The Buccaneers Offense Could Look Completely Different in 2022
The Buccaneers used to be known for defense. It's what brought them to relevance in the mid-to-late 90's and it's what won them a Super Bowl back in 2002.
But these days, the Bucs' identity is an offensive powerhouse led by none other than Tom Brady.
Or, at least it was before the last few days.
Brady's looming retirement is already as big a change as one team can face. Just ask the Patriots. But there could be a lot of other upcoming changes on the offensive side of the ball for the Bucs.
And as a result, we could be a looking at a bunch of new faces on offense in 2022.
Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette, Ryan Jensen, Alex Cappa, O.J. Howard, Ronald Jones II and Giovani Bernard are all up for new deals and the Bucs don't have a lot of cap space. All of those players are either starters or have been solid contributors during their career with the Bucs.
It's not just about the players up for new deals, either. The Bucs may have to face some tough situations when it comes to certain players that are still on the roster and what their current contract looks like.
For instance, Cameron Brate's $7.285 million cap hit is the 10th-highest cap hit among tight ends and he's coming off a year where he recorded career-lows in both receiving yards (245) and yards per reception (8.2). Does that sound like it's worth a top-10 hit? Tyler Johnson and Scotty Miller did not develop like they needed to and the Bucs could save money if they aren't on the roster.
There's a chance the Bucs can work around the cap like they did in 2021, but a lot of things will need to go their way in order for that to happen and like every offseason, they have their own priorities to deal with, first.
There are certain guys like Mike Evans, Ali Marpet, Donovan Smith, Shaquil Barrett, etc. that could restructure, but all of those guys have to want to restructure and they already have voidable years attached to their deals. It's doable, but it will take a concerted effort from both parties and the Bucs still have to be cautious about putting themselves in a 100' hole when it comes to borrowing from the future. You don't want to be $50 million in the hole like the Packers.
The Bucs have their own guys on defense to keep around, as well. Names like Carlton Davis III and Jordan Whitehead are up for new deals and they won't be cheap, at all. Will Gholston will also want a decent salary and Ndamukong Suh may not retire. Jason Pierre-Paul needs a new contract, too. Do the Bucs try to keep the defense together and make that the strength of the team and patch the offense up as they go?
And none of this even mentions the possibility of Byron Leftwich becoming head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It will be interesting to see how the Bucs handle their cap strategy this year. Last year showed that anything is possible, but this year is much different and Brady may not be around to help keep it together.
But from Brady down, this could be a completely different offense in 2022. For better or worse.
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