In the 2024 off-season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers successfully achieved the majority of their objectives, ensuring the retention of crucial components from their successful 2023 campaign.
The team secured deals that facilitate the extension of their unexpected championship window. Despite these accomplishments, there remains a challenging aspect within the squad where significant improvements may be hard to come by.
With much of the top talent from the 2024 free-agency class already secured by rival teams across the league, addressing this specific area poses a considerable challenge for the Buccaneers.
Enhancing the lackluster pass rush for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024 will pose a formidable challenge.
A recent article on the prominent Tampa Bay Buccaneers website, JoeBucsFan.com, underscored the urgent need for an effective pass rusher to thwart opposing quarterbacks’ freedom in the pocket.
The piece urged Buccaneers fans to reflect on the Lost Decade, a period characterized by the team’s seemingly aimless pursuit of a Super Bowl title. During this era, the Buccaneers struggled with subpar pass rushers who failed to impede divisional rivals and other opponents.
The article lamented the team’s historical lack of a formidable pass rush, attributing any pressure they managed to generate to the occasional misstep of an opposing offensive lineman.
Additionally, the piece criticized the pass coverage during this period, singling out players like Robert McClain, Vernon Hargreaves, and Chris Conte, likening their defensive efforts to chickens evading a fox. Hargreaves, in particular, earned mention for his distinctive baseball umpire safe sign whenever a quarterback threw the ball well out of bounds.
While acknowledging the Buccaneers’ accountability for not securing a skilled EDGE player in free agency, the article recognized the team’s efforts to retain key players such as Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and Antoine Winfield Jr.
How did the pass rush of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers perform in the year 2023?
While it’s reasonable that the Buccaneers were primarily focused on securing their valuable free agents, there is valid cause for a reliable source like JoeBucsFan.com to express apprehension regarding the team’s pass rush.
Despite ranking third in the league for blitzes run at 40.1% and seventh for sacks with 48, the team conceded the third-highest passing yards in 17 regular-season games, totaling 4232 yards.
To compensate for the absence of notable free-agent additions, the Buccaneers will need to explore avenues such as the draft or the trade market to address the deficiencies in their pass rush unit.