It’s easy to say, “Pay Baker. Pay Vita. Keep everyone.” But if you’re the general manager, you can’t just look at the next two or three seasons. You have to look five years down the road.
And when I look at the Buccaneers, I see a team that could look dramatically different in three years — and potentially be even better.
Youth Movement
There are a lot of young players on this roster who will soon be looking for second contracts. At some point, difficult decisions are going to have to be made.
That’s why I can envision a scenario where, if the Bucs stumble this season, the organization decides to take a different path at quarterback.
It may sound crazy right now, but what if the best way to build another Super Bowl team is to go with a younger, less expensive quarterback and use the money saved to surround him with elite talent?
History Lesson
History tells us that you don’t necessarily need a superstar quarterback to win it all.
Brad Johnson. Trent Dilfer. Nick Foles. Joe Flacco.
All four won Super Bowls, and none is likely to be wearing a gold jacket in Canton.
That doesn’t mean quarterback isn’t important. It means there are different ways to build a championship roster.
Look At What This Team Could Become
Two or three years from now, the offensive line should still be anchored by two outstanding tackles.
Graham Barton could be the long-term answer at center, although the Bucs could always use free agency or the draft to upgrade the position.
Cody Mauch could become too expensive to retain, but if that happens, drafting his replacement a year early wouldn’t be a bad strategy.
Look At The Weapons
The Buccaneers could have a young, explosive group led by Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Ted Hurst, with another young tight end and a dynamic running back potentially added through the draft.
That’s more than enough talent to build a high-scoring offense — even if the quarterback isn’t consuming $50-plus million of the salary cap.
And The Defense?
That’s where things get really interesting.
Three of Tampa Bay’s first four picks in the 2026 draft were defensive players, and all three should contribute immediately. In two or three years, they could be the players leading this defense.
Imagine what Rueben Bain could look like by 2027 or 2028.
If David Walker continues developing, the Bucs could eventually have another difficult decision to make with Yaya Diaby. They could extend him at a reasonable number, or they could decide the money is better spent elsewhere.
That’s the price of having a talented roster.
The Middle Of The Defense Could Be Special
If Vita Vea leaves after this season, the Bucs will have to find his replacement.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean the defense is suddenly going to fall apart.
They’ve already begun stockpiling talent at defensive tackle, and another young tackle could be drafted next year. By 2028, that player could be ready to become a major contributor.
The linebacker position could follow a similar path.
Over the next two drafts, Tampa Bay can address the position and find the player who eventually becomes the Robin to Josiah Trotter’s Batman.
Because I believe Josiah Trotter has a chance to become the man in the middle of this defense.
Secondary Situation
In the secondary, Tykee Smith could be entering his prime and emerging as one of the leaders of the defense. Antoine Winfield Jr. will be getting deeper into his career by then, but there’s no reason to think he can’t still be a highly productive player.
And Bain?
Well, if he develops the way the Bucs believe he can, he could be the kind of player offenses have to game-plan around every Sunday.
QB Concerns
And then there’s the quarterback
This is the part that could make everything really interesting.
If Baker Mayfield leads this team to a successful season, perhaps the answer is simple: pay him and keep building around him.
But what if the Bucs stumble?
What if they decide they don’t want to commit a massive portion of their salary cap to the quarterback position when so many young players are about to become expensive?
Maybe they draft a quarterback.
Maybe they find a young player who develops into the answer.
Maybe they take the money they would have spent on a veteran quarterback and use it to keep the offensive and defensive talent around him.
No Guarantees
There is no guarantee that approach works.
But it has worked before.
And if you believe in the young talent Jason Licht has accumulated, it’s a strategy worth considering.
My Crystal Ball
Here’s my prediction:
A new head coach will be running the Buccaneers next season.
And that coach will inherit something very different from what Todd Bowles inherited.
He’ll have a young quarterback — or at least a young quarterback situation — surrounded by an impressive collection of young offensive talent.
He’ll have a defense loaded with players who were drafted specifically to become the next generation of Buccaneers leaders.
And by 2027 and 2028, many of those young players should be entering their primes.
That’s when I believe this team could be truly special.
Greg has been nominated for “Best Columnist” in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay. If you would like to vote for me here is the link.
For more from Greg click here, then make sure to follow him on Twitter.
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