Todd Bowles And Resetting The Roster
April 7th, 2023
Key season?
After the Bucs lost the greatest of all time to retirement (?) and with the salary cap choking the team, a lot of NFL folks thought the Bucs would have opted for a housecleaning. You know, loading up on picks to draft a quarterback this year or next.
Well, that hasn’t happened.
Rather than trimming the roster and keeping some core young players, the Bucs tried to stay intact and while adding minor upgrades.
One NFL suit thinks this is because of Todd Bowles.
Mike Sando of The Athletic often gets NFL suits to speak off the record about other teams. One suit told Sando the Bucs likely didn’t reset the entire roster this offseason and don’t plan to draft (?) a rookie quarterback because Bowles knows he needs wins.
Baker Mayfield and Greg Gaines were the most expensive additions in free agency. Keeping cornerback Jamel Dean on a four-year, $52 million extension was a plus. Bringing back franchise icon Lavonte David on a one-year deal surely felt good.
“They probably wanted to tear it down more, but the division is in flux, and they need to make their head coach feel like he has a shot,” the exec said.
This Joe thinks Bowles will get (or got) some form of mulligan for having a losing season in 2022 because the Bucs did win a division and got a home playoff game.
Short of a disaster (five wins?), this Joe believes Bowles is safe.
However, history suggests Bowles isn’t safe unless the Bucs win at least nine games. Team Glazer has never retained a coach after two straight losing seasons unless he won them a Super Bowl (Chucky).
A losing season this year would be Bowles’ fifth straight as an NFL head coach.
Maybe not since Tom Landry has a coach had five straight losing seasons without finding himself on the street looking for work. That was damn near 60 years ago!
April 7th, 2023 at 8:23 am
The offense is going to be better, all respect to Brady.
Canales is hiring some quality offensive assistants that have proven track records of developing receivers and scoring points.
A good draft and Bucs could be a playoff team. Mayfield is the wild card.
April 7th, 2023 at 8:33 am
I am sort of excited for us this year
April 7th, 2023 at 8:42 am
Tankers are yankers. Jason Licht is doing it right.
April 7th, 2023 at 8:44 am
Man, let’s have this same exact talk post draft and then revisit it again after the 2nd preseason game so we can keep gauging how much more this team will change between now and then. I want Bowles to succeed because I want this team to succeed, I want to see the pipeline Licht and our front office set up in terms of acquiring talent get better. I don’t want to have to wait 17 years for another Bucs SB win, but wouldn’t mind if it took 5 years(w/time served) to get back in that position.
April 7th, 2023 at 8:49 am
Nice stat on consecutive losing seasons (or not so nice).
Reason for optimism but overall grim outlook on the season.
Lots of things need to go well that may be out of the control of management and coaching.
April 7th, 2023 at 9:09 am
Gotta say, I really like what the Bucs did with the available cap space they had. I’m especially eager to see what Baker can do with a solid O line (?) and some real weapons at WR.
April 7th, 2023 at 9:20 am
“They probably wanted to tear it down more but the division is in flux.” Could not agree more. And frankly they probably should have anyway irrespective of division. Don’t care what other teams look like or do. Do what’s best for the the team and the vision of what you prefer your team to be. Going 9-8 or whatever and getting bent over in a playoff game does nothing, especially since the team isn’t built for long term success yet. Tear-it-down. Get a franchise quarterback. Get faster, rebuild defensive line
April 7th, 2023 at 9:28 am
The Steelers, Patriots and Ravens are absolute best at rebuilding while staying competitive. Whatever formula they are using the Bucs should try and emulate. When 8-8 is your worst season your organization has done it’s job. No need to be 4-12 while you are rebuilding.
April 7th, 2023 at 9:36 am
The grocery shopping has been plentiful for the cap space we had
Todd better produce a winner or he is gone
Although changing coordinators is going to help tremendously- the talent drop from Brady to whoever is gonna be hard to overcome
Winning with D is very tough in this league, he better hope the gamble on the rookie OC pays off
April 7th, 2023 at 9:41 am
LFG can’t wait for the draft, we need some impact players.
April 7th, 2023 at 9:42 am
When our players need leadership they look to the sideline and there he stands. Like a Stiff. No spunk at all. Wondering what is going on. he does not know nor do our players.
April 7th, 2023 at 9:43 am
Unless they have a running game, it doesn’t matter. Baker isn’t a drop back 40 times type QB. The system they ran last year was antiquated, and totally reliant on winning matchups. When you can’t run, the defense can play strictly coverage, which makes that incredibly difficult. There’s always a learning curve with a new OC and a new offense. Not to mention a new QB. IMO this will look terrible to start and get a bit better. Still don’t see how they win more than 5-7 games.
April 7th, 2023 at 9:52 am
Bowles isn’t a good head coach
Let’s face it, the Bucs should have won 11-15 games with that roster. Everything was set up for success and Bowles blew it. Now the team has less talent.
April 7th, 2023 at 10:01 am
I think this team has every chance to be a better team this season, and younger, with rookies still to come and cap space reopening next season.
April 7th, 2023 at 10:16 am
This organization does not want to return to losing ways. The goal is to always be competitive, year after year, as it should be. Given the cap squeeze they’re in, I think Jason and his crew have done a nice job setting them up to compete, and we still have the draft. So, they’re not going to win 12 games… oh well.
