The Buccaneers had every piece back from their Super Bowl victory in 2021, but they were taken down in the Divisional Round by the eventual Super Bowl Champions from Los Angeles. What followed was an offseason of turmoil for Tampa Bay. An unexpected retirement announcement from Tom Brady flipped the NFL upside down, although he later rescinded this retirement and announced his return for one more season. Recently, Brady’s running mate Rob Gronkowski announced his own retirement, although many in NFL circles believe he will return at some point in the season.
On top of that Head Coach Bruce Arians has stepped down and Todd Bowles will be taking over, with rumors that this was Brady’s request all along. Backroom politics aside, the Bucs are still one of the favorites to take the NFC again this year, despite the Rams returning an even stronger group on paper than last season.
The big question mark is the health of wide receiver Chris Godwin, who tore his ACL late last season. There have been reports that his recovery is going well and that he could be back earlier than expected, but he is still a candidate to start the season on the PUP list. This thrusts Mike Evans into the lead receiver role alongside newly signed free agent, Russell Gage.
In the backfield, long-time Tampa Bay running back Ronald Jones has left for the Chiefs, so this opens it up for Leonard Fournette to be the workhorse back. Tampa did select running back Rachaad White out of Arizona State, and reports are that he has looked good at training camp so far. Don’t be surprised if he takes some touches, while Giovani Bernard takes some third down work.
Another rookie is making headlines as tight end Cade Otton out of Washington could be the front runner to be the receiving tight end in Brady’s offense. With OJ Howard gone and Cameron Brate the only tight end left, Brady could turn to Otton as a short area receiving threat in the absence of Gronk and Godwin.
On defense, the Buccaneers are likely going to be without Ndamukong Suh on the defensive line, but will return most of their defensive corps from last year. They also added Akieem Hicks and William Gholston to bolster that defensive line in the absence of Suh. With a defensive minded head coach in Bowles, the Bucs could be one of the most formidable units in the NFL once again.
The NFC South is almost a lock at this point, with significant changes in New Orleans including a new head coach, a new quarterback, and a potential suspension for Alvin Kamara. Atlanta and Carolina are still rebuilding, so the Bucs should be able to take this division with ease. In terms of the top of the NFC, Green Bay lost Davante Adams and the 49ers have a rookie quarterback in Trey Lance. The Rams and Bucs seem on a collision course to meet each other again in the NFC playoffs, and this season will be must-watch TV in what could be Brady’s last in his illustrious career.
Charlie M.
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