Tampa Bay Buccaneers: How to become the next 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers may have fallen short in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, but there’s still a blueprint for the Buccaneers as the organization hopes to rise.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to return to the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons this upcoming year.
Though the Buccaneers have consistently been on the outside-looking in when the postseason has arrived, there is reason to believe that the organization could be making a rise back towards prominence.
Don’t believe it can happen? Well, take the San Francisco 49ers as proof.
The 49ers’ blueprint:
The 49ers won just four games last season and were consistently one of the worst teams in the NFL over the course of the previous three seasons.
What happened?
Well, San Francisco made a trade to find their quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo and they began drafting intricate pieces in the trenches (DT Solomon Thomas, OL Mike McGinchy, DE Nick Bosa, to name a few). The organization hit on some pieces later in the draft (rounds 4-7) and made smart moves during free-agency.
They didn’t necessarily go after the ‘shiny’ names, but instead evaluated talent and needs, and made a conscious effort to improve the lines of scrimmage.
The result? An NFC Championship and a near victory in the Super Bowl.
Obviously, no one wants to come up short in the Super Bowl and 49ers fans are likely sitting here a couple of days later thinking about the missed opportunities and what could’ve been.
But the thing that Buccaneers fans can find solace in is the fact that it can be done. An organization can be built from scratch and it can compete.
Tampa Bay has a much better roster than what San Francisco had last season. The Buccaneers have pieces. Now, it’s about making the right decision at quarterback, addressing the trenches and making a few smart decisions in free agency.
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It can be done and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist. It’s just a matter of coming through when it matters most and there’s no reason to believe that the Buccaneers couldn’t do the same thing that the 49ers did, except hopefully they’d find a way to get the job done on the biggest stage of them all.