April 7th, 2023 at 10:19 am
Totally agree with SlyPirate Bowels isn’t a good head coach depending on our schedule I don’t believe the Bucs will win 5 or 6 games at the most. I agree with Joe 5 wins Bowels will get a mulligan which would enforce my believe of the lack of football knowledge. If it wasn’t for Tom Brady we would still be trying to have a winning season.
April 7th, 2023 at 10:26 am
It’s funny how some fans see only what they want to see! The 2020-21 Bucs had a Oline that could hold blocks and open run lanes. They had mismatches like Gronk ,AB,and a healthy Godwin. Say what you want about Rojo but he ran extremely hard between the tackles and Lenny was in better shape and was hungry to start! Defensively Suh & JPP were the driving force to pressuring the QB( even thou at the end of their careers). The 2022 team was stitched together with loose string & bubble gum that would NEVER overcome that many injuries so if Brady didn’t play like a top 3 QB in the league FACE FACTS PEOPLE THE TEAM WASN’T THAT TALENTED LAST SEASON and Brady’s play was just as much a part of that FACT as any of the other above!!!
April 7th, 2023 at 10:30 am
Redeemer
If 5-7 games is the best you think the Bucs can do then why have you been trashing Trask while advocating for Mayfield? Why did we spend that money when we could have used it somewhere else. If Trask started the season, I guarantee he could win 5-7 games out of 17 and we would’ve saved a possible 6mil. And not to mention finally got to see what Kyle could do given a chance with a full season. Now we may never know unless Baker gets seriously hurt. SMH
April 7th, 2023 at 11:05 am
Jason has done a good job so far, just not excited about the QB situation and hope that the Bucs can find another veteran QB after the draft. I expect next year to be difficult.
April 7th, 2023 at 11:42 am
Rand, get yourself a life-size Trask doll. Spend time with it. You know you’ll have fun.
April 7th, 2023 at 12:00 pm
Fans & media can call it what they want, but this is a rebuild, not a reload. Bucs kept certain key players, but let several go, restructured even more, have added a handful of free agents thus far, and will be using the draft to flesh out this roster. By the time September rolls around, this roster will be considerably different from last year’s. Offense, defense and special teams will all feel the impact, for better or worse. All us fans can do is wait and see.
April 7th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
* EVERYBODY LIKES A GOOD CONSPIRACY THEORY *
Wealthy people go into endeavors with a well thought out exit strategy, so hearing people say they prefer owners stay hands off with football decisions is laughable to me!! Brady coming to Tampa as a realistic possibility STARTED AND ENDED WITH THE GLAZERS! I think BA stepping down and Bowles taking over was thought out WAY before most people might think,including Todd Bowles!! Glazers are the ones pulling the strings,knowing the end is near force season ticket holders to include 2022 season. Then,BA is rewarded with a special title WITH PAY to play golf for selling his job to Bowles for modest salary. Now,when it becomes clear the team is no longer as talented AND Brady is done FOR REAL this time the fan base will be looking for someone to blame( Bowles is perfect) People credit Brady for playing less than his value,but the Glazers paid more for a QB than they ever have in their history. People say BA is a better coach but has only found success when his guns were bigger,better,faster than most! Left holding the bag Bowles is the most hated man in Tampa Bay and the town idiot could do a better job EASILY ,and even with the worst salary cap situation,no clear QB,HE BETTER HAVE A WINNING SEASON OR ELSE everybody with an opinion screams!! Glazers played their hand perfectly looks like
April 7th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Bowles is no Tom Landry! That’s fir sure!
April 7th, 2023 at 12:38 pm
SlyPirate … ‘ Bowles isn’t a good head coach. Let’s face it, the Bucs should have won 11-15 games with that roster.’
Seriously? 11-15 wins with last year’s roster, all the injuries, and a 45-year-old QB dealing with lots of issues of his own? Relook at just the offensive performance in our 10 total losses and you might come to a different conclusion.
April 7th, 2023 at 12:57 pm
not since Tom Landry has a coach had five straight losing seasons without finding himself on the street looking for work
Not only was Landry not fired, but he got a 10 year contract extension from Cowboys ownership- definitely another era
April 7th, 2023 at 2:32 pm
SlyPirate – the fact that Bowels has booked four losing seasons in a row as a head coach is all you need to support your point. I agree. Bowels has proven to be a horrible HC, and if one looks beneath the facade, one finds that while he may be a defensive mastermind, his defense doesn’t execute well especially against a decent team with a creative OC.
Excuses are for losers. Bowels is trying for a fifth. Will he make it? Unless he changes some things he will have the negative part of Tom Landry’s legacy without any of the Hall of fame accomplishments
Can Bowels change? Where’s the magic 8 ball?
April 7th, 2023 at 3:23 pm
“the fact that Bowels has booked four losing seasons in a row as a head coach is all you need to support your point.”
Trying to rally people to dislike someone because you do is really nasty business Karen
April 7th, 2023 at 3:31 pm
You know 5 follows 4 right Dooshley? You know the 4 in a row thing is a fact right?
I know. Facts are inconsistent for a know it all with a narrative based on stubborn loyalty.
April 8th, 2023 at 10:18 pm
Can we reset the entire coaching staff instead?