The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were coming off another superb season from Baker Mayfield as the franchise again won the division and secured a home playoff game, which they lost to the Washington Commanders.
Having dealt with crippling injuries on both sides of the ball, to still finish with a 10-7 record shows the quality of the roster, and this offseason, general manager Jason Licht improved it.
Chris Godwin's re-signing could be seen as a big "incoming" given his season ended in Week 7 due to an ankle injury, while Haason Reddick comes and instantly upgrades the Buccaneers' biggest defensive weakness - their pass rush.
So it might seem like low-hanging fruit to suggest Tampa Bay's roster has improved, but that is exactly what Pro Football Focus has stated about Todd Bowles' team.
"Bringing back Chris Godwin on a three-year deal was the big move for the Buccaneers," Pro Football Focus writes. "The big signing outside of re-signing Godwin was adding edge rusher Haason Reddick. The former Eagle played in just 10 games for the Jets after holding out early in the season and struggled to find his groove upon returning, registering 26 pressures and three sacks. Reddick has proven he can be a force multiplier as a pass-rusher, and there's a good chance he will get back to his best with a full offseason under his belt."
The Bucs' offense without Godwin was top five in scoring (29.5 p/g), so adding him back into the mix with Mike Evans will only create good things for new coordinator Josh Grizzard.
As for Reddick, he will have a chip on his shoulder after last year with the New York Jets that saw him hold out of training camp and a large portion of the season to get a new deal that never came.
Related: Bucs GM Jason Licht Credited in Top NFL Free Agent Classes
Now a Buccaneer, Reddick will be focused on playing his best football as he searches for a new contract.
Tampa Bay was one of the better teams in the NFC in 2024, and with their offseason business, it might just stay there in 2025.
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This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 6:45 AM.