Last offseason the theme for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was reunion, something we saw reflected in almost every single move the team made. Whether it was extending Antoine Winfield Jr., Baker Mayfield, and Mike Evans or signing Jordan Whitehead and Mike Edwards -- the latter joining later in the year -- the Bucs worked hard to get the band back together.
That's a theme that could continue this offseason. There are things the Bucs need to fix, like pass rush and fortifying the secondary, and the bulk of the team's resources will likely be used to address those areas.
It shouldn't be the only places the Bucs focus, though.
Tampa Bay's offense surged last year thanks to another fantastic campaign by Baker Mayfield and the evolution that Liam Coen brought to the system. Something that doesn't get enough credit, though, is how well the offensive line bounced back after a rough couple of seasons.
It's not a primary area the team needs to be concerned with, but the Cincinnati Bengals might have just gifted the Bucs their easiest decision of the offseason and put them in a position to be the rich getting richer.
Bengals just opened the door for Alex Cappa to return to Buccaneers
There's a pretty clear line that can be drawn from the Bucs offensive line struggling and Alex Cappa leaving in free agency after the 2021 season. He parlayed a Super Bowl ring and a year where Tom Brady almost won MVP into a nice contract with the Bengals, and Tampa Bay's line paid the price.
A lot of factors went into the decline the line endured, but Cappa's absence was notable. The Bucs struggled to protect Brady in what ended up being the final season of his career, and things didn't get much better a year later.
Bringing Cappa back could continue the theme of reunions while also giving the Bucs a perfect boost to the offensive line at a critical time. The Bengals announced that Cappa would be a cap casualty this offseason as the team tries to clear space to sign Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and that could be the best thing that's happened to Tampa Bay this offseason.
We're already starting to see the benefits of Jason Licht's work to rebuild the line. Graham Barton was the team's top draft choice, and Luke Goedeke stepped up in a big way to replace Tristan Wirfs at right tackle after the latter moved to the other end of the line. Cappa could fit back into the rotation like a glove and give Tampa Bay some important depth heading into 2025.
For as good as Cappa has been, he turned in a disappointing season last year, which made him expendable as part of Cincinnati's cuts. It simply makes a return to Tampa Bay even more perfect as he'd come back with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove -- things that have become core pieces of the Buccaneers' identity.
Heading into next season the Bucs are pretty much set at every position on the offensive line except left guard. Ben Bredesen proved to be a nice pickup in free agency and is in line to try and earn the starting job this offseason. Cappa plays on the right side but bringing him in could give Tampa Bay a few different options moving forward in terms of line construction.
Cappa could replace Cody Mauch, who hasn't been outstanding at right guard in his two seasons in the league. It could be a situation where Cappa mentors Mauch, which would be a potentially nice long-term play for Tampa Bay. Mauch could move over to left guard and compete with Bredesen for playing time, and the same could be said for Cappa as well.
He's a familiar face, and someone who once helped the Bucs reach incredible heights not that long ago. Cappa might be down on his luck now, but that seems to create a perfect scenario for him to come back to Tampa Bay on a prove-it deal before maybe earning his way into another nice contract next offseason.
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