3 offseason moves that are already paying off for the Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off to another hot start, posting a 2-0 record for the fourth straight season. A thrilling 37-20 win at home to defeat the Washington Commanders is how the year got started, and the good times kept rolling last Sunday in Detroit.

For as good as things have been through two games, it's starting to look like the Bucs will be in a bare-knuckle brawl with rival New Orleans for the division crown this season. It's shaping up to be a tight race already, but thankfully, Tampa Bay spent this offseason building a roster strong enough to hang in and contend.

It's still early, and there's a ton of season left, but already the Bucs are bearing fruits of their offseason labor.

Offseason moves that already make the Buccaneers look like geniuses

Jason Licht put on another masterclass this offseason, spending his time trying to bring back key pieces of the roster. That's not all he did, as there are a handful of moves that have already started to pay off in big ways for the Buccaneers this season.

Hiring Liam Coen as Offensive Coordinator

There was many speculation as to how the Bucs offense would adjust to former offensive coordinator Dave Canales leaving for the Panthers head coaching job.

They interviewed a plethora of candidates for the position, including Thad Lewis, Jake Peetz, Antwaan Randle El, Alex Van Pelt, Jerrod Johnson and Brian Johnson. They eventually concluded that Liam Coen would be their playcaller for the 2024 season. Coen hailed from the University of Kentucky as their offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2023. He spent 2022 with the Los Angeles Rams in the same position.

Through two weeks, Coen has the Bucs offense rolling. In terms of passing, they're 11th in yards (474), tied for first in touchdowns (5), second in yards per pass attempt (9.7), and first in first down percentage (49%).

One key area Coen is thriving in is getting his star players the ball. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both have two touchdowns and has really put an emphasis on pushing the ball downfield. It's early, but Coen hiring is already paying off.

Reuniting Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead

Retaining homegrown talent on the roster as much as possible is a good sign of a franchise on the rise. The Bucs re-signed their young, exciting safety duo this offseason in Antoine Winfield Jr and Jordan Whitehead to multi-year extensions. Whitehead they brought back after he spent the previous two seasons with the Jets.

Unfortunately for Winfield Jr, he suffered an ankle injury during the team's Week 1 victory and will be sidelined for at least two weeks. Whitehead on the other hand is still healthy and the "oldest" player in the secondary at just 27 years old, along with cornerback Jamel Dean. Whitehead was in on a tackle that stopped Lions' running back Jahmyr Gibbs' fourth down attempt late in the fourth quarter.

When Winfield is back healthy, one has to assume the Buccaneers secondary will only get better. Bucs fans only got to see 13 games of this duo together back in 2021. When these two are on the field together again, good things will happen.

Re-signing Baker Mayfield

Not only has Mayfield played well through two weeks, but he's been one of the best quarterbacks across the league. After playing lights out on a prove-it deal in 2023, Mayfield and the Bucs agreed to a three year extension in the offseason, signaling they want the former number one overall pick to lead their franchise for years to come.

Mayfield's been balling in 2024. In two games, he's 36/49 for 474 yards and five touchdowns to one interception. His 9.7 yards per pass attempt is the highest of his career, if the trend continues that stat will stand. He's even added some value on the ground, rushing for 55 yards on eight carries with one touchdown.

Mayfield, despite being sacked five times against the Lions, still was able to throw a 41 yard touchdown to Godwin in the second quarter. He also ran in the go-ahead score to put the Bucs up 20-16 in the third quarter, which would eventually be the final score.

He's clearly the quarterback this team needed and Mayfield's helping himself and his new franchise thrive so far in 2024.

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