The 2024 NFL Draft has proved to be pivotal early in the season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Graham Barton being the star.
The 2024 NFL Draft has proved to be pivotal early in the season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Graham Barton being the star. The first-round pick for the Bucs played a significant role in the running game being as successful as it was, which also included rookie Bucky Irving.
Looking ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft, some analysts predict more fun and impactful rookies for the team.
General Manager Jason Licht does. a great job of getting ahead of roster moves before they happen when it comes to the draft. What I mean by that is the team does a great job building depth at positions with youth before veterans move on. In this mock draft by CBS Sports, they have the Bucs doing that at the wide receiver position when they select Tetairoa McMillan.
They write, “McMillan went bananas in Arizona’s opener with over 300 yards and four touchdowns. While he’s not a sudden, Calvin Johnson-type athlete, he’s a large, intimidating presence on the boundary and is well on his way to another enormous season.”
Chris Godwin will be a free agent next season, and the team could move on from him in favor of more youth. Licht has found a gem in Jalen McMillan (no relation to Tetairao) so pairing him with the potential 2025 rookie with veteran Mike Evans could make for an elite receiving group.
For the Buccaneers, Jason Licht gave one of those rare moments of openness when discussing a roster move made in years past.
It is not often that we hear NFL general managers publicly express their regrets. For the Buccaneers, Jason Licht gave one of those rare moments of openness when discussing a roster move made in years past.
“With Jordan (Whitehead), it was a mea culpa, we had to draw the line at some point and I made a mistake. I’m glad we got him back. It was a mistake that I regretted the minute we let him walk.”
However, the Buccaneers’ getting him back couldn’t have come at a better time. The team will need all the help it can get from its safeties, Whitehead and Antoine Winfield Jr. The duo has had success in the past, and now the team will be leaning on them heavily after trading away Carlton Davis III.
Todd Bowles has to be smiling that Licht came to his senses.
Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. record-breaking deals this offseason are a testament to Jason Licht’s tenure as Bucs GM.
In 1995, the Buccaneers drafted two future Hall-of-Fame players, Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks, who would change the trajectory of the franchise.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht appears to have repeated history when he drafted Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. in the 2020 NFL Draft. Wirfs and Winfield are now considered among the best, not to mention highest-paid, players at their respective positions, serving as tributes to Licht’s legacy in Tampa Bay.
Contract value is not always an accurate indicator of a player’s ability or impact on the field, but in the cases of Wirfs and Winfield Jr., it would be hard to argue otherwise. Wirfs has been a Pro Bowler and been voted into the NFL’s Top 100 player list every year since 2021. He earned All-Pro nods in 2021 and 2022. Since 2021, only one other tackle under the age of 25 has earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro accolades in multiple years, and Wirfs just turned 25.
Wirfs’ five-year, $140.6 million contract is the biggest deal for any offensive lineman in NFL history. If Wirfs continues on his current trajectory, it will be worth every penny. His future appears paved in accolades and recognition leading all the way to Canton.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Winfield Jr.’s four-year, $84.1 million deal is similarly record-breaking, but after the season he had in 2023, it would be near impossible to argue it was not justified. A consensus first-team All-Pro, Winfield Jr. was the best safety in football last year. He was elite in every aspect of defensive play: pass coverage, run defense and pass rush. Winfield Jr. led the NFL in forced fumbles, two of which all but single-handedly won games that helped propel the Bucs into the playoffs.
It was apparent early that Licht had done something special with the Bucs’ first two picks of the 2020 draft. Wirfs and Winfield Jr. were both immediate starters and were named to the NFL’s All-Rookie team.
2020 was obviously a special year for Licht and the Bucs, winning the franchise’s second Super Bowl. Though much credit rightfully goes to Tom Brady and head coach Bruce Arians, that magical 2020 season does not happen without Licht.
After some early struggles during Lovie Smith’s tenure as head coach, Licht was able to turn the page and began building a championship roster, acquiring key players like Chris Godwin, Vita Vea and Carlton Davis III. He lured Arians out of retirement in 2019, setting the stage for one of the biggest free agent coups in recent NFL history: signing Tom Brady in 2020.
