The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South for the second straight year. While many were picking the Atlanta Falcons prior to the season, Baker Mayfield and the offense continued to dominate opposing defenses. Unfortunately, they ran into the buzzsaw that is Jayden Daniels, and they lost in the wild-card round. They head into the offseason looking to make at least one more run with their veteran core. Here are three questions for the Buccaneers this offseason.
1. Can The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Restructure To Make Cap Space?
The two biggest salary cap hits for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Baker Mayfield ($35.7 million) and Tristan Wirfs ($31.3 million). These are players the team undoubtedly wants to keep on the roster for the foreseeable future. There are plenty of other contracts to restructure, but these two are the biggest. The easiest one to swallow is Wirfs. He is 26 years old and plays a premium position. There is no shame in paying an offensive tackle big money.
Mayfield is an interesting one. He is only 30 years old and has now proven he is more than a one-hit wonder. The team signed him to a shorter extension to give them flexibility. The former first-overall pick looks very comfortable in the offense. He threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns this year. Mike Evans continues to thrive and Chris Godwin was having an incredible season before his injury. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will likely look to reward him by extending him or restructuring. This will give the team more cap space to work with. If they can’t, their offseason plans are in trouble.
2. Can They Fix A Secondary That Got Torched By Kirk Cousins?
It is incredible that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South despite losing both games to the Atlanta Falcons. They lost those games for one reason: they couldn’t stop the Falcons offense. In the two games against the Bucs, Cousins threw for 785 yards and eight touchdowns while completing 74% of his passes. He only threw one interception. This is the same player who was benched because of poor play. While Antoine Winfield Jr. is a great member of the secondary, the rest of the unit needs an overhaul.
This was their fatal flaw against the Commanders. Daniels carved up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense through the air and on the ground. Having a high-octane offense is great, but it means nothing if the defense cannot stop anyone. We’ve seen many of the league’s best offenses get bounced from the playoffs because they lose a shootout. The future is bright on the offensive side of the ball, and the defense needs to be fixed this offseason.
3. Is Todd Bowles On The Hot Seat?
Todd Bowles took over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022. He had been the defensive coordinator for three years before replacing Bruce Arians. His record has been fine, but nothing to write home about. In his three years, the team is a pedestrian 27-24 in the regular season and 1-3 in the playoffs. This year was only the third time Bowles has coached a team to a winning record. If the team has a similar season to this year or takes a step backward, there might be some calls for a change at head coach.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a window. Mayfield and Mike Evans don’t have endless years left, and some of their young stars will become more expensive down the road. Bowles is a fine coach, but the franchise may look for an upgrade if the team gets bounced in the playoffs yet again or, worse, misses them entirely. There has not been any talk about moving on, but it might be something to watch in 2025 if the Bucs struggle.
Final Thoughts
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will likely be the favorite in the NFC South next year. Atlanta is a huge unknown, with Michael Penix Jr. taking over under center. While he looked promising in his three starts, we have no indication he can lead a team to a division title. If the Bucs are able to upgrade their secondary, they could be a scary team to face in 2025.
