Dan Orlovsky: Bucs Offense Is Loaded
June 1st, 2026
Joe would hope a former NFL quarterback would be able to recognize offensive talent.
Using that as a foundation, Joe sure is hoping former Bucs backup quarterback, Schiano Man and current BSPN talking head Dan Orlovsky, hits the nail on the head in this analysis.
Last week on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Orlovsky hailed the Bucs as a serious contender for an NFC championship. A big reason is Orlovsky believes the Bucs will have a powerful offense.
“I think Baker’s awesome,” Orlovsky began about Baker Mayfield. “I love Bucky Irving. Their tight end [Cade Otton] is really good.
“I think their receivers — and I know they lose Mike Evans — Emeka Egbuka is going to take a huge step forward. [Jalen] McMillan’s a really nice player. They still have [Chris] Godwin.
“So they’ve got plenty of people to throw the football to. Plenty.”
The only speed bump Orlovsky sees in holding the Bucs back is what happened last year when their talented offensive line was fully ravaged by injuries. It eventually caught up with the Bucs and sunk their playoff hopes.
“Everything will be about their offensive line,” Orlovsky said. “If their offensive line is healthy and stays healthy, I think it’s an awesome offense and an NFC Championship-contending team.”
Two years ago, that’s exactly what the Bucs were. Joe maintains, and this is never popular with Bucs fans because — GASP! — Joe is saying good things about the offensive line, at worst the Bucs had the third-best offensive line in football.
Give a gifted coach (Liam Coen) talent at the skill positions and have them play behind a good offensive line, look out! And the Bucs had one of the NFL’s best offenses in 2024.
“Don’t forget this was the team that [in] Week five, they went to Seattle, and I think they hung like … 38 [on the Seahawks],” Orlovsky said. “And then the injuries just started to decimate their football team.
“I think they’re really talented.”
Joe has to see how much the absence of Mike Evans hurts the Bucs offense. You can’t tell Joe the offense is better without him.
If the Bucs demonstrate they can still light up a scoreboard without Evans, then yeah, the Bucs should be a dangerous team this fall.
June 1st, 2026 at 7:22 am
Dan Orlovsky: Bucs Offense Is Loaded
Well, the Running Back position is facing ‘tremendous’ peril
Despite this, the Bucs should be pretty good offensively, if they remain healthy!
The problem is though, the Bucs still have the same DC as they did last season and the season before that and the season……..
June 1st, 2026 at 7:34 am
The offense is better without him because the OC is better. And, I believe that the combination of Tez, McMillan and Hurst can equal or exceed his production
June 1st, 2026 at 7:39 am
I’m one of the few Buc fans that is pleased Mike Evans decided to move on…
Addition by subtraction.
Dude had less than 370 yards last season and never practiced. Gee-wiz how do we replace that type of production?
LOL!
I believe the Bucs O will be better with Godwin and Egbuka leading the way in 2026.
June 1st, 2026 at 7:47 am
Mike–He had ONE good game out of 8, he really wasn’t part of the offense. I’ll take the $22 or so million he’d have eaten over him ANY day. Absent that money, we aren’t getting guys like Gainwell
June 1st, 2026 at 7:50 am
We need to move on from ME13…..he is GONE!!!
i think Baker has plenty of weapons…..need to use the TEs more…
Need 1 more RB……a bruiser….short yardage stud.
June 1st, 2026 at 7:52 am
The offense is loaded minus a HoF WR? Right…another casual take. For as bad as you think the defense will be the offense will be worse because it couldn’t consistently score with Evans and without him the Bucs lose more often than not. So Bucky isnt healthy until proven otherwise so its basically Tucker and Gainwell caring the load. Gotta see how that works out.
June 1st, 2026 at 7:53 am
I come from a philosophy that we do not speak of the dead
June 1st, 2026 at 8:01 am
I know it’s not wise to hype up rookies, but I can truly envision Hurst having an immediate (as soon as week 4) impact and having great chemistry with Baker. He has many of the main attributes that allowed Mike to thrive with Baker. I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again. Teddy Hurst is like a combo of AJ Green & George Pickens.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:02 am
And if it’s any position that we’ve learned we can have full faith with JL with, it’s his eye for WRs.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:04 am
“You can’t tell Joe the offense is better without him.”
You’re right. Because we don’t know yet. It dould go either way.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:04 am
Losing Evans will be an adjustment. Replacing him with with Ted Hurst from a small division team, with his talent is a big adjustment for anyone to the NFL. We’ll know more after the bye week.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:05 am
Wouldn’t it be ironic if Hurst ended this season with 1,000+ yards?
It could happen.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:42 am
There should be a slide and out of bounds rule for Baker running.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:42 am
@ Bee
I agree with you 100%.
ME13 deserves to be in the HOF. Hopefully on his first year of eligibility.
HOWEVER – at this juncture (IMO) ME13 = 2022 Julio Jones…
No disrespect meant.
Just trying to be honest with my peeps.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:44 am
100% Marine! Im really looking forward to this season as well!
June 1st, 2026 at 8:44 am
@ Bee
The Bucs saved @ $22M and spent it on our lackluster defense.
Money well spent IMO.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:50 am
@ Bee
Also – another unpopular opinion from Marine Buc…
I’m glad LVD retired.
I’m glad Hall is gone.
I’m glad Dean is gone.
All soft or too old.
Sorry.
Don’t care if I hurt anyone’s feelings.
June 1st, 2026 at 8:54 am
We do have a loaded offense. Plenty of weapons. High powered offense. We just need them to stay fairly healthy. Especially Baker.
June 1st, 2026 at 9:01 am
The last 2 years ME was hurt. I was happy he got 1000yds for the 11th straight season but had he not been injured for significant games that year he would have had it easily. CONSISTANT production is missed but ME hasn’t had that for 2 seasons. Yes I would have liked for him to be here to see if it was just the injuries and not age getting to him. This team has enough healthy talent at WR to be just fine. Give the rookies some time and they will produce. The players who came from the smaller schools may have fresher legs to carry them through the season vs the players that played almost non stop football for 18-22 months. Health, again, is the foremost concern through the season, coach’s say it every year.
June 1st, 2026 at 9:01 am
Licht turned a 3rd-round pick into JPP and a Super Bowl. If the asking price for Josh Sweat is just a couple of ‘thirds,’ there’s no excuse not to get this done.
June 1st, 2026 at 9:36 am
@ Luv
Interesting.
What would the Bucs salary cap implications be?
According to OTC the Bucs have @ $8M…
June 1st, 2026 at 10:43 am
@ LUV
JL won’t come off the picks and the salary is more of an issue than the picks. They have already spent the capital improving the line. If they are going to keep adding players they need to be looking at ILB and corner. Jordan Brooks, Okereke, Luvu, Kenny Moore, Rasul, Diggs. Plenty of other holes to fill before back tracking to D-line. JL is reactive, not proactive. Ultra-conservative cowardly approach to team building. He won’t even consider going after Sweat.
June 1st, 2026 at 10:44 am
@Marine
100% agree with all your takes.
June 1st, 2026 at 12:19 pm
@marine buc
Fair points. I think Evans has more left in the tank but you definitely can’t ignore his recent injuries, so we’ll see. I’m glad the players that left on defense are gone although I’m not sold on any of our CBs. Idk…this team is missing consistent dynamic playmakers on both sides of the ball.
June 1st, 2026 at 12:33 pm
They hung 38 on Seattle in Seattle with no Mike Evans and a shell of CG14. If the line stays healthy and we find a running game again. We will be fine on offense.