TAMPA, Fla. — After a season in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers exceeded all sorts of expectations, the organization turns its attention towards multiple impactful decisions to make for next year.
Heading into the 2023 season, the Bucs faced a salary cap issue, making it hard to retain players in the wake of Tom Brady's retirement.
Tampa Bay still managed to have an impressive season by relying on their current, younger players – while also making bargain free-agent deals, including the signing of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The team won the NFC South division for the third straight year and made the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. The Bucs also dominated last year's NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round and went toe-to-toe with the Detroit Lions in the Divisional round, losing 31-23.
“We fought. I thought we made some mistakes in the fourth quarter that got the game away from us that we normally didn’t make," head coach Todd Bowles said during the team's last media conference of the season. "We fought hard. We didn’t play smart in the fourth quarter.”
When the Lions took their final knee to end the game, the offseason began for the Bucs.
So what's looming for general manager Jason Licht and coach Bowles?
First, it's safe to say Bowles will keep his job after taking the Bucs this deep in the playoffs. The only slight worry on the coaching staff should be if first-year offensive coordinator Dave Canales wants to remain with the franchise.
He previously said he interviewed for the head coaching job in Carolina, but no reports have said if he will be the man hired for the role. However, Canales has expressed how happy he would be to remain with Tampa Bay.
As for the roster, there is a lengthy list of players entering free agency:
- Mayfield
- Mike Evans
- Antoine Winfield
- Lavonte David
- Devin White
- Greg Gaines
- Ryan Neal
- Aaron Stinnie
- Matt Feiler
- Will Gholston
- Chase McLaughlin
- David Moore
- Chase Edmonds
- Cam Gill
- Pat O'Connor
- Zach Triner
The amount of money Tampa Bay will have in salary cap space has not yet been announced and won't be for a while, but the team should already know who to prioritize after this season.
Winfield, who was named an All-Pro this year, should be one of the top targets for an extension, even if it's with the franchise tag. Evans, who has played his entire NFL career with the Bucs, made a strong case that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank and should be rewarded with a new contract.
“I don’t even think about it," Bowles said when asked about the possibility of Evans playing his last game for the Bucs. "I don’t like to be asked about it. I don’t want to know about it. I hope to hell that does not happen.”
As for Mayfield, he signed with the Bucs on a one-year, $4 million "prove-it" deal, and he has certainly proved he can be the quarterback for the team in future seasons.
"I’m pretty sure he’d be in demand [in free agency]," Bowles said of Mayfield. "I don’t know to what aspect he would be in demand. Obviously, money plays a lot of part of free agency and loyalty plays a lot of part in free agency, and who actually wants you and where you can go and what you can afford plays a lot, and how you see yourself in certain systems.
"It’ll be a tricky thing. He was great here, we love him to death. Hopefully it works out for us.”
David is another player who played in Tampa Bay his whole career and re-signed with the Bucs on a one-year deal last year. Even at 33 years old, the team captain had another stellar season. However, the veteran linebacker may ponder retirement or signing elsewhere if he feels his chapter with the Bucs has concluded.
“I’d love to have him back," Bowles said of his captain. "He’s one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached. I don’t even look at his age – he plays timeless. He plays timeless football, he plays it the right way, he prepares the right way. He’s the ultimate professional.”
His linebacker companion White may not be a lock for a contract extension, especially after the late-season rise of backup K.J. Britt. With the type of money White reportedly asked for in the offseason, both parties might part ways.
“[His season was] up and down. We had some good days and we had some bad days," Bowles said of White. "We’ll work together and work some things out and hopefully we can come out with something.”
The Bucs should look into keeping McLaughlin, which won't take too much of a hit on their salary cap since he's a kicker.
As for everyone else on the list, Licht and Bowles have to decide if they want to keep them or if there are better options in free agency or the draft.
"We know we’ve got a lot of decisions to make – some tough ones here and then some outside on the horizon," Bowles said. "Hopefully we can get some better guys in here and continue what we’ve been doing and get better next year and go further.”
Speaking of the draft, there are plenty of positions the team will want to concentrate on, starting with the defensive unit.
With White expected to leave, the Bucs may look for someone at linebacker. If they believe Shaq Barrett can no longer compete at a high level, then outside linebacker will be a need as well.
The same can be said for a new tight end, offensive lineman and a No. 3 wide receiver.
“You’re going to have 15-18 new guys every year, so the draft, you need to get half of that right to have about six or seven guys that are going to help contribute," Bowles said. "I think the scouting staff does a great job of identifying talent that fits us, that are our type of players and bringing them in here and we know what to expect as coaches and how to use them."
All in all, Licht did a tremendous job making the Bucs a competitive team in the first year of the post-Brady era. With a little more cash, he should have a less difficult time making sure the team is ready to retain its NFC South title.