I think we can compete with anyone and lose to anyone... That's part of being 500
That’s a fair assessment.
Tampa can beat anyone.
🤡
The 2025/26 Super Bowl Champs the Seattle Seahawks, say “Tell your Mom I said wassssup??!”
what Bucs team was that? Given how we played after the 49ers game the very next week, that team was a distant memory from what we were 90% of the season
I think we can compete with anyone and lose to anyone... That's part of being 500
exactly.
so much will depend on health and how early games go (momentum). They could be 5 wins or 10
I think we can compete with anyone and lose to anyone... That's part of being 500
That’s a fair assessment.
Keeps you on the edge of your seat or a cliff depending on your mood 😂
I think we can compete with anyone and lose to anyone... That's part of being 500
exactly.
so much will depend on health and how early games go (momentum). They could be 5 wins or 10
The key word is compete not win... I fully expect us to win 1-2 we should lose then lose 3-4 games we should win... On the path to 8-9 or 9-8.
If Baker can will us to two extra wins that's the variable or conversely he throws a late pick like he did vs the falcons and we lose.
It's the curse of being 500. We didn't really blow anyone out last year except for maybe 2 games and even then it was still ugly.
We didn't really blow anyone out last year except for maybe 2 games and even then it was still ugly.
That’s the NFL. Very few blowouts ever.
I think we can compete with anyone and lose to anyone... That's part of being 500
That’s a fair assessment.
Keeps you on the edge of your seat or a cliff depending on your mood 😂
Been a pretty profitable business model for bettors the past 3 years. 😂
Would rather we be a true contender year over year with an amazing coaching staff... But money is always nice
I think we can compete with anyone and lose to anyone... That's part of being 500
That’s a fair assessment.
Keeps you on the edge of your seat or a cliff depending on your mood 😂
Been a pretty profitable business model for bettors the past 3 years. 😂
Would rather we be a true contender year over year with an amazing coaching staff... But money is always nice
Likewise
Would rather we be a true contender year over year with an amazing coaching staff.
Hopefully, most fans would have this take.
If we were trying to be objective to optimistic, isn't it possible this what the Bucs are doing? They might not have the"amazing coaching staff" at the moment but they have been a "contender" and through a period where teams are often rebuilding. I assume you qualified contender with "true" because you discount the playoffs because of the division and the results in the playoffs. Fair enough. Many post-Super Bowl teams have a big drop off though, like a 5 win season. The Bucs dont have that until arguably last season.
But the overarching point is to just zoom out. Widen the lens.
If you zoom out and look at the potential path the Bucs are on since 2022, the period of time since 2022 has been successful IF you see the Bucs as a team rebuilding, dropping dead cap,etc. And if you zoom out, that rebuilding period is not over yet because we are in the moving to a new era of player phase (LVD, Evans, Egbuka). It is close to over, as is the end of Bowles extended contract. Maybe that is not a coincidence?
Either way though, lets see what happens this year, sure, but this year is still just one more year in Licht's plan so IF YOU ZOOM OUT might there be an "amazing coaching staff" around in 2027 or 2028? This year, not many big coaches and the Bucs still had to deal with LVD and Evans (Vea maybe next, AWJ?). So, if Bowles continues to navigate the team through the end of this transition - now fully removed from the bad 2021 "run it back draft" and the unexpected 2022 faux "run it back" draft might that new "amazing coaching staff" find a 2027 team or 2028 team with lots of cap space, a solid O-line, a franchise QB, 3 or 4 really good WRs and good RB and a rejuvenated and young defense? Maybe even a "new" super bowl ready stadium?
That seems a fairly enticing opportunity for an "amazing coaching staf" to pick up from there. Maybe you would be able to drop the qualifier ("true") for a while.
If you zoom out and look at the potential path the Bucs are on since 2022
There are other ways then the way the Bucs are doing it.
The Eagles have been "contenders" through the Jalen Hurts era, so beginning roughly in 2022 when they went 14-3. It took them until the 2024 to win a Super Bowl, in part because they sort of blew up and lost to the Bucs in the 2023 playoffs. They were sort of FAUX relevant in 2025, better than the 2022 to 2024 Bucs by regular season record, but equal results bowing out in the first playoff game. Maybe that means in 2025 they were not "true" contenders?
