The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought back a number of star players in free agency for 2024. But will that gamble pay off?
That's a question that many are asking, including national outlets. CBS Sports recently wrote an article going over every red flag for all 32 NFL teams, and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the outlet went with "The bet on 'running it back'".
Here's what writer Cody Benjamin had to say about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Rather than reallocate big-money commitments, Tampa Bay prioritized re-signing its own this offseason, which nicely rewarded veterans like Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, etc. for their scrappy playoff run. Can Mayfield replicate his ball control with essentially the same lineup that barely escaped the NFC South?
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This has been a big talking point between Buccaneers fans and national pundits alike. While all the players that Tampa Bay brought back have certainly been good enough to do so, the team retains a corps that only won nine football games in 2023 and suffered a bad losing streak during the middle of the season. The team bounced back well after that, but whether or not that was a true mark of the team's resolve or a mere fluke remains to be seen, especially with how poorly it played during the back two games of the season.
That being said, Tampa Bay had an excellent playoff run, winning a game against the Philadelphia Eagles and hanging with the Detroit Lions. Additionally, holes in the roster have been addressed in the draft with pickups like C Graham Barton and OLB Chris Braswell.
Like with anything, we'll have to wait and see if the Bucs' decision to "run it back" turns out well or not, but GM Jason Licht and HC Todd Bowles still have faith in their squad.