While the addition of Brady made the Bucs immediate contenders, it was Wirfs and Winfield Jr. that put them over the top. Wirfs fortified the right tackle position, allowing just one sack all season. The Bucs had a good offensive line heading into 2020. Wirfs made it one of the best.
Winfield Jr. made himself indispensable early but battled through typical rookie struggles. He ultimately prevailed, a victory arc illustrated by an forgettable performance against Tyreek Hill and the Chiefs in Week 12 and redemption in the Super Bowl capped by a worthwhile taunting jesture to the Cheetah in the closing moments of the game.
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Three years later, Wirfs and Winfield Jr. are the cornerstones of Tampa Bay’s roster, much like Sapp and Brooks were in their day. The blockbuster contracts they signed this offseason are true reflections of their value to the franchise and their status as leaders on the team and among the league.
For Licht, they represent another turn of the page. Over are the early struggles with Lovie Smith and the heights of the Tom Brady era. Now, the team firmly belongs to Licht and his blueprints for the franchise, built on a foundation laid by Wirfs and Winfield Jr.
Bucs outside linebacker Yaya Diaby appears to avoid major injury at training camp on Thursday.
Buccaneers outside linebacker Yaya Diaby suffered an apparent ankle injury at training camp today per Fox Sports’ Greg Auman. Diaby was carted off, but early reports indicate the injury is not too severe (per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud):
X-rays on YaYa Diaby’s ankle were normal. He will undergo an MRI later today but the #Bucs are optimistic and hoping he avoided serious injury when he tangled with Vita Vea.
Diaby avoiding major injury would prompt a huge sigh of relief from the Bucs. Diaby was the Bucs’ top sack producer last year and is poised to factor heavily into Tampa Bay’s edge rush in 2024.
As Randy Gregory has yet to report to camp, the Bucs’ outside linebacker depth is already being tested. While the Bucs can afford Diaby missing some time, they will need him back sooner than later as he continues to refine his pass rush skills.
There are very good reasons for both sides to get a done as soon as possible. Wirfs wants long-term job security, to avoid injury and the possibility of playing on the franchise tag next year. The Bucs want to lock in one of the best pass-blockers in the NFL and the cornerstone of their offensive line.
Some of the deals signed earlier this offseason should provide some glimpse into a likely Wirfs contract. Lions right tackle Penei Sewell signed a four-year, $112 million deal averaging $28 million per year, the most ever for a tackle. Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw just signed a four-year, $104 million deal, which included less overall money but guaranteed slightly more.
The details of Wirfs’ extension are likely the main culprit for the tardiness of an agreement. The Bucs probably want a four- or five-year deal with more money loaded into the backend to relieve their salary cap next year. Wirfs may want more cash up-front and a shorter deal so that he can hit free agency once more before he turns 30.
While these details have drawn out negotiations, there is little question a deal will get done. General manager Jason Licht said on WDAE that Wirfs deserves to be the “highest-paid” tackle in the NFL, a distinction he also made when talking about Antoine Winfield Jr. before making him the highest-paid safety. Time is the only real thing separating Wirfs and a long future with Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht won’t apologize for spending a second-round pick in 2021 on his backup quarterback
The year after winning their second Super Bowl, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent their second-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Florida quarterback Kyle Trask, hoping to make a future investment into a potential successor for Tom Brady.
Three years later, Trask has yet to play a single meaningful snap for the Bucs, and now heads into the final year of his rookie contract backing up Tampa Bay’s clear-cut starter in Baker Mayfield.
Even so, Bucs general manager Jason Licht doesn’t regret the pick.
Licht recently discussed the topic with Pewter Report, making it clear he won’t apologize for investing premium resources into game’s most important position, regardless of the results.
“You know you guys know me by now,” Licht said. “I will tell you where I made a mistake and I will admit it and say, ‘You know I’ve learned from that.’ I’m not making any apologies for taking Kyle Trask.”
