Tag: Jason Licht

Bucs could fix their secondary problems with one trade this offseason

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com shared some news this week that Bucs fans may want to hear. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have struggled with their pass coverage in recent years. The secondary has had investments made to it with an extension of Antoine Winfield Jr. and selections like Zyon McCollum and Tykee Smith.

Despite that investment, they have still struggled to find success. However, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com shared some news this week that Bucs fans may want to hear. 

The Browns drafted Denzel Ward in 2018 with the fourth pick in the draft. Since that time, Ward has been selected to four Pro Bowls and emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Mary Kay Cabot’s report, though, indicates that if the Browns trade Myles Garrett, Ward may also want to be gone.

If the Bucs cannot get Myles Garrett to come to Tampa Bay, they need to pursue Ward. Either player would immediately help the Bucs defense, specifically their pass defense.

They proved to be a liability all year and, in the end, cost them a decent playoff run.

Bucs seen as fit for a top-tier edge rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft

One of the players who emerged from the Senior Bowl practices is now seen as a perfect fit for the Bucs in the NFL Draft. 

The NFL Draft is closing in as we move past the all-star games in Texas and Alabama and onto the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. After the Shrine and Senior Bowl practices and games, some new players have emerged.

One of the players who emerged from the Senior Bowl practices is now seen as a perfect fit for the Bucs in the NFL Draft.

The Draft Network looked at potential fits for Marshall’s Mike Green. The edge rusher has been rising up draft boards all year long, and after the Senior Bowl, his stock is attached to a rocketship.

Justin Melo writes, “The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recorded a sixth-best 46.0 sacks this past campaign. General manager Jason Licht believes in fielding a fierce pass rush, as does his head coach Todd Bowles. Together, Licht and Bowles also believe in keeping the cupboard full, reserving the right to rotate several defensive linemen up front.”

Melo kept things simple when describing how Green fits with head coach Todd Bowles’ defense, and it wasn’t a hard sell.

“Green would be an outstanding fit for Bowles’ scheme, one that would offer him an opportunity to attack opposing backfields with speed and relentlessness.”

The only problem with Green is whether he will be available at pick 19 or whether the team will have to trade up for him. Time will tell, but he is certainly a dream fit for the team.

2025 NFL Free Agency: Projected value of Anthony Nelson’s next contract

The idea of losing Anthony Nelson does not seem like a big one, but it should be for a Bucs team looking for a consistent pass rush.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have many difficult questions to answer this offseason before they prepare for the 2025 season. One of the free agents being overlooked and talking is Anthony Nelson. This begs the question, “Will Anthony Nelson be back in Tampa Bay for 2025?”

The idea of losing Anthony Nelson does not seem like a big one, but it should be for a Bucs team looking for a consistent pass rush.

Anthony Nelson will be 28 when the next season kicks off in September. The 2024 season was another example of the consistency he brings to the rotation of pass rushers the team possesses. Nelson secured four sacks while generating a career high in QB hits (13). While he may not be a monster he is at least consistent having played in 16 or more games in each of the last five seasons.

This brings us to the question: What will his next contract be, and should the Bucs pay it?

Over the Cap speculates that as of February 6, Nelson is going to earn a smidge less than he did in 2024. They project his next contract value to be $3.5 million, a drop compared to his 2024 rate of $4 million.

The Bucs are projected to have just $11 million dollars, before any adjustments, in their salary cap this offseason. The emergence of Yaya Diaby, as well as expected plans to draft more edge help, may have Tryon-Shoyinka on the out despite the potential value.

Anthony Nelson is worth bringing back for a couple of reasons. One is the price, the second being the consistency, and the third being he has been healthy on a roster that somehow cannot stay that way.

Get Anthony Nelson on the phone, Jason Licht.

