By: Bucs Report Staff – Special to Sports Talk Florida
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2023 season didn’t end the way they wanted it too. Falling to the Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional Round was a let-down, but overall the season was a success. Especially when you factor in having a new quarterback, a new offensive coordinator AND dealing with roughly $80 million in dead cap money.
So where do the Bucs end up in the final 2023 NFL.com’s Power Rankings? Eric Edholm recently dropped his 2023 NFL Final Power Rankings, and he has the Pewter Pirates ranked 13th overall.
Here’s Edholm’s analysis,
“The Buccaneers overachieved in 2023, fueled by a bounce-back season from Baker Mayfield, an opportunistic defense and, let’s be honest, their presence in a less-than-tough division. I don’t mean to negate what they did — Tampa almost knocked off the Lions at Detroit in the Divisional Round. But the Bucs scraped just to get in the postseason. And now they have to restart a bit, with OC Dave Canales off to Carolina, and his replacement, Liam Coen, lying in wait until the Mayfield decision is figured out.”
Edholm continued.
“Mayfield is set to be a free agent, and though it would be hard to imagine any other team wanting him more than Tampa Bay, the two sides must figure out the money part and leave enough left over for Mike Evans and others. The NFC South remains in flux, we suspect, but the Bucs once again could have to be a team that grinds its gears hard to find success.”
Edholm ranks the Buccaneers at 13th even though they were part of the final-8 in the playoffs. Seems as though he’s factoring in what’s next for Tampa Bay rather than ranking last year’s team.
Follow, Like and Subscribe to Bucs Report