Either way though, they are also $70-80 million in dead cap and about $400 million in void years.
So, Maybe Eagles fans are enjoying their "true" contender status now more than the Bucs fans are enjoying their "faux" contender status post-Super Bowl, but where will both teams be in 2-3 years? The Eagles just had had to publicly shame Hurts to get him to hopefully run the called plays. The Bucs just lost Evans. The Bucs are limiting void years where they can (restructuring only if needed) and now have limited dead cap, especially relative to the Eagles.
Two different approaches. Not sure which is best for the team.
If you zoom out and look at the potential path the Bucs are on since 2022
There are other ways then the way the Bucs are doing it.
The Eagles have been "contenders" through the Jalen Hurts era, so beginning roughly in 2022 when they went 14-3. It took them until the 2024 to win a Super Bowl, in part because they sort of blew up and lost to the Bucs in the 2023 playoffs. They were sort of FAUX relevant in 2025, better than the 2022 to 2024 Bucs by regular season record, but equal results bowing out in the first playoff game. Maybe that means in 2025 they were not "true" contenders?
Either way though, they are also $70-80 million in dead cap and about $400 million in void years.
So, Maybe Eagles fans are enjoying their "true" contender status now more than the Bucs fans are enjoying their "faux" contender status post-Super Bowl, but where will both teams be in 2-3 years? The Eagles just had had to publicly shame Hurts to get him to hopefully run the called plays. The Bucs just lost Evans. The Bucs are limiting void years where they can (restructuring only if needed) and now have limited dead cap, especially relative to the Eagles.
Two different approaches. Not sure which is best for the team.
Eagles are a better run franchise and expectations are higher in Philly
They have one of the better GMs in football.
Like i said, they made playoffs 8 out of the last 9 years and have won 2 superbowls in that span with two "Trent Dilfer" type QBs....
they draft well, so much, that guys dont get second contracts with them, not because they suck like Logan Hall or JTR, but rather because they are too expensive like Milton Williams.
If i had to bet, Eagles will be better off than us next year and within the next 5. Doesn't mean, we can't beat their ass in a playoff game or two :)
They have one of the better GMs in football.
Yes I agree, but I think you're missing the point because its working at the moment. Even Roseman and Lurie acknowledge that the bill will come due.
Thats why I mentioned it. Almost every NFL fan would wish their team was like the Eagles at this moment in time because fans would change players like underwear and always want the big star. Roseman might have some plan to find his way out of all the dead cap and void years, but maybe not because for the success the Eagles are having at this moment there is the failure of the Browns, Saints, Jaguars, Dolphins, Jets and Cowboys. Even the 49ers took Evans over other options in part because of his price.
Roseman is doing a good job, but every miss is amplified. This offseason some people are criticizes the Eagles for not being aggressive enough in free agency (lol at that), but here isSports Illustrated explaining why that might be and it is the same as SR's discussion of the Bucs CASH BUDGET:
"Regardless of the Brown situation, there's available cap space for Roseman and the front office to make a move. The Eagles have $34,830,735 in available salary cap space (per Over The Cap), sixth most in the NFL at this juncture in the offseason.
While there's a move to be made, the cash the Eagles have may prevent that from happening. The franchise is tied up with $51,617,968 in dead money this offseason (ninth most in the NFL) and have spent $322,989,310 on the current active roster (per Spotrac).
For those counting at home, that's the fifth-most cash spent in the NFL. Even with the rising salary cap each year, it's hard for the Eagles to justify a move in the $8-to-$20 million range for a good player."
The Eagles just had had to publicly shame Hurts to get him to hopefully run the called plays. The Bucs just lost Evans. The Bucs are limiting void years where they can (restructuring only if needed) and now have limited dead cap, especially relative to the Eagles.
The difference between Tampa and Philly is the Bucs have a QB. Philly is in the unique situation where they are successful despite the QB position holding them hostage. Hurts is good at times but his ego seems to be getting in the way and he's too glib to recognize his limitations. Hurts is a top half of the league talent with something in his head holding him back and the Eagles won't make another run because of it.
I personally think John Harbaugh is a tired weak and uninteresting story but, the Giants are getting better and who is going to stop that Cowboys offense. The Redskins may be the bottom dweller there for a while. Way too old a team.