PFF is a huge fan of Buccaneers free agency strategy
By Josh Hill
After being picked to be among the worst teams in the NFL last offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting some praise roughly a year later.
That’s what happen when a well-run franchise gets pushed up against the ropes. The Bucs responded to offseason criticism by winning a third-straight NFC South title and punching a fourth consecutive ticket to the playoffs.
Rather than ending the season with a top trade pick, the Bucs played their final down in the NFC Divisional Round.
Jason Licht went back to work this offseason to retain as much of the core as he possibly could — which ended up being everything. Despite rumors that Mike Evans would leave in free agency and the Bucs would get squeezed by Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay brought both back and added a long-term deal for Antoine Winfield Jr. to boot.
The result is not only a competitive roster but some praise from national experts.
Buccaneers get high praise from PFF for nailing free agency strategy
PFF’s Dalton Wasserman praised the Buccaneers for their offseason, noting that Jason Licht pulled off ‘the impossible’ when it came to bringing back three core players.
"Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht managed to do the impossible by retaining Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. Those three, along with left tackle Tristan Wirfs, comprise the core of the 2023 NFC South champions. The goal this offseason, aside from retention, was to add talent despite having little salary cap room to work with,” Wasserman wrote.
Not everyone is as willing to praise the Bucs as Wasserman is. We’ve already heard from analysts and experts how the Bucs didn’t do enough this offseason to improve, but the fact of the matter is they did exactly what they needed to do.
Losing any of the three players they brought back would have made the team significantly worse, and Tampa Bay went a step further and added some potential sleeper pieces. Jordan Whitehead is back after a stint with the Jets, Lavonte David re-signed again, and the Bucs drafted guys like Graham Barton and Jalen McMillian to make an impact on offense.
Rookie like Tykee Smith, Chris Braswell, and Bucky Irving are also expected to make an impact and further prove how successful the offseason was.
Nobody has hoisted a Super Bowl trophy during the summer months, but the Bucs made improvements that at least some people are willing to acknowledge.
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