2025 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offseason Thread

[mdb1958]

Mike Caldwell is back as ILB coach.

All I read was he worked for Bruce.

[Bootz]

Mike Caldwell is back as ILB coach.

All I read was he worked for Bruce.

He initially worked with Todd in Philadelphia. Then for Bruce with Todd in Arizona. Then for Todd in New York. Then for Bruce and with Todd again in Tampa. 3 years in Jacksonville & Las Vegas, now he's back working for Todd.

[Central_Buc]

the name has really surpassed the performance.

Body
Oder
Surfaced
Are you sure?

[Grahamburn]

Good year to need a pass rush band aid though.

[Babeinbucland]

I really hadn’t given it much thought. Until I got that email this morning.

50 years.

Wow,

I love that Ronde Barber seemingly has an unofficial team position. Spokesperson, analyst, by rumor a "kitchen cabinet" member on Licht's staff. The man seems to live and breathe Bucs' football, a Hall of Famer who retains ties to the team and community.

And I think that's beautiful.

It is for sure, but I wonder why they would not give him a paid position?

[Grahamburn]

[Grahamburn]

[Grahamburn]

The facts are he had a serious injury, missed a lot of time,” Licht said in a press conference. “There’s still some uncertainty with any injury like that at this point, so move the void so it gives us more options, more flexibility as it pertains to him. We just gotta make a good decision, but we hopefully can come to an agreement with him because Chris means the world to this organization.”

[BuccaNOLEer]

Bucs are moving on from Jordan Whitehead. He wasn't the same when he came back.

[mdb1958]

Bucs are moving on from Jordan Whitehead. He wasn't the same when he came back.

Woah, now we only have nine safeties left.

[Grahamburn]

Solidifying Tykee Smith's move to safety. Izien would be the slot corner. For now.

[Doctor]

We just keep swinging and missing in that second safety. We're pretty good at finding that rotational 3rd, but that steadfast starter eludes us.

Maybe we found a gem in Merriweather. Maybe Tykee moves over, though I really do love him in the slot. Either way, I'd love to bring in more viable contingency/competition options via FA or draft.

[Bootz]

I don't understand this organization sometimes. Tykee Smith played 4 snaps at safety all season long. He's literally never played that position before. Why are we penciling him in at starting safety? Furthermore, wasn't he playing well in his nickel/slot role? I hope this is just for the time being because this is not the answer.

We try to put players where they shouldn't be all too often and then act shocked when it doesn't work out.

[Bootz]

We just keep swinging and missing in that second safety. We're pretty good at finding that rotational 3rd, but that steadfast starter eludes us.

Maybe we found a gem in Merriweather. Maybe Tykee moves over, though I really do love him in the slot. Either way, I'd love to bring in more viable contingency/competition options via FA or draft.

I don't get moving him to safety at all. What is it based off of? 4 snaps at safety all season long. He doesn't really profile as a safety. He has value in the slot because he's a pretty good tackler.

I too hope this is just for the time being and not the actual plan.

[Bootz]

"You did everything right except your job".

[kaimaru]

We just keep swinging and missing in that second safety. We're pretty good at finding that rotational 3rd, but that steadfast starter eludes us.

Maybe we found a gem in Merriweather. Maybe Tykee moves over, though I really do love him in the slot. Either way, I'd love to bring in more viable contingency/competition options via FA or draft.

I don't get moving him to safety at all. What is it based off of? 4 snaps at safety all season long. He doesn't really profile as a safety. He has value in the slot because he's a pretty good tackler.

I too hope this is just for the time being and not the actual plan.

Per Bowles, in Nickel Tykee is on the field 75% of the time, if he is a starting safety he would be on the field 100% of the time. He further implied he would not just play safety but also nickel. So yes starting safety 100% of snaps not all of them at safety. Who knows, 50%/50% at safety/nickel and see how it goes? Bowles also mentioned how good Tykee was in space which I assume was his reasoning for the move

[Grahamburn]

I don't understand this organization sometimes. Tykee Smith played 4 snaps at safety all season long. He's literally never played that position before. Why are we penciling him in at starting safety? Furthermore, wasn't he playing well in his nickel/slot role? I hope this is just for the time being because this is not the answer.

We try to put players where they shouldn't be all too often and then act shocked when it doesn't work out.

https://www.pewterreport.com/tykee-smit ... rom-lions/

Good article on the pros of the switch and thought process.

I also agree that this move signals an addition like Hobbs in free agency or the drafting of Barron and/or another corner early in the draft.

They’re acknowledging significant deficiencies in the secondary last year and making moves to correct them.

Also, I can’t think of players we’ve asked to switch positions where it hasn’t worked out?

Converting college tackles to guard has worked like 100% of the time outside of Goedeke, who was moved out of total desperation. Moving Wirfs to LT obviously worked. Mauch worked. Marpet worked. Barton was drafted to be our center but he moved from LT. Worked.

