The Bucs have had some remarkable stability at the top over the last several years. Jason Licht was hired as the team’s general manager in 2014, and he’s been in that position ever since.

He built a roster that lured Bruce Arians out of retirement in 2019 and then attracted Tom Brady in 2020. That year, Licht became a Super Bowl-winning general manager. The following year, he brought back the core of that 2020 team to make another run at the Lombardi Trophy and although that run fell short, that 2021 squad still set a franchise record with 13 regular season wins.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and assistant GM Mike Greenberg – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Overall, Licht has overseen three straight playoff appearances, back-to-back NFC South titles and that Super Bowl in 2020. The Bucs very well could make that four straight playoff appearances and three consecutive division titles come Sunday.

Of course, Licht hasn’t been all on his own throughout his tenure and he’s had some key figures up top with him during the organization’s recent success.

John Spytek has been with the Bucs for eight seasons, and after two seasons as the team’s vice president of player personnel, he was promoted to assistant general manager before the 2023 campaign. He has been crucial to Tampa Bay’s free agency and draft preparations over the years.

Mike Greenberg is the team’s cap guru. He has been with Tampa Bay for 14 seasons and after spending two as the vice president of football administration, he was also promoted to an assistant general manager position prior to the 2023 season. As the Bucs have navigated some serious cap constraints and needed several restructures in order to be competitive without sacrificing their future, Greenberg has been right in the middle of it all.

The Bucs have been fortunate to hold on to both Spytek and Greenberg for as long as they have, and it’s long felt like only a matter of time before another team comes along and hires them away.

Might The Bucs Be In Danger Of Losing Licht’s Top Assistants In 2024?

Bucs GM Jason Licht and assistant GM John Spytek – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The 2023 regular season is drawing to a close and the playoffs begin in a week. But for those organizations outside of the playoff picture, changes in leadership are coming. And there will be several teams looking for new general managers in the coming month or so.

That leaves the Bucs in a precarious position. They could be in danger of losing one or both of Jason Licht’s top assistants to general manager jobs elsewhere.

It’s a position that is bittersweet, really, as the team would certainly hate to lose them from its front office but a) would also be happy for them as they graduate to the next step in their respective careers and b) would feel fortunate to have had such highly sought after candidates because it means they’ve brought success to the organization over the years.

This all comes around yearly during the hiring cycle, and the Bucs have held onto Spytek, Greenberg and Jackie Davidson, another impressive and integral member of Licht’s staff for years now. But could that change in 2024?

Spytek, Greenberg Appear On Future GMs List

Bucs VP of player personnel John Spytek and VP of football administration Mike Greenberg – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Albert Breer recently published his 15th annual “Future GMs” list for Sports Illustrated, and both Spytek and Greenberg’s names are among the 28 on the list.

Breer pointed to Spytek’s impressive and lengthy resume as an experienced talent evaluator who has made several stops over the years.

“He’d be there with (Mike) Borgonzi, (Joe) Hortiz, (Will) McClay and (Adam) Peters on the highest of this list,” Breer wrote. “Spytek is another experienced evaluator who has worked for the league’s best organizations. His first full-time job in the league was for the Eagles.

“He then was hired by Mike Holmgren and the late Tom Heckert in Cleveland, and spent three years (and won a Super Bowl) with Elway in Denver. In Tampa, he’s been alongside Jason Licht in building a championship roster, and luring his former college teammate Tom Brady to Florida.”

Spytek has interviewed with the Vikings, Raiders and Steelers in the past, but has remained in Tampa.

As for Greenberg, Breer makes the case that his salary cap work and time in the league office make him an attractive candidate.

“He came up on the cap side, but he has done more crossing over as he closes out his 14th season with the Tampa organization,” Breer wrote. “For years, the Bucs had the NFL’s cleanest cap, and Greenberg was able to help them pivot to a win-now model during Tom Brady’s three years.

“But this year came with a big reset of the cap. Greenberg also brings experience working in the league office, which will appeal to some owners.”

Bucs Jacqueline Davidson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Both Spytek and Greenberg have been promoted twice in recent years, most recently getting assistant general manager titles under Licht. Whether they shed that “assistant” part of their titles and join new teams will be something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months.

Regarding Davidson, she wasn’t on Breer’s list but could be in time. She’s completing her fourth year with the Bucs and has been promoted twice as well, first going from salary cap specialist to senior director of football research in 2022 before being promoted to the position of vice president of football research in 2023.

Davidson received a lot of credit from Licht when the team was able to re-sign several of its top free agents after the Super Bowl season and has been a huge part of Tampa Bay’s success over recent years. Even if she doesn’t garner attention during this hiring cycle, it’s still a potential loss down the line.

For now, though, perhaps she could be in line for another promotion if one (or both) of the assistant general manager positions is vacated.