What Are The Buccaneers Doing?
March 12th, 2026
Decisions.
Joe thinks if you gave Bucs coaches and suits a shot of truth serum, they would agree:
The Bucs are a worse team right now, on the morning of March 12, 2026, than they were at noon Monday.
Just a brief summation that doesn’t include the backup quarterback swap.
Bucs lost:
* Hall of Fame receiver.
* No. 1 cornerback.
* Starting defensive lineman, not great, but solid.
Bucs gained:
* Veteran starting inside linebacker with a great attitude and good coverage skills.
*Backup but very skilled running back and special teams player.
* An OK yet versatile starting defensive lineman.
And, in the coming days, the Bucs may also lose a Hall of Fame linebacker to retirement and a backup running back (Rachaad White) who might be as good or better than the new one the Bucs signed.
In the meantime, the Bucs shot their shot with beastly edge rusher Trey Hendrickson but failed to seal the deal, likely in part because the Bucs are no longer a postseason threat.
This has been as bad of a free agency start as “this Joe” can remember. It’s about who the Bucs lost without signing an impact player to replace them. So, no, Joe cannot say with a straight face after two days of legal tampering and a day of free agency the Bucs are a better team.
But the defending NFC South champions sure got better.
March 12th, 2026 at 5:04 am
Looks like Alfred E Newman with glasses
What Me Worry
March 12th, 2026 at 5:18 am
Ronde Barber will be running the show in 2027
BUT!
He coulda, woulda,shoulda in 2026
and the FA class and resigned Bucs would have been better as I type
It will be emotionally crushing to the fan base in 2026 because this team is on the precipice of COLLAPSE
March 12th, 2026 at 5:23 am
Baker is playing his last season with the Bucs too
How does that all add up folks?
Should have fired Bowles 0-7
How’s that dead horse riding going….
March 12th, 2026 at 5:29 am
My only assumption is that they are punting on this year. Kept Bowles because they didn’t like the look of any of the available coaches, aren’t being serious in keeping talent and instead want a higher cap space next year to sign free agents.
March 12th, 2026 at 5:37 am
Bowles went 8-9 with Tom Brady, that should’ve shook the Glazers. Winning division titles with losing records doesn’t mean your a winner Joel, Brian and Jason.
You have set this franchise back by a long shot. Liam Coen took the worst and last place Jags to a 13-4 record.
Oh do not forget about
Dave Canales yeah the guy that is having one of the best offseasons out of any team this year.
Embarrassing times to be a Bucs fan
March 12th, 2026 at 5:39 am
I think we are tanking this year for a low draft pick. They want a good young quarterback. Just my take..
March 12th, 2026 at 5:43 am
Carolina overspent in a below average free agency class, they also lost their #1 running back to Pittsburgh. I do not think they got much better, they just look like they did because no one wants to play for Bowles. Plus Panthers have a tougher first place schedule than their rivals so I think it is a bitvearly to annoint them the new power in the NFC. They just look better than Bowles and the ATL/Cleveland South dumpster fire led by Tua and James Pearce.
March 12th, 2026 at 6:00 am
We are trying to escape salary cap hell.
We will be smart for 2 more years and try to draft well.
Licht wants to enter next season with more salary cap space.
If Baker wants a Super Bowl, he will need to be like Tom Brady and sign a team friendly deal so we can spread the money around.
Joe Flacco killed the Ravens after their Super Bowl with an insane contract. The Ravens couldn’t keep their team together because one QB was taking all the money.
Same with Dak Prescott. His contract is insane.
Baker will need to sign a fair and reasonable 3 year extension that is CHEAP, so we can build a better roster.
March 12th, 2026 at 6:10 am
The Bucs, like many teams, lost Hendrickson because they weren’t willing to offer a 4 year contract.
