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a day ago
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NFL offseason power rankings: No. 8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers ready to take the next step
Two teams beat the Detroit Lions in the regular season in 2024. One was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they did so in Detroit. There was another 15-2 team in the NFL last season. The Kansas City Chiefs won 15 of their first 16 games, but in one of those 15 wins the Buccaneers took them to overtime at Arrowhead Stadium. Had Bucs head coach Todd Bowles not made the mistake of going for the extra point and overtime with 27 seconds left, Tampa Bay might have been the only team in the NFL to win at Detroit and Kansas City last season. The Lions and Chiefs were 29-3 in all other games. There have been nine 15-win teams in NFL history, and the Bucs came very close to beating two of them last season. On the road. The Buccaneers weren't close to a 15-win team but were pretty good. They won the NFC South. Five of their seven losses (and a playoff loss) came by seven points or less, and the other two came against the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos, both of which were playoff teams. Tampa Bay's season wasn't celebrated much because it played in a bad division, it lost seven games and was knocked off on a last-second field goal by the Washington Commanders in a wild-card playoff game, But there was plenty to be excited about in Tampa Bay going forward. "There is a lot to be proud of," quarterback Baker Mayfield said after the playoff loss, via AP. "In this moment, that's hard to see, but there's a lot of young guys that are going to be on this roster next [season] that had to step up and did in a big way. That should build confidence for those guys, knowing that who they are as players and as men in adversity situations, to be able to step up like they did." [Get more Bucs news: Tampa team feed] The next step is becoming more consistent. That's the path to entering the NFL's elite. "We've got to play not even better football at the end, but we've got to have killer instinct," Bowles said. "We've got to try to blow people out and try to win the division instead of it going down to the last week." The fact that Bowles would speak in the offseason about winning the division before the last week of the season speaks to the Buccaneers' mindset and expectations going into the season. Squeezing out a division title in a bad NFC South isn't good enough anymore. They are good enough to be one of those teams that clinches a division title a few weeks before the season ends and then focuses on improving its seed. It just hasn't happened yet. Maybe this is the season. The rest of the NFC South has plenty of questions. The Saints and Panthers were among the bottom four teams in this offseason ranking. The Falcons could contend in the division but are no guarantee to improve after going 8-9. Tampa Bay has an absolutely loaded offense, led by Mayfield and bolstered by a very good 2024 draft class, and there are reasons to believe the defense can carry over an improvement from late last season. Tampa's defense doesn't need to be great when its offense is coming off a 502-point season and should be even better. Tampa Bay was among the NFL's elite teams when Tom Brady was there. Then the Bucs struck gold in resuscitating Mayfield's career; he has been excellent the past two seasons. Maybe this is the season the Bucs get back to that level they were at in the Brady era. Offseason grade When the Buccaneers went on the clock with the 19th overall draft pick, defense was their biggest need and there were plenty of good players available on that side of the ball. Instead, Tampa Bay went with the best player available and took Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka. It wasn't a need, but it might give the Bucs the best receiving group in the NFL. Tampa Bay addressed its biggest need in the second and third rounds by picking cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. Tampa Bay made it a priority to bring back franchise icons Chris Godwin and Lavonte David, and both of them signed extensions. That didn't leave much money for additions. The Buccaneers had only one big outside free agent (unless you're a fan of punter Riley Dixon), and it was an interesting one. They paid pass rusher Haason Reddick $14 million over one year after his disastrous season with the Jets. Reddick had double-digit sacks each season from 2020-23 before posting just one last season in New York after a long holdout. If Reddick, who will turn 31 in September, is anywhere near double digit sacks this season it will be a huge boost to the Bucs' defense. Grade: B Quarterback report It's scary to lose an offensive coordinator like Liam Coen to a head-coaching job. Coen did a great job with Tampa Bay's offense last season. But that happened a year earlier to the Bucs with Dave Canales and they were fine. Baker Mayfield has become the type of quarterback who gets his offensive coordinators promoted to bigger jobs. Mayfield is coming off a 4,500-yard, 41-touchdown season with a career best 106.8 passer rating. He had never been above 95.9. The Buccaneers promoted Josh Grizzard, who was Tampa Bay's pass game coordinator last season, so there should be some