Two years ago it seemed impossible to imagine that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be in the position they are now. It’s more than just the fact that the team clinched a fourth consecutive NFC South title this year while punching a fifth straight ticket to the playoffs, it’s how well-run the organization is from top to bottom.
Nobody thought the Bucs would do much in the wake of Brady retiring, and everyone got off the same lame joke when Baker Mayfield was signed to replace him. Since then Tampa Bay has won 20 games, including a playoff victory, and have more stability than most teams in the league.
In fact, the Bucs have done such a great job navigating out of the shadow of Brady leaving that other teams are desperately trying to pluck the fruits of their labor.
Last year offensive coordinator Dave Canales was stunningly a one-and-done guy in Tampa and left to take the head coach job in Carolina. This year the same rumors are swirling around Liam Coen, but he’s not the only person who could be leaving the Bucs to take on a new gig.
Buccaneers in danger of losing a top front office executive this offseason
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the New York Jets are requesting an interview with Mike Greenberg, who has been Jason Licht’s right hand man throughout this process of ushering the team out of the Tom Brady era.
It sounds like it could be a homecoming of sorts, but time will tell how things play out.
Sources: Jets requested a general manager interview with Buccaneers assistant GM Mike Greenberg, who grew up a Jets fan on Long Island.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2025
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard Greenberg’s name mentioned as a potential GM candidate, and it probably won’t be the last. It feels like only a matter of time before he gets a top job somewhere, as he was rumored to be someone the Panthers were looking at last season and now the Jets are sniffing around trying to poach him away.
If it doesn’t happen this offseason, the third time will likely be the charm and he’ll get hired away after next season.
All of this is bittersweet, as Greenberg has been absolutely crucial to the Bucs navigating treacherous salary cap waters and helping them come out ahead. That is primarily why he’s being viewed as such an ideal candidate for someone like the Jets who have perhaps the trickiest situation among all of the general manager openings, as they lack draft capital and are in a bind all over the ledger.
Tennessee fired Ran Carthon and own the No. 1 pick, so that could be an attractive landing spot and there’s a world where Shad Khan is convinced to fire Trent Baalke and pair Greenberg and Liam Coen together in Jacksonville.
What this ultimately should be viewed as is a glowing endorsement for how things are going in Tampa Bay. Despite how frustrating and uneven this season has been at times in a vaccum, the Buccaneers are viewed across the league as a successful organization that others are trying to imitate.
That’s not at all where we thought the team would be two years ago, and it’s the surest sign yet that the future is as bright as it’s ever been no matter who ends up getting poached.
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