Yes, The Bucs Got Better
March 30th, 2025
Improvement.
To those who think the Bucs did nothing in free agency, think again.
That’s the word from Austin Mock of The Athletic. In looking at how each team did in the offseason, Mock used a bunch of statistical gobbledygook to project for 2025 improvement based on transactions since the end of the 2024 season.
Now a lot of the NFL stenographers, especially from the northeast, scoffed at Bucs moves in free agency (yet again). They don’t believe keeping good players improves a team. They consider that status quo and, in their thinking, you can’t get better by standing pat.
Yes, even after signing Haason Reddick.
Mock has the Bucs improving eighth-most in the NFL. If you believe Mock’s graphic, he has the Bucs improving by 5.1 points.
Joe assumes that’s for the entire season because there is no way in hell the Raiders improved by 38 points a game just by trading for Geno Smith, and there’s no way on God’s green earth did the Jets get 51 points a game worse).
Does this mean Mock puts that much value into a proven, veteran pass rusher? Well, gee. Imagine that.
March 30th, 2025 at 1:14 am
I believe the talking heads will be on the Bucs bandwagon this year. That should scare us but at the same time, they did get the Lions, Chiefs, Bills and Ravens right. I think the Bucs will be lumped in similarly with those teams albeit with the caveat that the NFC South is weak. Now as long as the players don’t buy into all the hype. As the adage goes: On any given…..
Looking for a two game improvement this year and a deep run into the playoffs. Come on draft weekend!
March 30th, 2025 at 2:31 am
Joe … ‘Mock has the Bucs improving eighth-most (if you believe Mock’s graphic, he has the Bucs improving by 5.1 points.’
Hard to try to understand folks rationale for their argument when they hide behind a paywall Joe. I’m impressed that ‘The Athletic’ takes PayPal, but this type of analysis doesn’t prompt me to jump onboard their ship & sign up.
March 30th, 2025 at 2:42 am
And by the way Joe, the Bucs did in fact get better thus far in free agency, quite a bit better IMO. Main reason is that what they did sets us up very nicely for the draft in 4 weeks.
Bucs should have an excellent idea at this point about what they need to focus on in the draft to compete for the Super Bowl. And I suspect that virtually any JBFer could list them, although our priorities would probably be different.
o ILB (at least 1 and possibly 2).
o CB
o DT/DE/OLB (at least 1 and possibly 2 in that broad group)
o Safety
o WR
o OLineman
That’s not to say that we might not pick up an incredible ‘bargain’ outside those position groups, but those seem to be where we need either starter-quality rookies or ‘depth’ to periodically rotate in or replace starters if injuries occur. Actual names are anybody’s guess at this point.
March 30th, 2025 at 3:21 am
Standing pat is improving? Nope not buying that one Joe. I am very happy Jason got our guys though.
Signing a malcontent with one sack in ten games is improving? Swapping second string ILBs with Miami is improving? A backup swing tackle improving? A backup CB is improving? We added depth and a question mark.
Mock? Sounds about right…
Hey but we did sign a punter.
Go Bucs!
March 30th, 2025 at 4:01 am
Off topic!
Gators make the Final Four and the local Tampa media outlets are …crickets.
Tom McEwen is rolling over in his grave…Shame on you Tampa!
Go Bucs!
March 30th, 2025 at 5:06 am
ALL of the Bucs’s best starters are back, and all of the ones who are not back have been replaced by someone who looks to be better. And, hopefully, the draft will bring some even better starters and backup players with late free agency also hopefully improving depth.
So, yes, for a team with a three weak starters (JTS, Dennis/Britt, Whitehead?) who have been upgraded with Reddick, Walker and Smith/Izien, the Bucs starters are better this year before the draft and before late free agency with like improvements still to come in started and backup players.
March 30th, 2025 at 7:16 am
This was already a playoff that knows its shortcomings and is addressing them this offseason. In Licht we Trust. Go Bucs!
March 30th, 2025 at 7:20 am
Hey Gator this is not a Basketball town by any form or fashion. Never has been-never will be no matter how many Gator alumni there are. Sure having a great run though Agreed. Go Bucs!
March 30th, 2025 at 7:43 am
Lets just see a few games before we are sure that the team is better.
FA grades are like Draft grades, let them play before we judge.
Hopefully our Defense will be better.
Go Bucs
March 30th, 2025 at 9:50 am
O don’t see why we should even care about this rating considering you pretty much disbelieve portions of it, Joe.
As to Haason Reddick… I’m 50-50 on him.
I think that he could potentially be a good player this year…if he truly doesn’t suck again or become a cancer.
He’s a gamble. And frankly, I don’t think he’ll be in Tampa more than a year. Why?
Because even if he plays extremely well, he has already shown he is money-focused. If he shows he is worth big bucs, he’s going to want to test the market next year.
In addition, I believe Jason Licht will draft a player to fill his position in this draft. If the pick is a good one, Haason Reddick becomes a bridge signing. The pick may or may not get to start this year, depending on how Haason plays, but if the drafted player can convince Bowels he’s worthy of becoming a starter…no new contract in Tampa for Haason Reddick next year.
March 30th, 2025 at 10:01 am
Dennis isn’t a ‘weak’ starter, he’s actually starter material –one of the best coverage LB’s in the league. But if he has another season-ending injury his career is over with
March 30th, 2025 at 10:19 am
I might be in the minority here but would not mind seeing a DT in the first round.
Someone between the 280lb Kancey and the 340lb Vea.
Maybe that guy is Derrick Harmon. His 310 to 315lb size seems very natural for him. His wing span is in the 95% something we don’t have with Vea or Kancey — which could be nice as well.
Chris Jones of Mississippi State went as pick 39 back in the 2016 draft. I think NFL teams are valuing DT more now than they were in 2016.
Trade down a bit to the Chargers or Broncos who may want a WR or even later the Bills who probably also want a WR and pick up an extra pick.
March 30th, 2025 at 10:55 am
The Raiders got Alex Cappa and maybe an improved White. They
also got Brady. Maybe that is why their stock went up.
March 30th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
We pretty much stood pat on offense, but how much better did it need to be? I’m not sold on Reddick, but he can’t be any worse than JTS. We still have the draft to improve the defense. That’s the part that really needs work. Improve that even a little and we should win 11 games at least.
March 30th, 2025 at 1:54 pm
Bonsai, Reddick is one year almost no matter what. If he under performs we won’t want him back. It he gets 10 or 12 sacks he would price himself out of Tampa.
March 30th, 2025 at 7:24 pm
Geno I’m with you on the DT pick and trade back but don’t know if I’d fall back as far as Buffalo unless it’s one helluva haul. I think Harmon would be there at that pick
March 30th, 2025 at 8:05 pm
The HC is why no one thinks we improved.
He’s a historical loser at HC.
1-3 when the real season starts.
We’ll never go anywhere with that dude leading the team.
Just an also ran in the worst division.
March 30th, 2025 at 8:45 pm
The Bucs improved so much this offseason, I am almost as high on them as I was entering the 2021 season. Not usually a pie in the sky optimist, I truly believe that if the Bucs avoid the injury bug, the only NFC team that might be better than them this year is the Eagles (and we have owned them in recent years).