Bucs find themselves in a conversation no NFL team wants to be in for the third year in a row and it's getting boring
Remember when, after Tom Brady officially retired, the overwhelming consensus surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was that the team wouldn't be as successful without the greatest quarterback of all-time leading the way?I certainly do. I also remember how that never came to fruition. Sure, the Bucs haven't one a Super Bowl since Brady retired, but […]
Remember when, after Tom Brady officially retired, the overwhelming consensus surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was that the team wouldn't be as successful without the greatest quarterback of all-time leading the way?
I certainly do. I also remember how that never came to fruition.
Sure, the Bucs haven't one a Super Bowl since Brady retired, but they've maintained a solid level of success that many from afar thought they couldn't. The Bucs are still NFC South champs, coming off their fourth-straight division title (their second in a row without Brady), and they still have a roster that has plenty of talent in key areas.
So, it's getting a bit boring when people peg the Bucs as one of the NFL's top teams to take a step back, which is what has recently happened at ESPN.
A crew of experts, ranging from analysts to insiders, recently gave their takes on which team will take a step back in 2025 and two picked the Bucs. In an overall sense, the Bucs were the second-most picked team, with the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings tying for first with three selections, apiece.
Kalyn Kahler, national NFL reporter: Buccaneers. Carolina could be building something with Bryce Young, and Michael Penix Jr. is ready to boost the Falcons, so competition in the NFC South will take a step up this season. Will Baker Mayfield have the same success with Josh Grizzard as his third offensive coordinator in Tampa?
Eric Moody, fantasy analyst: Buccaneers. The NFC South won't be as easy for the Buccaneers in 2025 like it was in 2024. Mayfield will have another new offensive coordinator, and hitting on three straight OC hires is rare.
Both takes present their own set of problems, as well. For starters, both experts' comments about the rising competition in the NFC South are exactly why the vast majority of people picked the Atlanta Falcons to win it, last year, and for the Bucs to take a step back. As we saw, that completely imploded with Kirk Cousins at QB, leaving the Falcons in dire catch-up mode over the last few games of the season. There's zero guarantee Bryce Young or Michael Penix Jr. take steps forward to where their respective teams are in the hunt when it matters most.
As for Moody's take, sure, hitting on three OCs in a row is certainly a tough task, but Grizzard isn't an outside hire like Dave Canales and Liam Coen were. He's expected carry Coen's offense over in order to help keep some form of stability and consistency for Baker Mayfield and co. It's totally fair to question if Mayfield has the same success with Grizzard as he did Coen, but things should at least be stable enough to where the Bucs offense is a good unit.
Yes the Bucs have some issues to fix, like any NFL team does, but they return a good chunk of their impact players from the 2024 season and Jason Licht has proven to be one of the NFL's top GMs. With plenty of infrastructure to create more cap room and a decent slate of draft picks, the Bucs are in very good position to keep the momentum going in 2025.
If anything, it's likely they stay the course. But I guess the spaghetti has to stick eventually, right? Even then, that shouldn't be the case, this year.
