The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been an exciting team for the past handful of seasons. Tampa landed Tom Brady in 2020 after he left the Patriots and then immediately won the Super Bowl. They also quickly found their answer at QB after Brady's (official) retirement with journeyman Baker Mayfield. Despite all of this, one member of the Buccaneers' staff believes the team is overlooked.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht made an appearance on a recent episode of The Pat McAfee Show. Among other topics, he discussed how he views Tampa Bay as being disrespected by the national media.
“I sometimes feel like down here in Tampa we’re in witness protection,” Licht said. “I don’t want to say we get s—t on but there’s kind of just a lack of respect. You could go on like Lavonte David is a hall of fame type player, he doesn’t get enough credit as he should. Mike Evans just recently started getting talked about as a future hall of famer. So we’re used to it, but you kind of use it as ammo, it’s embedded in the DNA of this team. We have a quarterback right now that’s got a huge chip on his shoulder and always will and uses that in his play style and the whole team takes after it.”
It sounds like the Buccaneers thrive on being viewed as underdogs.
“I’m excited when I see somebody dissing us and saying we’re not going to win it,” Licht continued. “I love keeping receipts, I hate to admit it, but I do, I’m just going to be honest, I love it, it’s a passion of mine now, it’s a past time of my family, they shoot me texts, this person said this, this, this. It’s all in fun but it’s been driving us.”
Can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers repeat as NFC South Champions in 2024?
The “disrespected” Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South title in 2023 and went on to knock off the Philadelphia Eagles in the Division Round of the playoffs. Licht has more than one reason to feel like Tampa Bay isn't praised enough.
That said, are they capable of repeating as NFC South champs in 2024?
The division is still very winnable. The Panthers added a ton of talent in the draft but are still rebuilding. The Falcons will start the season with a new head and a QB who is coming off a major injury. The Saints are just average.
Licht has been making some smart offseason moves as general manager. The Buccaneers signed Randy Gregory, Bryce Hall, and Jordan Whitehead during free agency. They also retained key players like Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and Lavonte David.
Tampa Bay also added some exciting rookies in the 2024 NFL Draft. First-round pick Graham Barton can play any position on the offensive line at a high level. EDGE Chris Braswell should fit nicely as a role player in his rookie season. Jalen McMillan and Bucky Irving are both exciting players who may not have huge roles in year one, but could be key players for the Bucs in future seasons.
According to multiple sports books, Tampa Bay currently has an over/under win total of 7.5 wins. Keeping with the theme of disrespect, the Atlanta Falcons are the current betting favorites to win the NFC South at 9.5 wins.
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