continuity in the offense. Mayfield believes his offense can get even better. He wants more passing downfield. The Buccaneers' site pointed out that while Tampa Bay was sixth in the NFL in yards per attempt last season at 7.9, the team's average air yards attempt ranked 29th at 6.8. The Bucs were great at yards after catch, but Mayfield says there's more to unlock. "We're trying to get some more explosive [plays] in," Mayfield said, via the team's site. "Obviously, when you look at the stats — I'm not a big stats guy, but we weren't as much down-the-field explosive. We were creating a lot of open, in the middle, and guys getting some YAC." BetMGM odds breakdown From Yahoo's Ben Fawkes: 'There's nothing particularly flashy about the Bucs, who are favored in 12 games this season, including their final six. Drafting Emeka Egbuka in Round 1 should help complement the future Hall of Famer Mike Evans, and TE Cade Otton emerged as a legit target last season, in part due to injuries. The pass rush isn't anything to write home about, but the good news for Tampa Bay is that it finds itself playing again this year in the NFC South. Tampa Bay is favored in all six divisional games and is the clear -110 favorite to win the division at BetMGM. The Bucs also benefit from likely playing only two cold-weather games all season, but star tackle Tristan Wirfs will miss the start of the season." Yahoo's fantasy take From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "The Buccaneers can't be that worried about Chris Godwin's return from ankle surgery — they gave him a three-year deal in March, after all. But the team also isn't guaranteeing that Godwin will be ready to play Week 1. The Yahoo draft market has kept Godwin in the Top 80, which might be optimistic given the crowding in this passing game — Mike Evans is still here, Emeka Egbuka was drafted in the first round and Jalen McMillan had moments in his rookie season. It's also worth noting that Godwin has not been a dynamic touchdown scorer with Baker Mayfield, spiking a modest seven times over their 24 games together. Unless the draft price comes down, I'll be avoiding Godwin in August." Stat to remember The Buccaneers' defense wasn't a mystery last season. It was good against the run and below average against the pass. Therefore, opponents just passed on them all season. Tampa Bay faced the second most pass attempts in the NFL last season and was 30th in rush attempts faced. You wouldn't want to run against Bucs mountainous defensive tackle Vita Vea either. Injuries to cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. also invited teams to pass more against the Bucs. Teams will attack the Bucs again that way to start this season. If one or both of rookie cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish can emerge as productive players right away, that would help tremendously. Even though the Buccaneers were not great against the pass last season, even in per-play numbers and efficiency metrics, the defense got much better in the final third of the season. From Weeks 12-18, Tampa Bay was third in the NFL in EPA (expected points added) allowed, just ahead of Philadelphia and Denver. The Bucs were fourth in success rate allowed. Their pass defense was fourth and seventh in EPA and success rate allowed in that stretch, and the NFL's best in EPA per rush allowed by a wide margin. If Tampa Bay can come anywhere close to carrying over that defensive effectiveness to this season, it would pair well with an offense that has a very high ceiling. Burning question Could the Buccaneers have the NFL's best offense? Here is a list of Buccaneers offensive players who have either played at a Pro Bowl level, have had stretches of stellar play or are young and have the upside to be among the best at their position: QB Baker Mayfield, RB Bucky Irving, WRs Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka, TE Cade Otton (he had a 25-258-3 line over three games last season when needed and his role increased), OT Tristan Wirfs, C Graham Barton. That's eight blue-chip or potential blue-chip players on one offense, with other solid backups like RB Rachaad White and WR Jalen McMillan and above-average offensive linemen across the board (Pro Football Focus has Tampa Bay ranked as the No. 6 offensive line in the NFL, and Sharp Football has the Bucs at No. 4). Tampa Bay's rushing and passing offense was top six in EPA (expected points added) and success rate metrics last season, third in yards gained and fourth in points scored. It isn't too much of a stretch to imagine the Bucs having the best offense in the league this season. There are roadblocks. Wirfs' knee injury is a big concern; he's one of the best tackles in the NFL and will likely miss at least the first four games on the PUP list, according to ESPN. Losing offensive coordinator Liam Coen to the Jaguars' head coaching job can't be ignored. Coen was fantastic last season. There are other very good offenses like the Ravens or Lions who are better bets to lead the NFL in most offensive categories. But Tampa Bay is only a top five offense again, that's pretty good. Best-case scenario The Buccaneers have an edge the Eagles, Lions, Rams, 49ers and other NFC contenders don't have. Tampa Bay plays in the worst division in the conference. If the Falcons (who haven't had a winning season since 2017) are just