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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t acting like a team in transition. Recall that they are coming off a season that saw them emerge as one of the more balanced teams in the NFC. Now, they’ve doubled down on keeping the core intact and building from within. There’s a certain confidence—bordering on boldness—in how general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles approached the 2025 offseason. Sure, most of the NFC South shuffled the deck or rebooted their playbooks. However, the Bucs leaned into familiarity with a calculated mix of internal promotions and a few high-upside moves. For all the sensible moves, though, one signing stands out—not for how wrong it is, but for how much it needs to go right.
Familiar Faces, Promising Picks, and Steady Hands
The Buccaneers have to be feeling pretty good about their offseason. Their only major coaching departure came when offensive coordinator Liam Coen left to take the head coaching job in Jacksonville. Instead of making a splashy outside hire, the Bucs promoted passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard to OC. That's an internal decision that signals confidence in their offensive philosophy and the stability around quarterback Baker Mayfield.
On the player front, the headline move was re-signing wide receiver Chris Godwin to a three-year deal. He is 29 and coming off a dislocated ankle that ended his 2024 campaign prematurely. Still, Godwin still projects as a vital cog in what has been a top-five offense. Insurance came in the form of first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka. He is a smooth route-runner with explosive upside who will help keep defenses honest. That's especially true if Godwin needs time to ramp up.
Defensively, the Bucs leaned on the draft to reload. They took a smart gamble on cornerback Benjamin Morrison. He had first-round buzz before suffering an ACL tear. Pairing him with Jacob Parrish gives Tampa Bay two high-ceiling players. They should immediately contribute to a secondary that was too thin at times last year. All in all, it was a solid and measured offseason—until it came to fixing the pass rush.
Here we'll try to look at the riskiest move that the the Tampa Bay Buccaneers executed in the 2025 NFL offseason.
Reddick or Bust?
If there's one move that could boomerang on Tampa Bay, it’s signing edge rusher Haason Reddick to a one-year, $14 million deal. On paper, this fills a need. The Buccaneers’ edge rush was in such dire straits last year. Remember that they even dialed up retired veteran Shaq Barrett in desperation. They needed bodies, speed, and disruption off the edge. That said, Reddick’s recent track record is a mixed bag, and that’s putting it gently.
He was once a rising star with the Eagles. Remember that Reddick even hit double-digit sacks and looked like one of the league’s premier speed rushers. Then came the disastrous stint with the New York Jets. Whether it was scheme fit, coaching, or locker room dynamics, Reddick looked like a shell of his Philly self. He finished the 2024 season with just 3.5 sacks and an alarming dip in pressure rate. At age 30, his burst isn’t what it once was. In addition, opposing offenses have started to scheme him out more effectively.
So why is this move risky? Because the Bucs need him to work out. They didn’t sign any other notable edge rushers in free agency. There’s no clear high-impact rookie waiting in the wings. Calijah Kancey is a game-wrecker inside, but he needs help off the edge. Without that, teams can slide protection and neutralize him. Reddick isn’t just a luxury—he’s the plan. And $12 million guaranteed isn’t “just kick the tires” money. It’s a commitment.
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Why the Gamble May Pay Off
To be fair, there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic. Todd Bowles is one of the more creative defensive minds in the NFL. He has a knack for deploying hybrid front-seven players. If anyone can revive Reddick’s career, it’s Bowles. Tampa’s scheme could also let Reddick pin his ears back and rush without the coverage responsibilities that bogged him down in New York.
Plus, there’s something to be said about the Bucs’ locker room culture. Veteran leaders like Lavonte David and Antoine Winfield Jr set a tone of accountability and focus. Reddick still has the tools to be an effective situational pass rusher. That's even if he's no longer a Pro Bowl lock.
But make no mistake: this is a boom-or-bust move. If Reddick underperforms or gets hurt, Tampa Bay is right back where it started. They will be short on edge presence and over-reliant on the interior line.
High Stakes, Moderate Reward
For a team looking to contend in a wide-open NFC, the Reddick signing is a gamble wrapped in a necessity. It’s not reckless, but it’s far from safe. Tampa Bay chose to trust the bounce-back potential of a declining edge rusher because they didn’t want to overpay elsewhere or reach in the draft. It might work. It might also cost them dearly in close games where a single sack or pressure could flip the outcome.
The Buccaneers’ offseason was filled with smart, stable decisions—promoting from within, developing their young secondary, and shoring up the offense. But the one thing they couldn’t afford to miss on was the pass rush. And they’ve placed that bet on Haason Reddick. If it pays off, Tampa could be a top-tier defense again. If not, it’s the kind of swing that might keep them stuck in neutral.
