After a devastating loss in the wild-card round to a Washington Commanders team led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, it was quite clear what components of the roster were lacking for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht clearly took notice and is aware of changes that need to be made to put the franchise in a better position to advance deeper in the playoffs. It’s something he aptly mentioned while at the NFL Combine.
Specifically, he called out what many fans were driven crazy by last year and said the defense needed to get upgraded this offseason.
"You see where we were lacking and I'm not blind. Where we needed some help, particularly on one side of the ball," Licht told Greg Rosenthal, host of NFL Daily. “You try to do your best to upgrade there and get some more depth. It’s not as easy as some people think, the answer isn’t always throwing a lot of cash and buying expensive free agents. We’ve found there are other ways to do it.”
Licht also claimed that he was happy with their current foundation and with having to rely on rookies and undrafted rookies in the absence of the injured starters.
Buccaneers need to figure out how to upgrade their defense this offseason
The Bucs defense, in particular, was somewhat vulnerable in 2024 and dealt with a slew of injuries to critical key players. More specifically, the cornerback and linebacker positions were very inconsistent throughout the season. As a unit, they ranked 29th in pass defense and got exploited by their lack of depth.
Many have speculated that star cornerback Jamel Dean could be cut due to his $15.2 million cap hit in 2025, injury concerns, and lack of interceptions. Dean has missed nine games over the last two years and has only one interception in that same span.
While it looks increasingly likely that Lavonte David will resign, the only linebackers under contract for 2025 are Deion Jones, Deion Jennings, Antonio Grier, and SirVocea Dennis. K.J. Britt is an unrestricted free agent and will likely test the market after he saw his playing time decline in 2024.
Whether Licht chooses to address the holes via free agency and/or the draft, he has consistently created a winning culture since being hired as the franchise's GM in 2014, and 2025 will be no different. The Bucs will look to make it to the playoffs for a sixth straight year and capture another NFC South division crown.
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