“You know you’ve got teams that have – in back-to-back years – taken quarterbacks in the Top 10, and it’s a premium position,” Licht continued. “You want to hit on it. You get desperate, teams get desperate [looking for a franchise quarterback]. You see what teams give up in trades, you see what they’re doing in money – guaranteed money – all these things to get their quarterback. So to take one in the second round – I have no apologies for that.”
It’s understandable to want to have multiple plans and options at quarterback just in case, but it’s still hard for Bucs fans not to wonder whether or not addressing a different position of need would have been enough to get them closer to a repeat in 2021.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager talks to Pat McAfee about the disrespect his team faces annually despite a four-year playoff streak
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Tom Brady in 2020, there were plenty of doubters who said the GOAT was washed up. Instead, Brady and the Bucs won the Super Bowl that year, and followed it up with two more NFC South titles.
After Brady’s retirement, those same doubters expected the Bucs to come crashing back down to earth with a brutal fire sale and a painful rebuild. Instead, they kept the band together and won the division for a third straight year, this time with Baker Mayfield at quarterback.
You’d think the naysayers would have learned their lesson by now, but heading into the 2024 season, the Bucs are still taking a back seat to the Atlanta Falcons in most preseason predictions for the NFC South, despite having the NFC’s longest active streak of postseason appearances, trailing only the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills across the rest of the league.
Appearing recently on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Bucs general manager Jason Licht acknowledged the constant disrespect, but he doesn’t seem to mind embarrassing those doubters on an annual basis:
If the Bucs win the division again this year, don’t be surprised when the same voices try and convince you why they won’t be successful in 2025. When they do, do yourself a favor and ignore them.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht admits he never should have let safety Jordan Whitehead leave two years ago
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcomed back a friendly face to their defensive backfield this offseason, signing veteran safety Jordan Whitehead to a two-year deal in free agency.
Whitehead, a fourth-round pick by the Bucs out of Pitt in the 2018 NFL draft, spent his first four NFL seasons in Tampa Bay, and was a key member of a secondary that helped bring a second Lombardi Trophy to One Buc Place.
But the Bucs didn’t re-sign Whitehead to a contract extension after his rookie deal expired, so he spent the past two seasons with the New York Jets.
Tampa Bay struggled to replace Whitehead’s impact next to Antoine Winfield Jr. on the back end of the defense over the past two years, so when Whitehead hit the open market again this offseason, Bucs general manager Jason Licht jumped at the opportunity to bring him back.
Appearing on the “Loose Cannons” podcast, Licht admitted that it was a mistake to let Whitehead walk in the first place:
An NFL General Manager who admits mistake is rare. Hearing Jason Licht say that when discussing bringing back #Bucs Safety Jordan Whitehead was such a stand-out moment from his appearance with us the other night.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht discusses the roster on the Pat McAfee Show.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht went on the Pat McAfee Show on Thursday and discussed all things Bucs. After joking about the recent Tom Brady roast on Netflix and retelling McAfee’s near miss to join the Bucs during their 2020 Super Bowl run, Licht addressed a few points along Tampa Bay’s roster.
First, Licht confirmed that 2024 first-round pick Graham Barton will start out at center but has flexibility to play at guard. Licht also noted that the Bucs believed they had a “50/50” chance of getting Barton heading into the draft.
"We think we're gonna put Graham Barton at center and see how it goes..
Moving on to Antoine Winfield Jr., Licht believes a deal will get done, ideally before the July 14 deadline to extend players on the franchise tag. Licht also praised Winfield Jr. as possibly being on a Hall-of-Fame track and deserving pay of the best safety in the league.
"We're still working on getting a deal done with Antoine Winfield..
I don't know when that's gonna come but there has been some positive movement..
Watch the reaction from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ draft room when Graham Barton was still on the board at No. 26
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their hearts set on Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, even though it was unlikely the versatile prospect would make it all the way to the No. 26 overall selection.
But he did, and the Bucs’ brass were thrilled about it.
An impressive athlete with ideal size and unmatched versatility, Barton can play all five positions along the offensive line, and will likely be Tampa Bay’s new starting center as a rookie.
Watch the moment in the Bucs’ draft room when they realized that Barton would still be on the board when they went on the clock:
