The Tampa Bay Buccaneers endured their first season without the legend Tom Brady. Despite this loss, the Bucs improved from last year and won their division for the third straight year. They improved from 8-9 in 2022 to 9-8 in 2023, even making it to the second round of the playoffs. There were many ups and downs last season. Halfway through the season, the Bucs were 3-5 with a four-game losing streak. However, they ended the season very strong, winning six of their last eight games, including a playoff win against the Eagles. Though the season wasn't flashy, the season was an overall success.
Baker Mayfield was a big part of that success last year. Mayfield signed a one-year deal in the previous offseason. The Bucs brought him in as an experienced quarterback who could battle Kyle Trask for the starting job. Baker immediately proved he should be the starter by outperforming Trask in camp. During the season, Baker threw for over 4,000 yards and found a significant connection with Mike Evans. The connection resulted in a career-high in touchdowns for Evans and his most receiving yards in five years. Encouraged by what they saw last year, the Bucs signed Mayfield to a three-year contract extension worth up to 100 million dollars this offseason. The Bucs also signed Mike Evans to a new contract that will likely make him a Buccaneer for life. He's going into his eleventh NFL season and has posted at least 1,000 receiving yards in all of them, which is an NFL record.
The Bucs also saw a continuation of their excellent defense. The defense's success is due to head coach Todd Bowles, who's going into his third season as head coach but sixth season as the Bucs' defensive playcaller. A significant strength going into the season will be the defensive line. The Bucs hit on some rookie defensive linemen in the draft last year. They, alongside Vita Vea, will continue terrorizing offensive lines in the upcoming season. During the offseason, the Bucs did what any good team would do: retain your players. The Bucs resigned many key players this offseason, which is a significant plus for a playoff team. With a few key additions in the draft and free agency, the Buccaneers look to make a deep playoff push this season.
2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Coaching Staff and Front Office Personnel
- Head Coach: Todd Bowles (Third Year as Buccaneers Head Coach)
- Offensive Coordinator: Liam Coen (First Year as Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator)
- Defensive Coordinator: N/A (Todd Bowles handles the defense coordinator duties)
- Special Teams Coordinator: Thomas McGaughey (First Year as Buccaneers Special Teams Coordinator)
- Notable Assistant Coaches: Kacy Rodgers (Defensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator), Larry Foote (Passing Game Coordinator and Inside Linebackers Coach), Kevin Carberry (Offensive Line Coach), George Edwards (Outside Linebackers Coach), Thaddeus Lewis (Quarterback Coach), Skip Peete (Running Backs Coach), Bryan McClendon (Wide Receivers Coach), Justin Peelle (Tight Ends Coach), Tom Moore (Senior Offensive Assistant), Kevin Ross (Cornerbacks Coach), Nick Rapone (Safeties Coach).
- General Manager: Jason Lict (Eleventh Year as Buccaneers General Manager)
Notable Additions
- Free Agency: Ben Bredson (OL, Giants), Earnest Brown (DL, Rams), Bryce Hall (CB, Jets), Lorenz Metz (OL, Giants), Sua Opeta (OL, Eagles), Sterling Shepard (WR, Giants) Tavierre Thomas (CB, Texans), Cody Thompson (WR, Seahawks), Jordan Whitehead (S, Jets).
- Draft: Graham Barton (OL, Duke), Chris Braswell (LB, Alabama), Tykee Smith (S, Georgia), Jalen McMillan (WR, Washington), Bucky Irving (RB, Oregon), Elijah Klein (OL, UTEP), David Culp (TE, Washington)
- Trades: N/A
Notable Subtractions
- Free Agency: Devin White (LB, Eagles), David Moore (WR, Panthers), Nick Leverett (OL, Patriots), Aaron Stinnie (OL, Giants), Dee Delaney (S, Bills), Cam Gill (OLB, Panthers), Nick Leverett (OL, Patriots),
- Trades: Carlton Davis (CB, Lions)
- Released: Deven Thompkins (WR/KR, Panthers)
- Retired: Shaquil Barrett, Ryan Jenson
2023 Buccaneers Offensive Team Ranks
- 21.1 Points Per Game (18th)
- 323.9 Yards Per Game (20th)
- 233.6 Passing Yards Per Game, 90.4 Rushing Yards Per Game (12th and 31st)
- 41.22% Third Down Conversion Rate (9th)
- 48.08% Red Zone TD Percentage (27th)
- 18 Turnovers (26th)
2023 Buccaneers Defensive Team Ranks
-19.2 Points Allowed Per Game (5th)
-343.1 Yards Allowed Per Game (20th)
-249.6 Passing Yards Allowed Per Game, 93.5 Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game (28th and 4th)
-39.52% Third Down Conversion Rate Allowed (22nd)
-45% Red Zone Conversion Rate Allowed (3rd)
-26 Takeaways (t-13th)
What's Baking?
