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Best, worst offseason moves for Buccaneers

Jamel Dean. Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Best, worst offseason moves for Tampa Bay Buccaneers

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 4/12/23

The quicker the rise, the faster the fall. That's the outlook in Tampa Bay as it braces for a free fall in a post-Tom Brady world. The organization can begin to lay the foundation for the next Bucs championship run during the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City from April 27-29. Their draft class will join a roster with talent in several areas but glaring weaknesses in others.

BEST | Signing Dave Canales as offensive coordinator

If there's a reason for optimism that either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask can keep the Bucs in playoff contention this season, it's based on Canales' work last season as QB coach for Seattle last season. Seahawks QB Geno Smith was named the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year for 2022.

Mayfield was a former No. 1 overall pick and is on his fourth team in three seasons. During his final year in Cleveland (2021) and his stints with Carolina and the Rams a season ago, Mayfield was 454-of-753 (60.3 percent) for 5,173 yards, 27 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Trask has nine career pass attempts after being drafted in the second round in 2021.

BEST | Re-signing Jamel Dean

Tampa Bay was fortunate to retain the defenders that it did, most notably cornerback Dean. Per Pro Football Focus, he graded 10th best of 118 corners. Among corners with at least 395 coverage snaps, only Sauce Gardner (45.9 percent) and James Bradberry (46.9 percent) allowed a lower percentage of receptions than Dean (50 percent), per data from PFF. The move was a surprise to those around the NFL, with insider Ian Rapoport tweeting that the deal came "out of nowhere."

Out of nowhere, the #Bucs step in and retain one of their top defenders. A major move. https://t.co/5yIuumXBqv
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2023

With fellow cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches and safeties Mike Edwards and Keanu Neal leaving via free agency and linebacker Devin White requesting a trade, Dean's re-signing gives the Bucs at least a bit of stability on defense. That's huge for a unit that is expected to carry the team this season.

WORST | Tom Brady's retirement

Brady's retirement is expected to lead to a transition of power in the NFC South. The Bucs won the division the past two seasons after winning Super Bowl LV as a wild-card team. In the 10 seasons before Brady's arrival, Tampa Bay finished last in NFC South seven times, had two winning seasons and had no playoff appearances. Per Oddschecker, the Bucs have the longest odds of winning the division.

Even with only three seasons as the franchise's QB, Brady is by far the best they've had. Among Bucs QBs with at least 50 starts, he's the only one to post a winning record. When broadening the scope to include all Bucs QBs with at least 16 starts, he holds the franchise record in completion percentage (66.7 percent), yards per game (292.9) and passer rating (98.1). He's third in team history with 14,643 passing yards and second in passing touchdowns with 108.

WORST | Trading Shaq Mason

Changes to the offensive line were to be expected, just not with Mason. He was the only offensive lineman to start all 18 games the team played last season. PFF credited him with allowing one sack on a team-high 831 opponent pressures.

But the Bucs traded him and a seventh-round pick (230th overall) to Houston for a sixth-round pick (179th overall). CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani gave the Texans an A- for the deal while handing out a C+ to the Buccaneers.

Heading into the draft, right tackle Tristan Wirfs is the only sure thing Tampa Bay has along the offensive line. The decision to cut left tackle Donovan Smith was to be expected after he struggled mightily a season ago, but the Mason trade only creates another hole while leaving others open.

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