March 12th, 2026 at 6:13 am
I think they are a Whole lot better with a healthy O-Line
It doesn’t matter who they lose or gain
When the O-Line is healthy and regain their 2024 form
They are Lethal and one of the top units in the NFL
That’s the key to the success of this team
March 12th, 2026 at 6:14 am
Yep as the Glaziers showed BucNation it’s their team & they really don’t care what the fans think . They didn’t FIRE BOWLES cause this years crop of HC candidates didn’t move the needle for them. As a Bucs fan I’m disappointed but just gotta hope they are doing the right thing. Hopefully theres a HC that they hope to land next season after the Bucs stumble thru a 500 at best season, show some improvement. Maybe Tomlin after a yr off to rest . Just guessing, if the Bucs can improve their record & get back to being a better overall team . Anyway as a long time Bucs fan I gotta hope for the best. Wish Coach Bowzo
Would hire a DC to call a more aggressive Defensive scheme , not likely though. Oh well hopefully they grab a true Edge rusher st least GO BUCS!!
March 12th, 2026 at 6:19 am
The bottom line: It least it appears that White, Dean and even legendary Mike Evans couldn’t wait to get out of town.
Let’s face it, Todd Bowles is not a good coach. You know it, I know it and the players sure as he!! know it … which leaves the Glazers.
Either they’ve collectively lost their minds, or they playing stupid to make another move down the line. If it’s the latter, it’s a bad way to go about it.
To place the blame for last year’s failures on Todd’s assistants while retaining Todd is simply a poor modus operandi. Who chose these fired assistants?
Ownership needs to get it together, and fast. You don’t throw away a year of your football life to get Mike Tomlin.
Why?
Life is not a straight line, it’s about navigating through a series of curveballs you didn’t see coming. Just when you think you have things figured out, woosh! You swing and miss. And it’s happened here before.
It’s still not too late to send Todd packing. Who cares if all the alleged great coaches are already signed? Sometimes change for the sake of change is a good thing. Most anybody who can spell the words. H E A D C O A C H will do at this point.
Do it, and do it now …
Before Lost Decade II comes to a theatre near you.
March 12th, 2026 at 6:24 am
The day Wirfs, Brederson, Barton, Mauch, Goedeke get healthy
Is the day that this team improve 10 fold
In 2024 Baker and Bucky was getting all of the praise and glory
But in 2025, we seen how they struggled behind a patched up Line
March 12th, 2026 at 6:26 am
They’re tanking duh! Lol…its taken so many of you way too long to come to this very obvious conclusion. This team has been bad since it lost to a rookie at home in the playoffs. That team added Reddick and EE and the media tried to convince us that was a Superbowl roster. And after that first round exit Licht gave extentions to Bowles and Baker and they promptly went 2-7 after the bye and missed the playoffs.
This is who’s running the team, Licht, Bowles and Baker. Why give more resources to these losers? When they have them, they still lose. When the team is healthy or injured, they lose. As long as those three are on the Bucs, this team will lose.
And thats the plan. To lose. You might not like it, but it’s needed. The Bucs need an impact player, at QB, to build a foundation for the future. And the 3 stooges will help secure that top 10 pick for the next regime.
March 12th, 2026 at 6:31 am
“”They’re tanking duh! Lol…its taken so many of you way too long to come to this very obvious conclusion.””
Incompetence can look exactly like tanking. With Licht and Bowles track record I’m going with I N C O M P E T E N T.
March 12th, 2026 at 6:35 am
I smell compensatory pics.
March 12th, 2026 at 6:38 am
A steady decline? No. The truck went over the cliff long before 3rd and 28.
The owners don’t care. They did not want to payoff Bowles to leave.
This will be a 4-13 to 7-10 season. Bowles will retire. Licht will probably get one
more chance to hire a coach. He will mess that up.
This team will be at the bottom for the next decade.
March 12th, 2026 at 6:45 am
“”It doesn’t matter who they lose or gain
When the O-Line is healthy and regain their 2024 form
They are Lethal and one of the top units in the NFL
That’s the key to the success of this team””
Delusional at best.
March 12th, 2026 at 6:46 am
Bowles sunk the ship, who wants to play here?
