see and we will kind of go from there. Again, it's a new system. Everybody is going to have a chance to compete whether we label them one, two or three – that may not be the way they start the season. It's a different time for us. We understand we lost the greatest of all time, but whoever we bring in here will have a chance to compete, Kyle [Trask] will have a chance to compete, and we will see where that goes."

(On his evaluation of LB Devin White)

"Devin takes a lot of heat for some things – everybody judges the missed tackles – but he makes tackles that I haven't seen linebackers make in 30 years. He can make plays for us. He is still one of our best two players on defense. I have a lot of faith in him. His growth mentally understanding the system – and it's not an easy system – has been outstanding. I think the world of the guy. I think he is a heck of a ballplayer and I think this will probably be one of his better seasons."

(On the qualities he looks for in a quarterback)

"Obviously intelligence, number one. You don't want to lose the games, so you've got to be smart, which everybody else does [too]. Intelligence, arm strength, how well you know your system and how well you can manage the game and get rid of the [ball], knowing when to take shots. You've got to have a lot of heart, obviously. There is going to be a time in the game where you've got to make plays. You're not going to be just immune to everything. You try to make sure the guy is very intelligent and understands what happens around him."

(On OLB Shaq Barrett returning from an Achilles injury at age 30)

"Well, 30 doesn't seem bad. Tom [Brady] played until he was 45. It's not a bad thing being 30 [laughs], but we will see how he comes back. He is where he needs to be right now. We will see going forward. It doesn't have a bearing on what we will do or won't do. You can't have enough pass rushers regardless of who it is, but hopefully Shaq makes it back and we will see what happens."

(On what he likes about recently promoted Quarterbacks Coach Thad Lewis)

"Well, he was a heck of a college quarterback. He understood the game coming in. When Bruce [Arians] hired him as an intern, he was a very bright guy in the office – in early, out late. He has a great understanding of quarterback play and he has a lot of modern-day technique and scheme that he can help fit to a quarterback. He is very quarterback friendly. I think the world of Thad. I think he will be an offensive coordinator in light [speed] from now. I think it's a good move for him and I am excited to see it."

(On whom he considers the top player on his defense)

"It fluctuates week by week. I don't want to say who it is. It can be anywhere from Vita [Vea] to Lavonte [David] to Shaq [Barrett] – it fluctuates."

(On bringing back Senior Offensive Assistant Tom Moore)

"Ever since Tom has been here, we have been very close. He has been a great help to me in the red zone as far as understanding offenses and little things to do on the field, even helping me be a better coordinator and helping me be a better head coach. He is invaluable as far as I'm concerned. Having him back on the staff was a big plus."

(On the quarterback position and its impact on team identity and success)

"I don't look at it that way. When you lose Tom Brady, everybody is going to look at it differently, and as well they should because he was a great player, but we have to play better team ball all the way around. One guy should not define us as far as how we win this year. I don't think bringing in one guy or losing one guy should [make] us go downward. We should be able to play team football, and if we play the right way, we will win the same amount of games."

(On what QB Tom Brady brought to the Buccaneers organization)

"Well the biggest thing he brought is a winning culture. Obviously, we have a winning culture. We can have different cultures and still win. Tom is not here anymore. A lot of the veterans that we had aren't here anymore, so we need to create another culture with [Dave] Canales and his offensive scheme as well as blending with the defense. There will be a new culture and chemistry created every year, whether we had stayed the same or not. We can create our own culture here of winning and that comes with working together, working hard and understanding what we have to do to win."

(On how what he looked at when evaluating offensive coordinator candidates)

"No, you look at everything as a coordinator – how he schemes, what he thinks, how he responds, what pieces he thinks he needs, what he can work with, what he can't work with. You look at the overall group and you look at the guys you have and see if he can work with those guys and see if his scheme fits, and I thought it was the best scheme fit for everything we had coming back this far."

(On how a better running game can help the team and QB Kyle Trask)

"The run game always helps, don't get me wrong, but if they pile everybody up then you've got to beat them through the air, (and) you've got to hurt them no matter what. At the end of the day, you want to score more points than they score. There's no such thing as balance. Hopefully, you have some balance at some point in the year, in one way or another other but the biggest thing is to outscore the opponent."

(On TE Cade Otton being the lead tight end next season)

"He can be, I mean he showed some things this year. For a rookie he played very well, you didn't know he was a rookie – he plays very smart, he plays very tough, he's a heady ball player. He's only going to get stronger and better and I'm excited to see him."

(On how CB Sean Murphy-Bunting getting hurt last season affected the defense)

"When he got hurt early in the year it gave [Jamel] Dean a chance to play and when he came back Dean was playing great but then Dean got hurt. I thought Sean came in and he had a heck of a second half of the season. I thought he played man-to-man well, he played zone well, he had great vision, he was confident, and he looked like he did two years ago. He's finally healthy, and I thought he had a heck of a year."

(On expectations for DT Logan Hall this season)

" [I] expect him to be more of a steady presence on the defensive line. I thought figuring out the run game defensively and the blocking schemes slowed him down a little bit. I thought he started showing up at the end of the year, probably not in the stat column, but he showed up in the defensive meeting rooms and he started making a positive effect on us. So, I just look for him to trend upward."

(On the decision to pick Dave Canales over Shea Tierney as the new offensive coordinator)

"I heard a lot about Shea, he's a guy I talked to. Again, I was very impressed with him. I think [Brian] Daboll has a good one up there and I think he's going to be a heck of a coordinator and head coach." 

(On how Shea Tierney ended up on his radar for the offensive coordinator position)

"Well, I made it a point to not just interview coaches that I knew but coaches that I didn't know as well because you can't be afraid to go outside of the box and put your ego aside. You've got to try to hear new things and see who sounds good. I thought he did a good job."

(On what he saw when he worked with Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach Dennard Wilson)

"Dennard's sharp, I mean Dennard's sharp. He's been sharp for a long time, and he'd be a heck of a [defensive coordinator] for [Philadelphia] if they made him that. He knows the game inside and out – he knows the front, he knows the back, he's got a variety of schemes that he can run, he's a heady coach, he can think on his feet and I think he's a bright young coach."

-BUCCANEERS-