A brand new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts each Tuesday in the course of the Bucs’ common season. Every week, the Pewter Reporters sort out one other robust query. This week’s immediate: What’s your New Yr’s decision for the Bucs?
Scott Reynolds: One other Premier Weapon On Offense
I’m a defensive-minded man, and my first inclination is to counsel that the Bucs discover a dominant edge rusher both within the 2024 NFL Draft or free company to pair with YaYa Diaby transferring ahead. However I additionally know that at present’s NFL is all about scoring factors. It’s no shock that eight out of the Prime 10 scoring groups within the league have already clinched a playoff berth, and the opposite two – Buffalo and Indianapolis – are every a win away in Week 18 from making the postseason.
Washington WR Rome Odunze – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
Factors matter, and when the Bucs had been scoring 30 factors per sport in 2020 and 2021 Tampa Bay had double-digit wins. Final 12 months when scoring dipped to 18 factors per sport – even with Tom Brady – the Bucs’ report fell to 8-9. Scoring in Tampa Bay is up a bit this 12 months to 21 factors per sport, however the Bucs will both end with eight wins once more or maybe 9 victories in the event that they beat the Panthers in Carolina on Sunday.
If the Bucs need to get again to double-digit wins and successful the division prior to in Week 17 or 18 the crew should rating extra factors in 2024. Assuming Mike Evans is re-signed within the offseason – Tampa Bay can be silly to not – the Bucs want to seek out one other premier weapon on offense, both at tight finish or at broad receiver. We’ve seen glimpses of manufacturing from tight finish Cade Otton and rookie broad receiver Trey Palmer, however neither has been a constant pressure that scares opposing defenses like broad receiver Antonio Brown or tight finish Rob Gronkowski did from 2020-21.
Discovering one other big-play tight finish to supplant Otton as TE1 is essential in 2024. The NFL Draft doesn’t have a whole lot of expertise on the tight finish place, however Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott would symbolize an enormous improve within the receiving division within the third spherical. Otton is ideally nothing greater than a backup tight finish, actually.
And whereas Palmer is price creating, he’s ideally a greater WR4 candidate than Deven Thompkins is. Drafting a large receiver like Washington’s Rome Odunze within the first spherical or LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. within the second can be perfect. They’re higher, extra well-rounded receivers that might ultimately grow to be a No. 1 receiver to interchange Mike Evans in time, or at the very least a No. 2 receiver to take over for Chris Godwin after 2024, assuming he’s not re-signed.
Extra weapons on offense normally equals extra touchdowns, and extra touchdowns equals extra factors. In fact extra factors additionally means extra victories, so the Bucs might want to get one other big-time weapon in 2024 to crew up with Evans and Godwin and actually take Tampa Bay’s offense to the subsequent stage.
Matt Matera: A Constant Go Rush From Their Defensive Entrance
The Bucs protection has regressed this season, going from the group that might be accountable for successful video games to a unit that’s simply making an attempt to hold on on the finish. A part of it’s because Tampa Bay hasn’t been in a position to generate a ok cross rush from its defensive position on a constant foundation.
Bucs OLB YaYa Diaby and DT Calijah Kancey – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
There are moments when this group seems unbelievable. One can level lately to the win over the Jaguars for instance. A difficulty that’s come about with the protection is the cross rush is both boom-or-bust on a weekly foundation. The Bucs can create turnovers, which speaks to why they’ve been on the high of the record of one of the best turnover ratio within the league. However they’re additionally very reliant on the blitz to generate stress in opposition to quarterbacks.
Typically its defensive backs Antoine Winfield Jr. and Christian Izien in pursuit of the QB, or Todd Bowles is consistently sending linebackers Lavonte David and Devin White on blitzes. That’s positive when it really works, and to a level it has, however there have been instances when the Bucs needed to name blitzes on a regular basis simply to create a cross rush.
The issue is when a crew sends 5 – 6 gamers on the quarterback it leaves fewer defenders in protection. If the opponent is ready to decide it up, that leaves broad receivers one-on-one and results in completions. The Bucs are twenty fifth within the league permitting 353.3 whole yards per sport on protection and their 260.3 passing yards allowed is the worst within the NFL. That speaks to boom-or-bust.
Whereas rookie outdoors linebacker YaYa Diaby has had an incredible season main the Bucs with 6.5 sacks, it’s no shock that nostril sort out Vita Vea, adopted by Winfield and David, are subsequent on the record. Tampa Bay hasn’t gotten a lot else from its different edge rushers. Shaq Barrett isn’t in his prime anymore and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka hasn’t performed as much as his first-round billing. That leaves many craving for an undrafted free agent in Markees Watts to get extra reps.
It’s not a good suggestion to depend on defensive tackles Vea and Calijah Kancey to be the crew’s lead producers in sacks each sport. A greater cross rush, significantly from the sting, would go a good distance for Tampa Bay. Producing stress with 4 gamers and permitting the Bucs to drop extra again in protection would actually assist reduce down all of the yards they’ve allowed.
Bailey Adams: Bucs Want To Take Care Of Their Personal
Roster constructing within the NFL isn’t a precise science. There are alternative ways to go about it, and for my cash, Bucs common supervisor Jason Licht has performed an unimaginable job of it over his years in Tampa. Because of this, there are just a few of the Bucs’ personal who they should deal with because the 2024 calendar 12 months begins and so they construct towards the 2024 season.
