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As the new season approaches, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have collective and individual milestones within arm’s reach that they will be looking to hit as the season progresses. Whether personal or team accolades, they’ll bring merit and recognition to a team looking to improve upon last season and steadily progress toward becoming one of the best teams in the league again, just like they were when they won their last Super Bowl in 2020.
Here are some storylines to follow in the upcoming season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Storylines to Watch Out For in 2024
The Team Looks for its Fourth Straight Division Title
The team’s success in the NFC South goes all the way back to 2021 when they won their first divisional title since 2007. Although they did win the Super Bowl in 2020, they didn’t win the division as they finished second to the New Orleans Saints, whom they would eventually beat in the Divisional Round. The Bucs head into the season looking for their fourth straight divisional title, a title that would extend the franchise’s most-ever consecutive titles record, as they had never won consecutive titles before 2022. This is extremely doable, as they figure as the second-favorites to win the division only behind the Atlanta Falcons with +310 odds, per FanDuel.
NFL teams with long consecutive division title-winning runs are not unheard of. Most notably, the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots won a league-record 11 consecutive division titles between 2009 and 2019 before being dethroned by the Buffalo Bills, who would in turn go on to win four consecutive titles between 2020 and 2023 and will look to win their fifth one in 2024. More recently, the Kansas City Chiefs have won eight consecutive AFC West titles dating back to 2016 and will look for their ninth next season. The point here is that there are teams who have had more impressive runs than the Buccaneers, and it wouldn’t be crazy to think they could extend their streak and maybe keep it going for longer.
Baker Mayfield Will Look to Cement Himself as the Team’s QB1
The Buccaneers took a gamble and signed quarterback Baker Mayfield ahead of the 2023 season on a one-year, $4 million contract as Mayfield struggled to find a team that would give him consistent play so he could prove his value as a candidate for a starting job in the league. It’s safe to say the gamble paid off for the Bucs, as he posted career-high numbers in completion percentage (64.3%), passing yards (4044), and passing touchdowns (28), was selected to his career-first Pro Bowl, and earned himself a new contract worth $100 million through three years. The Bucs trusted Mayfield to lead the way of their offense, and Mayfield will look to respond accordingly as he heads into his age-29 season and tries to secure a long-term starting job in the NFL.
Antonio Grier Jr. Returns to Tampa
It wasn’t that long ago when we saw former South Florida Bulls linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul return to Tampa after spending eight years in the New York Giants following his graduation from USF. Now, we see a similar situation, as another former Bull is making its way back to Tampa after a year away. This time it’s Antonio Grier Jr., who played linebacker for the Bulls between 2018 and 2022, before earning redshirt status due to a season-ending injury and transferring to Arkansas for the final year of his college career.
Grier was overlooked and went undrafted in this year’s draft, but the Bucs decided to sign him as an undrafted free agent and he immediately showed the team why they made the right decision. Per Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times, Grier made “a solid first impression with the Bucs” and could make the 53-man roster ahead of the NFL’s final cutdown date on August 27th. He has three weeks of preseason to try to make that solid first impression stick with the team, and if he does, he could become the 43rd former Bull to put on an NFL uniform.
More must-reads:
- Kirk Cousins makes notable leadership move after Falcons practice
- Aging Zach Ertz still proving his value to Commanders
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Cowboys make questionable move amid Micah Parsons stalemate
The Dallas Cowboys extended one of their stars Sunday, just not the one fans wanted them to pay. At Cowboys training camp Saturday, Dallas fans serenaded owner Jerry Jones with "Pay Micah [Parsons]" chants. The EDGE, of course, is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract this season. Jones must not have been listening. He gave tight end Jake Ferguson a new contract instead. Dallas and the 26-year-old pass-catcher agreed to a four-year, $52M contract extension, via NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. This move seems head-scratching. Parsons has won the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned two first-team All-Pro nods since the Cowboys took him with pick No. 12 in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 26-year-old EDGE also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Ferguson, meanwhile, is solid but not elite. In three seasons with the Cowboys, the 2022 fourth-round pick has made one Pro Bowl and has never finished with more than 761 receiving yards in a season. An extension for Parsons will devour future cap space. The Cowboys may be worried about that after giving quarterback Dak Prescott (four years, $240M) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (four years, $136M) long-term deals in 2024. Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt signed a lucrative three-year, $123M extension on July 17, making him the league's highest-paid non-QB. Parsons could command a similar contract. If cap space is Dallas' primary concern, however, why would it extend Ferguson? He's now set to be the NFL's seventh-highest-paid TE. The Cowboys waited to extend Lamb and Prescott just before the start of the 2024 season. They may be doing the same with Parsons. The star defender has said, "Ownership is always gonna make [contract negotiations] drag out." Regardless, the Cowboys should've paid Parsons before Ferguson. That's a much bigger priority for the team.
