2021 Season Review For the second time in their history, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered a season as defending Super Bowl champions. And for the first time in the modern era of the NFL, they returned all 22 starters as well. Some creative salary cap work and a couple of players taking potentially below-market deals to remain in Tampa allowed the corps of the team to return. The only players who left were fringe or back-ups and one key signing in free agency brought veteran pass-catching back Giovani Bernard from Cincinnati. The NFL draft of course saw the Buccaneers selecting 32nd and last as befitted the champions and they bolstered their defense with touted pass-rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka who had sat out the 2020 college season because of COVID concerns. Florida QB Kyle Trask was a surprise in the second round but the search for the potential franchise passer never ends, even when you have the GOAT on the roster. The attendance restrictions of 2020 were gone and NFL teams played to full stadiums during the 2021 season although many other protocols remained in place for the day-to- day running of an NFL franchise. The media conducted their interviews via Zoom and most front office personnel did their work away from One Buc Place. Teams suffered absences from practices and games because of positive COVID tests although it did seem as though the Buccaneers had 100% vaccination status as the season began. The Bucs opened the NFL season with the Thursday night game against the Dallas Cowboys and although it took a late fieldgoal, opened their account with an immediate victory just as they had after their first Super Bowl success. But unlike 2003, this edition of the Buccaneers did not suffer the letdowns and lack of urgency that Jon Gruden’s team had experienced and Bruce Arians’ team was quickly atop of what turned out to be a weak NFC South Division. The game of the century took place in Week 4 as Tom Brady returned to New England for a match-up with his old team and came out besting his coach Bill Belichick in another close decision but one that took the Bucs to 3-1 on the season. Three more comprehensive victories followed and the Bucs were 6-1 in spite of the secondary being decimated by injuries and players being signed off the street to start within days including former Pro Bowler Richard Sherman. The New Orleans Saints continued to have the Bucs’ number with a win before the bye week but at the expense of losing former Tampa QB Jameis Winston to a season-ending injury. A nondescript loss coming out of the bye week to Washington did not help install confidence in the champions around the NFL but four consecutive victories scoring at least 30 points in each restored the feeling of expectation around the Bay Area. The 9-0 home shutout to the Saints on national TV was a blip but the loss on the field was outweighed by the season-ending injury to leading receiver Chris Godwin in the process. The division title was secured in the first of three season-ending victories but the off-field antics of WR Antonio Brown were getting too much for everyone concerned. He and S Mike Edwards received three game suspensions from the NFL for falsifying their vaccination status and despite a big game against Carolina on his return, the mercurial receiver was about to blow all his previous indiscretions out of the water. A sideline argument with the coaching staff in the middle of the game with the Jets saw Brown tear off his shoulder pads and walk to the locker room waving to the crowd but never to return. The Bucs quickly moved on from the antics. The No.2 seed in the playoffs was secured in the final week when the Los Angeles Rams surprisingly lost bringing the Eagles into Raymond James Stadium for a Wild Card game that was never as close as the 31-15 scoreline would indicate. The Bucs though lost All- Pro RT Tristan Wirfs to an ankle injury and the receiving corps was now seriously under-manned. The Rams came into Tampa the following week with a regular season victory over the Bucs already under their belt and jumped out to a 27-3 lead in the third quarter. A series of turnovers allowed the Bucs back into the game and a delirious crowd saw the score tied with 42 seconds remaining. But it was not to be and the Rams drove down the field with former Buc kicker Matt Gay booting the winning fieldgoal as time expired and ending the 2021 season in a disappointing fashion.

TRADES 1 May 21 Traded a 2021 4th and 6th round picks to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2021 4th round pick.

PLAYERS OUT TE Antony Auclair (UFA - Houston) LB Jack Cichy (Released) T Joe Haeg (UFA - Pittsburgh) TE Tanner Hudson (Released) G Ted Larsen (Released) RB LeSean McCoy (Released) C AQ Shipley (Retired) CB Ryan Smith (UFA - LA Chargers) CB Mazzi Wilkins (Released) PLAYERS IN RB Giovani Bernard (UFA - Cincinnati) WR Breshad Perriman CB Richard Sherman