Three Bold Moves Tampa Bay Buccaneers Made in the 2023 Offseason | General Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a calmer summer than fans are used to, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t make any moves that could have a big impact. This season, not many people have high hopes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Experts in the NFL the likes of bet on nfl games online have already written them off as one of the worst teams in the game. This will happen if they lose Tom Brady or if they compare it to the terrible season Tampa Bay had last year.

If you look closely at some of the moves the team made over the summer, you can see that they have a plan that goes against the idea that the Bucs are clear candidates to tank and instead gives them the tools to seriously compete.

The Bucs were limited in how many moves they could make during the winter because Brady’s $35 million in dead cap space and a $55 million salary cap knot to untangle made things hard.

Even with these limitations, the Buccaneers were able to make some key moves that could turn out to be some of the best additions to the team this summer.

Let’s look at the three moves the Buccaneers made that didn’t get enough attention:

The Trade for Ryan Neal away from Seattle Seahawks

The name of safety Ryan Neal keeps coming up this summer. He was quietly signed away from the Seattle Seahawks during free agency, and this season is expected to be a big one for him with the Bucs. Last season, he got a PFF defensive grade of 82. This was a huge improvement from his first two seasons when he got marks in the 50s.

This kind of growth is why it’s exciting to have him on the Bucs because he’s in a good spot to take advantage of his progress. With Todd Bowles as the defensive coordinator and Antoine Winfield Jr. as his partner in the secondary, Neal should be able to reach his full potential. It will also be very badly needed.

The Bucs lost all of their important safeties this summer, except for Winfield. Mike Edwards signed with the Chiefs, Keanu Neal went to Pittsburgh, and Logan Ryan hasn’t signed with anyone yet. The only noticeable holdover was Nolan Turner, but he’s not in that impact zone.

Neal’s move to Tampa Bay not only gives him a great chance to do well, but it also gives the Bucs a possible partner for their Pro Bowl player, Winfield. The two of them together could be one of the best safety teams in the league next year.

Buccaneers using five of their seven draft picks on defensive players

Before the NFL Draft, it seemed like a sure thing that the Bucs would use a high pick on an offensive player. Because the team was bad, especially the offensive line, mock picks favored Broderick Jones and Darnell Wright.

Instead, the Bucs took Calijah Kancey from Pitt with the No. 19 overall pick, which went against what everyone thought they would do. The Bucs would use picks on the defensive side of the ball four more times before the draft was over.

The Buccaneers used five of their seven picks on defensive players, which was a surprise but could turn out to be Jason Licht’s latest masterstroke.

Kancey looks like a star, and like Neal, he might benefit from playing next to a Pro Bowler like Vita Vea. The Bucs might have hit the jackpot with players like Yaya Diaby, SirVoccea Dennis, and Jose Ramirez, who were taken after their first pick. All three guys fill positions that could be needed in the future, and they all have hidden skills that could become useful as they get used to their jobs.

The Bucs also brought in Kansas State safety Josh Hayes, who could replace Sean Murphy-Bunting as the team’s nickel corner. Do you see a pattern?

Last season, the Bucs had an offense that wasn’t like them at all. Instead of freaking out and overreacting, they reloaded on the side of the ball where they’ve always been stronger. The team’s defense helped them win the Super Bowl in 2020, and it looks like it will be a key part of the plan to make Tampa Bay competitive in 2023. Spending most of the team’s draft picks on defensive players not only improves the team’s skill pool this year, but it could also help the team in the future.

Hiring Skip Peete as new Running Backs coach

This summer, the Buccaneers did more than just change things on the field. The team added some players who could make a big difference, and it also made some important changes on the bench.

The most important hire was Dave Canales, who took over as offense coordinator from Byron Leftwich. He came from the Seattle Seahawks, who have been successful for more than a decade. The Bucs hope that he can bring some of that attitude to Tampa Bay. We want to talk about one of Canales’ hires.

Skip Peete was hired as the new coach for the running backs. It was a quiet hire, but it could be the most important thing the team did all summer. He came from the Dallas Cowboys, where he made Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard the best running backs in the game.

This is the pitch: the coach of the best running back duo in the NFL is coming to fix the NFL’s most embarrassing running game.

It would be easy for Peete to do, but the long-term effects could be big. This year, Rachaad White is the RB1 and is set to have a big season. Chase Edmonds joined the team as a free agent, and he takes with him a lot of experience. Ke’Shawn Vaughn is still here as well, and since this is his contract year, he has a reason to improve his worth.

All of this means that a team that had one of the worst rushing attacks in the league last year will now have one of the best in the league. With Peete, White could become a star at RB for the Bucs whilst working with Canales to revitalise the team’s offense totally.

We shouldn’t forget that the Seahawks liked to collect running backs like rare coins and use them well. When you add that from Canales to what Peete brings to the table, the Bucs are suddenly cooking.