The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the 2025 offseason as winners of the NFC South for the last four seasons. To make it five-straight, though, the team needed to add some key pieces along the defensive line.
And that's exactly what happened early on.
Tampa Bay signed Haason Reddick to kick off free agency in early March and also moved well to re-sign several of their key offensive players.
It wasn't always sexy, but the Buccaneers kept their core together. And it's why one ESPN analyst believes they are the fifth-moved improved roster in that regard alone.
"I loved the continuity," Ben Solak said. "You won't find the Buccaneers on many winners/losers lists, but they grade very highly for me given how well they spent their money. In retaining Bredeson, they got a starting guard for $11 million per year -- a huge discount relative to the market for Will Fries and Aaron Banks.
"In retaining Godwin, they got a high-end WR2 for $22 million per year - an impossible discount relative to what other teams would have spent on him as a low-end WR1."
Related: Insider Reveals Bucs Were Outbid for Mike Evans in Free Agency in 2024
The good news for Tampa Bay is that the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, or New Orleans Saints all didn't truly improve their teams too much over the last month. That means they should be considered favorites for the division title once again.
With Baker Mayfield entering the second-year of his three-year deal with Tampa Bay, the organization is trying to build a winner around his skill set.
And if this great news is proven to be true? It appears they moved closer to that goal this offseason.
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This story was originally published March 29, 2025 at 8:52 AM.