The day before the NFL trade deadline, Todd Bowles didn’t close the door on Tampa Bay making a move. He also didn’t sound like a coach convinced his roster is set in stone.
Bowles was asked how the Buccaneers might approach the deadline, and he kept it broad. Tampa Bay, he said, will do whatever makes sense - which could mean buying or selling.
When the conversation turned to whether the Bucs might chase help at receiver, Bowles gave a more pointed answer.
"Chemistry-wise, I would say yes, we have enough firepower," Bowles said. "Talent-wise. We're probably not production-wise; we're not doing what we've been doing in the past, so we can pick it up a feel a little bit in that position."
That line tells the story. The Bucs have talent, but the passing game hasn’t delivered enough, and the numbers make that hard to ignore.
Tampa Bay’s leading receiver, Emeka Egbuka, has 278 yards and two touchdowns on 31 catches. Last year, in his rookie season, Egbuka topped 100 yards three times in the first nine games. He hasn’t done that in more than a year.
There are reasons for the dip. Egbuka has missed two games because of injury, and he also played three games without Baker Mayfield at quarterback. Mayfield, for his part, hasn’t given the receivers the kind of production Tampa Bay is paying for.
That’s a big reason the Bucs don’t look anything like the team that once rolled out Mike Evans and Chris Godwin as one of the league’s best receiver duos. A veteran addition would make sense if Tampa Bay wants to give the passing game a jolt.
If the front office goes shopping, there are names out there. Josh Downs has formally requested a trade from the Indianapolis Colts, while Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Calvin Ridley of the Tennessee Titans are also mentioned as possible deadline pieces.
But the other path is still on the table. Tampa Bay could sell, too.
The situation is murky, because the Bucs remain in the NFC South race. They’re only a half-game out of first place and just over two weeks removed from beating the first-place Carolina Panthers by 30 on the road.
So Bowles’ comments landed exactly where they should have: not as a promise, but as a hint that Tampa Bay knows it needs more from the passing game, and may try to find it before the deadline passes.
In Other News...
Todd Bowles Just Put Tampa Bays Biggest Problem In Focus
The Buccaneers came away from their loss to the Bears with a familiar frustration hanging over the building: a defense that did its part and an offense that failed to make it count. Tampa Bay forced five turnovers and still walked off beaten, a reminder that the margin for error disappears fast when takeaways do not turn into points. Todd Bowles made it clear afterward that the issue is not on the defensive side, where the group continues to give the team chances.
Now the focus shifts to the bye week, where the Buccaneers will have time to sort through an offense that has not matched the standard set by the defense. Baker Mayfield's two interceptions, including one that went the other way for a touchdown, only sharpened the concern, but the bigger picture is broader than one sequence or one player. Tampa Bay has enough on defense to stay in games. The question is whether the offense can finally do its part before the season slips further into a pattern the Bucs cannot afford. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Sends A Clear Message On Emeka Egbuka's Drop-Off
Todd Bowles addressed the dip in Emeka Egbukas production with a fairly direct explanation, pointing first to the injuries that have interrupted the receivers rhythm. Even with the downturn, Egbuka still leads Tampa Bay in receiving, which underscores how much the Buccaneers have leaned on him while trying to find any kind of consistency in the passing game.
The broader issue is bigger than one receiver, though, and Bowles framed it as part of an offense that has struggled to get on track. Tampa Bay sits last in passing yards, so Egbukas slide is tied to a unit that has not been able to sustain much of anything through the air, leaving the Bucs with a clear need to spark production somewhere before the season drifts any further. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Let A Prime Upset Chance Slip Away In Frustrating Loss
For much of Sunday night, the Buccaneers had the kind of game that usually travels well: takeaways on defense, steady production on the ground from Bucky Irving, and enough chances to turn a road upset into something bigger. Zyon McCollum helped fuel that formula with an interception, and Tampa Bay kept putting Chicago in uncomfortable spots while trying to control the game on the road.
But the night kept slipping away in the details. Conservative play-calling, penalties and shaky special teams all chipped at the margin, and Baker Mayfields rough night in the passing game left Tampa Bay unable to cash in on its defensive work. Even with the Bears coughing up five turnovers, the Buccaneers walked off with a 27-24 loss that felt like one they had every chance to own. [Read more 🡒]