The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a solid offseason and were graded a B. CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan graded the NFC offseasons and noted that the Bucs did a great job at getting younger, but are still stuck in the past at head coach and quarterback.
It is fair to note that the biggest questions with the Bucs offseason are Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield. Bowles has started to feel stale, and the results have shown in the past couple of seasons. They went from a Divisional Round appearance to a Wild Card appearance to missing the playoffs, a clear drop every season.
Meanwhile, Mayfield had his worst season with the Bucs in 2025. He will be 31 this year, and he will be in the last year of his contract. Do the Bucs really want to continue with him, or should they swing for something higher?
Even if the Bucs had a great offseason, it feels as if the two most important people in the organizaion are in lame duck seasons, and that could derail a lot of the progress in 2025.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defense Must Improve in 2026
GettyReuben Bain was drafted 15th overall
The Bucs defensive upgrades are why the team got such high marks, though. Tampa Bay had two clear weaknesses entering the offseason. They were weak on the defensive line, and they were slow at linebacker. They did everything possible to change that.
The headline name is Reuben Bain, and that is an immediate impact. A player most saw going top five falling to them at pick 15 makes it feel like their grade is too low.
Beyond Bain, they signed Al-Quadin Muhammad, who had 11 sacks last year. They also added A’Shawn Robinson, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, and DeMonte Capehart to their interior defensive line. From star talent to the bottom of the depth chart, they should be improved.
At linebacker, Lavonte David finally aged out, and the team pushed SirVocea Dennis from a starter to someone fighting to get a helmet on gamedays. The Bucs signed Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom. Both of them are upgrades over Dennis. Then, to add in some youth and potential, they added Josiah Trotter. The other two free agents will allow them to ease Trotter in.
Buccaneers Offense Can Survive Losing Mike Evans
GettyMike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs did lose Evans, but their wide receiver room was already starting to get crowded with recent draft picks Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan joining Chris Godwin. When you consider the Bucs added Ted Hurst in the draft and Kenneth Gainwell for an improvement to their passing down back, the Bucs passing game should be able to perform without Evans.
It is fair to be skeptical of the Bucs long-term plans, and it is fair to poke holes in the two most important roles in all of football. However, move for move and position for position it is hard to look at the Bucs roster this year and think that they have more holes than they did last year. That is the sign of a job well done.
Buccaneers Offseason Grade Hurt by Todd Bowles Questions