Last season witnessed a truly unexpected resurgence in the former number-one pick, Baker Mayfield. In 2021, when the Browns traded him away, it seemed like the end of Mayfield's days as a franchise QB in the NFL. He even played for two other teams in 2022, resulting in a 2-8 record as a starter. When the Bucs signed Mayfield, it appeared to be a roster-filling signing with very low risk. However, Baker defied all odds and had a phenomenal season, finishing with career highs across the stat sheet. His performance last season not only solidified himself as the QB of the future but also left us all pleasantly surprised. Baker now exudes a new form of confidence and a badge of resilience that could propel him to greater heights next season. While I'm not making any MVP predictions, I can see him earning another Pro Bowl invite.
One of the significant reasons for Mayfield's success was his connection with Mike Evans. The two fit perfectly together, and although Evans is an old vet, he is still an elite receiver. Evans, a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, has consistently been a top performer in the league. It has become cliche to see Mike Evans reach 1,000 receiving yards, a feat he has achieved in each of his first eight seasons. The NFL record holder is a statistic machine and a quarterback's best friend. He was so good last year that it almost seemed like a career resurgence. He, of course, is still and always has been one of the best receivers in the league. However, he made an All-Pro team this past season for the first time since his only other All-Pro selection in 2016.
His success has a lot to do with the quarterback. Yes, Baker Mayfield is not as good and will never be as good as Tom Brady. However, Mayfield's play style fits Evans a lot better. Mayfield is a gunslinger. He takes way more shots than Brady, leading to more turnovers and many more big plays. Evans is six foot five, which is a gunslinger's dream. Evans is a safety blanket for Mayfield, so whenever he's in doubt of where to throw it, he can always throw it up to big ol' Mike. We saw a similar thing happen when Jameis Winston was Quarterback. Mike Evans had the best numbers of his career, with Winston throwing the rock. Of course, Evans was much younger then, but Jameis was your prototypical gunslinger as well.
The Bucs' new offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record. In his first stint with the Kentucky Wildcats in 2021, he ran a high-powered offense led by Will Levis, a gunslinger like Baker. Levis's success in 2021 put him at the top of many draft boards and led Coen to become the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. Coen's familiarity with gunslingers and his successful past will undoubtedly boost Baker and Mike Evans this next season, instilling a sense of reassurance and confidence in their potential.
Fixing the Run Game
Last season, the Bucs struggled in the run game. They finished 31st in total rushing yards and dead last in rushing yards per attempt. The league is more pass-heavy now, but you still must establish the run. The lack of a rushing attack is surprising when you look at their offensive line. The Bucs have one of the best Offensive lines in the league, so creating holes isn't the issue. The problem is the running back room. Rachaad White was second in the entire league in rushing attempts but 14th in yards and 40th in yards per attempt. These numbers are simply unacceptable for a leading back. White is undoubtedly a remarkable receiving threat, but he needs more help in the running game.
I think Rachaad will find that help from rookie running back Bucky Iriving. Irving isn't precisely a bell-cow running back, but he's very efficient and should take some of the load off White. Irving was a very successful runner at Oregon. He ran for over 2100 yards in his final two years with the Ducks. Like White, Irving also was a significant threat in the passing game. The best part about Irving is that he averaged over six yards per rush attempt, almost double what White did for the Bucs last season. Of course, college football is a world different than the NFL. However, Irving's running scheme in Oregon will be very similar to the one that Liam Coen will implement this year. Because of his familiarity, he should have no trouble diving into this offense and may even have a leg up over other running backs.
This offense could significantly improve next season, potentially moving from the worst rushing attack in the league to a more respectable, mediocre level. The passing game was solid last year, but with every defense knowing they could stop the run whenever they pleased, it was often the sole focus of opposing teams. If the Buccaneers' rushing attack becomes even a modest threat, it could open up more opportunities for the passing game. While relying solely on a rookie running back to transform the rushing game is risky, White still offers hope. Rachaad is only going into his third year in the league, and at twenty-five years old, he still has a lot of potential.
