Where Bucs Land in Latest NFL Rankings Following Mike Evans Loss in Free Agency

NFL free agency is always a wild ride, and that was no different this offseason.

Numerous players have found new homes, but perhaps the most shocking move outside of the Baltimore Ravens reneging on the Maxx Crosby trade was future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after 12 seasons to pursue another Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers.

General manager Jason Licht has done what he can to help ease Bucs' fans' concerns, recently addressing the situation and adding to the roster through free agency. Still, it doesn't seem as if fans or national pundits have much optimism about the team in 2026.

In his post-free agency power rankings, FOX Sports' Ralph Vacchiano dropped the Bucs three spots from 20th to 23rd in the league, coming just after the 22nd-ranked Carolina Panthers and a few spots above the 27th-ranked New Orleans Saints in the division.

Buccaneers Regressing?

"It’ll be hard for them to get over the loss of wide receiver Mike Evans, one of the best and most consistent to ever do it," wrote Vacchiano. "They made a nice pickup in linebacker Alex Anzalone, but the losses of Evans, running back Rachaad White and cornerback Jamel Dean sting."

The loss of Evans was obviously a heartbreaker, and the knife that was dug in by him leaving only continues to twist with each new report that comes out about how things unfolded late in Tampa Bay.

Add in the fact that the Buccaneers didn't add an elite pass rusher, and it's easy to see why the fans are pissed and the pundits aren't too high on what they will be able to accomplish this season.

While the lack of moves and the losses of players like White, Evans and Dean hurt, it's very hard to imagine that there are 22 better teams in the league than the Bucs.

The Bucs have added necessary pieces across the board in players like Anzalone, Kenneth Gainwell, A'Shawn Robinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad, and while not the big splash move, they all raise the floor in their respective position groups with more moves likely coming down the line, including a new batch of rookies in the NFL Draft where Tampa Bay should almost certainly draft majority defense.

If the defense can improve, and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson can find creative ways to make the offense hum without Evans, the Bucs could be an underrated team in 2026, especially in a weak division.

The Bucs will have everything at their disposal to get over the hump as a middling team who shows promise only to shoot themselves in the foot, but it will be up to the coaching and the players to accept the pressure that is being put on them and overachieve if they hope to move up the ranking list and get back to being viewed as a legit threat in the league.

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