Four Offseason Priorities for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Identify Tom Brady's successor
Aaron Rodgers? Russell Wilson? Blaine Gabbert? Kyle Trask? Someone else?
Whoever it may be, Tampa Bay's No. 1 priority this offseason is finding a quarterback to replace Tom Brady. Ideally, that quarterback will be proven and capable of keeping the team in playoff contention, although landing such a signal-caller is not a guarantee. It'll depend on how the trade and free agent market plays out.
If the market doesn't present a worthwhile option given Tampa Bay's limited cap space, the team can opt for in-house options in Gabbert (although he'd need to be re-signed) and a rising second-year pro in Trask, the Bucs' second-round pick a year ago.
Pegging Trask as Brady's heir would probably lead to bumps in the road given Trask's inexperience. But at some point, the Buccaneers will need to see what they have in the young quarterback, and there may not be a better time than now provided the situation Tampa Bay finds itself in.
Prepare 2021 rookie class for starting roles
Considering the Bucs retained their entire starting lineup last season from Super Bowl LV, each of their 2021 draft picks served as backups during the campaign. Now, it's time to see which of those selections are capable of stepping into a starting role as the team creates its list of prioritized free agents.
The Bucs will not be able to hold onto every starting contributor as they were a year ago, therefore, 2021 rookies such as Trask, first-round edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and third-round center Robert Hainsey could all find themselves in position for a promotion into the starting lineup.
Trask, obviously, would fill in for Brady in this scenario, while Tryon-Shoyinka could replace Jason Pierre-Paul and Hainsey could take over for Ryan Jensen, as JPP and Jensen are aging veterans on expiring contracts.
Retain as many key free agents as possible
Ten of the Bucs' 2021 starters are set to hit the free agent market in March: Running back Leonard Fournette, wide receiver Chris Godwin, tight end Rob Gronkowski, Jensen, guard Alex Cappa, defensive linemen Ndamukong Suh and William Gholston, Pierre-Paul, cornerback Carlton Davis III and safety Jordan Whitehead.
Over the Cap credits the Buccaneers with just $3.075 million in cap space entering the 2022 offseason, although that number is sure to change before free agency kicks off, whether it be via cap casualty cuts or restructured contracts. Still, that gives the team almost nothing to work with to re-sign even one starter, much less ten starters and the Bucs' reserve players set to hit the market.
That being said, once Tampa Bay is able to create sufficient space, the club will quickly need to figure out who its priority free agents are and work to get them on a new contract. Fournette, Godwin, Davis and Whitehead are logical priority players.
Recreate depth via the NFL Draft
Once free agents are either retained or let go, the 2022 NFL Draft will approach quickly, presenting the Bucs another opportunity to remodel their roster. This time around, the Bucs may need to look for a starting-caliber prospect or two, but otherwise, the team will need to focus on adding young depth on both sides of the ball.
We saw injuries take a toll on the team throughout the 2021 season, but fortunately, the Bucs had veteran backups prepared to take over contributing roles. With such little cap space this offseason, Tampa Bay may need to consider letting go of price backups in exchange for draft prospects to develop as reserve players, and those prospects could one day be coached into a starting role of their own.
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