TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

OFF SEASON CHANGES

The off-season brought some painful departures: 12-year franchise legend Mike Evans left in free agency for San Francisco, and longtime linebacker Lavonte David announced his retirement. Bucs legend Vita Vea also requested a trade, topping off a really difficult off-season for the team. They’ve still got some top end talent but a lot rests on the shoulders of Baker Mayfield once again. Edge rusher Rueben Bain was drafted 15th overall and should be a really good piece, he was originally predicted to go in the top 3 picks.

QUATERBACKS

Baker Mayfield was an early MVP frontrunner before injuries limited him late in 2025, and he enters the final year of his contract with the front office hoping to sign him long-term. Baker was seriously banged up last year and tried to put the team on his shoulders multiple times. He’s very popular with the fanbase and he’s proven himself to be worthy of a big contract. His passing yards line for this season is set at 3500.5 - a mark he has covered in all three seasons with the Bucs despite some injuries. Although Mike Evans has left, he was injured a lot of last season too. I think Baker goes over this line again.

RUNNING BACKS

Bucky Irving is coming off an injury-interrupted 2025 season after bursting on to the scene as a rookie in 2024. He clearly wasn’t right last season and his numbers showed, going from 5.4 yards per carry as a rookie to 3.4 yards per carry last year. Rachaad White has departed to the Commanders and the Bucs signed Kenneth Gainwell as a replacement. They’ve also got Sean Tucker on the roster which gives them some solid depth. With Bucky back healthy though, he should be the workhorse back and should bounce back with some good numbers. Baker Mayfield needs to look after his body more and that should mean more handoffs to the backfield. Irving’s rushing line for the season is just 800.5 yards which is tempting...

RECEIVERS

Emeka Egbuka steps into a lead role after a promising, if inconsistent, rookie year and the departure of Mike Evans, who signed with San Francisco to end his 12-year run in Tampa. Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan give Mayfield real depth even without Evans, but replacing his red-zone production, a career average of nine touchdowns per season, is a real question this passing game has to answer without him. Tampa Bay was 23rd in offensive red-zone touchdown rate last season even with Evans contributing in a limited capacity, and that number could get worse before this young receiver room fully develops into a unit capable of replacing his decade-plus of red-zone production on its own this season.

DEFENCE

Lavonte David's retirement leaves a massive leadership void that Alex Anzalone and second-round rookie Josiah Trotter are tasked with filling immediately. Vita Vea remains a dominant force up front, and first-round edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. should provide an immediate pass-rush boost. Tampa Bay was a stunning 32nd in defensive red-zone touchdown rate allowed (69.8%) last season, the single biggest structural weakness this unit must fix.