There’s loads of optimism for the Bucs as they head into 2024, and for good motive.
In lots of methods, the roster has improved and addressed its largest wants over the offseason by way of the 2024 NFL Draft and free company. Tampa Bay stored all of its largest free brokers and has constructed a younger and hungry roster that appears certain to enhance upon its 2023 season.
Whereas hope is within the air, and that was mirrored in our newest PR Roundtable going over what number of video games the Bucs will win this season, there are some noteworthy considerations that may drastically have an effect on the group’s probabilities of profitable the NFC South and occurring one other playoff run. There’s sufficient motive to imagine that every of this stuff shall be higher, however one also needs to contemplate that some issues are certain to not go to plan.
That’s certainly why they play the video games.
Beneath are the 5 largest considerations about this yr’s Bucs group.
1. What Will Baker Mayfield Do For An Encore?
The largest determinant of how far the Bucs go in 2024 is how far quarterback Baker Mayfield takes them.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Mayfield took the group farther than anybody anticipated final yr, each extending and accelerating the group’s subsequent competition window. With the soundness of his long-term dwelling and a well-known offensive system, there’s a actual chance he might be extra constant beneath middle and even carry out higher than final yr.
However as he heads into his seventh season within the league, Mayfield has but to place collectively consecutive above-average years of play. One thing to think about is that he has led his group to 6 or fewer wins in 4 of his first six years. There are numerous components for why this has been the case, as he willed a downtrodden Browns franchise out of the cellar and was dealt a tough hand in 2022 being traded to the Panthers and having a short run with the Rams.
Nonetheless, one has to make one of the best of the circumstances they’re positioned in, and this yr gives him the prospect to proceed righting wrongs and proving worthy of being an NFL quarterback a group can depend on and construct round.
On this act of his profession, there are not any excuses. He’s surrounded by his greatest supporting solid but and has a head coach in Todd Bowles that can hold the group in video games primarily based on his defensive acumen. With Liam Coen, the offense shall be catered and constructed based on Mayfield’s strengths greater than ever earlier than.
All he has to do is go on the market on Sundays and present that he’s worthy of being Tampa Bay’s 100-million-dollar man.
2. How A lot Extra Juice Will Bucs’ Run Recreation Have?
Bucs RB Rachaad White and C Graham Barton – Picture by: USA At the moment
After being ranked dead-last working the ball over the previous two seasons, the Bucs wish to curb that development in a giant method this yr.
Not solely is Rachaad White seeking to be a extra environment friendly working again, however he could have much more assist. Rookie Bucky Irving already appears like he shall be a key contributor and assist hold White recent all through the season. Sean Tucker might even get a handful of touches and has proven able to breaking a giant run.
Beneath Liam Coen, the Bucs ought to have a extra modernized offense, and offensive line coach Kevin Carberry appears to have the trenches extra in sync by way of creating holes for the working backs to blow up by way of.
Nonetheless, there’s trigger for concern.
This was a story advised final season and even the yr earlier than that. Heading into 2022, Leonard Fournette was signed to a three-year cope with White being his high backup. Fournette was coming off a yr the place he had 180 carries for 812 speeding yards, setting a career-high with 4.5 yards per carry. Final yr, Dave Canales got here in as offensive coordinator and stated that he could be “cussed” working the soccer, however the execution of that on the sphere left way more to be desired.
Issues do look totally different this time round, although. There’s a recent new perspective on offense alongside the teaching workers and extra expertise within the backfield. Very similar to with Mayfield, the Bucs have set the run sport up for fulfillment on the personnel facet, however with out having a 1,000-yard again in almost a decade, discuss and optimism can solely go to this point. Tampa Bay might discover it to be robust sledding out of the gate in opposition to a stingy Washington protection in Week 1 led by defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.
3. Can The Inside Offensive Line Higher Shield Baker Mayfield And Assist RBs?
Heading into the 2024 offseason, the inside offensive line was seen as the largest group want with left guard being vacant after the departures of veterans Aaron Stinnie and Matt Feiler and middle Robert Hainsey not performing in addition to the group hoped for. To unravel this subject, the Bucs went out and signed left guard Ben Bredeson and drafted middle Graham Barton within the first spherical.
