The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been one of the most successful teams in the NFL during 2024 free agency, albeit very quietly and under the radar, as most of their work has been done by retaining key star players. The Buccaneers were able to add other pieces from outside Tampa Bay, signing a couple of players along the offensive line and filling roles in the secondary.
Pro Football Focus took it upon themselves to discuss the positive takeaway for each team in the NFL, and for the Buccaneers the overarching theme is running it back from 2023.
“THEY GET TO RUN IT BACK
The Buccaneers were staring at the incredibly difficult task of retaining their Pro Bowl quarterback, future Hall of Fame receiver and best defensive player in the same offseason. They managed to get it done.
Baker Mayfield returns on a fair deal commensurate with his performance last season. Mike Evans will aim to keep his 1,000-yard season streak alive for at least two more years in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers had to stall by using the franchise tag on Antoine Winfield Jr., though. Winfield’s and Tristan Wirfs’ extension negotiations will be major storylines in Tampa moving forward.”
Being able to retain the key cogs in Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. was a major accomplishment for the Buccaneers. They get leaders back on both sides of the ball and will look to continue the success they saw in 2023 into 2024. Continuity is huge in the NFL and not having much turnover on a team seemingly would result in positive returns.
The immediate future looks great for the Bucs right now, but we will have to wait until training camp to see how much of win this offseason actually was for the franchise.
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