The reigning NFC South champions have a new head coach. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an ageless quarterback. What offseason pickups were the team’s best?
A funny thing happened on the way to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers becoming the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the New England Patriots nearly two decades ago.
The club finished tied with the best record in the NFL in 2021 and won the NFC South for the first time since 2007.
The Bucs made easy work of the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. And after falling behind the Rams, 27-3, in the divisional round, Tom Brady and company came all the way back to tie the score at 27-all with 42 seconds to play.
But the Bucs couldn’t stop Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp in the closing moments as fell to the eventual Super Bowl champions.
Since then, it’s been an interesting few months. Brady retired and then unretired. Bruce Arians moved upstairs and Todd Bowles is the new head coach. And the team brought in some additional talent.
So what were the team’s top additions this year?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers top offseason pickup no. 3: DE Logan Hall (Houston)
General manager Jason Licht traded out of the first round and added to the team’s defensive front with the addition of former University of Houston end Logan Hall.
The 6’6”, 260-pound performer really came into his own during his final season with the Cougars. He finished with 47 tackles and six sacks in a dozen contests.
"Hard-working, two-year starter with a projectable frame and developmental traits whose best positional fit could be in the eye of the beholder. Hall played defensive tackle in college, but his playing style and physical profile are better suited for defensive end in a 3-4 alignment. via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein"
All told, Hall could be a player to watch as the season progresses. Can he fill the void left by the decision not to re-sign veteran Ndamukong Suh?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers top offseason pickup no. 2: WR Russell Gage (Atlanta Falcons)
With Matt Ryan pulling the trigger for more than a decade, the Atlanta Falcons surrounded the veteran quarterback with plenty of pass-catching talent. From wide receivers Julio Jones in 2011 and Calvin Ridley in 2018 to tight end Kyle Pitts a year ago.
Of course, the 14-year signal-caller was dealt to Indianapolis this year. Ironically, that team used a first-round pick on USC wideout Drake London.
Speaking of the Falcons, four-year pro Russell Gage left the team this offseason and latched on with the division-rival Buccaneers.
A sixth-round draft choice from LSU in 2018, he emerged as a reliable threat for the club over the past two years. After catching just six passes (63 yards) in 15 games during his rookie campaign, that total improved to 49 receptions for 446 yards and one score in 2019.
In 2020, Gage was targeted 109 times and hauled in 72 passes for 786 yards and four touchdowns. And in 14 outings this past season, he finished with 66 grabs for 770 yards and four more scores.
With veteran Mike Evans (the franchise’s all-time leading pass-catcher), a healthy Chris Godwin (on the mend from a torn ACL), and the emerging Gage, Tom Brady has quite a trio of targets to choose from.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers top offseason pickup: (Released by New York Giants)
It’s not as if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t have their share of talent in the secondary. The team finished 21st in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game this past season.
They allowed a respectable 26 touchdown passes in 17 regular-season contests. Todd Bowles’ defensive unit picked off 17 passes, with 11 different players totaling at least one interception.
Of course, Los Angeles Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 366 yards and two scores in his team’s win at Tampa in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught nine passes for 183 yards for one TD. So it’s not really a surprise to see GM Jason Licht look to add more experience to the defensive backfield.
Despite being a member of two Super Bowl championship teams with the New England Patriots while making his share of big plays with all three clubs he’s played for, versatile Logan Ryan has never earned Pro Bowl honors.
In nine NFL campaigns with the Pats, Titans, and Giants, he’s amassed 18 interceptions, 14 forced fumbles, 13 sacks, and three fumble recoveries. He’s also racked up 95 passes defensed. Ryan’s teams have reached the playoffs six times in nine years.
Ryan and fellow newcomer Keanu Neal (late of the Cowboys) figure to add plenty of savvy to a Buccaneers’ defense capable of creating havoc.