average again, the Buccaneers could win the division by a few games. And if the other divisions beat themselves up, it's not outrageous to believe the Bucs could backdoor their way into a No. 1 seed. Baker Mayfield had a circuitous route to being a top-10 quarterback, but that's his level now. The offense should be one of the NFL's best, as long as left tackle Tristan Wirfs returns and is healthy. Tampa's defense wasn't terrible last season and if it can creep up just a bit after a big improvement down the stretch, the Buccaneers will be dangerous. It would sneak up on a lot of people, but we might look up in the second half of the season and realize the Bucs are Super Bowl contenders. Nightmare scenario Every year we underrate the loss of good coordinators. While it seems like the transition from Liam Coen to Josh Grizzard should be seamless, Coen was one of the NFL's best coordinators last season and Grizzard has never run an offense before. Maybe the downgrade will be a big problem. Also, Mike Evans won't be racking up 1,000-yard seasons forever, Chris Godwin is coming off a serious ankle injury and Emeka Egbuka is an unproven rookie. Perhaps the Bucs' offense won't be as good as it looks on paper, especially if elite left tackle Tristan Wirfs never gets right, and the defense is far from elite. Tampa Bay lost seven regular-season games and went one-and-done in the playoffs; perhaps it's just a bad division merchant. And it's not like the Falcons don't feel good about their chances of improving and passing the Bucs. The crystal ball says I'm high on the Buccaneers. Offensive success is fairly predictable from year to year, and the Bucs' offense was very good last season. With Chris Godwin back in the lineup, Emeka Egbuka on board and Bucky Irving being the RB1 from the beginning of the season on, Tampa Bay should be even better on offense. Todd Bowles is a good defensive coach and there is some talent on that side, so the strides made there late last season could stick. I'm not buying the Falcons taking much of a jump this season, and that would leave the Buccaneers as the best team in the division by a wide margin. I don't think Tampa Bay will be the NFC's No. 1 seed, but if the division is as soft as I think it might be, the Bucs have a shot at it. I'm likely far more bullish on the Buccaneers than the consensus, but that's OK. This team is about to level up to being a contender.
Yahoo
6 days ago
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Bucs' Safety Falls in NFL Position Rankings
Bucs' Safety Falls in NFL Position Rankings originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense took a step back last season as the unit suffered injuries to key players and poor play from replacements. Advertisement Ranking near the bottom of most defensive categories to end the season, Todd Bowles' unit hopes to rebound this year. General manager Jason Licht addressed the defense in free agency and in the draft this year, hoping some fresh faces will contribute to a rebound. But a return to health will also be a positive factor. After placing at No. 1 in the safety rankings last offseason, Antoine Winfield Jr. fell to No. 7 this season in ESPN's Jeremy Fowler's rankings, admittedly due to his injuries last season. "Winfield's lack of splash in 2024 was noticeable, especially coming off an all-world performance the previous season that earned him a four-year, $84 million contract extension," Fowler wrote. "Injuries held Winfield to nine games, and he never got in a rhythm of disrupting the football. He finished the season with zero interceptions, 3 pass deflections, 2 sacks and zero forced fumbles. That was a big drop from 2023, when he recorded 6 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions. 'He plays just like his dad [former NFL cornerback Antoine Winfield], great tackler, always around the ball,' an NFL coordinator said. 'But with his size mixed with that physicality, you worry about his durability, and that showed up last year.' Advertisement "Voters are largely willing to give Winfield a pass for last year. After all, he is still in his prime." Winfield is expected to be a big part of the Bucs' defense this season, alongside Christian Izien, Tykee Smith, Zyon McCollum and newcomers Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison. Related: Falcons QB Pays Buccaneers Huge Compliment Related: Buccaneers' Improved Position Group Gets Sour Offseason Ranking This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
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Buccaneers' Defensive Back Tabbed for 'Substantial Role' in 2025
