Dec 7, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Buccaneers' Jason Licht Not Opposed to Making Blockbuster Trade

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI | Last updated Feb 27, 2026 9:54 AM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' General Manager Jason Licht takes great pride in his draft and develop approach.

Licht's success at identifying talent in the draft, developing those prospects into above-average NFL players and then extending them is a big reason why Licht is one of the longest tenured GMs in the entire league, having been with the Bucs since 2014.

Jason Licht loves his draft picks, and for good reason

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Licht's patient but effective roster-building philosophy is ultimately what allowed him to land Tom Brady as a free agent in 2020, with Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown and other stars following suit before delivering the franchise its second-ever Lombardi Trophy at season's end.

He hasn't been the type of GM who is willing to part with those picks in order to acquire established NFL talent, largely because of Licht's deep appreciation for his own draft picks. At least so far.

That being said, each season is different. And with a team that collapsed down the stretch of last season to miss the playoffs for the first time in six seasons, stepping outside of his comfort zone may be exactly what his team needs to recapture the high expectations they had heading into last season.

Despite Licht's draft hoarding nature over the course of his tenure in Tampa Bay, his team desperately needs a difference-making pass rusher. And that begs the question — would Licht even be open to trading some of his precious assets in order to acquire one?

Well, apparently he would.

Bucs would trade valuable draft capital for the right player

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At the NFL Combine this week, Licht was asked about whether or not he would be open to trading premium draft capital for the right player.

"I am not opposed to those things. I wouldn't say that's in my DNA, to refrain from doing those things," Licht said. "It's gotta be right. It's gotta be the right trade. It's gotta be the right player."

Licht also acknowledged that many factors need to be considered before determining whether a player is worth trading valuable assets for.

"There's a lot of factors that go into it. The age of the player. The injury history of the player. What else besides draft capital we would have to give up," he said. "And once again, talking about flexibility that we could maintain," He said. "So, I'm not opposed to those things, just have to see how things go."