The Buccaneers still have a lot of football to play this season, but one of their prime free agent targets for this offseason luckily does not.
After years of mediocrity, it feels weird as a fan of the Buccaneers to have postseason football to look forward to. This is normally the part of the season where Bucs fans have a chance to get a jump start on mock drafts and other ways to make make the team better for the next season, and while it feels good to focus on the team playing in meaningful games, a little look ahead never hurts.
No matter how this season ends, Tampa will remain one of the best free agent destinations in the game. Tom Brady, a great head coach, and a front office that can move money around as well as anyone in the league will make it so that the Buccaneers can attract almost anyone from throughout the league, and they can do this once they lock down several free agents.
After taking care of business with the big names, the Bucs will look to the outside free agent market to make their team better, and right now, it looks like Cordarrelle Patterson should be target number one.
Leonard Fournette should be back in the mix if he can agree to a team-friendly deal, but the Bucs still have the space in the room. Ronald Jones and Giovanni Bernard are unlikely to return, Ke’Shawn Vaughn should stay on his cheap rookie deal, and there is still room for a rookie in the draft to compete for reps as well.
Regardless of how the depth chart shakes out, Patterson brings as much to this offense as anyone. What he has done in Atlanta this season as a runner, receiver, and with little help has been nothing short of spectacular.
Patterson would bring the Buccaneer special teams out from the shadows, compliment Fournette perfectly, and he could also serve as depth at wide receiver in a room that struggles in this regard.
The Bucs don’t need to break the bank for anyone, and trying to entice players to come play with Tom Brady should help plenty. The dynamic this signing would create would keep the Buccaneer offense at the top of the NFL for cheap, and as an added bonus, the Bucs would steal the best offensive weapon away from a division rival.
It may be way too soon to start thinking about this, but it’s hard not to think about this as a perfect fit.
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