This is The Gridiron Review’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2023 Offseason Team Breakdown. We provide you with all things you need to know about the Buccaneers heading into FA and the draft. We also provide our thoughts on the needs of the team and how we think they can be addressed!
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022 Record: 8-9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Salary Cap(According to Spotrac): $-55,594,949
Notable Free Agents(According to Spotrac):
- Blaine Gabbert, QB
- Giovani Bernard, RB
- Julio Jones, WR
- Breshad Perriman, WR
- Scotty Miller, WR
- Kyle Rudolph, TE
- Aaron Stinnie, OG
- Akiem Hicks, DL
- William Gholston, DL
- Carl Nassib, DL
- Lavonte David, LB
- Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB
- Jamel Dean, CB
- Logan Ryan, S
- Mike Edwards, S
- Keanu Neal, S
Team Needs: QB, WR(Depth), OL(Depth), DL, LB, CB, S
3 Free Agent Targets(In No Order):
- Jimmy Garappolo, QB
- Solomon Thomas, DL
- Greedy Williams, CB
Tampa Bay Buccaneers First Round Pick(s): Pick 19
3 Draft Prospect Fits/Targets:
- Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
- Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
- Brian Branch, S/NB, Alabama
Our Buccaneers Ideal Offseason Plans/Thoughts:
- The Buccaneers sold their soul for a Super Bowl. Now it’s time to pay the bill. Tom Brady just retired(…for now?), they just scapegoated OC Byron Leftwich, and they have a ton of significant free agents while being $55.5 million over the cap.
- The Bucs need to make a move at QB. Gabbert isn’t the answer. The Bucs are trying to make it sound like their next QB is on their roster in Kyle Trask although there’s nothing to suggest that is in any way true. If they think they can win right now even after whatever happens the rest of their offseason(in trying to fix the cap problems) then they should try to trade up for Alabama’s Bryce Young. Young has been a proven winner when there is a strong team built around him. If they decide not to go that route they should look to a veteran like Jimmy G to bridge until they get their QB of the future next year(after what should be a down season in 2023).
- The core of the Bucs wide receiving room should still be intact regardless of who they lose in FA with Evans and Godwin still under contract. Russell Gage should be fine taking over the WR3 spot (as that’s what he’s being paid to do), but depth could be added.
- The Bucs offensive line should be staying intact as none of their starters are set to be free agents. However, anyone who has watched the Tampa offensive line reserves knows that this unit takes a massive hit anytime one or more starters are down. They need to bring in better depth for their line.
- The Bucs defensive line is going to need a complete makeover as every player in the room is set to become a FA except for Vita Vea and rookie Logan Hall. Hall will have to take over a starting role in 2023. The Bucs will still be lacking one more starter and depth. Solomon Thomas has never quite lived up to being the 3rd overall pick and should be a low-cost veteran option.
- The Bucs linebacker room is going to be losing their longest tenured player in Lavonte David. Unless David is okay with a big pay cut and looking to stay in Tampa his whole career, they’re going to lose him. He will be a big loss, but they should feel comfortable about White leading the room. It’s hard to imagine Drew Sanders falling to them at 19, but even if he does there’s no saying that’s their No.1 priority. He may be on the board just behind a bunch of other names. If they do want to address the room in the draft though, look for Clemson’s Trenton Simpson to be an option in round two. Simpson has the upside to go in the first round, but with the linebacker position slowly decreasing in value with every passing season, don’t be surprised if everyone but Sanders falls out of the first. At OLB, Tryon and Barrett are still under contract, but they need to address the depth of the room.
- The Bucs secondary is about to become a disaster show. A group that was overall pretty young and promising is now going to need to be rebuilt. At CB, both Murphy-Bunting and Dean are set to become FAs. Both players are also supposed to have pretty active markets. Even if the Bucs wanted to bring them back, they don’t have the cap space to do so. Hopefully 2022 5th round pick Zyon McCollum is ready to step in next year alongside Carlton Davis. If the Bucs get under the cap look for them to take a flier on an unproven CB like Greedy Williams. Williams, who was a 2nd round pick in 2019, never really panned out the way they had hoped. The depth of the room needs to be addressed on top of just starters.
- At safety, everyone except for Winfield is a FA. They need to find a starter next to Winfield as well as some depth pieces. I really liked Clemson’s Nolan Turner in last year’s draft. I thought he was an absolute steal as an UDFA. Turner, who made it all the way to final cuts before being practice squaded should have a really good chance to make the team and even start with Edwards, Neal, and Ryan all set to become FAs. On the Bucs board at pick 19 should also be Alabama’s Brian Branch. Branch could absolutely come in on day one and be the other starting safety. Branch could also play your NB position in sub packages.
- UPDATE: The Bucs have released Donovan Smith. They are now in the market for a new bookend tackle with Wirfs.