Sporting News: Jason Licht ranks 30th among general managers

General managers bring players in for coaches to coach and lead to victory. When teams win, they both receive credit. When teams lose, they share the blame.

But a line should be drawn to separate each side.

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has done an excellent job bringing talent in. The outcome of each game/season since he has been here has been disappointing. Many blame him, others blame coaching, some blame both.

Because of Tampa Bay’s underwhelming performances, Licht gets most of the blame. That is part of the reason why Sporting News ranks him 30th among general managers.

On paper, it always seems like Licht has assembled a team that should be better. But the work he has done to load up around Winston and fill holes on defense needs to come with wins, as constant moving parts have made it tough for the team to jell. A bump in the standings would help Licht shake the specter of the disastrous Aguayo pick.

As noted, Licht has in fact assembled really good rosters. The records have yet to match the work he has done, but that’s not necessarily on him.

It’s also unfortunate that all people continue to point to is the selection of Roberto Aguayo to define his tenure. How often to general managers take gambles? Licht made the best decision he felt at the time was the right one to make. Was it a failure? Absolutely. But let’s not pretend like he hasn’t made many, many more moves that are for the better of the team.

People need to get over the Aguayo pick. And to rank Licht at the bottom of the league among general managers is a slap in the face.