Buccaneers' Defensive Back Tabbed for 'Substantial Role' in 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Going into training camp last year, one of the fiercest battles on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' roster was at cornerback. Advertisement Third-rounder Tykee Smith ended up being a big part of that secondary during his rookie season for the Bucs, and he's got an inside track to do even more in 2025. Smith posted two interceptions, 54 total tackles with 38 solo and four for loss and added a pair of QB hits across 13 games and six starts at safety and nickel corner. Heading into 2025, The Athletic's Dan Pompei believes Smith could have an even larger role in the defense. "Smith was too productive as a rookie nickel corner in 2024 not to have a more substantial role in 2025." Pompei wrote. "He had two interceptions, seven pass breakups, four tackles for loss and three forced fumbles, which led coach Todd Bowles to think about getting him on the field more. Smith, who played safety at Georgia, will have an opportunity to be on the field for all four downs, perhaps as a safety-nickel combination player. Advertisement "In addition to production, he also has a pedigree. He was a four-star recruit by Rivals, an All-American (and two-time national champion) at Georgia and a third-round draft pick. Playing next to a healthy Antoine Winfield Jr. could bring out Smith's best." Smith added three forced fumbles and seven passes defended last season, solidifying his role as the nickelback, although missing four games with a knee injury and a concussion. Related: Buccaneers' New Pass Rusher Labeled 'Player to Root For' Related: Buccaneers' Star Defensive Tackle Predicted for Breakout Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 NFL Season Preview
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 NFL Season Preview originally appeared on Athlon Sports. [Editor's note: This article is from Athlon Sports' 2025 NFL Preview Magazine. Order your copy today online or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.] Advertisement Death, taxes and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning the NFC South. It sure feels that way, as the Bucs took home the division crown for the fourth year in a row in 2024, maintaining the NFC's longest active streak with five straight playoff appearances by overcoming some critical injuries and a four-game losing streak. They are poised to be the division favorites in 2025, with most of last year's starting lineup returning. Key veteran free agents like wide receiver Chris Godwin and linebacker Lavonte David signed new contracts, and the entire starting offense returns for a unit that ranked in the top five in both rushing and passing last season. Continuity has been king in Tampa Bay, and even after losing offensive coordinator Liam Coen to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bucs kept most of his staff in-house, promoting Josh Grizzard to the top play-calling job. Head coach Todd Bowles has won the division every year since taking over for Bruce Arians, and he's in position to do it again. Offense After enjoying a career year in 2024, quarterback Baker Mayfield is back to lead a Bucs offense that returns every single starter from last year's top-five unit. Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans is back for a 12th season, and while Godwin will be working his way back from a season-ending ankle injury, the Bucs gave him a hefty three-year contract extension as a vote of confidence in his ability to return to full strength and Pro Bowl form. Wideout Jalen McMillan finished his rookie season strong in Godwin's stead last year, catching seven touchdown passes over the final five games of the regular season. That loaded group didn't stop the Bucs from spending their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka, who should immediately give Tampa Bay arguably the best four-man receiver group in the NFL. The entire tight end room is back from last season, too, led by a reliable target in Cade Otton. Advertisement Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker MayfieldTim Heitman-Imagn Images The offensive line is anchored by left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who earned first-team All-Pro honors last year for the second time in his five-year career, becoming the first player in NFL history to garner that accolade at both left and right tackle in different seasons. Left guard Ben Bredeson earned a new three-year deal and a solid raise after playing well on a cheaper one-year deal last year, and the rest of the unit is full of young talent — second-year center Graham Barton (last year's first-round pick), right guard Cody Mauch and right tackle Luke Goedeke. That unit in the trenches helped Tampa Bay improve from one of the league's worst rushing offenses over the previous two seasons to one of the best, creating more space to work for running backs Bucky Irving and Rachaad White. White entered last season as the starter, with the rookie Irving in a relief role, but Irving's explosiveness and big-play ability flipped that script by the end of the year, and White is likely to be the change-of-pace back in 2025. Former undrafted free agent Sean Tucker showed flashes of potential in limited action last year as well and brings a valuable element of power and physicality that rounds out one of the league's best backfields. Defense Despite having a defensively minded head coach in Bowles, it's Tampa Bay's lack of consistency and depth on that side of the ball that has been their biggest struggle during his tenure. The first order of business will be improving a pass rush that failed to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks without sending extra rushers, which exposed a back seven that didn't have the depth to overcome multiple injuries throughout the year. The Bucs are hoping that the offseason addition of veteran free-agent outside linebacker Haason Reddick will provide a boost in that area, along with the development of young linebackers Yaya Diaby and Chris Braswell. Advertisement At 347 pounds, Vita Vea anchors the Bucs' solid run defense as one of the league's most dominant nose tackles, while tackle Calijah Kancey provides the lightning to Vea's thunder as a disruptive interior presence against both the run and pass. Logan Hall showed flashes of improvement last season, and if Hall can build on that success, it would be a huge win for the Tampa Bay defense this season. Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images David should have a gold jacket waiting for him at the end of his career, but it'll have to wait another year, as the longtime stalwart signed another one-year deal to lead the Tampa Bay defense in the middle. The Bucs are hopeful that third-year linebacker SirVocea Dennis can finally stay healthy and lock down the other inside linebacker spot alongside David, but veteran Anthony Walker Jr. will improve the depth behind him after signing in free agency. The majority of the secondary is back from last season, led by All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. on the back end. After spending time at both safety and in the slot/nickel role as a rookie, Tykee Smith is likely to settle in full time next to Winfield as the last line of defense, giving Bowles another versatile playmaker he can move around the defense. Smith's permanent move to safety will likely be made easier by the Bucs double-dipping on cornerbacks early in the 2025 NFL Draft, spending back-to-back Day 2 picks on Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. Both have proven they can play both outside and in the slot, but Morrison is likely to push returning starters Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum for one of the starting jobs on the outside, while Parrish could supplant incumbent veteran Christian Izien for the slot/nickel spot. Dean has been solid when healthy, but nagging injuries have kept him off the field far too often, while McCollum made a giant leap in this third season and is primed to assert himself as the Bucs' top cover man. Advertisement Specialists Placekicker Chase McLaughlin remains a source of comfort for the Bucs, having converted 59 of his 63 field-goal attempts over the past two seasons (93.7%). On the other side of the spectrum, Tampa Bay has struggled to find consistency and reliability in the punting game, which led them to sign veteran Riley Dixon in free agency this offseason. Evan Deckers missed a decent chunk of last season but is back to handle the long-snapping duties this year. Final Analysis Few teams in the NFL have enjoyed the level of continuity that Tampa Bay brings to the table yet again this season, and the Bucs' track record of success speaks for itself. The goal in 2025 will be to raise that floor of being the perennial No. 4 seed in the playoffs as the NFC South champs to a ceiling that challenges for an NFC title game appearance or potential Super Bowl run. If the pass rush improves and the defense can create more big plays and takeaways, and the offense can avoid the devastating injuries to key players that plagued it during its worst stretches in 2024, there's reason to believe Mayfield can lead the Bucs to those heights. Keeping their offensive scheme intact despite changing coordinators yet again could be the most underrated reason why the Bucs will be a championship contender in 2025. Advertisement Related: Athlon Sports 2025 NFL Preview Magazine Now Available Related: The Bucs Own the NFC South, and They're Primed to Win it Again in 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Falcons QB Pays Buccaneers Huge Compliment
Falcons QB Pays Buccaneers Huge Compliment originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Todd Bowles has been the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2022. In that time, he's gone 27-24. Those numbers don't jump off the page for anyone, but the success he's shown with three straight division titles is impressive. Advertisement Bowles' specialty is defense, and he has served as the team's defensive coordinator since 2019, with a Super Bowl championship under his belt. As a defensive coordinator, he's well-respected around the league, and that includes Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins has played against the Buccaneers four times with Bowles as defensive coordinator and head coach, and has posted a 2-2 record, including both wins last season, as the Falcons swept the Bucs. On a recent episode of Netflix's Quarterback, Cousins discussed his affection for Bowles. "I heard Jon Gruden say on his YouTube channel, 'I'd rather go to the dentist to get a filling than play Todd Bowles on a short week.' And I thought that was a good summary. The pressure's so much, and he does it from a variety of looks that on a short week, you just don't have a lot of time to talk about it and cover it, to go back and look at what you're gonna end up facing," Cousins said. Advertisement Cousins is no longer the starting quarterback in Atlanta after being relegated to backup last season to rookie Michael Penix Jr. But if he remains with the team for next season amid trade rumors, he'll be involved in gameplanning and tutoring Penix against the Bucs. Related: Bucs Announce Massive Setback with All-Pro Surgery Related: Best Baker Mayfield Prop Bet for Buccaneers 2025 Season Revealed This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
