5 offseason improvements the Tampa Bay Buccaneers must make
After another Tampa Bay Buccaneers season that ended as so many of them have before … in disappointment and disgust for the team and the fans, what needs to be done this offseason to make the 2019 season a successful one?
After taking a hiatus that lasted just about the whole season I have returned to talk about the exciting things that will take place during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. First off, I took the hiatus because I was frustrated with the team and tired of putting in the time to write about their constant disappointments, so I took a much-needed break. I am back though now for the start of a new offseason where many exciting things have already happened for the Bucs. There is hope that Tampa Bay can finally return to relevancy, and dare I say the playoff picture.
Let us now look into what the Buccaneers have done already during this offseason and then what needs to be done still to turn the franchise around in 2019.
Coaching Changes
The first step in hopefully turning the Buccaneers around occurred the evening after the last game of the season. The last-second field goal loss to the Atlanta Falcons was the final nail in the coffin for former head coach Dirk Koetter.
Now do not get me wrong, I never want to see someone lose their job, but after going 19-29 (.396) in his three seasons with back-to-back 5-11 seasons, and having one of the worst defenses in the league during those three seasons, it was time for a change.
On January 8th, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finalized a deal that made Bruce Arians their next head coach bringing instant credibility to the team. The Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht was able to use his past relationship with Arians in Arizona to pull him out of his one-year retirement and sign him to a four-year contract with a fifth-year team option.
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Arians brings a winning history to the team after becoming the winningest coach in Arizona Cardinals history during his five seasons as head coach with a .619 win percentage, and two playoff appearances. Known as a “Quarterback Guru” Arians helped Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer to career highs in passing yards, touchdowns, quarterback rating, and his lowest amount of interceptions in a season. If he can achieve those kinds of numbers with Jameis Winston; whom he already stated is the team’s quarterback; it can only mean great things for the Buccaneers.
Also, coming with Arians to Tampa are offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, assistant head coach and run game coordinator Harold Goodwin, and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles all of whom were with him in Arizona and have a proven record of accomplishment in their positions.
Let us now look at what needs to be fixed on the offensive side of the ball to give the Buccaneers an even more potent offense.