Since 2020 Tampa has had two of the top 10 FA signings. So I am not sure where the sentiment is, outside of trolling, that Tampa isn't a place FA players want to play.
FA are FA for a reason. It's a gamble by nature.
Brady came here because of the talent on the team and nobody else wanted him. yeah heard maybe the Raiders but we got lucky there!
Post Brady era, the biggest free agents we signed were Mayfield and Reddick; with Mayfield coming on a prove it deal and given a chance to start
now grant it, we were in "cap hell" as some suggest but it's not like we spent much on free agents
Most people that come to the Tampa Bay locker room, love it - just look at Brady and Gronk. Plus, great weather, no state income tax; surely a great place to play
im just not sure we will solve all this teams problems through free agency. We are down a defensive coordinator and until we add more coaching to this poorly coached team, there is a ceiling of barely over .500 and first round playoff exit
Since 2020 Tampa has had two of the top 10 FA signings. So I am not sure where the sentiment is, outside of trolling, that Tampa isn't a place FA players want to play.
FA are FA for a reason. It's a gamble by nature.
Brady came here because of the talent on the team and nobody else wanted him. yeah heard maybe the Raiders but we got lucky there!
Post Brady era, the biggest free agents we signed were Mayfield and Reddick; with Mayfield coming on a prove it deal and given a chance to start
now grant it, we were in "cap hell" as some suggest but it's not like we spent much on free agents
Most people that come to the Tampa Bay locker room, love it - just look at Brady and Gronk. Plus, great weather, no state income tax; surely a great place to play
im just not sure we will solve all this teams problems through free agency. We are down a defensive coordinator and until we add more coaching to this poorly coached team, there is a ceiling of barely over .500 and first round playoff exit
Agreed. It's rare where a FA has much of an impact. Reggie Whites are few and far between.
If you want ONME WAY to see why the Bucs are not in the Super Bowl you can compare them directly to the Seahawks.
I say the Seahawks because like the Bucs they were a mid-record team for multiple years (7-10, 9-8 and 9-8) so like the Bucs denied a true premium pick.
The hired a very good defensive coach, something no one here wants . . . but --- ADVANTAGE Seahawks
Its not just the HC though because look at the difference in player movements
They had Russell Wilson - BIG advantage Seahawks. Big advantage and before MacDonald BUT an important BIG advantage over the Bucs because the trade of Wilson got them the leader of the defense (Witherspoon) with a #5 over all pick and the leader of the offense, JSN.
The Bucs dont have a Wilson to trade, our #5 overall pick is long gone and we just drafted our version JSN (OSU receiver at #19), so the Bucs are way behind missing a #5 difference maker and so far their OSU receiver have a lot of potential, but not one of the best WRs in the game
The Seahwaks also made a move we did not and apparently would not. We signed Reddick on a one year $10 mill deal. The Seahawks signed DeMarcus Lawrence after we picked up Reddick and signed him to a 3 year $40 mill deal, something the Bucs would not do.
McDonald just highlighted key performers on his defense: Witherspoon #5, Lawrence (FA) and their version of AWJ, Nick Emmawori
(we already have our Darnold)
So not only do the Bucs lose HC v HC but they lose in the talent category too.
You can make a similar comparison with the Patriots.
The 2025 Patriots have superior coaching X2 because the have Vrabel and McDaniels (versus Bowles and Grizz)
But the real difference is the player movements:
1) Patriots capitalized on their failure (two 4 win seasons ) to get Maye and Gonzalez and Campbell
2) Vrabel also brought with him the thing the Bucs D really lacks which is an influential leader, Harold Landry. LVD was better in his prime, but if you read about the 2025 Patriots Vrabel brought Landry there as a leader and its paid off.
3) The Patriots were also much more active in Free Agency. The Bucs signed only Reddick and 3 or 4 other one year guys like Vildor and heck. The Patriots pick up 16 outside free agents
SO THAT THING THAT REALLY STANDS OUT IF YOU COMPARE THE BUCS TO THE SEAHAWKS OR PATRIOTS . .
The Bucs have almost ZERO return on the their 1st round picks,wheres and the Pats and Hawks are led by the recent 1st round picks:
The Seahawks have Witherspoon and JSN leading the team and even Nick Emmanwori as a 2nd round pick
The Patriots have Maye and Gonzalez and Campbell, with Maye and Gonzalez obviously critical to the team's success in 2025
The Bucs had Egbuka who helped, but then its Barton (okay but line decimated). Kancey (out) and Hall. Even compare the uneven play of Tykeee Smith to Nick Emmanwori
You can make a similar comparison with the Patriots.
The 2025 Patriots have superior coaching X2 because the have Vrabel and McDaniels (versus Bowles and Grizz)
But the real difference is the player movements:
1) Patriots capitalized on their failure (two 4 win seasons ) to get Maye and Gonzalez and Campbell
2) Vrabel also brought with him the thing the Bucs D really lacks which is an influential leader, Harold Landry. LVD was better in his prime, but if you read about the 2025 Patriots Vrabel brought Landry there as a leader and its paid off.
3) The Patriots were also much more active in Free Agency. The Bucs signed only Reddick and 3 or 4 other one year guys like Vildor and heck. The Patriots pick up 16 outside free agents
right on cue:
"How aggressive free agency moves led the Patriots and Seahawks to the Super Bowl"
The Patriots won a bidding war for star defensive tackle Milton Williams with a four-year, $104 million contract and added several other key defensive players like cornerback Carlton Davis, edge rushers Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson, and linebacker Robert Spillane.
New England also got No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs on a three-year, $63.5 million deal, along starting offensive linemen Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury and receiver Mack Hollins."
