Free agency is mostly in the rearview, which means that as the dust finally settles, we can look back and assess everything that happened with a little more perspective. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even with some distance to digest, it seems like there are more things to be excited about than not.
In fact, it's hard to see a blemish anywhere in the team's offseason plans.
There are still questions that need to be answered, specifically at cornerback and linebacker, but for the most part free agency was a success. Perhaps nothing highlights this more than who the team's biggest loss is being identified as.
SI.com's Ryan Phillips broke down the most important loss each team suffered in free agency, but his choice for the Bucs isn't really that big of a deal: Robert Hainsey. That's not a knock on the pick or the player, rather it highlights just how well off the team is heading into next season.
Buccaneers 'most important' offseason loss is a reminder of how good things are right now
Losing Hainsey isn't great, but it's hardly as big of a deal as some of the other names that made the list. Will Fries, Justin Reid, and Cooper Kupp were also mentioned as key departures, all of which feel like bigger holes to fill than Hainsey. Former Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis III was named the most important loss for the Lions, which in comparison feels much more significant than losing Hainsey.
Again, that's in no way a knock. Jacksonville gave Hainsey $21 million for a reason, but even that makes his departure feel heavier than it was. He was a perfectly solid piece of offensive line depth during his time in Tampa and that's not something that can get shrugged off. Still, the Bucs line has come a long way over the last few seasons to get to the point where losing depth isn't somehow a fatal flaw.
Finding a replacement for Hainsey is key, but the Bucs already have some decent guys in the pipeline who could fill in. Sua Opeta and Elijah Klein are in a position to step up and make a difference, and there's a chance the Bucs use a late-round draft pick on a lineman as well.
Tampa Bay is bringing back every member of its starting line next season, which is the real takeaway. If the Buccaneers' most significant loss of free agency was a backup offensive lineman leaving, then that's a pretty sure-fire sign that things are going pretty well.
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