More Offseason Bones
May 18th, 2026
Click through to visit BillCurrieFord.com and see their extraordinary May discounts. Family-owned in Tampa since 1960! Bill Currie Ford general manager Sean Sullivan is ready to help you PERSONALLY and give you the famous Ira Kaufman discount. Don’t Worry, Drive Currie!
BY IRA KAUFMAN
The Buccaneers were overdue for some good fortune. Mission accomplished.
More exciting realities arrived this month for Bucs GM Jason Licht, writes Ira Kaufman.
Jason Licht and Todd Bowles must be living right. That’s the only logical explanation for the luck that has come their way in the past few weeks.
First, and most importantly, Rueben Bain was still available when Tampa Bay was on the clock with the 15th overall pick in the draft. Licht and his team must have run through dozens of simulations for the board through 14 selections — and very few had Bain falling to the Bucs.
Now Bain is out to punish every team foolish enough to pass him by. If Bain had been chosen before No. 15, Licht would have likely been tempted to trade down and still get a pass rusher like Akeem Mesidor, who went to the Chargers at No. 22.
Bain’s regular-season debut as a Buc is still almost four months away, but he looks the part of an accomplished quarterback hunter. His power and motor jump off the tape from the University of Miami and his demeanor suggests this is a serious man on a serious mission.
This past week marked another blessing as the NFL schedule maker tossed the Bucs a few more bones.
Bowles, Licht and the Glazers should have few quibbles with the slate just revealed.
While Baker Mayfield and company still have to go out and make things happen, nobody at One Buc Place has any right to blame the way the 2026 schedule unfolds.
Why should Buc fans smile? Let us count the ways.
* The Bucs won’t be on the road in successive weeks. The only time Tampa Bay faces back-to-back road games, there’s a bye week in between matchups at Chicago and Detroit. That’s a big deal … and it’s also quite rare. The last time the Bucs didn’t have to face road opponents in successive weeks came in 1991.
Yes, it’s been awhile. Vinny Testaverde was Tampa Bay’s quarterback and Licht was a sophomore guard at the University of Nebraska.
The road load is historically lighter, says The Sage.
* Speaking of the bye week, it will show up in Week 10 this fall. That’s just about perfect — not too early, not too late.
* The toughest stretch of the season — at Detroit, a Monday night home game vs. Carolina, the Chargers at home and a trip to Baltimore — comes directly after the bye week. Although the 2025 Bucs crumbled after their bye week, it’s supposed to be the pause that refreshes. In theory, you’re supposed to be at your best after a week off to rest, reflect and make adjustments.
* Thursday night road games are traditionally challenging and the Bucs will head to Dallas to open Week 5. But at least the Bucs will be home against Green Bay before heading out to Big D. That seems like a minute advantage, but it’s a lot better than returning from a road matchup on a Sunday and boarding another flight three days later.
* The Bucs don’t face a divisional opponent until Week 7. Given the odds three rookies will play significant roles on defense, it’s a plus for Bowles to have six games to evaluate an embattled unit that figures to have as many as five new starters.
This franchise was due for some good fortune after an injury-ravaged season that exposed major depth problems. While mandatory mini-camp is still a month away, this offseason couldn’t have gone much better for an organization that has a lot to prove to a teetering fan base.
May 18th, 2026 at 1:35 pm
we’ll see how it unfolds…
NOV & DEC will be important…until then, its 😐
GO BUCS!!!!!
May 18th, 2026 at 1:36 pm
“Mission Accomplished”
Oh no, Ira don’t do that to us lol
May 18th, 2026 at 2:19 pm
My brain definitely added an “r” to the last word in the headline…
May 18th, 2026 at 2:19 pm
None of that matters.
It’s the same coach.
Bain has been anointed and has not even put on his cleats yet. Pump the brakes.
This team under this coach has at least a 3 game losing streak. Those totally destroy confidence.
They got rid of some dead wood. Some others were at the end of their careers. Some were malcontents.
But a lot of fossils, head cases and lazy loafers remain.
And what is being done about their conditioning? Because all of these injuries are not just bad luck.
Got roped into lies last year. Not going to happen again.
May 18th, 2026 at 3:53 pm
It’s all about the Putrid Pass Defense not being Putrid!
May 18th, 2026 at 3:56 pm
The coach is not the problem. Never was.
Some players got old and were not playing at their best. Others just lacked sufficient talent on defense and they have been replaced. The remainder of issues were all starting players that were out long term or for the season with injuries.
