The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are stepping into a new era, but not one that national projection models see as a collapse.
After losing franchise pillars Mike Evans and Lavonte David this offseason, Tampa Bay could have been viewed as a team headed for a rough reset. Instead, Bleacher Report’s recent prediction of the last-place finisher in every NFL division for 2026 pointed to the Atlanta Falcons as the NFC South’s bottom team, not the Buccaneers.
That’s a notable vote of confidence in a roster that has been built to hold together even when the stars move on. General manager Jason Licht has spent the past several seasons trying to avoid the kind of teardown that follows when veteran leaders leave, and that approach is about to get a real test.
The offense still has a workable core. Baker Mayfield is coming off another productive, if uneven, season, and he’ll continue to operate behind one of the league’s better offensive lines.
Tristan Wirfs, the All-Pro left tackle, remains the anchor up front. At receiver, second-year target Emeka Egbuka is expected to take on a much bigger role with Evans gone, while Chris Godwin Jr gives the Buccaneers a steady veteran presence.
There’s still talent on the other side of the ball, too. Todd Bowles has Vita Vea, one of the NFL’s premier defensive tackles, and Antoine Winfield Jr. remains the key piece in the secondary. Tampa Bay also added Alex Anzalone and first-round edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., moves that should help offset the loss of Lavonte David and bring more juice to the front seven.
None of that makes the departures of Evans and David easy to absorb. Tampa Bay is losing two of the greatest players in franchise history, and replacing Evans’ production and David’s leadership is not something that happens quickly.
Still, the Buccaneers have enough established talent and rising pieces to stay in the mix in the NFC South. They may be entering a different chapter, but the national outlook says they’re not headed for the division cellar.
In Other News...
Bucs Suddenly Have One Linebacker Facing A Brutal Camp Fight
SirVocea Dennis entered the offseason looking like a player with a chance to settle in as part of Tampa Bays linebacker future, but the room around him has changed quickly. The Buccaneers added Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom, then brought in rookie Josiah Trotter, giving the middle of the defense a much deeper and more competitive feel than it had before.
Dennis did enough last season as a full-time starter to stay in the conversation, especially with his tackle production, but his work in coverage left plenty of questions. Training camp now looms as the real test for him, because he will need to show he can clean up those issues and hold off the new wave of competition if he wants to keep his place in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Tight End Enters Camp With His Future Suddenly At Stake
Payne Durham is heading into his fourth training camp with the Buccaneers, and the timing could hardly be more important. Tampa Bays tight end room is not exactly crowded, which gives the former second-round pick a real shot to stay in the mix, but it also means every rep matters as the team sorts out how much value it is getting from a player whose role has been built around blocking.
The concern is that Durham has not made enough of an impact to feel secure, and the numbers around his usage have trended the wrong way after a stronger second season. Even in the area where he is supposed to help most, the fit has not clearly translated to better results for the run game, leaving him to prove in camp and preseason that he still belongs in Tampa Bays plans. [Read more 🡒]