Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds solutions your questions from the @PewterReport Twitter account this week within the Bucs Mailbag. Submit your query to the Bucs Mailbag every week through X utilizing the hashtag #PRMailbag. Listed below are the Bucs questions we selected to reply for this week’s version.
QUESTION: With out grading on a curve, what’s the grade you give the Bucs for its offseason efforts to this point? Higher but, why?
Bucs OLB Haason Reddick – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
ANSWER: I feel a grade of B-plus or even perhaps an A-minus is warranted for the Bucs offseason. They re-signed three key starters in vast receiver Chris Godwin, inside linebacker Lavonte David and left guard Ben Bredeson and added one other starter in former Jets exterior linebacker Haason Reddick, who ought to assist Tampa Bay’s move rush off the sting.
Maybe extra importantly, the crew didn’t lose any key starters in free company, and that’s a testomony to the crew tradition. The Bucs actually don’t have quite a lot of holes now exterior of discovering a nickel cornerback if Tykee Smith strikes to robust security to interchange Jordan Whitehead, and maybe discovering an eventual alternative for Jamel Dean at exterior cornerback reverse Zyon McCollum.
The Bucs bolstered their depth at cornerback with the addition of veteran Kindle Vildor and re-signing Bryce Corridor, who suffered a damaged leg within the season opener in opposition to Washington and was misplaced for the yr in 2024. Tampa Bay additionally moved on from Ok.J. Britt and J.J. Russell at inside linebacker and acquired a bit extra skilled and athletic by re-signing Deion Jones, who proved to be a superb addition late final season, and importing Anthony Walker Jr. from Miami. Each Jones and Walker are anticipated to be reserves with David and SirVocea Dennis beginning – for now.
Search for the Bucs so as to add one other linebacker and cornerback within the draft, and tackle nickelback as properly. Regardless of signing Reddick, he’s 30 and solely on a one-year deal, so I may see Tampa Bay draft one other exterior linebacker, too. Discovering one other younger, playmaking receiver also needs to be on the to-do listing for the draft.
The underside line is that this roster needs to be in rivalry for one more NFC South division title in 2025 and one other run on the Tremendous Bowl. I imagine Tampa Bay is a real contender for the Tremendous Bowl, however not but a favourite within the NFC. The Bucs must show that on the gridiron this yr, however one other stellar draft class from Jason Licht and Todd Bowles ought to assist if that occurs, particularly if Tampa Bay finds two or three star-caliber gamers in late April.
QUESTION: Do you assume the Bucs nonetheless want inside linebacker depth – even when they draft one? Nearly as good as Lavonte David is, he’s not younger and is ripe for lacking video games at any time.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels and Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
ANSWER: Whereas I agree that Lavonte David did present some indicators of his enjoying slipping final yr, he’s nonetheless one of many league’s higher linebackers – even at age 35. And he’s the most effective and most skilled linebacker on Tampa Bay’s roster. As of proper now, David will begin subsequent to SirVocea Dennis, who’s penciled in at Mike linebacker, changing the duo of Ok.J. Britt and J.J. Russell.
Dennis is coming off a season-ending shoulder harm that required surgical procedure, however he’s been cleared to take part within the Bucs’ offseason program, which begins up quickly. The Bucs actually like him, and he was off to a fantastic begin within the first 4 video games earlier than his shoulder harm, which started in faculty, flared up. The issue is that he’s solely performed in 17 video games previously two seasons – and totally on particular groups.
With David at age 35, Deion Jones at 30 and newly added Anthony Walker Jr. turning 30 in July, the Bucs will certainly have to draft one other inside linebacker this offseason. Not simply to bolster the expertise on the depth chart, but in addition add a possible future starter. Gamers typically don’t get more healthy with age, and the Bucs have been hit with the harm bug on the inside linebacker place final yr with Dennis lacking the final 13 video games of the season, Britt lacking three video games and Russell lacking one.
David has solely missed two video games previously three seasons as a result of harm, and people got here in the course of the 2023 marketing campaign. He began all 18 video games final season. I’d like to see the Bucs draft one other stud linebacker after which put David in a platoon state of affairs the place he’s enjoying 80% of the snaps quite than 100% of the snaps in every sport. I feel that will lengthen David’s shelf-life in 2025 and make him extra productive in every sport and cut back his harm danger.
QUESTION: A fan since 1984, I bear in mind the crew having to overpay for lower than premium/unproven/questionable free brokers at instances all through the many years. Now they hold these premium gamers at what I’d say is a reduction. Is all of it about tradition?
