The future of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was looking bleak this offseason. But all of that changed with the news that quarterback Tom Brady was coming out of retirement. All of a sudden, the Bucs were back to being one of the Super Bowl favorites. But that doesn't mean that this will be the same Buccaneers team as the past couple seasons. Tampa Bay lost Pro Bowl right guard Alex Cappa to Cincinnati. Safety Jordan Whitehead signed with the New York Jets. There are still a ton of free agents from last year's team still on the market as well, including Jason Pierre-Paul, Ndamukong Suh and Rob Gronkowski.

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Nevertheless, Tampa Bay is still loaded. They re-signed Pro Bowl receiver Chris Godwin to a three-year $60 million deal. The Buccaneers also brought in another receiver who quietly lit it up the second half of the year last year in Russell Gage. From December on, Gage caught 39 balls for 500 yards and two touchdowns with the Atlanta Falcons. He assumes the role left by embattled wideout Antonio Brown.

But this roster is not yet complete. So let's take a look at the two moves the Buccaneers must make in order to complete their 2022 roster.

2 Moves the Buccaneers Must Make to Complete Their 2022 Roster

1. BRING GRONKOWSKI OUT OF RETIREMENT ALSO

Tight end O.J. Howard signed with the Buffalo Bills this offseason. Cameron Brate is not chopped liver, anything but. But he is limited and is more of a red-zone only threat for Tampa Bay. Tom Brady needs to have a discussion with one of his best friends, Rob Gronkowski, and convince him to come back to the team.

Recent reports have Gronkowski on the fence on whether or not he wants to continue to play. Brady brought him out of retirement already and he needs to do it again.

A lot of people thought Gronk was too slow to make much of an impact last time he came back. Last season, he surpassed 800 yards, the most he has had since 2017.

Brady's connection with Gronkowski is stuff of legend. This combination has combined for 90 touchdowns during the regular season. That is the second most in NFL history for a quarterback to a specific tight end or wide receiver. Only Peyton Manning and wideout Marvin Harrison connected for more, with 112. We all know what separates Brady and Gronk from everyone historically at their positions though, that's the playoffs.

In the postseason, Brady has connected with Gronkowski for 15 touchdowns, most in history. When the games are tight like they tend to be in the playoffs, you need to have guys you know you can trust. There is probably no closer connection than between the Brady and Gronkowski.

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2. SIGN DT LARRY OGUNJOBI 

It doesn't matter how great a team's offense is if their defense cannot get off the field. Just ask Justin Herbert. There is no reason Los Angeles lost as many games as they did last year. But their inability to stop the run kept Herbert on the sideline in a number of games (a la Rex Burkhead/Texans).

The one part of the Buccaneers team that was in place and championship form before Brady even arrived was their rush defense. Tampa Bay led the NFL in rush yards allowed in both 2019 and 2020, before falling to third last year. They were so good at stopping the run, many teams wouldn't even try to run the ball.

If you read between the lines, Ndamukong Suh, who is an unrestricted free agent, is unlikely to return to Tampa Bay. He has been a key reason for the defense's success up front. Filling this hole is essential.

Some of the best defensive tackles on the market have already signed. The biggest names remaining are Linval Joseph and Brandon Williams. But both guys are long in the tooth and their best days are clearly behind them. Williams finished the year with a Pro Football Focus grade under 50 and it's been declining every year since 2017. Joseph on the other hand was the defensive tackle for the aforementioned Chargers. His Vikings run-stuffing days are gone.

Enter Larry Ogunjobi, who is only 27 years old and playing at the top of his game. He helped anchor the Cincinnati Bengals defense and if you watched the Super Bowl, you know how good he is. He won't be cheap but will likely still cost less than both Williams and Joseph, who are living off their former performances.

Ogunjobi had foot surgery after the season, and failed a physical with the Bears recently. That likely lowers the price significantly. As long as the injury is not overly serious, it's worth the investment.

If the Bucs fill these two holes, in a weakened NFC, Tampa Bay will be the favorites to reach the Super Bowl.