As the Bucs continue to evaluate college prospects at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, they are in the beginning part of reshaping a team that has gone to the playoffs in the past three seasons. For general manager Jason Licht, that also means evaluating the talent on the roster currently.

Moves have already been reported in recent days for some veterans that will be jumping ship. It is expected that the team will be releasing left tackle Donovan Smith, running back Leonard Fournette, and tight end Cam Brate. These moves are just some of what will continue to be announced before free agency opens on March 15th at 4:00 p.m. ET.

These roster cuts are not to mention the retirement of quarterback Tom Brady, a laundry list of free agents on their way out, and the team needing an influx of talent on both sides of the ball. With all of this in mind, this week will be a monumental step in game-planning how the Bucs will bring aboard a new cast of players that can replicate the team’s recent success.

Licht discussed much of what this process entails during his open media availability on Tuesday.

GM Jason Licht Hopes To Restock Bucs Roster To Compete

In Licht’s eyes, 2023 is not a rebuilding year. There is too much talent to put a hole in the ship before the season starts. In a year in which each team in the NFC South is looking for an answer at starting quarterback, the Bucs have arguably the most star power on their roster in the division.

Although this may be true, the Bucs’ treasure map will not include Brady. His influence in recent seasons led to veterans such as Fournette, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, LeSean McCoy, Julio Jones, Kyle Rudolph, and Logan Ryan, all coming down to Tampa Bay, among others.

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

Without his presence in town, no top-tier, big-name veterans are putting the Bucs on their destination list, unless they prioritize warmer weather. As well as this, the team does not have the cap space to bring in many of these veteran kinds of players. Instead, the team will look at restocking with young talent in the draft and for rebound free agents that come with more upside.

“I don’t want to say taking a step back, Licht said Tuesday. “We’re still trying to restock and eventually build another championship team, and it’s just going to look a little different and be done a little bit differently. We were in a position in 2020 after we won the Super Bowl to be able to re-sign all of our players, which hadn’t been done, or hadn’t been done in a very long time.

“The goal is eventually to get back into a position like that, but in the short term, we still want to win and compete for this division – and we think we can. We just want to do it without sacrificing our long-term plans, our long-term goals, as well. I think we can find a way to do both at the same time.”

It is a tightrope to navigate. The team is still in a prime position to compete within the division, but many of their moves must go right. Drafting at No.19 and 51, two impact players will need to be selected at these spots, ala Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr., in 2020. They were selected only a few spots higher at 13 and 45 and stepped in as franchise-level players immediately.

In addition to nailing down their premium picks, finding mid-round gems, such as running back Rachaad White and tight end Cade Otton, will be crucial. Licht offered his evaluation of his last draft class as a whole on Tuesday while mentioning needing more players of that ilk in the upcoming class.

Developing Young Talent On Roster Crucial For GM Jason Licht, Bucs

Much of the difficulty in being an NFL general manager lies in determining which players are going to be re-signed and which ones are let go. The cap space limitations can only be manipulated for so long before it comes time to pay down the bill.

Bucs ILB Devin White, S Antoine Winfield Jr. and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – Photo by: USA Today

While the team miraculously kept all of their starters following their Super Bowl-winning season, the level of roster turnover is finally catching up. With 23 unrestricted free agents and some on the team already being let go, that makes up nearly half of the roster.

While some players will come back, the team will look a lot different. To lay the groundwork for seasons to come, player development is essential in fostering a sustainable, winning football team. That starts with the draft, which PewterReport’s own Scott Reynolds has declared needs to be a home run.

“Well yeah, you want to draft really well, you want to develop, and you want to sign your players back that have developed well,” Licht added. “In a perfect world, you can do that, but it doesn’t always work out that way. You’re not going to be able to sign everybody back.

“But yes, you do want to draft and develop your own. I think that is the key. Then add pieces here and there in free agency – but in free agency, the big, mega deals don’t always work out. You want to be responsible.”

The team will surely have to be more fiscally responsible this season when looking at potential free agents. To fill out the roster, many of the deals will presumably be for one year before the cap book starts to open back up for 2024.

Bucs GM Jason Licht Still Hopes To Compete In NFC South

With the Saints, Falcons, and Panthers all going through their own wholesale changes and storylines, the Bucs still hope to compete in 2023. The Saints have their own cap situation to figure out in the next two weeks. The Falcons, much like the Bucs with Kyle Trask, are debating starting Desmond Ridder at quarterback next season. The Panthers coaching staff has many new additions; time will tell if they can gel.

Falcons QB Desmond Ridder – Photo by: USA Today

The division is still very much for the taking, and if everything goes right, the Bucs can still look to improve upon its 8-9 record from last season, believe it or not. Every year is unpredictable, but there is an additional element of intrigue for what’s in store next season.

“I think they’re all making improvements, and they’re all teams to be reckoned with. We don’t take any of them lightly at all, but I do think we are still in a position where we can still compete for this title. I’m not making any proclamations by any means, but I still think we have a chance to still compete and win this division. It will be an interesting year.”

With the coaching hires finalized, the next step will be building out the roster. For general manager Jason Licht, it will mean restocking the cupboards differently than he has at any point in his tenure since being hired in 2014.