When a season ends like the Bucs’ did on Sunday night in a 23-20 Wild Card loss to the Commanders, it becomes time to reflect on the year that was, and also what building blocks are there to improve heading into next season. Although Tampa Bay had some special moments, including having a Top 5 offense in the league, the team fell relatively short of its goals given its momentum heading into the postseason.

With all of that said, the Bucs are in a good spot to be a consistent contender year in and year out due having one of the youngest teams in the league with plenty of core players. When Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was asked about which players made the biggest stride this season, he had two players in mind with each playing on a different unit.

Todd Bowles Reveals The 2 Bucs Who Made The Biggest Stride

“I really like where Luke Goedeke played – I liked the way he came back this year and played,” Todd Bowles said. “Even after he got hurt with the concussion, he came back and he made a lot of strides this season, as well. I thought Christian Izien before he got hurt made great strides and did a lot of things well. There [are] a few guys that made strides like that, but those two stand out.”

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Of course each of those comments came with the caveat of players getting hurt, which seemed to be a theme of the season for Tampa Bay. Goedeke had a concussion that caused him to miss Weeks 2 through 5, but started the rest of the season.

In his third year, Goedeke has progressed into a premiere starting right tackle that the Bucs can trust and he’ll likely get a contract extension this offseason. They’ve tasked him with going up against some of the best pass rushers in the game without much help, and more often than not, he’s won those battles.

It’s been great to see the path that Goedeke has taken to improve. He went from struggling to start at left guard as a rookie, eventually getting benched. Then in his second season, it was a gamble to move him back to right tackle where he played at Central Michigan, but it paid off. By his third season, Goedeke is one of the more sure things the team has on its roster.

Goedeke is a top offensive tackle in the NFL and ranks 27th overall on Pro Football Focus with a grade 74.2 on the season. He’s amongst the Top 10 at right tackle as well, taking the No. 10 spot, according to PFF. He has played so well that there’s a good chance he gets a contract extension this offseason and can stay in Tampa Bay for a long time with his good buddy Tristan Wirfs, who also received an extension in training camp. Bench Row Records should continue for that tackle duo.

Christian Izien Played Everywhere For The Bucs

Christian Izien has a very interesting story in his own right. He was an undrafted free agent last season and worked his way into the starting lineup as a nickel corner. Izien made two big interceptions in Week 1 and 2 of last year and started the entire season. When the Bucs signed safety Jordan Whitehead and drafted nickelback Tykee Smith this season, Izien’s role wasn’t defined.

Bucs S Christian Izien – Photo by: USA Today

Instead of pouting that he was no longer a starter, Izien just found ways to make himself available. Take the season opener against Washington for example. Izien, who is a natural safety, lined up at outside cornerback in the second half of the game due to injuries to several other players at the position. He hadn’t played there since high school.

Izien wound up starting in 10 games, playing all over the secondary. He would play free safety when Antoine Winfield Jr. was out, playing there for 308 snaps on the season. He’d also fill in when Smith wasn’t available in the slot, playing 205 snaps there defensively.

Izien also recorded an interception in Week 2 helping the Bucs upset the Lions on the road. Unfortunately, Izien tore his pectoral muscle late in the season and was put on injured reserve, forcing him to miss the last two regular season games and the Wild Card playoff game.

Hopefully the injury bug is done biting the Bucs, as several players were bit hard in the 2024 campaign. At least Tampa Bay knows it has a great deal of talent heading into the next season with an even better Goedeke and Izien heading into 2025.