Aaron Rodgers’ True Colors Revealed at Training Camp After Offering Olive Branch to Terry Bradshaw
Top moments from 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame inductions
The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class had its day in Cooperstown on Sunday. This year's class included Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, who were elected by the eligible voters from the Baseball Writer's Association of America, and Dave Parker and Dick Allen, who were elected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee. Here are some of the top highlights from Sunday's induction speeches. Dave Parker's son reads poem written by Hall of Fame father Parker's induction into the Hall of Fame was long overdue, and he sadly did not have the opportunity to enjoy the moment of seeing his name in the Hall of Fame as he died June 28. That left his speech in the hands of his son, Dave Parker II, who read a poem written by his dad. Parker spent the majority of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he was an MVP winner, two-time batting champion and World Series champion with the 1979 "We Are Family" team. Dick Allen's wife remembers his kindness Allen was the other veterans committee inductee, and his widow, Willa Allen, spent the majority of her speech remember the kindness of Allen off the field as much as his ability on the field. Allen is going into the Hall of Fame as a Phillie but won the 1972 American League MVP with the Chicago White Sox. He led the league in OPS four times and was the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year. A reminder that Billy Wagner wasn't naturally left-handed Being left-handed is a huge advantage (and money-maker) for pitchers, and Wagner was one of the most dominant left-handed relief pitchers to ever step onto a mound in the big leagues. But he wasn't always left-handed. Wagner was a natural-born right-handed person but taught himself how to throw left-handed after fracturing his right arm twice as a kid. It led to quite a career. Wagner made a name for himself with the Houston Astros but also spent years with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. CC Sabathia takes playful dig at Ichiro Sabathia accomplished a ton in his 19-year big league career. He won 251 games, won the 2007 American League Cy Young Award, was the 2009 ALCS MVP and a World Series champion. He still has apparently not gotten over the one individual award he did not win — the 2001 American League Rookie of the Year Award, which went to fellow 2025 inductee Ichiro. Sabathia made sure to make a playful dig at that. Sabathia was the only American League rookie outside of Ichiro — who also won the American League MVP that year — to get a first-place vote. He received one. The others all went to Ichiro. Ichiro stole the show Ichiro stole 509 bases in his Hall of Fame career, and on Sunday, he added one more steal to his list of accomplishments by absolutely stealing the show at Cooperstown. He delivered two of the best lines of the day, first by calling out the one lone writer who did not vote for him, keeping him from being just the second unanimous Hall of Fame inductee ever (after Mariano Rivera). His best line of the day, however, might have been when he referenced his brief time as a member of the Miami Marlins toward the end of his career. Ichiro played 14 of his 19 seasons with the Seattle Mariners while also spending time with the Marlins and Yankees.
Yankees not close to done adding ahead of trade deadline
The New York Yankees already made headlines by acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday. That may not be their only move ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Yankees have an extensive shopping list. While a right-handed hitting infielder is a priority, New York is also looking for help in the rotation and bullpen. Acquiring McMahon may have contributed to the push for a right-handed hitting infielder. McMahon has struggled against left-handed pitching throughout his career, posting a .231/.307/.378 batting line in 1,079 plate appearances, hitting 34 homers and 35 doubles. Those struggles have been even more pronounced this year. McMahon is slashing .207/.289/.310 in 97 plate appearances against southpaws, with two homers and three doubles. Kirschner specifically listed Minnesota Twins utility man Willi Castro as someone the Yankees are targeting, whose career .260/.306/.399 batting line in 689 plate appearances against lefties would make him a solid complement to McMahon. Likewise, the club's pursuit of pitching makes sense. Marcus Stroman has been much better since returning from the injured list at the end of June, but he cannot be considered a reliable option. Rookie Will Warren has been inconsistent, and with Clarke Schmidt likely lost until 2027 due to Tommy John surgery, the rotation needs work. New York's relief corps may be further down the team's needs. While every contending team looks to bolster the bullpen ahead of the trade deadline, the Yanks' upgrades could come from within. Relievers Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr. are expected back in August, while fellow reliever Yerry De los Santos was activated from the IL on Saturday. The Yankees still have a lot of work to do ahead of the trade deadline. It could be a busy next few days in the Bronx.
Yankees Linked to Shane Bieber as ESPN Adds Him to Trade Watchlist
The Yankees may be staring down the trade deadline with more desperation than usual, and ESPN just added a new name to their radar. The analysts at ESPN added 2020 CY Young winner Shane Bieber onto the list of potentially being traded and linked him to the Yankees. Bieber was slotted in at No. 20 on ESPN’s updated list of the top 50 trade candidates, with insider David Schoenfield calling his chances of being dealt “50-50.” The Yankees were listed among five potential landing spots for the 2020 Cy Young winner, joining the Padres, Cubs, Mets, Red Sox, and Blue Jays. It’s a surprise name, mostly because Bieber hasn’t thrown a major league pitch this season. He’s rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and just recently began ramping up. But according to Schoenfield, early signs are encouraging with his fastball is reportedly back up to 94 mph, and his slider has regained some of its signature bite. If healthy, Bieber represents one of the few available pitchers with top-of-the-rotation upside. That 's something the Yankees could use in the wake of Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt coming off Tommy John surgery and their availability for 2026 in question. New York has been connected to a wide range of arms, from innings-eaters to bullpen depth. Bieber is more of a wildcard. It’s a high-reward gamble with minimal 2024 usage but potentially massive implications in October. The Guardians may be open to dealing him now instead of waiting for the offseason, especially if they feel his value won’t climb much higher and want to capitalize on the current pitching market. Bieber will be a free agent after 2025. The big question for the Yankees isn’t just fit, it's cost. And given Bieber’s recent injury history, it's unclear how much the Yankees would be willing to give up. But if he’s truly turning the corner in his recovery, they won’t be the only team asking.
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