Todd Bowles Speaks to the Press
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are amongst the worst in the NFL in some important categories, according to the NFL Players Association’s 2024 player team report cards released on Wednesday, February 28.
For the 2023 season, the Buccaneers ranked 28th in the NFL for Treatment of Families with a grade of F and dead last (32nd) in the league for Team Travel, again scoring an F.
To the surprise of many, only two teams scored an A in the Team Travel department, the Miami Dolphins and the Minnesota Vikings.
So, what could the Buccaneers organization be doing so wrong to achieve this? The answer could be more about what they’re not doing.
According to Greg Auman of Fox Sports, “Younger players wanting a hotel room of their own on the road must pay $1,750 for the season, and players must pay $90 per child for game-day childcare, which is often free with other NFL teams.”
Auman also made it clear that this was no small sample size, as “about 1,700 players (77 percent of the league)” contributed to the survey, which evaluated 11 categories in total.
Specific complaints from Bucs players in NFLPA report cards released today — younger players wanting a hotel room of their own on the road must pay $1,750 for the season, and players must pay $90 per child for game-day child care, which is often free with other NFL teams.
Shaq Barrett’s Wife, Jordanna, ‘Shocked’ by Buccaneers’ Low Scores
After the news of the NFLPA’s report cards hit the internet, many were left surprised by the result, including Shaq Barrett’s wife, Jordanna Barrett.
Barrett commented on Bucs analyst Matthew Hewitt’s post about the Buccaneers’ report grades, writing, “I can attest, the Bucs have been nothing but amazing! I too am shocked how these ratings happened, as I took the questionnaire as well.”
Shaq Barrett’s wife comments on my post about the Bucs horrible grades:
In a salary cap-clearing move, Shaq Barrett was released by Tampa Bay on Tuesday, February 27, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The veteran edge rusher was one of the organization’s top contributors for the last five seasons dating back to 2019, including 46.0 sacks across 70 regular season games.
Falcons, Saints & Panthers Also Ranked Low
Though the Buccaneers scored 24th overall in total grade, they did improve two spots from their 26th-place finish last year in 2023. The organization also improved its scores in Food Service/Nutrition from a D grade to a B grade.
None of Tampa’s NFC South rivals fared too well this time around either, though. All four teams in the division ranked in the bottom half of the league.
The Atlanta Falcons only ranked one spot below the Buccaneers at 25th, with their worst grade (F) being in the category of Locker Room.
The New Orleans Saints ranked 19th overall with the only two categories ranking below a B- being Treatment of Families (D+) and Food/Cafeteria (F). Finally, ranking the highest in the division, the Carolina Panthers ranked 17th in the NFL in total grades with only one grade below B- in the category of Ownership (D).
There is much uncertainty and room for improvement for the Buccaneers this offseason any way you look at it. Among the biggest decisions include the futures of soon-to-be free agents Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield.
Speaking to “Good Morning Football” at the 2024 NFL Combine on February 27, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles made it clear where the team stands on that.
“It’s an extremely high priority, obviously. We’ve got a couple days before the league year begins but we love Baker. … Baker had a heck of a year, he fit right in with us all the way around, the chemistry was outstanding with the receivers and the offense as a whole,” Bowles told GMFB’s Peter Schrager.
On Evans: “Obviously, we want him to retire as a Buc and everything we’re trying to do to put our resources into signing him back as well.”