The Super Bowl is over and it was an exiting back and forth game down to the end. It was the type of game that made me think “man, I wish my favorite team could play in a game like this “. This had me contemplating when we would see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in this situation.
At this point, there are many variables. General manager Jason Licht has some work to do before we can even hope for a Super Bowl appearance. Here’s what I believe he needs to do and how long it should take.
Find a Quarterback
The Tom Brady era is over. The Buccaneers have to figure out who the next signal caller will be to take this team back to the mountain top. This likely won’t be a journeyman bridge free agent.
The Bucs need to draft a quarterback, either this year or next. Someone with high end physical tools who can give the offense an edge in any given game. The drafting and development of this quarterback is the most important piece to the Buccaneers future.
Even once they find him, it will take a year or two for him to really be up to speed with the league. Rookies don’t just take the league by storm and lead teams to championships. Expect at least two years after finding the quarterback of the future before this team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Coach Staff
In year one, Todd Bowles led the Bucs to a division crown, but finished with an 8-10 record overall. This felt like a massive disappointment compared to the expectations this team had. Now in year two his seat is looking a bit warm.
As a result, Bowles is doing an overhaul of the offensive coaching staff. As a brilliant defensive mind, Bowles needs a strong offensive coordinator to help develop a quarterback and innovate what was a pedestrian offense last season.
If that doesn’t happen this year then it will likely be a new head coach in 2024. In this scenario, I wouldn’t expect a first year head coach to push for a Super Bowl. Much like the quarterback situation, expect a new coach to need at least a year or two to get things clicking.
Replacing Aging Stars
The Buccaneers have turned into an old team. Now with a retool coming there’s a good chance some of the key veterans won’t be around for the next championship. This includes players like Ryan Jensen, Lavonte David and Shaq Barrett.
The Bucs have to make their transition plan now to be ready to replace these guys. We have already seen Licht draft center Robert Hainsey as a possible long term replacement for Jensen. Expect to see the same with the linebacker and pass rushing positions in the next year or two.
This will be a long process because the Bucs are not short on needs right now. There is a priority this year with secondary players and finding a starting defensive tackle. Next year and the year after I project early investments into pass rusher and these other aging position groups.
How Long Of A Wait?
Obviously you can’t realistically expect the Bucs to contend next season as they are well over the cap with several key free agents. That means there will probably be a new head coach next season. And if you believe the reports, the Bucs plan to bring in a journeyman veteran quarterback this season, so it could be an early draft pick at quarterback next year.
As I said before, it will probably take two years before a combination of a young quarterback and new coach can expect to contend. That means that competing for and winning Super Bowl 61 should be a fair expectation.
Everything from now until then should be working towards that goal. The Bucs still have a talented core who can be a key piece on a Super Bowl team four years from now. Acquiring the next wave of stars, such as quarterback, secondary and pass rusher will determine if this expectation remains just a dream or is the next great chapter of Buccaneers football.
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