2025 NFL Free Agency: Projected value of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s next contract

The idea of losing Joe Tryon-Shoyinka does not seem like a big one, but it should be for a Bucs team looking for a consistent pass rush.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have many difficult questions to answer this offseason before they prepare for the 2025 season. One that no one wants to think about is, “Will Joe Tryon-Shoyinka be back in Tampa Bay for 2025?”

The idea of losing Joe Tryon-Shoyinka does not seem like a big one, but it should be for a Bucs team looking for a consistent pass rush.

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka will be 26 when the next season kicks off in September. The 2024 season was arguably the worst of his career, with him seeing career lows in sacks (2) and tackles (18). The team was desperate for consistent play from their edge rusher,s but they never got it. Tryon-Shoyinka was given chances time and again, and he never was able to capitalize.

This brings us to the question: What will his next contract be, and should the Bucs pay it?

Over the Cap speculates that as of February 6, Tryon-Shoyinka is going to earn a smidge more than he did in 2024. They project his next contract value to be $2.3 million, a raise compared to his 2024 rate of $2.1

The Bucs are projected to have just $11 million dollars, before any adjustments, in their salary cap this offseason. The emergence of Yaya Diaby, as well as expected plans to draft more edge help, may have Tryon-Shoyinka on the out despite the potential value.

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s time may be done in Tampa Bay after just four seasons.

NFL Analyst suggest Bucs add All-Pro edge rusher this offseason

One way to fix this issue is to address it in free agency, The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher has a name in mind for them.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a rough season in terms of staying healthy and defending the pass. One aspect was the coverage ability of their healthy secondary players, which left much to be desired. Another angle is that the pass rush lacked any consistency.

One way to fix this issue is to address it in free agency, The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher has a name in mind for them.

Mosher likes the idea of the Bucs going after former All-Pro edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. The Dallas Cowboys free agent isn’t likely to be back with his old team, and coming off an injury season, he could be a valuable addition to the Bucs.

He writes, “DeMarcus Lawrence has been one of the NFL’s top EDGE rushers when it comes to defending the run, but an early-season foot injury ended his 2024 season. Lawrence does have a history of injuries, and that will lower his price tag, but he is still a high-end NFL starter when healthy and would be a massive addition to Todd Bowles’ defense.”

Adding Lawrence to a group of young pass rushers for the Bucs could be exactly what they need to have them take the next step.

Bucs assistant GM turns down request from Jaguars for an interview

The Bucs slsary cap wizard was requested to interview for the Jaguars open general manager spot but that is not happening now. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a rough offseason from within their front office and coaching staff. Liam Coen departed for the Jacksonville Jaguars, several coaches and front office members interviewed for jobs elsewhere, but when the dust settled things were much calmer than anyone could have guessed.

One last worry the team had though was regarding their assistant general manager Mike Greenberg. The Bucs slsary cap wizard was requested to interview for the Jaguars open general manager spot but that is not happening now.

Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times broke the news of Greenberg’s return and explained the reasoning on social media.

 

 

Greenberg will be entering his 16th season with the team in 2025. Jason Licht and his front office have shown they are among the best in the NFL. They will now look for Greenberg to help navigate another offseason, where they will rely on their draft to build the team up while having an expected salary cap space of $11 million.

Could the Bucs target a former 49ers star cornerback in free agency?

While the secondary tries to heal up this offseason, Jason Licht and his front office may be having to get more creative in their approach.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers really struggled in their pass coverage in 2024. The team had a young secondary led by Zyon McCollum and Tykee Smith due to injuries to veterans off and on all year.

While the secondary tries to heal up this offseason, Jason Licht and the Bucs front office may be having to get more creative in their approach.

This offseason will be tough for the Bucs as several prominent players, such as Chris Godwin and Lavonte David, are free agents. The team only has $11 million in salary cap space at this moment, though that could change. If it does, the team may want to take notice of a post from a certain free-agent cornerback.

 

 

49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward announced earlier this year that he would not return to the team for personal reasons. Ward and his family suffered the loss of their young child this past season, and he cited the pain connected to the area as being too much for his family to bear to be around constantly. Ward returned to finish the season with the team but he now seems eager for a fresh start as his family takes the next steps in the grieving process.