For the team to be successful, that cannot happen.
May 18th, 2026 at 4:43 pm
Don’t know what’s more annoying, joe’s pop up ads, or spam calls? Joe, do a poll.
May 18th, 2026 at 6:16 pm
No excuses with this schedule. Knew we’d gotten lucky the minute I saw it.
May 18th, 2026 at 6:23 pm
Though the Dallas game will be a pain in the neck, I have to agree this schedule is easier than is typical, too.
May 18th, 2026 at 6:41 pm
Who says we’re teetering?
May 18th, 2026 at 7:19 pm
I wondered that too. Im not teetering in the slightest. I’m fired up and excited for a season where our players are uninjured and we have a huge infusion of talent on the defense. **SHOULD** be a great year!
May 18th, 2026 at 7:57 pm
The Pom Pom waivers will never teeter in the slightest.
They believe Bowles is the only person who can fix the mess he created.
Let them have their logically absent shorts spraying in May.
In November and December when we’re eliminated from the playoffs we can have an adult discussion.
Bowles can enjoy his 15th daily Kit Kat bar until then.
May 18th, 2026 at 8:16 pm
Another Question:
How Much the Rams Will Embarrass the Buccaneers in 2026?
I guessing the line is 14 points. I’d still take LAR.
May 18th, 2026 at 8:22 pm
Good column Ira, as usual. Was glad to hear you and Joe finally agree with what I have been saying, apparently Joe too. The CB situation is a serious concern. If the Bucs don’t address that, the schedule and new draft picks might help, but not enough to produce a winning season. I keep saying it and will continue too keep saying it. McColumn at starting corner??, pitiful!!!. He was simply awful last year. What is going to change to make him now a top flight corner. I just scratch my head. Then Morrison, ok he is only in his second year. However, his constant injuries are huge. You can’t improve if you are unavailable. When he was on the field he was pretty bad and beaten regularly. So unless they change the CB’s the schedule will not matter what kind of breaks the schedule gives.
May 18th, 2026 at 8:23 pm
Good column Ira, as usual. Was glad to hear you and Joe finally agree with what I have been saying, apparently Joe too. The CB situation is a serious concern. If the Bucs don’t address that, the schedule and new draft picks might help, but not enough to produce a winning season. I keep saying it and will continue too keep saying it. McColumn at starting corner??, pitiful!!!. He was simply awful last year. What is going to change to make him now a top flight corner. I just scratch my head. Then Morrison, ok he is only in his second year. However, his constant injuries are huge. You can’t improve if you are unavailable. When he was on the field he was pretty bad and beaten regularly.
May 18th, 2026 at 8:27 pm
6-4 from November forward in 2023. 6-3 from November forward in 2024 not including the playoffs. I don’t understand this narrative being constantly put forward that we regularly choke in meaningful games in November and December. We certainly did poop the bed down the stretch in 2025 but that would be the outlier since it was the first time we did so in 3 seasons. Some say injuries played a big part in the debacle that was 2025. Whether one prefers to characterize that as just an excuse, the fact remains that not choking in meaningful games down the stretch in 2 out of 3 seasons blows up your disingenuous narrative bucboi. I think you just wish it was true because you want to see this iteration of the Bucs fail. Go Bucs!
May 18th, 2026 at 9:37 pm
At least the Bucs don’t get screwed on short rest games this season. Mostly the Bucs are playing every 7th day against teams that are also playing after 7 days.
Packers +3 rest days after a Thursday night game, but it is still the Bucs 7th day after their Sunday game.
The Bucs and Cowboys have a Thursday night game after they both play on Sunday.
Bucs +3 rest days after their TNF game when they play Pittsburgh on the 7th day after the Steelers Sunday game.
Bucs +1 rest day when they travel to play the Bears on the 7th day after a Bucs Sunday home game with the Bears playing on the 6th day after a MNF road trip to Seattle.
Bucs come back from their bye week to play Detroit on the 7th day after Detroit’s Sunday game.
Chargers +1 rest day when they play the Bucs on Sunday after the Bucs play Carolina on MNF.
The Ravens come off of their bye week to play the Bucs on the 7th day after a Bucs Sunday game.
Rams +2 rest days after playing Christmas Day on a Friday with the Bucs playing on the 7th day after a Sunday game.
The rest day part of the schedule is about as fair as anyone could reasonably expect.