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TAMPA BAY BUCS: AN INTERESTING OFF-SEASON

Anthony Cosa

WRITTEN BY: Anthony Cosa
WRITTEN BY: Anthony Cosa

The season has come to a disappointing end in Tampa Bay, losing a heartbreaker on a last second field goal to the Washington Commanders. There can be plenty of fingers pointed in several directions, from the Defenses inability to get off the field - The untimely (yet common) fumble from Baker Mayfield - or the poor clock management from Todd Bowles (again). I would like to address more than just the playoff stinker at home because there isn’t much benefit to dwelling on the negatives and there is actually quite a bit to look forward to. 


With the offseason officially here for the Bucs, we can now add players to the practice squad and I’d imagine we would make use of that by adding extra linebackers and corners. Our injury bug was quietly the biggest culprit behind this up and down season. Our lack of depth at interior LB and Corner reared its head on us throughout the entire season. From Jamel Dean to Antoine Winfield Jr we had some of our biggest pieces out for multiple games on the defensive side of the ball. Sprinkle in the Godwin and Evans injuries and it's actually surprising we were able to win the division. Practice squad moves aren't always the most exciting thing for fans but it is important nonetheless. 


Optimistic offensive outlook: I have been overly critical on Baker Mayfield. I hate the turnovers and I feel like he may be overrated by our fan base. He was a journey-man QB before coming to Tampa.. how could he be our "guy"? We’ve been fortunate to have back to back GREAT offensive coordinators and that has benefited Mayfield more than anything else. With that, I will also note that he has surpassed EVERY single expectation I placed on him. Not that it matters much from me, I just want to be transparent that I have opinions but will also admit when I am wrong...and I was wrong about Baker. He has played exceptionally well over the past two seasons. There is plenty to go over concerning our offense before next season.



  1.  Vets and Youth. It has yet to be determined what we will do with Chris Godwin. But we will still have Mike Evans. If we retain Godwin that would leave us with the two vets and young WR McMillan who came along well in the last quarter of the season. Our WR core still seems strong. If we do not retain Godwin I fully expect to sign a vet via free agency or draft someone in the top half of the draft. 

  2.  Hidden Potential. We have several young players on offense that seem to have a high ceiling. 

    A. Bucky Irving: We saw what he was capable of. Slowly peeled the snap count away from Rachaad White as the season went on. I do think Bucky benefited from a split backfield. I think White’s role will still be pass pro 

    B. Rachaad White: This upcoming season is the last on his contract. I, however, expect his "traditional" role to diminish even further next season with the emergence of Sean Tucker. I also see White being used in formation as a slot WR or lined up near the line of scrimmage similar to how other teams use gadget guys. He can be used in ways comparable to Deebo Samuel or Jayden Reed. Try to make use of his vision and ability to run in space.

    C. Sean Tucker: This is a young back with very few miles on him. At 23 years old he is both the fastest and strongest back on the current roster. Although that isn't always key for success, (Bucky has a horrid 40 time at 4.55) I think he displayed how he can be beneficial to this offense next season. I think he will garner more carries in 2025. 

    D. Devin Culp: I had the chance to take my brother to the open training camps this past off-season. The two most impressive things to see during our time there were McMillan making play after play - and Devin Culp running circles around the entire TE group. Culp is just a monster of a prospect. He is 6’4, 240 and unquestionably the fastest and most fluid player on our roster, at that position. During positional drills, Culp looked as if he were a WR and made the others look like O linemen. There was a massive difference athletically. Culp’s combine 40 yard dash was the fastest in his position and 3rd fastest for players weighing 230 pounds or more. I am way too excited to see him build off his limited opportunity this season. 

  3.  Offensive Line. Our offensive line seems to have gotten better year over year. I expect them to continue to improve and would not be surprised to see us draft another guy pretty high to solidify this unit and compete for the best unit in the league. 






Defensive outlook:  There isn't nearly as much optimism from my end on the defensive side of the ball so I will keep this short and sweet. We have some glaring needs. Lavonte David won’t play forever. Winfield Jr. and Dean can’t stay healthy and we still don’t have that elite edge guy. If there is any optimism for me when talking about our defense into next season it would be that Tykee Smith had some good moments and Diaby seems to have that motor you want from an edge. Our defensive front is by far the best part of the defense. Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey look poised to dominate the interior next season. Other than that we have a lot of question marks concerning our defensive backs and linebacker unit. I fully expect us to be aggressive in acquiring an interior linebacker and more cornerbacks. Whether that is through free agency or the draft will have to play in the near future.

coaching changes looming in Tampa... or are they?
coaching changes looming in Tampa... or are they?

COACHING STAFF:  This is the biggest concern looming in Tampa Bay. Several division titles and playoff appearances in a row and yet it still feels… underwhelming? We digressed this season by failing to win a playoff game. Our head coach Todd Bowles is a defensive coach and our defense felt… underwhelming? This seems to be the consensus and I have seen hundreds (no exaggeration) of negative remarks on Bowles throughout the past two seasons. But can we really move on from a guy that continued our playoff appearances and competitive seasons? I will play both sides and explain what I feel regarding this matter. 


The biggest focal point in my opinion isn’t keeping or firing Bowles directly, It’s retaining Liam Coen. We have been fortunate to have two offensive coordinators that allowed us to have top 10 offenses in back to back seasons. What do we need to do in order to keep Coen? IF (big if here) Coen is interested in becoming a head coach and that his his goal RIGHT NOW - then I think the best thing to do would be demote/fire Bowles and allow Coen to fill in. There are guys like Robert Saleh or my personal favorite candidates from college, Glenn Schumann (Georgia) and Phil Parker (Iowa) who are great defensive minds and could become defensive coordinators in the NFL. 


The scenario in which I can see Bowles remaining the head coach for at least one of his final two years on his contract would be if Coen is content with gaining some more experience as a coordinator and wants to remain in Tampa to “run it back” . Similar to what happened in Detroit. If that’s the case I am sure fans would be frustrated and social media would be on fire demanding Bowles to walk the plank. There are plenty of scenarios that could wind up happening this off season but the worst case scenario in my opinion would be to lose Coen AND keep Bowles. I think that would set the franchise back. 


The option that worries me most is that Tampa decides to rebuild. Lavonte retires, Godwin doesn’t re-sign. Evans gets traded to a contender and we use Mayfield to bridge us to the next generation. No Bowles. No Coen. No more Tampa Legends. Just new faces all around. This would be a sad time in Tampa but at some point it will happen, hopefully not this season. 


I would like to thank those of you for reading and supporting me and my novice level journalism. I look forward to creating some more content for our beloved Buccaneers.


  • Anthony Cosa

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