From a football perspective, Ward would be a tremendous addition to the Bucs’ defense.

Ward entered 2024, coming off an All-Pro season in 2023, along with a Pro Bowl selection. While 2024 was not the year for him in any dynamic, he is still just 28 years old and has plenty left in the tank to showcase against opposing wide receivers.

PFF names a Bucs cornerback to be a breakout player in 2025

Rookie cornerback Tykee Smith had some growing pains in 2024 but they may have him ready for a big 2025. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 2024 NFL Draft class comprises several building blocks for the team. On offense, they grabbed three bonafide starters, while on defense, one starter emerged right away and could be poised for a big 2025.

Rookie cornerback Tykee Smith had some growing pains in 2024, but they may have him ready for a big 2025.

Pro Football Focus named their breakout candidates for 2025, and Smith was the site choice for the Bucs. It makes sense to predict a big upcoming season from the rookie cornerback. We always see some growth from this position in a second season.

“General manager Jason Licht’s 2024 draft class already has a proven star in Bucky Irving, and Smith is another candidate to flourish. In his first NFL regular season, Smith collected an 88.1 PFF run-defense grade, the seventh-best mark among cornerbacks with 100 or more run-defense snaps. His 21 stops tied for the 13th most among rookies. . .”

Smith made plays in 2024 but the Bucs secondary being hurt hindered his development. Another full offseason alongside Antoine Winfield Jr. and Zyon McCollum should help.

The team may also bring in some competition for him to get the best out of him.

Bucs rookie named to PFWA All-Rookie team after strong season

Bucky Irving was drafted in the fourth round but made a monumental impact, and the PFWA took notice of it. 

The Bucs 2024 NFL Draft class is going to be remembered as one that allowed the Bucs to maintain excellence on offense despite the growing age of it’s stars. Players like Graham Barton and Jalen McMillan emerged as quality starters down the stretch, but one pick from the class stood out above the rest.

Bucky Irving was drafted in the fourth round but made a monumental impact, and the PFWA took notice of it.

On Tuesday, the PFWA announced their selections for their All-Rookie team, and the Bucs running back made the team in his position. Irving led all rookies in rushing yards (1,122) and rushing touchdowns (8) and was able to average 5.4 yards per carry as well.

Per the Bucs in a press release, his 5.4 yards per carry was the third-highest mark in NFL history among rookies with at least 200 rushing attempts in a season, trailing only Adrian Peterson (5.6 in 2007) and Clinton Portis (5.5 in 2002). That is not bad company to have in terms of the NFL and his storied history. Much like Peterson and Portis, Irving is likely to become the leader of his team’s backfield and should be able to handle a larger workload year over year.

The future is very bright in Tampa Bay on offense with Irving leading things there alongside Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans.

Bleacher Report names three Bucs players as potential cap casualties

Bleacher Report did some work on behalf of Bucs general manager Jason Licht and identified three players who could become cap casualties.

Every offseason, an unfortunate part of it includes players becoming salary cap casualties. The Bucs have only a projected $11 million in salary cap space, so they, more than most teams, will have some tough decisions to make.

Bleacher Report did some work on behalf of Bucs general manager Jason Licht and identified three players who could become cap casualties.

The first player they mention is a fan favorite, Jordan Whitehead, who just returned to the team in 2024. Whitehead would save the Bucs $4.5 by moving on from the veteran safety but it would create a larger need at the position. The defense also has another candidate to save the team some money in Jamel Dean.

Dean signed a four-year, $52 million contract in 2023 but starting in 2025 his contract becomes team friendly. Moving on from Dean would save the team $15.3 million which would more than double their available cap space at this moment.

Rounding things out they also mention Sean Tucker would save the team $1 million. While it doesn’t seem like a lot he does seem to be the odd man out of the backfield.