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Which means paying security Antoine Winfield Jr. the big-money contract he deserves, locking up left sort out Tristan Wirfs to a long-term deal and — sure — paying broad receiver Mike Evans. Winfield and Wirfs are two items the Bucs’ future will be constructed round, whereas Evans has gone out and confirmed in a contract 12 months that he’s not slowing down regardless of getting into his 30s.
Winfield has put collectively a profession 12 months in 2023, and it got here on the good time. His new contract — one which retains him round for years to come back — is one which Licht and Co. will probably be pleased handy out.
Wirfs has been elite since day one in all his NFL profession, and he’s remained a top-tier participant even via a troublesome transition from proper sort out to left. There have been rising pains at instances as he has handled accidents, however he’s navigated it exceptionally nicely and can solely get higher as he will get extra snug. Tampa Bay wants Wirfs for the long run, as he’s the unquestioned chief of that offensive line.
As for Evans, he could also be getting up there in age, however he’s nonetheless producing. As a lot as it is a enterprise and the sentimental aspect of issues is possibly higher ignored, it is a man who means every thing to this franchise and fan base. He deserves his reward within the type of one other
And even on the enterprise aspect of it, Evans nonetheless has it. He’s having among the best years of his profession and has proven that he can play with any quarterback. The Bucs would completely be a worse crew with out him in 2024 whoever performs quarterback — whether or not it’s Baker Mayfield or a rookie — will probably be higher off with a longtime No. 1 like Evans, who has earned the precise to complete his profession as a one-team man.
Oh, and if Lavonte David needs to maintain enjoying, he’s one other one who shouldn’t be set free the door. Ensuring he’s a profession Buc is part of this, too.
How the Bucs go about this decision financially is one thing higher left to Pewter Report’s cap knowledgeable, Josh Queipo. Then, on the subject of truly placing collectively a plan to attain this decision throughout the cap and executing it over the course of the offseason, I belief that Bucs cap wizard Mike Greenberg will get the job performed.
Josh Queipo: An Alpha Edge Rusher
The Bucs protection was on the top of its powers when Shaq Barrett was a Prime 10 edge rusher. For the reason that starting of 2022 (even earlier than his Achilles damage), there was a precipitous drop-off from that aspect of the ball. Tampa Bay remains to be largely stout in opposition to the run, however the Bucs’ cross protection has been frustratingly up and down.
UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
A part of that’s as a result of head coach Todd Bowles has gone from layering blitzes on high of a great base four-man rush to having to blitz to make the cross rush related. There are good items, for positive. The inside has an above common duo in Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey. The surface linebacker room has a excessive flooring between Barrett, Yaya Diaby, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson, Cam Gill and Markees Watts.
However what that cross rush lacks is a dominant alpha edge rusher to draw the eye of opposing offense’s cross blocking plans. That participant unlocks the remainder of the crew, giving Kancey and Vea extra one-on-one seems, forces offenses to maintain working backs and tight ends in additional to assist in safety and provides the Bucs protection the chance to drop extra gamers into protection to assist stop quarterbacks from hitting 75-85% completion charges.
Whether or not or not it’s from free company in a participant like Danielle Hunter or Josh Allen, or from the numerous edge rush choices within the 2024 NFL Draft, if the Bucs can get a dominant edge rusher, it raises the ground and the ceiling of what this roster can obtain.
Adam Slivon: Proceed Including Younger, Impactful Playmakers Throughout The Board
The Bucs made headway with this decision final 12 months as they seemed to complement all the veterans that walked out the door. Jason Licht took to the NFL Draft and chosen Calijah Kancey, Cody Mauch, and YaYa Diaby together with his first three picks and all look to be nicely on their approach as future starters.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht – Photograph courtesy of the Buccaneers
However what about sooner or later?
Once you look throughout the roster, there are many starting-caliber gamers, however are there sufficient playmakers?
That’s the place questions — and hopefully a decision — current themselves. On offense, probably the most evident want of a playmaker is at tight finish. At this level, Cade Otton seems quite a bit higher as a No. 2 choice than a starter. There should not many playmaking tight ends within the NFL, however one can word how a lot one impacts an offense (Travis Kelce, George Kittle, T.J. Hockenson, and so forth.).
Tampa Bay has two playmakers at broad receiver in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin proper now, however every should not locks past subsequent season (but). Trey Palmer has proven flashes, however the group may use one other deep menace able to igniting the offense.
Switching over to protection, there are much more query marks. Antoine Winfield Jr. patrols the secondary, however he has needed to make practically all of the takeaways occur himself. Ryan Neal has not been what the Bucs have hoped for, and no cornerback on the crew has flashed a chronic stretch of playmaking potential. That may should be a part of the decision.
At linebacker, practically everybody hopes Lavonte David will return. However what if he doesn’t? Inside linebacker will probably be one other precedence. This isn’t to say that the majority evident space so as to add one other younger playmaker — a cross rusher. Diaby has one spot locked down, however an improve could possibly be had over Shaq Barrett and Joe Tyron-Shoyinka.
Some items have been put in place, however to maintain the competition window open, the Bucs might want to preserve including younger playmakers on each side of the ball this 12 months, each within the NFL Draft and free company.
