Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offseason Grade: Did Smart Spending and a Bold Draft Push Them Over the Top?
If general manager Jason Licht won Gold in the Financial Olympics last offseason, keeping Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield, and a swarming core of homegrown defenders together, the Buccaneers at the very least returned to the podium this spring.
Tampa Bay doubled down on its identity: build from within, reward your stars, and keep the locker room intact.
One year removed from making sure it was the Buccaneers who benefit from Mayfield’s latter career renaissance, Tampa Bay re-signed 12 of their own free agents in early March to a roster that won the NFC South and came a doink-and-in Washington Commanders field goal from advancing to the divisional round back in January.
Licht and the front office were targeted in the additions they did make, but each has the potential to make a tangible impact on the outcome of games this fall.
What I Liked About the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Offseason
The best move that Licht and the Buccaneers made this offseason, is also easily the riskiest.
Haason Reddick, quite clearly, had subzero interest in playing for the New York Jets last season after being traded by the Philadelphia Eagles and after ending his holdout after sitting out seven games auditioned for his next destination by posting one sack and 26 pressures in the final 10 games of the season, playing on a restructured financial apology of a contract.
It is now Licht, head coach Todd Bowles, and the Buccaneers who stand to benefit the most from a player who posted 50.5 sacks over the prior four seasons.
What has the chance to be a colossal windfall for the Buccaneers is the fact that Reddick’s deal is a one-year pact worth $14 million, setting the stage for the 30 year old to be wholly motivated to return to his double-digit sack form in hopes of securing his next log-term contract, from the Buccaneers or elsewhere. There’s a chance that Reddick is the missing piece in significantly elevating Bowles’ defense in 2025.
Beyond signing Reddick, who has the chance to make a transformative impact on a pass rush that finished seventh in the league with 49 sacks last season, inking punter Riley Dixon is a sneaky upgrade with the potential to flip the field position in Tampa’s favor throughout the upcoming campaign.
Only five punters planted more punts inside the 20-yard line than Dixon’s 33, and he ranked ninth in the league, averaging 42.2 net yards per punt.
In a league where disrupting the quarterback and winning the field position battle, especially for teams built around their defense, can be paramount to success, the Buccaneers checked two big boxes.
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What Worries Me About the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Offseason, 2025 Outlook
Overall, the Buccaneers were among the biggest winners in the NFL Draft.
However, selecting Emeka Egbuka with the No. 19 overall pick feels simultaneously like a luxury pick as well as an insurance policy on veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin’s health, availability, and remaining upside off a dislocated ankle that ended his 2024 campaign in a Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
There would be no issue taking Egbuka, and dropping him into a receiving corps that features an All-Pro like Evans and emerging star in Jalen McMillan, who averaged 12.5 yards per reception and caught eight touchdowns as a rookie. But, the Buccaneers committed $66 million over three years to Godwin in the opening hours of free agency.
That’s a crowded room.
Egbuka may push for 800 yards and double-digit touchdowns, as a pure slot receiver, as a rookie. He has that kind of talent.
But, the Buccaneers are either hedging their massive bet on Godwin still being a difference-maker, or they’re banking on Egbuka being productive from the perimeter. The problem is, several executives I spoke to leading up to the draft suggested that he was both a product of the system at Ohio State and the best slot pass-catcher in this year’s class.
For a franchise that is still relatively thin at linebacker and along the defensive line, taking Egbuka over the likes of Derrick Harmon or Jihaad Campbell, or Tyleik Williams is a bit of a questionable use of draft capital in an otherwise strong haul.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Offseason Grade: A
This offseason was about plugging a few holes on a roster that won 10 games and captured the division last year, and the Buccaneers may have gotten significantly better in the process.
First-round pick Benjamin Morrison and fourth-rounder Jacob Parrish offer a reset at cornerback and could anchor the secondary for years to come. Haason Reddick injects explosiveness into the pass rush on a team that already ranked seventh in sacks, and if Chris Godwin returns healthy, the Bucs regain a proven big-game playmaker — and a potential postseason difference-maker.
Tampa Bay has become a model of consistency when it comes to identifying, developing, and retaining homegrown stars. This spring, general manager Jason Licht again complemented that foundation with targeted free-agent signings and draft picks that could put a fifth straight NFC South title well within reach.
In Case You Missed It
I decided to check on Tampa Bay's four divisional titles while enjoying my toast. I love buttered sourdough and my too expensive KitchenAid toaster makes perfect toast. PERFECT toast. How's the competition in the NFC South?
2021 Tampa wins 13, Saints win 9, others losing records
2022 Tampa wins 8, all others win 7
2023 Tampa wins 9, wins tie breaker over 9-win Saints, others losing records
2024 Tampa wins 10, all others losing records
Has any other team in the NFL won consecutive divisional titles with 17 total wins? 8-9 followed by 9-8, or consecutive divisional titles with a two-year .500 record for non 17 game seasons?
The Bucs are a solid team. They get the appropriate amount of attention. This column, for instance, satisfies my Tampa curiosity right up to this coming September.