The Bucs also have Chase Edmunds and Sean Tucker in the backfield. Edmunds is a solid depth piece with starting experience. However, he's similar in style to Bucky Irving and Rachaad White, and at twenty-eight, he's considered older in running back years. This means he's unlikely to get much playing time over Irving or White. On the other hand, I hope to see more of Sean Tucker next season. Tucker was a star at Syracuse, running for over 3,000 yards and thirty-one touchdowns in his three-year career. Tucker is a runner who can handle multiple carries and doesn't need to be involved in the passing game. During his Sophomore season at Syracuse, he was a unanimous All-American and was seen as the greatest running back at Syracuse since Jim Brown. Going into his third year, expectations were high, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Tucker declared for the draft and went undrafted in 2023, signing with the Bucs. Tucker only had twenty-three yards last season, but I believe he has the potential to tap into that sophomore year at Syracuse.
Cover More Than Your Own Shadow
On the other end of the ball, the defense was great at stopping the run. Opposing teams averaged less than 100 rushing yards per game against the Bucs last season, a performance that put the Bucs in the top five rushing defenses in the 2023 season. This is a significant achievement in the NFL, where the run game is crucial to many teams' offensive strategies. On the other hand, they were in the league's bottom half in terms of passing yards allowed. This, however, is very misleading because teams were way more pass-heavy against the Bucs because of how good their run defense was. The Bucs' defense received the sixth most pass attempts in the league but allowed the eighth least yards per pass attempt. Putting all of this in perspective alongside their low points per game shows just how great the defense last year was.
The most encouraging part about the great 2023 defense is that most of those players are coming back. The Bucs will also add former star safety Jordan Whitehead, who excelled in Tampa only a few years ago. His return is expected to bolster the team's defense, especially in the passing game. The defensive scheme was the same then as it is now, giving Jordan an easy learning curve to get back into the hang of things. He'll also be reuniting with first-team all-pro Antoine Winfield Jr.. The combo will be a nightmare for opposing offenses next season. Compiling this all together, I believe the floor for the 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers is very high. They are a solid, experienced team that finished last season hot. This dangerous combination could result in another division championship and multiple playoff wins.
Young Bulls in the Trenches
In the 2023 NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected two defensive linemen in the first three rounds. As of today, both of those picks have been absolute slam dunks. In the first round, they selected interior defensive lineman Calijah Kancey. Kancey was an undersized but very productive defensive tackle from Pitt. His background, of course, drew many comparisons to NFL legend Aaron Donald. Kancey backed up these comparisons by having ten tackles for loss and four sacks last year. His performance was good enough to have him finish tenth in Defensive Rookie of the Year. He even stepped things up in the playoffs. In the two playoff games the Bucs played, Kancey recorded another one-and-a-half sacks and two tackles for loss. Pairing him up with Vita Vea has proven to be a nasty duo that will only continue to improve next year.
Later in the third round, the Bucs struck gold with another defensive lineman, YaYa Diaby. Diaby is a freak of an athlete. Standing six feet three inches tall and weighing 276 pounds, he ran a 4.51-second forty-yard dash at the combine. His speed is faster than most running backs in the NFL. His athleticism resulted in production, too. Playing off the edge last season, Diaby recorded seven and a half sacks and twelve tackles for loss. This effort put him at the top of all rookie linemen, and he finished fifth in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Diaby was an absolute problem last year and will quickly fill the shoes of the great Shaq Barrett, who retired this off-season. Despite posting these great numbers, Diaby only started seven games last season. This number will undoubtedly improve this season, and those numbers should, too.
I also still have faith in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Tryon is a former first-round pick in 2022. He has yet to explode onto the scene but has shown flashes. He has thirteen sacks so far in his short career that's spanned three seasons. The Bucs also have Logan Hall on the interior defensive line. The former second-rounder has played for two years in Tampa and has yet to receive much production. He is still only twenty-four and a massive human with much untapped potential. The Bucs' defensive line, as a whole, is young and athletic. If things work out for these players and they reach their potential, the Bucs could be in for a terrifying defense.
Special Teams, Special Players
Special teams aren't the sexiest to discuss, but they are essential. Special teams are the most underrated aspect of football. Many games have been won or lost off of kickers. During the offseason, many fans and GMs are focused on their offenses and defenses, and rightfully so, but a poor specialist group can destroy your season. Whenever I want to emphasize the importance of special teams, I use the 2010 Chargers as an example. The 2010 San Diego Chargers are the only team in the history of the NFL to finish first statistically in total offense and total defense. By the numbers, the Chargers had the best offense and defense in the entire league, and when you watched them play, it looked like it, too. Do you know what their season resulted in? It resulted in them missing the playoffs. The reason they missed the playoffs was all due to their horrendous special team. The Chargers were bad everywhere on fourth downs. They missed game-winning field goals, blocked punts, and had opposing teams take kicks and punts back for touchdowns. The Chargers had it all happen to them, resulting in a meaningless season of wasted talent.
