5 offseason moves to turn the Buccaneers into a championship team
By Ryan Doyle
Get physical up front
Aside from a pair of turnover-prone quarterbacks, the only thing slowing down the Buccaneers offense is the line play.
Winston has been on the run since his return to the starting lineup. Peyton Barber cannot find any room to run, and rookie Ronald Jones‘ early struggles can be directed back to the offensive line.
Tampa Bay has invested a ton of money in trying to figure out the mess up front. Licht signed Ali Marpet to a big-time extension and center Ryan Jensen is the highest-paid player at his position.
Jensen has started to bring the attitude to the Bucs this season, but work needs to be done to make it a strength for the offense.
The Bucs grade poorly in Pro Football Focus metrics and may need to plug even more holes with the impending free agency of Donovan Smith.
Plus, the unit has been remarkably healthy this season. Players have missed a handful of games, but Tampa hasn’t needed the services of many of their backups. That can’t be the expectation moving forward.
Whether it is through the draft or free agency, the Bucs need to solve their problems up front.