Just a year after Tom Brady retired, the Bucs were still able to capture their third division title in the last four years. The revival of Baker Mayfield's career powered them to the divisional round of the playoffs in 2023.
The story of the Buccaneers from last season was Baker Mayfield. The Bucs took a chance on Baker after signing him to a one-year deal with his career hanging in the balance. His great play not only lead Tampa Bay to a division title, but earned him a three-year extension with the Bucs during the offseason.
The Bucs did hand out some key extensions along with Baker's deal as well. A player who seems to continually get better as he gets older, Mike Evans was awarded a two-year extension to remain the WR1 in Tampa through 2025. One of the top safeties in the league, if not the best, Antoine Winfield Jr. was also extended for four years. Tampa did a great job of locking down their core pieces this offseason.
Tampa Bay did suffer a couple a couple of losses this offseason with multiple veterans departing on both sides of the football. Their longtime center, Ryan Jensen, retired after nine long seasons in the NFL. On defense, Shaq Barrett was cut and Devin White decided to take his talents elsewhere after starting his career in Tampa Bay.
Tampa did a good job this offseason with extending their depth on the offense. Drafting Bucky Irving and Jalen McMillan gives them some viable backup options at both receiver and running back. Both of these guys were pretty exciting to watch for Oregon and Washington last season, I'm excited to see how they translate over to the NFL.
The Bucs also picked up longtime Giants wide receiver, Sterling Shepard as well. With these additions and the weapons they already have on the roster in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Trey Palmer, the Bucs have one of the deepest receiver groups in the National Football League.
On the defense, the Buccaneers got back safety Jordan Whitehead after playing two seasons for the Jets. He now comes back to Tampa to pair with Antoine Winfield Jr. for a pretty dangerous safety duo. The Bucs were ranked as a defense in the lower half of the NFL in 2023, finishing 23rd. An improvement on this side of the ball is a must in 2024.
Tampa Bay narrowly escaped with the NFC South last season and will look to win it once again in 2024. Their offense has certainly improved on paper, while the defense can still use some work it seems. It is definitely going to be a tougher battle this year and we should expect a dogfight down south.
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