COMPARE THAT TO THE "ON THE VERGE OF A SUPER BOWL" Bucs
If you want ONME WAY to see why the Bucs are not in the Super Bowl you can compare them directly to the Seahawks.
"The recent run comes after years of poor picks eroded the roster strength as the Seahawks added players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Devon Witherspoon, Kenneth Walker, Charles Cross, Byron Murphy, Riq Woolen and A.J. Barner in recent years before using their top two picks in April on immediate impact players Grey Zabel on the offensive line and versatile defender Nick Emmanwori.
“It was a master class by John and our personnel folks,” coach Mike Macdonald said of his balance of draft and free agency. “A lot of coaches have a lot of input, especially through free agency. ... When you have a shared alignment about what type of team you want to have, what type of people you want in your building. I think that streamlines that process.”
im just not sure we will solve all this teams problems through free agency.
Starts with coaching.
Again, Coen would've had this team in the playoffs (with the same roster).
im just not sure we will solve all this teams problems through free agency.
Starts with coaching.
Again, Coen would've had this team in the playoffs (with the same roster).
This
im just not sure we will solve all this teams problems through free agency.
I dont think you can solve all the problems, but maybe the Bucs should at least try ? LMAO.
If you are already operating a deficit (relative to most top teams) because you do not have many recent premium picks on the field dominating AND you basically sit out meaningful efforts to improve the team during FA . . . your'e not really trying to win, at least as a primary objective. Your'e trying to save $ or something else.
This is one reason the Bowles decision stands out as a weird one. Are they going to open the wallet now that they are largely past the dead cap issue and even though Bowles might be gone in a year? Jay Glazer reported that keeping Bowles was not a surprise because the Glazers "love him." One reason they might "love him" is that he got something from a team that seems to have been focused more on helping the team's finances than winning, but what now with that supposedly behind the Bucs?
Will be interesting to see, especially because we already have the makings of a solid offense. The Bucs dont have to go 19 free agents like the Patriots, but how about one top of class? How about a handful of others?
If you want ONME WAY to see why the Bucs are not in the Super Bowl you can compare them directly to the Seahawks.
I say the Seahawks because like the Bucs they were a mid-record team for multiple years (7-10, 9-8 and 9-8) so like the Bucs denied a true premium pick.
The hired a very good defensive coach, something no one here wants . . . but --- ADVANTAGE Seahawks
Its not just the HC though because look at the difference in player movements
They had Russell Wilson - BIG advantage Seahawks. Big advantage and before MacDonald BUT an important BIG advantage over the Bucs because the trade of Wilson got them the leader of the defense (Witherspoon) with a #5 over all pick and the leader of the offense, JSN.
The Bucs dont have a Wilson to trade, our #5 overall pick is long gone and we just drafted our version JSN (OSU receiver at #19), so the Bucs are way behind missing a #5 difference maker and so far their OSU receiver have a lot of potential, but not one of the best WRs in the game
The Seahwaks also made a move we did not and apparently would not. We signed Reddick on a one year $10 mill deal. The Seahawks signed DeMarcus Lawrence after we picked up Reddick and signed him to a 3 year $40 mill deal, something the Bucs would not do.
McDonald just highlighted key performers on his defense: Witherspoon #5, Lawrence (FA) and their version of AWJ, Nick Emmawori
(we already have our Darnold)
So not only do the Bucs lose HC v HC but they lose in the talent category too.
The Seahawks started to change their draft approach in 2020 so they are further along than the Bucs because the Bucs were trying to go for another SB win in 2021. It will take another two drafts for the Bucs to reach the talent on the Seahawks level.
Problem is what do you do with free agents?
Patriots spent a lot of money last off season and were bad but this year they spent money and they are good? Vrable is the difference maker and not really that the Patriots scouts are geniuses all of a sudden.
They had Russell Wilson - BIG advantage Seahawks. Big advantage and before MacDonald BUT an important BIG advantage over the Bucs because the trade of Wilson got them the leader of the defense (Witherspoon) with a #5 over all pick and the leader of the offense, JSN.
Post-Super Bowl breakdown by Seahawks fan website
"Devon Witherspoon blitzes Drake Maye into doom
‘Spoon was locking receivers down in coverage and casually just picking up a sack and a pressure that led to the game-ending pick-six by Uchenna Nwosu. It almost transpired that Witherspoon had two sacks and a forced fumble, which might have been grounds to consider giving him Super Bowl MVP. The biggest piece of the Russell Wilson trade shined the brightest."
Contrast that to the Bucs first round selection including their own #5 no longer with the team Devin White
This is where the pessimism of our fans loses me.
yep
But a trade and free agency help is the answer for defense this year.
If that type of help doesn’t come, we’ll be seeing a complete overhaul next offseason.
This is part of why I said "neither" to climbing or descending.
Say whatever anyone will about Bowles, but its the owners that have the Bucs in this unusual position. The owners must be behind that dead cap clearing over talent on the filed approach that has dominated this stretch and they are certainly behind the "half measure" of firing everyone but Bowles. It might work, but if it does not then what? If they used 2026 to "trade and free agency" that would have done so for a HC and a defense that would no longer be here,
Glazers may have some responsibility, but this is 100% Bowles. Bowles just does not develop players. How many years and "communication" is still the excuse with players. This should not be happening. If the stories about all of the walk through practices are true....how can players develop and learn to "communicate" with walkthrough practices. Also blitz as the default with Edge players constantly dropping in coverage is maddening. Dropping into coverage is fine, but it is done way too much in this system and mix that in with "communication" and you have Edge players covering WRs downfield.