Bucs G Ben Bredeson and C Graham Barton – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Already issues seem like higher upfront as Bredeson has acclimated properly over the offseason, whereas Barton appears each little bit of being a high-caliber, long-term reply on the pivot. The inside offensive line’s struggles final yr led to a litany of points that held the offense again.
With Stinnie/Feiler, Hainsey, and rookie Cody Mauch struggling at instances, it led to the pocket collapsing on Baker Mayfield and the working backs hesitating and never with the ability to capitalize on the shortly closing holes in entrance of them. It’s paramount for Mayfield, who stands 6-foot-1, to have time to see over his offensive line and discover his receivers, whereas the large guys must create sufficient push and leverage to carry their blocks for the backs behind them.
NFL Movies’ Greg Cosell drove this level dwelling when he appeared on the Pewter Report Podcast again in early April.
“You simply spent some huge cash on Baker Mayfield, who’s an excellent thrower of the soccer, however he’s a sure sort of quarterback,” Cosell stated. “He might be profitable as that sort of quarterback, as we all know, but it surely’s very laborious for him to achieve success if the depth of the pocket will not be managed and brought care of.”
4. Will The Bucs’ Entrance Seven Generate Enough Stress?
Bucs OLB Chris Braswell – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Outdoors linebacker was the opposite massive want for the Bucs this offseason, and like the inside offensive line, it was shored up by drafting Chris Braswell within the second spherical. Braswell joins a room with loads of uncertainty but additionally the next ground. Yaya Diaby is much more jacked and primed to assault the quarterback this season, whereas the remainder of the room is a mixture of veterans and unproven gamers.
This does elevate some stage of concern by way of what the ground is for this group, particularly when contemplating Diaby has probably the most sacks of anybody within the room in a single season with 7.5.
Tampa Bay lacks a premium cross rusher or a longtime one at that. There might once more be weeks the place the cross rush is neutralized. Alongside the defensive position, nostril sort out Vita Vea and defensive sort out Calijah Kancey can solely achieve this a lot, and the group shouldn’t need to financial institution solely on them and frequent blitzes to generate constant stress.
What lessens this concern is Todd Bowles’ defensive sport planning and prowess on the subject of creatively placing collectively personnel packages, however till the gamers begin producing one has to surprise who and the way typically they are going to get after opposing quarterbacks.
5. Does A Revamped Secondary Equate To Higher Play – And Extra Takeaways?
The shortage of takeaways by Tampa Bay’s cornerbacks has been evident over the past couple of seasons. Jamel Dean nor Carlton Davis match the archetype of being a ballhawk, and Davis was jettisoned to the Lions again in March.
With over half of final yr’s interceptions made by gamers now not on the group, who will step up on this regard?
Bucs CB Zyon McCollum and SS Jordan Whitehead – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Dean is getting into a crossroads sort of season in 2024, as he didn’t have the sort of season anticipated after signing a four-year, $52 million deal to re-up with the Bucs. Whereas head coach Todd Bowles joked about having to drug take a look at him after he made an interception throughout a coaching camp observe, there’s some fact to that comment, particularly as his dropped interception in opposition to the Lions within the Divisional spherical is one thing that continues to sting.
The group made loads of strikes to shore up the secondary, from signing free brokers Bryce Corridor, Tavierre Thomas, and Jordan Whitehead and drafting Tykee Smith within the third spherical. Antoine Winfield Jr. will nonetheless make loads of performs and Whitehead is a giant improve at sturdy security, however the cornerback place nonetheless has its query marks.
Zyon McCollum takes over Davis’ spot, however he has but to file an interception in 30 video games (12 begins). Whereas McCollum has said his objective this season is six interceptions, he first has to indicate that he can get one and maintain down a beginning spot. With Dean having some damage considerations and solely having 5 cornerbacks on the energetic roster, it’s a room that might want to show itself, maybe extra so than another place.
