The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into 2026 with a roster that looks loaded on paper. The trenches are strong, the receiver group runs deep, and Baker Mayfield is back as the franchise quarterback. That’s the good news.
The part that matters now is what happens when the games count. With Cincinnati coming up in the opener, Tampa Bay has three big questions it has to answer fast.
The first one is in the secondary: can this cornerback group hold up?
Last season, the Buccaneers finished No. 27 against the pass, and even with a better-looking pass rush in front of them, the corners remain the biggest concern on the back end. Zyon McCollum is being counted on to answer after an uneven 2025.
Jacob Parrish is moving from nickel to outside corner in his second season, and that transition could come with some growing pains as he learns the boundary full time. Keionte Scott is set to start at nickel, and the rookie brings clear potential and scheme fit, but rookies usually come with some bumps.
Benjamin Morrison is next up at outside corner, and while he has second-round pedigree, injuries have kept him from proving much early in his career. It’s a young group with upside, but also plenty to prove.
The next test is on the headset. How will Zac Robinson handle the offense?
Tampa Bay’s offense was mediocre a year ago, and the team moved on from Josh Grizzard after only one season. Robinson is in now, and the pressure is obvious because the talent around him is obvious too.
The preseason didn’t offer much clarity, though, because he was mostly calling plays for backups and had only six snaps with the starters. What showed up instead was a vanilla offense that left plenty on the table, including predictable third-down screens and poorly timed runs on second-and-long.
If Robinson unlocks this group, the Buccaneers can be dangerous. If not, they could be staring at the same problems that dragged them down before.
Then there’s the offensive line, and this might be the quietest issue with the loudest consequences.
Tampa Bay went through brutal injury luck last season and never played a game with its starting five intact. When the line is whole, it’s one of the best units in football.
But the depth behind those starters is a real concern. The backup line struggled badly throughout the preseason, and if the Bucs have to lean on replacements for any length of time, the offense could take a serious hit.
For Tampa Bay, everything circles back to health, development, and whether this talented roster can actually stay on the field and function together.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Practice Squad Addition Might Not Stay There For Long
After trimming the roster from 90 to 53 players, the Buccaneers got their initial practice squad in place and brought back a familiar name in cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting. The former Super Bowl winner returns as a veteran presence and a depth option for a secondary that can always use experienced help once the grind of the season starts.
Murphy-Bunting was one of 16 players signed to the practice squad, a group that also includes linebacker Caden Fordham, safety Ifeatu Melifonwu and tight end C.J. Dippre. For Tampa Bay, those are the sorts of names that can matter quickly, especially when injuries hit or special teams needs change, and Murphy-Bunting in particular looks like the kind of addition that could be more than a temporary stop. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Changed Something Big Inside The Buccaneers Locker Room
When Baker Mayfield arrived in Tampa Bay in 2023, he was stepping into one of the sports toughest follow-up acts, taking over at quarterback after Tom Brady. Instead of merely filling a spot, Mayfield quickly helped reset the tone around the Buccaneers, putting together Pro Bowl seasons in both 2023 and 2024 while posting career highs in passing yards and touchdowns and guiding the team to back-to-back NFC South titles.
Just as important inside the building, teammates and staff have pointed to his outgoing personality and easy approachability as a real plus for the locker room. For a team trying to stay steady after such a major transition, that kind of presence matters, and it helps explain why Mayfield has become more than just the guy under center in Tampa Bay. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Need These 3 Breakout Candidates To Become Real Contenders
Yaya Diaby, Jalen McMillan and Smith are the kind of players who can quietly change the ceiling for a roster without dominating the offseason conversation. For Tampa Bay, the appeal is obvious: Diaby has a better supporting cast along the defensive line, McMillan is positioned for a larger role after working back from injury, and Smith already gave the Buccaneers enough at safety last season to suggest there is more to unlock.
The bigger question is how much of that promise turns into real traction in 2026, because all three carry the sort of upside that sounds great in February and has to survive the grind of a full season. Tampa Bay does not need all three to hit in the same way, but if even two of them take the expected step forward, the Buccaneers start looking a lot more like the kind of team that can hang around when the standings tighten. [Read more 🡒]