March 12th, 2026 at 6:56 am
“Just gotta coach it better and play it better”
March 12th, 2026 at 7:01 am
This is why it’s hard to feel bad for them sometimes.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:01 am
Dean was a big loss. Number 1 FA at his position.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:02 am
Everyone, blame the Glazerhouses, that’s the only thing that will make change. Hit their ego. Todd sucks, we all know that. But join a massive bandwagon blaming the people who kept him.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:08 am
BucU,
I guess it was a “Delusion” when they beat Seattle and San Francisco
Back to back, with a healthy OLine, without Evans
Oh yeah, and the Texans, and a 6-2 start
A 3rd grader seen the difference with our guys up front healthy
Common sense should tell a person
You’re not going to win in the NFL with BOTH of your starting Guards on IR
And also your RT and LT missing time
You fake fans want Bowles to fail so bad, that you want the team to fail
Every Bucs win will bring misery upon you fake fans
March 12th, 2026 at 7:12 am
They’re focused on the draft. This is/was a piss poor free agent class of players. Its a strong defensive draft, whether or not they take advantage of that is the question.
Until Bowles is gone, worrying about what defensive players are being added to the roster is wasted energy.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:16 am
The good news is that next year’s draft is one of the most QB rich in recent memory. If the team bombs this year, they’ll be able to get one of them and flip Baker for additional picks.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:16 am
I’m willing to give our new DL coach a chance to rejuvenate our current and future DL men.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:21 am
This started when they extended Bowles. It finished when his defense gave up a 3rd and 28 and then they didnt fire him.
Nobody wants to come here…Ive liked licht and defended him until now. His days are numbered.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:25 am
Like at this point it seriously is starting to feel like a tank job
March 12th, 2026 at 7:27 am
JL eval of the team is too high….no stars on this team.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:31 am
The success or failure of 2026 is ALL on Jason Licht-this is your LAST chance Jason.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:34 am
Joe, my question is, are the Bucs thinking about moving Kancy to edge? I mean Bowles has mentioned his team needs to get bigger. I’ve heard that Kancy’s size for a DL may be a small portion of his injury problems. The Crosby and Hendrickson deal, aren’t both injured?
March 12th, 2026 at 7:36 am
If 2026 is truly a tank job, the great general manager should diligently consider trading his left tackle, strong safety and quarterback for draft picks!
March 12th, 2026 at 7:51 am
Bucs have 6 guys who represent 60% of this year’s cap hit, which is why we always have dudes like Dion Jones playing, when they’d normally not even qualify for the practice squad
March 12th, 2026 at 7:53 am
Yep going to get picks next year for everyone we lost. Probably will trade Vita half way through this season for more picks. They are going to load up on draft picks for next year for the re build and new coach.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:55 am
Why are we excited with signing two 30 year plus free agents defensive players?
Meh- let’s see if they make it through training camp.
There is no #1 receiver on the roster. Hopefully, one of those guys will step up.
OLine may be the team strength when healthy- but damn, we need quality back ups and haven’t heard a peep about rehab with Mauch and Bredson- will they be ready?
Free agency is a chance to improve the team. And I don’t think we did that.
We’re just treading water.
And fwiw the Joes are spot on – front office could have extended Mike last year.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:55 am
Evans is old, Hall was a bust and Dean is fragile. Get over it!
March 12th, 2026 at 7:55 am
2026 RINSE AND REPEAT
March 12th, 2026 at 7:58 am
I agree. Yes, the Bucs are tanking 2026 for a new QB, to get their salary cap in a better position for 2027 and to get a new HC and DC
1. Bucs aren’t sold on Baker getting them to a SB so they haven’t extended his contract
2. Bucs want to finish paying off void years and dead year $ for the future — though they will be paying Baker for the next few years if he isn’t resigned.
3. Everyone wants Bowles gone, but there’s probably some guaranteed money in his contract
My prediction is the Bucs play around 500 again because the defense will once again struggle. When the Bucs win, it will mostly be in a shoot out because the O is healthy and clicking on that day. As a result, the Glazers bring in a new GM (Greenberg), a new HC with new coordinators and they have to decide whether to keep Baker or not.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:59 am
Im still incredibly disappointed Mike Evans hangs out with Lesean McCoy.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:59 am
Everyone piles on Bowles but licht will be gone too. I’m good with full restart it’s been long enough.