Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3 Players to avoid in 2020 NFL free agency

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have the third-most cap space in the NFL, but they need to spend it prudently. I examine three free agents they must avoid.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a fun team to watch during the 2019 season. Head Coach Bruce Arians, who is well-known for his high-powered vertical passing offense, took on the Jameis Winston project and sought to make him one of the league’s best passers.

In part, he succeeded. Winston had a historic season, passing for the most yards and touchdowns in a single season in the franchise’s history. He threw the ball 626 times for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns, leading all quarterbacks in attempts and yards while only trailing Lamar Jackson in passing touchdowns.

The Buccaneers offense as a whole ranked first in passing yards, third in passing touchdowns, and third in points scored in 2019. They fielded two 1,000-yard wide receivers and led the league in passing plays over 20 yards. So why aren’t Winston and Arians getting more praise? Well, I was looking at the glass as half-full. Let’s take the pessimistic view.

The Buccaneers needed to be a pass-heavy offense because they couldn’t run the ball in 2019. They were ranked in the bottom-10 in total rushing yards and averaged an abysmal 3.7 yards per rush. Their pass defense was also ranked as the third-worst unit in the NFL, so they were getting into shootouts by necessity.

The defense allowed approximately 28 points per game, ranking them in the bottom-five of the NFL. If the Buccaneers were going to have a chance of winning any game, they needed Winston to throw until his arm fell off.

As many of you know, Winston didn’t get those 33 touchdowns without a cost; and by cost, I mean 30 interceptions. While Winston broke franchise records in passing yardage and touchdowns, he also broke NFL records in the turnover category. He threw seven pick-sixes in 2019, surpassing Rudy Bukich’s and Peyton Manning’s original mark to set a record for most pick-sixes in a season.

Winston also became the first quarterback in NFL history to toss 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a single season as well as the first quarterback since 1988 to throw 30 or more interceptions in a single season.

So, while the Buccaneers 2019 season was a spectacle for casual fans and fantasy football players, it was a grave disappointment for the organization as they extended their playoff drought to 12 years and counting.

With Winston likely headed out the door and the Buccaneers with nearly $85 million in cap space, there is no doubt general manager Jason Licht will attempt to right the ship with some splashy free-agent signings. They have multiple needs including quarterback, running back, offensive line, and cornerback.

Much of the time, however, free agency pickups can be fool’s gold. If the Buccaneers make a few bad signings, they could once again find themselves in organizational turmoil and on the outside of the playoff picture come next January. So, let’s take a look at three players the Buccaneers need to avoid in 2020 NFL free agency to prevent this bleak future.