After a 5-11 2018 season with then Head Coach Dirk Koetter, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers improved by two games in 2019; going 7-9 under first-year Head Coach Bruce Arians. This year, the Buccaneers will be looking to take advantage of an NFC South division in flux, hoping to obtain their first playoff appearance since 2007.
When evaluating last season, the Bucs had their moments where everything just seemed to click. QB Jameis Winston was making big-time throws and wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Breshad Perriman were making outstanding contributions to the offense. However, the team still had the 2-6 start where inconsistent quarterback play and miscues were paramount to their lack of success.
Despite the erratic play, Tampa Bay isn’t that far from being a legitimate contender in the division in 2020. General Manager Jason Litch will have some tough decisions regarding whether to retain some of their free agents or not. And he and his staff will have six selections in the upcoming draft to help build upon an already solid roster.
Below are three areas the Buccaneers need to improve in 2020:
1). Offensive Tackle
Tampa Bay’s offensive line played a part in some of the deficiencies at the quarterback position, namely inadequate protection that often led to batted balls, interceptions and/or sacks. In 2019, Winston was sacked 47 times. The offensive line could use better depth overall but the immediate need is at offensive tackle.
Veteran RT Demar Dotson is the longest-tenured player on the roster and is a well-respected leader in the locker room. However, he’s not getting any younger and injuries have nagged at him in recent years. Dotson’s contract is expiring but even if they bring him back on a short term deal, with this deep draft full of talented offensive lineman, it will behoove the Buccaneers to draft his replacement.
2). Cornerback
Defensive Coordinator Todd Bowles’ unit was the third-worst pass defense in the league (30th) allowing 270.1 passing yards per game. While the Bucs have addressed the cornerback position in recent drafts, none of their past picks have shown enough consistency. As a group, the Bucs’ corners have allowed more first downs (86) than any other unit in the NFL.
3). Defensive Line
One unit that performed well for Bowles was his defensive front seven. Last season the Buccaneers defensive front owned the NFL’s top-ranked rushing defense, allowing 73.6 yards per game. Tampa’s interior defensive line was the linchpin to the Bucs ability to rush passers consistently
Linebackers Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul and Carl Nassib combined for 34 sacks, doing excellent jobs at rushing the passer. Unfortunately, the team’s GM will have some significant decisions to make since their contracts — as well as DT Ndamukong Suh’s — are all expiring. It is highly unlikely Tampa Bay will be able to retain all of them.
With several expensive decisions on the docket this offseason, it will be intriguing to see how the Bucs address keeping things affordable and also time build upon the success achieved in 2019.