With the offseason officially underway, Around The NFL will examine what's next for all 32 teams. The series continues with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
What's changing?
After watching Dirk Koetter put 56 points on his defense in Week 3 of last season, Lovie Smith hired the former Falcons coordinator to run the Buccaneers' offense. Koetter's track record with David Garrard and Matt Ryan suggests he's an excellent tutor if Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota ends up being selected at No. 1 overall. This is a major upgrade on the inexperienced Marcus Arroyo, who was forced into the coordinator role when Jeff Tedford developed a heart condition last September.
Two January question marks have already been answered. The Bucs dumped 2014 starting quarterback Josh McCown, leaving Mike Glennon atop the depth chart. General manager Jason Licht has also assured that wide receiver Vincent Jackon, thought to be a candidate for a restructure or even release, will remain on the roster.
Biggest free agents
Other key free agents:Mike Jenkins, Major Wright, Lawrence Sidbury
On the way out?
What they need
The offensive line was the NFL's worst last season. Left tackle Anthony Collins turned out to be a free agent bust, leading to talk that he is best suited to guard. The backfield picture is just as bleak, as Doug Martin and rookie Charles Sims were outplayed by journeyman Bobby Rainey. The biggest need on defense is edge rusher, especially if the Bucs decide to cut bait on Johnson.
Offseason crystal ball
All of Licht's swings and misses in free agency a year ago won't dissuade him from swinging for the fences again this offseason. If Winston is selected at the top of the draft, as many expect, Licht will have to turn to free agency to address the offensive and defensive lines. Unfortunately, there are no impact left tackles on the market. The best 4-3 defensive end to hit the market will be Greg Hardy, whose 2015 status remainsup in the air.
Because Licht and Smith failed to adequately address positions of deficiency last year, this roster has too many holes to catapult into contention for the division title in 2015.
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