National experts didn’t think much of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason, with many predicting them to finish in the basement of the NFL standings after the end of the Tom Brady era.
Instead, they won the NFC South for a third straight year, made the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, and came up eight points shy of a trip to the NFC title game.
There’s plenty of credit to go around, but the lion’s share goes to general manager Jason Licht, who once again navigated a challenging offseason with limited salary cap space, and still put a winning football team on the field.
Heading into the 2024 offseason, Licht and his crew were faced with another daunting list of question marks, including a handful of marquee free agents to retain. They responded by checking every single one of them off the list.
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
First came contract extensions for wide receiver Mike Evans and quarterback Baker Mayfield that kept them from hitting free agency, as well as using the franchise tag on safety Antoine Winfield Jr. as a placeholder until a forthcoming long-term deal can be struck. Then kicker Chase McLaughlin was re-signed, after delivering the best kicking season in Bucs history last year. Veteran depth was also retained on both sides of the ball with one-year deals for defensive lineman Greg Gaines and running back Chase Edmonds.
Licht also made some economical departure moves, parting ways with outside linebacker Shaq Barrett and wide receiver Russell Gage to save some helpful salary cap space.
After that, Licht struck a home-run deal with the Detroit Lions for talented but oft-injured cornerback Carlton Davis III, getting a third-round pick for a player on an expiring contract that also saves the Bucs $14.5 million in cap space.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The last big-ticket item on the checklist was bringing back linebacker Lavonte David, and Licht kept his perfect offseason going with another one-year deal for the longtime captain.
Licht and his team have avoided the urge to overpay for first-wave free agents again this year, opting to spend the early days of the offseason securing their own star players in favor of risky new additions. As free agency rolls on, they’ll keep looking for bargain players who can outplay their pay grade in 2024.
Throw in another incoming draft class (the Bucs nailed multiple picks last year, yet again), and Licht has smashed another grand slam with his latest offseason moves.