Am I forgetting someone? Cappa worked.

[Bootz]

I don't understand this organization sometimes. Tykee Smith played 4 snaps at safety all season long. He's literally never played that position before. Why are we penciling him in at starting safety? Furthermore, wasn't he playing well in his nickel/slot role? I hope this is just for the time being because this is not the answer.

We try to put players where they shouldn't be all too often and then act shocked when it doesn't work out.

https://www.pewterreport.com/tykee-smit ... rom-lions/

Good article on the pros of the switch and thought process.

I also agree that this move signals an addition like Hobbs in free agency or the drafting of Barron and/or another corner early in the draft.

They’re acknowledging significant deficiencies in the secondary last year and making moves to correct them.

Also, I can’t think of players we’ve asked to switch positions where it hasn’t worked out?

Converting college tackles to guard has worked like 100% of the time outside of Goedeke, who was moved out of total desperation. Moving Wirfs to LT obviously worked. Mauch worked. Marpet worked. Barton was drafted to be our center but he moved from LT. Worked.

Am I forgetting someone? Cappa worked.

It seems the bar you set for whether or not something worked is extremely low. "Worked out well enough" is moreso what you're saying.

Saying Alex Cappa's move to G worked is hilarious. Cappa was the weak link on our OL in his time here and we let him walk accordingly. All he did was get even worse in Cincinnati. Think about this: 2021 both Cappa & Donovan going into their contact years and we give Donovan Smith the extension. Cappa was not good.

Moving Robert Hainsey to C did not work, otherwise Barton wouldn't be here. Also, can we really say Barton has worked? He graded out as one of the worst C in football. A bit premature there.

Wirfs played LT before, so that's not exactly a full on switch. Marpet's move to the interior worked after a lot of trial and error. He crashed out at C. For whatever reason he was bet at LG than RG.

Back to Tykee, not getting the move, although if @kaimaru is correct then this seems to just be in name only, which I doubt. It's dumb to even say the only reason a guy was on the field 75% of the time vs 100% was because of his official position. He's not an OL who has to report eligible. This isn't Madden. There was nothing stopping us from utilizing Tykee more if we really wanted to.

[Grahamburn]

Maybe they weren’t prepared and/or he wasn’t prepared to deploy him that way. With a full off-season things could be different?

The things he does well are inherent to good safety play. High IQ. Good tackler. Zone integrity. I’m not going to crown it, but it does make some sense.

[Doctor]

Cappa worked well enough to win a SB.

What does this "not worked" label mean for you? Worked well enough to not be replaced/improved? That's a lofty standard. Hainsey gave us plenty of good snaps as a starting center, along with some poor ones.

For years people bashed D Smith. He wasn't replaced, he was improved upon eventually, but he still worked well enough for many years including for a chip.

[Grahamburn]

Cappa worked well enough to win a SB.

What does this "not worked" label mean for you? Worked well enough to not be replaced/improved? That's a lofty standard. Hainsey gave us plenty of good snaps as a starting center, along with some poor ones.

For years people bashed D Smith. He wasn't replaced, he was improved upon eventually, but he still worked well enough for many years including for a chip.

Hainsey was also not supposed to be the starter. It could be argued that he was an incredible pick simply because he had enough ability to actually step in and start for two years after playing tackle exclusively in college.

Good chance he’s competing for a starting role in 2025 somewhere.

[Snake]

I swear. Some football minds get off on the idea of making do with less. Gruden did the same thing on offense. Gradkowski!

[Doctor]

Bruuuuuuuce!!!

[Bootz]

Cappa worked well enough to win a SB.

What does this "not worked" label mean for you? Worked well enough to not be replaced/improved? That's a lofty standard. Hainsey gave us plenty of good snaps as a starting center, along with some poor ones.

For years people bashed D Smith. He wasn't replaced, he was improved upon eventually, but he still worked well enough for many years including for a chip.

Winning a Superbowl doesn't mean all 53 men on your roster were amazing top notch players.

Lofty standards at the NFL, "pay me millions of dollars" level should not only be expected but should be embraced in principle alone.

Hainsey gave us some many good snaps that we chose to replace him with a rookie who hadn't played the position much and didn't offer him to opportunity to compete for a starting spot elsewhere.

I swear if you ever chose to have objective and honest conversations about this team on all matters it would be fun and informative. But that's not who you are, so here we are.

[Bootz]

I swear. Some football minds get off on the idea of making do with less. Gruden did the same thing on offense. Gradkowski!

It strokes their own personal egos and genius.

[Bootz]

[Grahamburn]

I swear. Some football minds get off on the idea of making do with less. Gruden did the same thing on offense. Gradkowski!

It strokes their own personal egos and genius.

What are we talking about here?