Bucs WR Chris Godwin and GM Jason Licht, photograph by: Cliff Welch P/R
ANSWER: Sure, there’s little question about it. It’s half tradition, however it’s additionally the truth that the Bucs are a winner. They’ve gained the final 4 NFC South championships and have made the playoffs 5 straight years. If Tampa Bay hadn’t been a playoff crew in every of the final 5 years, I feel it will be a lot more durable to retain the crew’s free brokers – and the Bucs actually wouldn’t be getting any hometown reductions.
Head coach Todd Bowles could be very in style among the many gamers and normal supervisor Jason Licht has a fantastic relationship with the crew as properly. Each males are properly appreciated and properly revered by the gamers. That goes a good distance by way of retention every year when free company rolls round.
The opposite factor is crew chemistry. Licht has finished a significantly better job of avoiding turds within the draft and in free company – guys who could also be egocentric or simply lack the required chemistry to have true crew cohesion. Licht and the scouts in his entrance workplace examine the individual as a lot because the participant with regards to draft prospects and potential free brokers. The Bucs need to draft and signal gamers who might be good teammates and love the sport of soccer as a lot or extra as their paychecks.
We’ve seen Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield and Chris Godwin not break the financial institution with regards to their contract extensions. And legendary Lavonte David has determined to essentially work with the crew on his greenback quantity in every one among his one-year offers over the previous few offseasons as a result of he is aware of how necessary it will be to him to retire as a real Buccaneer, having performed each season in Tampa Bay.
I feel Tom Brady signing with the Bucs for $25 million per yr, which was a relative cut price, was key for the gamers to see. Brady may have gotten extra in free company elsewhere – or maybe squeezed Licht and assistant normal supervisor Mike Greenberg for extra money – however he is aware of that the wage cap pie is barely so large. The larger the piece that he takes the much less that is still for others. I feel gamers like Evans and Godwin, particularly, noticed that in motion and have carried on that mindset, which has – and can – rub off on youthful Bucs gamers come contract extension time.
QUESTION: Hey Scott, I don’t know if this has been requested in a Bucs Mailbag earlier than, however are you able to see a situation the place Jason Licht trades again within the first spherical, and the way probably would you say that’s proper now?
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, DT Calijah Kancey and GM Jason Licht – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
ANSWER: I can positively see a situation the place Jason Licht trades again this yr. If there are a number of gamers left within the Bucs’ first-round pool and he can stockpile some draft picks later on this yr’s draft or decide up a draft decide in 2026 I wouldn’t be stunned if Licht strikes down a bit within the first spherical. We even noticed Licht commerce out of the primary spherical in 2022 and draft defensive deal with Logan Corridor with the primary general decide within the second spherical at No. 33, so he’s finished it earlier than.
But at No. 19, there might be a participant there that the Bucs actually like. And if that participant is there, go forward and decide him. The final time Tampa Bay had the No. 19 decide, it used it on defensive deal with Calijah Kancey again in 2023. The important thing might be figuring out if there may be one participant who is really graded larger within the crew’s first-round draft pool or if the remaining gamers left are all type of grouped collectively.
Whereas Pewter Report is the authority on the Bucs’ draft, I don’t know who Tampa Bay will draft, nor do I do know who ranks the place on the crew’s draft board. I additionally don’t know if Licht will in truth pull the set off on a commerce or not, so I can’t actually guess on how probably that situation occurs.
One factor I’ll say is that the Bucs don’t have a bunch of holes on their roster after free company, so six draft picks may suffice by way of stockpiling the crew with depth. Bear in mind, there are solely 53 gamers on the season roster, so six extra additions – truly, let’s say 5 draft picks make the crew – would characterize 10% of the crew, which is important.
QUESTION: What do you assume is the next precedence draft-wise for the Bucs, a cornerback or an inside linebacker?
Bucs CB Jamel Dean – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
ANSWER: I feel each cornerback and inside linebacker are necessary – in all probability on the identical scale. If the Bucs want to transfer on from the oft-injured Jamel Dean and discover a more healthy playmaker within the secondary, which is the case, then you may make an argument that cornerback is the highest precedence. But Dean continues to be on the crew and the Bucs may dangle on to him for the remainder of 2025 to both function the momentary starter or as skilled, veteran depth.
Whereas Lavonte David is again for one more season at age 35, the 2025 marketing campaign may very properly be his final. So discovering one other future starter can also be necessary. Drafting one other linebacker this yr is crucial as a result of then that participant may be taught from David in 2025, which might be extraordinarily helpful. And given SirVocea Dennis’ penchant for being injured, having one other younger, expertise inside linebacker on the crew for depth this yr additionally has super worth.
The excellent news is that the crew can tackle each wants on this yr’s draft. The bottom line is to discovering the appropriate participant in the appropriate spherical. Simply because Tampa Bay drafts a cornerback forward of inside linebacker – or vice versa – doesn’t essentially imply one place has been prioritized over one other.
