One of Buccaneers' 'Greatest' Free Agency Hauls Ever Features Their 'Own Guys'
The NFL free agency period — which opened on March 13 — has been successful for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While there hasn't been any flashy signings from other teams looking for a new franchise, returning key players has been a focal point for general manager Jason Licht and the Buccaneers.
There were plenty of key Buccaneers for Licht to have to try and retain, and he's done an incredible job in doing so. The two most glaring names in the category are Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield, who are both returning. For the Buccaneers, fresh off an NFC South victory and win in a playoff game, returning core pieces to build a foundation laid a season ago is a huge advantage.
"It's a definite advantage. I was trying to explain this to my own family, the kids, the other day — we are a different team and in this free agency, we signed Mike Evans, Baker, Antoine [Winfield Jr.] and it goes on and on," Licht said of the free agency class. "That's why I came up with the boat parade -- we would be celebrating and having a parade over this."
With key players come back and an identity in hand for the new season, the Buccaneers can continue to build the team out through the draft. They've got a very good idea of who is on the roster with the returning guys and know what position groups to focus on in the draft.
For Licht and the Buccaneers, this is "one of the greatest free agency hauls ever." The Buccaneers will be building off a nine-win season as Mayfield seems to be the answer under center and retains his top target in Evans. Antoine Winfield Jr. was franchise tagged and other supporting talents are on their way back to Tampa Bay, too.
"This is one of the greatest free agency hauls ever, but it’s our own guys. We've got some Hall of Famers in here — Lavonte [David and] Mike. It's been incredible. I think it's time that the national media realizes that we have some great players," Licht continued. "They already know, but now they really know. It's a great time for us."
It'll be interesting to see what the Buccaneers' ceiling is for the new season as the second half of the 2023 season showed plenty of potential for a squad that took time to figure itself out.
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