[Snake]

Gruden being removed from the RoH was peak prisoner of the moment, soft, globalist, I suck at vocabulary. I’m glad to be on the right side of history. Again.

Principles vs fake principles.

We ain’t done until the Redskins come back. And they will.

[Navybuc]

Good to see Gruden back in ring of honor. Should have never lost his spot to begin with. Kudos to Glazers for rectifying their error.

[Doctor]

Gruden being removed from the RoH was peak prisoner of the moment, soft, globalist, I suck at vocabulary. I’m glad to be on the right side of history. Again.

Principles vs fake principles.

We ain’t done until the Redskins come back. And they will.

While your phrasing and approach is gross as usual, you're not wrong. They should've just bit down and let the storm pass. Maintains a simple, firm line between on field and off and it removes all judgement calls.

[Doctor]

Good to see Gruden back in ring of honor. Should have never lost his spot to begin with. Kudos to Glazers for rectifying their error.

Well put.

[Jonny]

Gruden being removed from the RoH was peak prisoner of the moment, soft, globalist, I suck at vocabulary. I’m glad to be on the right side of history. Again.

Principles vs fake principles.

We ain’t done until the Redskins come back. And they will.

Agreed. The Glazers were, to my disappointment, a bunch of spineless assholes to pile up on Gruden.

Kudos to the legendary QB Killa. He was one of the very very few football related people outside the Raiders organization who stood up strongly for Gruden.

[Central_Buc]

Gruden being removed from the RoH was peak prisoner of the moment, soft, globalist, I suck at vocabulary. I’m glad to be on the right side of history. Again.

Principles vs fake principles.

We ain’t done until the Redskins come back. And they will.

Agreed. The Glazers were, to my disappointment, a bunch of spineless assholes to pile up on Gruden.

Kudos to the legendary QB Killa. He was one of the very very few football related people outside the Raiders organization who stood up strongly for Gruden.

Just a thought, They may have faced pressure around the league to take him off.

[Jonny]

Agreed. The Glazers were, to my disappointment, a bunch of spineless assholes to pile up on Gruden.

Kudos to the legendary QB Killa. He was one of the very very few football related people outside the Raiders organization who stood up strongly for Gruden.

Just a thought, They may have faced pressure around the league to take him off.

I'm sure they did. But the good thing about being a billionaire owner is, you don't have to give a F what others think you should do.

[kaimaru]

https://www.pewterreport.com/tykee-smit ... rom-lions/

Good article on the pros of the switch and thought process.

I also agree that this move signals an addition like Hobbs in free agency or the drafting of Barron and/or another corner early in the draft.

They’re acknowledging significant deficiencies in the secondary last year and making moves to correct them.

Also, I can’t think of players we’ve asked to switch positions where it hasn’t worked out?

Converting college tackles to guard has worked like 100% of the time outside of Goedeke, who was moved out of total desperation. Moving Wirfs to LT obviously worked. Mauch worked. Marpet worked. Barton was drafted to be our center but he moved from LT. Worked.

Am I forgetting someone? Cappa worked.

It seems the bar you set for whether or not something worked is extremely low. "Worked out well enough" is moreso what you're saying.

Saying Alex Cappa's move to G worked is hilarious. Cappa was the weak link on our OL in his time here and we let him walk accordingly. All he did was get even worse in Cincinnati. Think about this: 2021 both Cappa & Donovan going into their contact years and we give Donovan Smith the extension. Cappa was not good.

Moving Robert Hainsey to C did not work, otherwise Barton wouldn't be here. Also, can we really say Barton has worked? He graded out as one of the worst C in football. A bit premature there.

Wirfs played LT before, so that's not exactly a full on switch. Marpet's move to the interior worked after a lot of trial and error. He crashed out at C. For whatever reason he was bet at LG than RG.

Back to Tykee, not getting the move, although if @kaimaru is correct then this seems to just be in name only, which I doubt. It's dumb to even say the only reason a guy was on the field 75% of the time vs 100% was because of his official position. He's not an OL who has to report eligible. This isn't Madden. There was nothing stopping us from utilizing Tykee more if we really wanted to.

@Bootz I am only going off of this SI article. Here are the quotes from Bowles. I agree it makes no sense to move him to safety and not play him at safety, but it sure sounds from the quotes that he would be playing at safety and nickel depending on the situation. Not the first time Bowles has said a headscratcher

Bowles:

"Yeah, it's definitely something we (Tykee and Bowles) talked about (moving to safety), and going into the spring is something we're going to look at as well. Tykee wants to play safety, so we're definitely going to be looking at it. So it's an option for us."
...
"Oh, he's very comfortable at Nickel. He's our best nickel. Safety obviously stays on the field 100% of the time with a nickel probably 75% of the time, and he wants to be on the field 100% of the time. Doesn't mean he's not going to play from nickel, but he can play more on the base defense."

https://www.si.com/nfl/buccaneers/news/ ... ykee-smith