The Bucs have won four straight NFC South titles and have a five-year streak of postseason appearances. But with the right moves on defense this offseason, they’ll feel that their Super Bowl window is firmly open heading into 2025 after a few years of scraping by and barely sneaking into the playoffs.
After all, Tampa Bay had a top-five offense a year ago and very well could’ve made a deeper run in the playoffs with better injury luck and — more importantly — a better defense.
Bucs Gm Jason Licht
Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
So, how can Tampa Bay go about addressing its needs on defense in the coming days as the free agency period opens up? Todd Bowles’ side of the ball needs some retooling at every level, as there’s a need for a pass rusher, help at inside linebacker even after the re-signing of Lavonte David and something of a rebuild in the secondary.
That last piece is where the focus of Pro Football Focus’ Zoltán Buday was when he recently wrote about five free agency moves “that just make sense.” Among those five moves, he included the Bucs signing former 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward:
“Ward played as well as any other cornerback in the NFL in his first two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, as he earned an 89.1 PFF overall grade over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, which ranked behind only Sauce Gardner. In addition, his 2,163 snaps over this period also ranked fourth in the NFL. While Ward could not replicate this form and durability in 2024, that is largely – if not fully – due to an off-field tragedy.
“There is no reason to think that Ward, who will still be only 29 years old at the start of the season, cannot get back to his old form in the next couple seasons and become once again one of the best cornerbacks in the league. The cornerback position has been a need for the Buccaneers even without the expected cut of Jamel Dean, and Ward’s style works well with Todd Bowles’s aggressive defense.”
Jamel Dean Out, Charvarius Ward In For The Bucs?
Bucs Cb Jamel Dean
Bucs CB Jamel Dean – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
There’s already been a lot of talk surrounding the future of cornerback Jamel Dean this offseason. Dean is a better player than he’s given credit for by many within the Buccaneer fan base, but the reality is that his lack of availability has hurt his reputation — and potentially his stock with the team itself.
The Bucs could choose to move on from Dean this offseason like they did with Carlton Davis III last offseason. Both guys were good cornerbacks for Tampa Bay, but both also struggled to stay on the field and when they were available, they rarely took the ball away.
The difference between the two players’ situations is this: When the Bucs traded Davis last year, they knew they had Dean as one starting cornerback and there was a need to create a starting spot for the up-and-coming Zyon McCollum. Now, if the team deals or cuts Dean, there’s a giant hole in the defense on the opposite side of McCollum.
Maybe that’s where Charvarius Ward comes in. Ward turns 29 in May, so he’s still on the right side of 30 and he may be in for a bounce-back year in 2025.
49Ers Cb Charvarius Ward
49ers CB Charvarius Ward – Photo by: USA Today
Ward, who began his career with four seasons in Kansas City and three in San Francisco, may be looking for a fresh start. He dealt with some personal tragedy last year as his daughter died just before her second birthday after a long battle with heart issues. He spoke earlier this year about the trauma he felt was linked to his time in California due to his family’s loss, so he may be moving on from the 49ers this offseason.
Tampa Bay would surely love to have Ward and his playmaking ability. He is only a year removed from a Pro Bowl season in which he came up with five interceptions and 23 passes defensed to go along with a forced fumble. From 2021-2023, he totaled eight interceptions and 44 passes defensed.
Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo projects a two-year, $29 million deal for “Mooney” Ward. Could that be a move the Bucs opt to make?
PFF thinks it makes sense. Do you? Let us know what you think, Pewter People!