The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw a two-win improvement In Bruce Arians’ first season, which included a four-game win streak in the middle of the season. But now the Buccaneers are at a crossroads.
The Bucs are increasing their momentum by building around Tom Brady
Tampa Bay got Brady and then got him some help.
Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Churchill Downs
After five inconsistent seasons, quarterback Jameis Winston is a free agent. Although he led the NFL in passing with 5,109 yards last season, Winston also threw a league-high 30 interceptions. They said goodbye to Winston and hello to Tom Brady, so now the focus will be on building around him, for however long he plans to continue playing.
The Buccaneers have one of the best groups of receivers in the league, so the offense is already upgraded quite a bit. But there’s still work to do.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9), missed playoffs
Despite losing their final two games of the season, the Buccaneers have some momentum under Arians. If they want to continue it, these positions need to be fixed.
Before free agency:
- Quarterback: “[If] we can win with this one, we can definitely win with another one too.” That’s what Arians said about Winston, suggestions he’s ready to move on from the former No. 1 pick. The question is whether or not Arians wants to coach up a rookie quarterback or go after a veteran. If it’s the latter, the Buccaneers are in a tough spot holding the No. 14 pick. Utah State quarterback Jordan Love could be there, but he’s a project. The same can be said for Washington’s Jacob Eason.
- Offensive tackle: On the left side, Donovan Smith has been consistent but unspectacular. On the right side, Demar Dotson is a free agent. Smith could be upgraded in the draft, which is packed with offensive tackles. Or the Buccaneers could take someone like Austin Jackson of USC or Josh Jones of Houston and play them on the right before eventually moving to the left.
- Pass rusher: Tampa Bay finally found a good pass rusher with Shaq Barrett, who had 19.5 sacks a season ago. Unfortunately, Barrett is a free agent, though the Buccaneers are expected to use their franchise tag on him. That still leaves Jason Pierre-Paul and Carl Nassib, who combined for 14.5 sacks last season, to hit the open market.
What Bucs Nation wants most this offseason: The emphasis must be figuring out what to do about the quarterback position. With rumors tying the Bucs to Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, and Teddy Bridgewater, it’s clear the smoke is coming from somewhere and once it clears, we may see a new signal caller in Tampa Bay. They also need to address the offensive line, especially if they plan on bringing in a quarterback who is not as mobile as Jameis Winston was in the pocket. — Gil Arcia
After free agency:
Tom Brady is the biggest name in football, whether he has regressed or not. The Buccaneers brought him in and they’ll either look like fools or geniuses committing to the aging quarterback. The real biggest moves of their offseason was retaining Shaq Barrett, Ndamukong Suh, and Jason Pierre-Paul on their defensive front. Oh yeah, and they also got Rob Gronkowski to unretire and reunite with Brady in Tampa.
- Offensive tackle: Demar Dotson is still a free agent and even if he returns at right tackle, the Buccaneers need an upgrade. Brady wasn’t the most mobile of quarterbacks in his prime and he’s practically statuesque now. The Buccaneers have to protect him, and that means upgrading the right tackle spot.
- Running back: Peyton Barber left in free agency, and it would be nice if the Bucs didn’t have an offense that relied solely on the arm of a 43-year-old Brady. Ronald Jones is a decent back, but the Buccaneers could use a high-upside rookie at the position.
- Defensive line: The Bucs did some work keeping their outside linebackers, but what their defensive line needs more than anything is a young, fierce playmaker. They had a lot of solid contributors, but they need an infusion of young talent alongside Suh.
After the draft:
The Bucs got arguably the best right tackle in this year’s class, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, and only needed to trade up one spot in the first round to do so. They made two great picks after that: Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in the second round and Vanderbilt running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn in the third. All three players are potential day one starters.
Tampa waited until Day 3 to add to the defensive line, picking up Nebraska defensive tackle Khalil Davis and Temple linebacker Chapelle Russell.
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