Thankfully, the Bucs have invested in some good special teams players. Last season, kicker Chase McLaughlin made twenty-nine out of his thirty-one field goal attempts, including a field goal from fifty-seven yards out. McLaughlin also made all thirty-three of his extra points. Having an accurate kicker is extremely valuable. Missing a kick is as bad as a turnover in some cases. When a kicker misses the uprights, the team loses out on points and gives the opposing team a good field position. Kickers are a tricky position, and some years are different from others, but if McLaughlin can continue his streak of good kicking, that will significantly impact the team's success.
The most made fun of position in possibly all of sports is punter. I understand the gimmick of making fun of them, but punting the football is very important, and if you have a good punter, you have a legitimate weapon on your team. Accurately punting the ball and landing it inside the ten-yard line is an art. The amount of skill it takes to do that without it bouncing in the end zone is something that most humans won't ever come close to. Punting is a field position game; having your opponent go ninety-five yards instead of eighty yards is massive. That's why the Bucs selected Jake Carmarda in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Carmarda was an elite punter in college, earning All-American and All-Conference honors. His strengths are easy to identify; it's his right leg. He can boom punts outside the stratosphere and did so last season. Carmarda had a seventy-four-yard punt the previous season, a career-long. He also averaged 50.1 yards per punt, the sixth-best in the NFL last season. His number of touchbacks and punts inside the twenty-yard line from the previous season also improved. Jake Carmarda is a weapon for the Bucs, and if he keeps up this trajectory going into his third season, he could make the Pro Bowl.
The Bottom Line
The Bucs have the advantage of having a team that is very familiar with each other and knows how to win. Many of the best guys on this roster were there for the Brady days and have won a Super Bowl. Lean into that and let them lead your team to the playoffs and beyond. The Bucs don't have a superstar quarterback, but they have a good enough one. You can win with Baker but can't win with him the same way Mahomes wins with the Chiefs. Baker can do enough to get you a win, but he needs help around him. The running game NEEDS to be better. You can't have Mayfield throwing the ball forty times a game because you can only get up to three yards on a run. Liam Coen knows how to draw up run plays that can work. He did it in Kentucky, and he's done it in the NFL. One of last year's most significant setbacks in the running game was relying too much on Rachaad White. White is a good back, but he's not a back that should be leading the league in rushing attempts. Find the stable running backs that every team in the NFL has nowadays. There should be at least three different running backs taking handoffs each game. If you don't have three capable backs on your team, find them. The NFL has an influx of running backs, and plenty are in free agency. You could even get creative with guys like Trey Palmer in the backfield. The point is, they need to run the football better because that'll open everything up.
The Bucs must continue to be what they have been on defense—a defense that doesn't give up points. Holding your opponent to under twenty points a game is fantastic in the modern NFL and will win you many games doing so. Adding Jordan Whitehead back to the safety room is a huge plus, and that safety duo between him and Winfield is one of, if not the best, duos in the league. The primary concern, however, is the cornerbacks. Last year, the corners, besides Jamel Dean, couldn't guard their own shadow. This fact led to the Bucs trading Carlton Davis away to the Lions. However, the issue still needs attention as they brought hardly anyone in through free agency and the draft. They took zero corners in the draft and only signed two in free agency. The two they signed were both backups at their previous teams as well. The lack of corner depth is a significant concern in my eyes. If they want any hope of going far in the playoffs, they better hope they either have a dominant pass rush or that Zyon McCollum improves drastically and Jamel Dean turns into an All-Pro.
Defined Buccaneers Strengths
- Talented Offensive Line with Two Top-Tier Tackles in Wirfs and Goedeke
- Experienced WRs with lots of Production
- Solid to Good QB Going into His Second Year with the Team
- Good to Excellent Defense That is Very Well-Coached
Defined Buccaneers Weaknesses
- Unproven Running Back Room Which Lacks Depth
- Questionable Cornerbacks Outside of Jamel Dean
- Breaking in a Brand New Offense That May Not be as Successful as Last Year
- The Team Lacks a High Ceiling and Doesn't Have the Star Power That Other Elite Teams Have
Buccaneers Seasonal Outlook
Record Ceiling: 12-4
Record Floor: 7-10
NFC South Finishing Position Prediction: 1st
Team MVP: Antoine Winfield Jr.
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