The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have several positions that need help before the 2018 season begins. The NFL draft is an easy way to build for the future, but in Tampa the future is now. Let’s take a look at the 2018 free agent class. I am going to focus on the positions that the Buccaneers need now to get to the Superbowl.
Let us start with the offensive line. According to walterfootball.com, The top ranked offensive lineman in free agency is Andrew Norwell from the Carolina Panthers. Norwell is only 26 years old and has proved that he is a dominant offensive lineman in the NFL. If he continues to improve his game, we could truly be watching one of football’s top offensive linemen in the future. Also, don’t forget that we would be stealing him from a division rival. Other options available this year for potential offensive lineman include Justin Pugh from the New York Giants and Ja’Wuan James from the Miami Dolphins.
The next position I feel the Bucs need to focus on is the defensive line. The top free agent is DeMarcus Lawrence from Dallas. He is 26 years old and is an absolute sack machine. (He had 15 this past season and that includes suspension and injuries.) Lawrence has proven that he can be a run stopper and a huge difference maker in the pass rush. The Buccaneers need to move past guys like Robert Ayers, who is towards the end of his career. The next best options with free agent defensive linemen would be Sheldon Richardson from Seattle and Ezekiel Ansah from Detroit.
It’s not a secret the secondary needs help if Tampa Bay wants to win the division in the upcoming season. Could Malcolm Butler be out in New England? After the Superbowl, Butler had some very harsh words for the Patriots coaching staff. Butler is 28 and made the biggest play of his career in the Superbowl. Other Options include: cornerback E.J. Gaines from Buffalo and cornerback Trumaine Johnson from the L.A. Rams.
Finally, my dream signings include: Running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Josh Gordon from the Browns. The Steelers and Bell are said to be on thin ice due to the ongoing contract disputes. I don’t think the Steelers would ever allow Bell to leave town considering he is arguably the NFL’s best running back. He has had some injury issues in his past, but most of those are due to illegal or controversial hits by Vontaze Burfict. I know what you are thinking…Tampa Bay would never throw out that kind of money for Bell… but then again the Bears gave Glennon a huge contract that no-one expected. Now, Josh Gordon could be available and we all know the story of Josh Gordon. He is a top 5 receiver in the NFL when he stays out of trouble. Gordon will come at a very cheap price, so the risk/reward here is huge. Tampa Bay has several receivers and I think maybe putting Gordon in the slot would make sense. People will probably disagree, but Gordon would be an awesome addition to an already loaded group.
Edited by Morgan Adele
