The Bucs have obviously enjoyed some unprecedented success in recent years. When Tom Brady arrived in 2020, he took them to the Super Bowl in year one – and they won it. In 2021, Tampa Bay won a franchise-record 13 wins and won the NFC South for the first time since 2007. And despite a struggle of an 8-9 season in 2022, the team still repeated as division champions for the first time ever.

Now, where do the Bucs go from here? As Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds wrote about in the latest edition of SR’s Fab 5, this is a team that could use a whole lot more speed in 2023. The 2022 team often looked slow, both offensively and defensively.

There’s certainly a case to be made that the Bucs need to get younger this offseason, too. This past season, they were the 11th-oldest team in the NFL in terms of average age (26.42), plus they had 10 players who were 30 or older, which is near the top of the league in that category as well.

Bucs LB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

So, can Tampa Bay realistically get younger this offseason? That may prove difficult.

For starters, the team’s top two pending free agents – both in terms of importance and presumably priority – are well over the age of 30. If Tom Brady comes back to play his 24th NFL season, he’ll be 46 by the time Week 1 rolls around. On the defensive side of the ball, longtime captain Lavonte David just turned 33.

The Bucs should want Brady and David back. They’re the leaders of their respective sides of the ball, and both still managed to play at a high level in 2022. Brady struggled on the whole, but he still put up 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns to nine interceptions with a banged-up offensive line and no run game.

David isn’t as splashy as he used to be, but he’s still remarkably steady. He finished 2022 with 124 tackles (80 solo), three sacks, 10 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Not to mention, the Bucs have no suitable replacements for Brady and David if they’re not returning for another season.

Where Can The Bucs Get Younger Heading Into 2023?

So, if the Bucs are successful in bringing Brady and David back, where can the team actually get younger? The skill positions on offense would be a start. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are as good of a 1-2 punch as you’ll find in the NFL, but the group behind them left a lot to be desired in 2022. Julio Jones’ age-33 season was a massive disappointment, while Russell Gage spent much of his age-26 season sidelined with injuries. Tampa Bay could stand to get younger and faster at the wide receiver position.

Bucs TE Kyle Rudolph and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The tight end position got a jolt of youth this season, with rookies Cade Otton and Ko Kieft being asked to contribute a lot. They did so, in part, because Cameron Brate’s age (30) – and injuries – caught up to him and Kyle Rudolph (33) proved to have very little left in the tank after signing on a one-year deal during training camp.

The Bucs’ backfield isn’t exactly old, but Leonard Fournette just turned 28 and had a down year in 2022. Drafting another young running back to complement Rachaad White might be a wise, future-minded move.

On defense, the Bucs loaded up on veterans last offseason. They signed Keanu Neal (27), Logan Ryan (31) and Akiem Hicks (now 33) in addition to re-signing William Gholston (31). Ryan and Hicks had injury struggles in 2022, while Neal and Gholston were largely ineffective.

Over on special teams, kicker Ryan Succop is 36 and no longer has the leg to reliably connect on field goals longer than 45-47 yards. Head coach Todd Bowles recently spoke about the team’s kicking situation and while he was complimentary of Succop, he did note that they need to be able to kick from 50-55 yards out as well.

This offseason, the Bucs would be wise to trend younger. Now, younger doesn’t automatically mean better and more effective, but when it comes to things like durability and speed, youth can be a major plus. And for where Tampa Bay is right now, trading experience for health and quickness should be the way forward.

Why Tampa Bay Might Struggle To Get Younger This Offseason

Bucs GM Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

As much as the Bucs might want to get younger in the coming months, it may be a challenge. And that’s not only because Brady and David would still impact the team’s age if they return. It’s a salary cap issue. Tampa Bay is $54,833,921 over the cap right now, per OverTheCap.com. 

Some of the moves the Bucs make to become cap compliant will likely make them younger, but they won’t have a lot of room to work with once free agency begins. The way things look, a lot of their moves may fall in the veteran minimum realm, and those types of contracts are typically spent on, well, veterans.

The NFL Draft will certainly give the Bucs a chance to get younger, and that’s where they may be able to get faster. A young, speedy receiver, such as Boston College’s Zay Flowers,who is featured in the new Pewter Report Bucs mock draft, to mix in with Evans and Godwin would be hugely important, as would some young pass rushers.

Those are priorities regardless of Brady’s status. There was a serious lack of explosiveness with the offense in 2022, and the defense didn’t put pressure on the quarterback with much regularity. It’s hard to win when you fail in both of those areas.

Now, if Brady does come back, a “youth movement” of sorts may not be in the cards this offseason. Tampa Bay is all about maximizing its Super Bowl window, which has been more open than ever with the ageless seven-time championship quarterback in town. Proven, reliable additions have been the priority since his arrival in 2020, and that roster-building strategy has worked out for the most part.

But Brady or no Brady – as much as they possibly can – the Bucs have to start building the other areas of their roster for the future.