The NFL schedule has been released, leaving Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans counting the days until training camp begins. As Dr. Strange would say, "We are in the end game now." Indeed. Nearly two months will have passed when the Buccaneers open training camp in late July.
Tampa is in a unique position this year. They play in a poor man's division. 2025 proved you don't have to be great (or even above .500) to be a division winner. The Buccaneers lost the division title on tiebreakers, but their roster is better built than some of the others'.
The key to Tampa's success will be the coaching of Todd Bowles. The flickering light in his coaching career is getting brighter because if he can't turn it around, he may not stick around. Bowles is going to rely on the best players on his roster with the hopes of them taking the leadership reins of the team.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have no choice but to rely on these players at each position
If the Buccaneers are going to win, they need one player from each position group to stand up and take accountability for the players in that group. It doesn't take a lot to see who the best players are.
Secondary - Antonie Winfield
- Winfield should be better than he is. He has the makings of being great, but something still isn't clicking all the time. By far the best defender in the secondary, Winfield needs to do more. Considered to be one of the league's best at the position, Winfield needs to be more consistent, but we are seriously nitpicking at this point.
Linebackers - Alec Anzolone
- LaVonte David's retirement left a leadership hole in the linebacker unit. Free agent addition Anzolone will need to fill that void while the younger players develop. The former Lions linebacker brings experience, physicality, and intelligence to the position. Now he has to bring the leadership as well, because the rest of the unit will look to him for guidance.
Edge - Rueben Bain, Jr.
- The Buccaneers were already thin on the outside, so adding Bain was an incredible steal. Since his draft, the rookie linebacker has been turning heads in practice. He is becoming a voice on defense, and that isn't easy to do as a rookie. If the Buccaneers are going to succeed in getting to the quarterback this year, Bain's development will be the key.
Defensive line - Vita Vea
- Vea is more than the best defensive lineman on the team; he might be the best defender on the entire roster. With that comes a leadership role that he must embrace and take to the next level. Vea is the inline placement for David and Mike Evans. He has the name and the respect of his teammates.
Offensive line - Tristan Wirfs
- If Vea is the voice and face of the defense, Wirfs holds that as the best player on the offensive side of the ball, especially on the offensive line. Wirfs represents the best of the Buccaneers. A leader on and off the field, despite not being a player who touches the ball.
Tight end - Cade Otton
- The TE room isn't overly deep, but Otton remains one of the league's best tight ends. He may not be in the top tier, but his consistency easily puts him in the second-tier grouping.
Wide receiver - Emeka Egbuka
- Evans was the Bucs' WR leader, but he is gone. Chris Godwin should be next in line, but it has to be Egbuka instead. The 2025 first-round pick will no longer linger in Evans' shadow, but that also means he needs to step out, take over, and prove that he can be the leader in that room.
Running back - Bucky Irving
- The Buccaneers committee approach to running the ball works well enough, but you need a voice in the room. The addition of Kenneth Gainwell will help on the field, but Tampa needs someone who has been here, and that is Irving.
Quarterback - Baker Mayfield
- The Buccaneers will only succeed if Mayfield succeeds. He has his teammates' respect, but now he needs to become the voice of the entire franchise. A contract extension is looming, and that will put more pressure on him to succeed.
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