On the first day, 2024 NFL Combine, standing on the podium were Bucks general manager Jason Richt and head coach Todd Bowles. Richt and Bowles both told local media and those in attendance in Indianapolis that they had a lot to discuss during their preview of the 2024 NFL Draft and free agency.
What do they hope to learn from this week? And is their mindset looking forward? Here’s what they had to say.
Jason Richt talks about 2024 NFL Draft potential and free agency
Jason Richt is known for identifying talent in the NFL Draft.These days, he really “Shining Licht” For the Bucks, he has discovered a ton of talent over the past two seasons and transformed a team full of veterans into one that is quickly becoming one of the youngest teams in the NFL.
Bucks GM Jason Licht – Photo by Adam Slivon/PR
It’s safe to say he enjoys the challenge of finding quality draft prospects, and this year is no exception. Tampa Bay has big needs at positions such as outside linebacker, inside offensive line and strong safety. Looking at the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft class, Richt believes it is a group with many strengths.
“Offensive tackles, offensive line, a lot of interesting players,” Richt said of this year’s biggest strengths. “I think the receiver group is very good across the board. We have some defensive linemen — maybe not as strong in terms of numbers at the top, but again across the board. You can always find a sleeper. I don’t like to talk about weaknesses in the draft because it could be.”
Looking specifically at the offensive line, left guard is a position that could potentially be upgraded, and left guards Aaron Stinney and Matt Feiler are both free agents, so they need to be addressed. At center, Robert Hainsey has been the starting center for the past two seasons, but he was a huge disappointment last year, serving more as a high-end reserve than a player who should be given a starting job. It seems so.
“Obviously, we’re always looking to build trenches, we’re always looking for depth, we’re always looking for upgrades,” Richt added. “I think that’s definitely something we’re looking for.” [for] Not just in the draft, but in free agency, camp, and everything else. We are always looking for that. ”
Bucs WR Mike Evans and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Free agency is another path the Bucks could take, but for now their focus is on paying their current talent.
“We’re focused on getting a deal done right now. I mean, if we can re-sign Mike, [Evans] and baker [Mayfield] and labonte [David]chase [McLaughlin]Antoine [Winfield Jr.]and Tristan [Wirfs], which means we’ll have to hold another boat parade. I mean, it’s a pretty good class there. ”
That’s a challenge, and navigating the re-signing of top players and replenishing the roster with outside talent is a difficult task. Richt wants to maintain a mix of young and older talent, but admits it won’t be easy.
“We’re always looking for good young players for depth and prospects, so it’s not that easy to find them, but it’s not that hard to want to add them to the roster,” he said. Told. “We have a great blend right now. We went from having one of the oldest rosters in the league in just a few years to now having a very young roster full of good, high-end veterans. [we] I want to continue that. ”
Todd Bowles: “Movies don’t lie”
Head coach Todd Bowles is watching the NFL Combine in Indy this week and will be focusing on who performs as well as the others, not what the players did in practice. , Bowles said what was recorded on the tape was important.
Balls don’t lie.
“If the players train a lot, they’re not going to get a lot out of it,” Bowles said. “Movies don’t lie. If a man does he 4.20 40[-yard dash]And I’ve never seen him on tape, I [going to] Just say it was early and let me go back and check on him.
“i haven’t [going to] Say you want him.I [going to] I say let’s see how he plays. How he plays is the most important thing. Athleticism at the combine, movement at the combine can help you see how versatile or how stiff the combine is, but if the film doesn’t show speed or the film shows tenacity or tackling If it doesn’t show, the combine isn’t really useful. It means anything to me. ”
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
When evaluating Bucs players’ suitability for the roster, Bowles certainly said it helps him get a feel for the players and leads to further study.
“It helps you see men,” Bowles added. “It helps people get seen on tape. It helps you watch tape and want to dig deeper into them, and scouts do that anyway. It helps you want to say, “Hey, he’s got the height, weight, and speed.” Let’s go see this guy. He might be a good fit for what we’re doing,’ and then make a decision from there. ”
On the free agent front, Bowles won’t be the one handing out a contract, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be involved in future decisions. He seems ready for whatever the future holds.
“Either way, it’s going to work out as intended. We can expect things and hope for things. As I said, we [have] current time. The league year hasn’t started yet, so you have time. It’s time to talk, meet and resolve issues.We have to prepare for the worst, we have to prepare for the worst. [best]Either way – and I hope this is Baker’s way right [Mayfield] and mic [Evans] Coming back – you know, those two are great players, so we have to prepare for that as coaches and that’s all we’re doing.”
Jason Richt, Todd Bowles and the rest of the Bucks’ front office and coaching staff still have a lot of work to do. There is a lot to digest as we balance the present. future. With a focus on 2024, we are making moves to not only get all new coaches up to speed and fit, but also continue to develop our next crop of candidates. Only then can everything be savored.
