Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Offseason Wants, Needs & Preview

[Finished 11-5 Overall]

Going into 2020, no one knew how Tom Brady would adapt to a new team, a new city, a new scheme, and a new group of teammates. Add in a new coach with a different style from Bill Belichick and it wouldn't have been shocking for Brady to have an off-year, at least by his standards. Following a frustrating 7-5 start, Tampa Bay entered their bye week knowing a change was needed, especially if they wanted to make the playoffs. After some serious reflection and improvement in communication between both teammates and coaches, Brady and the Bucs never looked back. From Week 13 on, the Bucs went 8-0, including a victorious trip to the Super Bowl. Getting to the Super Bowl is a long and hard journey, but Brady has made it look easy. The GOAT has taken part in a decades-worth of Super Bowls between his old team and his new one. In a year when COVID disrupted practices, schedules, and truthfully, the entire season, the Buccaneers came out on top. Tom Brady went on to toss trophies after tossing back too much tequila on a boat, living his best life, but he wasn’t the only player to contribute to the success this franchise had in 2020.

Kicking off last season, Tampa Bay already had offensive weapons in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Cameron Brate, and Ronald Jones, not to mention a stout offensive line. Adding future Hall of Famers Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown made this offense that much deadlier. Plus, these weren’t the only moves the Bucs made prior to the start of last season. They also added playoff hero Leonard Fournette, who was almost released prior to the bye for playing at such a poor level. The Bucs also hit home runs on rookies LT Tristan Wirfs and S Antoine Winfield. Transitioning from Jameis Winston and his 30 interceptions to signing Tom Brady was also a pretty big deal.

In the midst of last season, offensive depth pieces Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson stepped up when players were hurt, but the unsung heroes of this team were the Buccaneers' defensive linemen. Early in the season, the Bucs lost the heart of their defense, Vita Vea. However, his return was timed perfectly. Entering playoffs, this defense was almost impossible to run on, averaging less than 90 yards allowed a game. The Buccaneers' defensive line dominated in the Super Bowl, but their success was on display all season. This defensive unit was 3rd in the league in sacks and 1st in fewest rushing yards allowed. The trenches are where football games are won. The Bucs play a very vertical offense, which makes time paramount for a 43-year-old quarterback who lacks mobility. Tampa’s offensive line gave up the fewest sacks in the NFL and was second-best in short-yardage rushing situations.

With all that success, it’s often difficult to retain coaches and key players while working around a tight salary cap. At the beginning of March, the Bucs had 30 restricted and unrestricted free agents heading into free agency. The heroics of a few players led to major success for the organization as a whole this offseason. Part of what makes Tom Brady unique is his willingness to take less money to surround himself with optimal talent. Mike Evans also stepped up to restructure his contract in order to free up cap space to keep key players on this roster. This offseason, the Bucs franchise-tagged Chris Godwin, re-signed Lavonte David, re-signed Shaq Barrett, re-signed Rob Gronkowski, re-signed Ndamukong Suh, re-signed Leonard Fournette, and re-signed Ryan Succop. Being able to bring back all of this talent while keeping the coaching staff almost fully intact, the Buccaneers are going to try to bring home another Lombardi trophy in 2021.

Offensive Unit

Quarterback

"No risk it, no biscuit." That's the mantra behind Bruce Arians' vertical offense. Meanwhile, Tom Brady was pegged as a dink and dunk passer who rarely took chances to limit his incompletions and interceptions. On paper, these two were certainly not a match made in heaven. Whether it was getting on the same page as his new teammates, adjusting to a new offense, or just bad luck, Brady came out the gate failing to live up to expectation. That brings the question: what can be done in a week off? What really can possibly change for a team struggling in the passing game? When the GOAT is your quarterback, a heck of a lot can be fixed in a short period of time! After the Bucs' Week 13 bye, we saw a dramatic change in play-calling, upping play-action from 13% to 27%. This play design was so successful that it propelled the Bucs to the No. 1 passing offense in the league from weeks 14-21. The Bucs are a team that is loaded at the wide receiver and tight end positions, allowing them to begin sprinkling in new wrinkles to the looks as well. They began playing with 11 personnel (3-WR sets) and 12 personnel (2-TE sets) based on their opponents' strengths and weaknesses. The fast-paced style of offense never changed, and as Brady became more comfortable, the Bucs offense ended up finishing 4th in the NFL in pace of play.

At 43 years old, most would expect regression from TB12, but you would be sadly mistaken. It could be thanks to a secret ingredient in the ice cream, but Brady went on to throw his most TDs (40) since 2017, and most total yards (4,633) since 2015. To the critics who questioned if Brady had the arm strength to operate an Arians offense, think again. Brady improved upon his yards per completion average of 7.6 in 2020 to 9.6 in 2021, which was second-best in the NFL. With most of his offensive weapons returning, it would be hard for anyone to bet against Thomas Patrick Edward Brady in 2021.

Wide Receiver

Chris Godwin will be returning to the Buccaneers in 2021 with a fresh franchise tag, finishing as the fantasy football WR 25 overall. Godwin averaged 14.3 PPR points per game and next season, we should expect similar numbers given his age and the fact that he's entering a contract year. Godwin had plenty of baller games, but he had to deal with a broken finger which led to his frustrating late-season drops. Much like last season, volume will be a concern for all these weapons returning to this offense.

One player who is ready to suit up for the Bucs after restructuring his contract is Mike Evans. Evans has been a model of consistency so far in his career. He has posted 1,000-yard seasons in each of his first seven years in the NFL. This is a rare club to be in. The club's sole dancer is Mike Evans, no one else has ever achieved this milestone in the history of the NFL. Evans finished as the WR 15 overall and averaged 15.2 PPR points per game in 2020.

When not roaming around Tom Brady’s house, free-agent Antonio Brown had some impressive production. Even though most of this production came at the expense of injuries to Godwins or Evans, AB averaged 13.4 PPR points per game. It is expected Mr. Big Chest returns at a team-friendly cap number, and if not, the Bucs have replacements on the roster in Scotty Miller, Tyler Johnson, and Justin Watson.

Tight End

Prior to the start of 2020 free agency, Rob Gronkowski had a different title on his mind. Gronk was busy body slamming opponents in the WWE and a return to the gridiron following retirement seemed unfathomable. News of Tom Brady's migration to warmer waters spread like wildfire. All it took was a phone call to his buddy Gronk, and Brady was able to persuade his former teammate to join him in Tampa. The band was reunited and ready for another chance at a Super Bowl victory. Back in 2020, Gronk was brought in on a 1-year deal, and so he was expected to become a free agent this offseason. No surprise here, Gronk has re-signed with the Bucs for another year. Cameron Brate is a restricted free agent and O.J. Howard is a cut candidate as his release would save the Bucs $6M in cap space. If Brate is not brought back we could see Tampa add a backup tight end in the upcoming NFL draft or through free agency.

Running Back

Lombardi Lenny/Playoff Lenny/Uncle Lenny was set to be a free agent but decided to run it back with Tampa Bay in 2021. Leonard Fournette got off to a slow start in the 2020 season, ceding touches to a fellow former first-round pick, Ronald Jones II. However, as the season progressed, Fournette started to take over the lead duties. Eventually, he transformed into "Playoff Lenny", totaling 300 rushing yards, 148 receiving yards, and four touchdowns en route to the Buccaneers Super Bowl win. The Bucs went on to finish 10th best in overall rushing production. Historically, Bruce Arians has used a committee of running backs, and so Fournette's upside may be capped.

Offensive Line

This offensive line was one of the most menacing units in the NFL. All 5 members are under contract entering the 2021 season, though we can see some depth pieces added and possible upgrades to the guard position.

Defensive Unit

Let’s start off by saying the game plan orchestrated by Todd Bowles in the Super Bowl may have been one of, if not the greatest, defensive coaching performances we have witnessed in our lifetime. To leave the great Patrick Mahomes throwing from his knees and the prolific Chiefs offense without a touchdown was pure insanity. We may never see that again. What makes the Bucs unique is their ability to take away the run and put pressure on the quarterback. This defensive unit sent pressure at the 3rd highest rate in the NFL. The Bucs stout front was savage, converting the 5th most sacks in the league. They forced teams to abandon the run while only having a 4 man rush. All of this helped this defense slow down the game, and thereby landed them at the 8th fewest points allowed in the NFL.

Entering the season, the young cornerback unit (25 or younger) was thought to be this team's weakness, even after years of tinkering at the position via the draft and free agency. However, in 2020, the young corners stepped up for Tampa Bay in a significant way, and there's no reason to believe they will not continue to show improvement next season. Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean both became lockdown corners who teams struggled to move the ball on. Even though slot-corner Sean Murphy-Bunting had big playoff interceptions, he remains the weak link of this unit and could be someone the Bucs consider upgrading from. At safety, rookie Antoine Winfield was as good as his high second-round pick advertised, but at free safety, Jordan Whitehead could be replaced by better talent.

At linebacker, Lavonte David was dominant in both coverage and rushing defense. Still, the Bucs must've found buried treasure to put up the funds to re-sign Shaq Barrett on the first day of free agency. Over the past two seasons, Barrett has combined for 22.5 sacks by himself. Jason Pierre-Paul had 8 sacks as well, but the team has very little depth behind them if any of these key pieces were to miss time.

Too Long Didn't Read Version

Out of all the teams that we have covered this offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the most complete team entering the 2021 season. They have been able to retain most of their talent, and with health on their side, they may go back to back in 2021. The only player that has yet to be brought back under contract is Antonio Brown. The wide receiver market has moved slow and they have members on the roster who can replace him for cheaper. Every player on this team is set up for success on both offense and defense. The Bucs are locked and loaded at every position.