The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hadn't made the playoffs in 12 years before Tom Brady arrived in 2020.
Brady led the Bucs to a Super Bowl win in his first year, led Tampa Bay to the playoffs in the next two seasons, and retired after the 2022 season.
The Bucks appeared destined for a rebuild after signing former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield to a one-year demonstration contract.
And prove he did it.
Mayfield led the Buccaneers to their fourth consecutive playoff appearance in 2023, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card round.
For his efforts, he was awarded a three-year contract worth up to $115 million.
Now, it's time for the Buccaneers to reload and fill the remaining holes through the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Buccaneers have seven picks heading into the draft, and their biggest needs are outside linebacker, center and guard.
Here's where they choose.
- Round 1: 26th overall
- Round 2: No.57
- Round 3: No.89
- Round 3: No. 92 (from Detroit)
- Round 4: No.125
- Round 6: No.220*
- Round 7: No.246
* Compensation selection.
What will they do with their chosen one? And will they try to make any deals?
We welcome back Ira Kaufman of joebucsfan.com to provide some insight into what the Bucks will be doing.
Ira has been covering the team for decades and is one of the Tampa area's top insiders.
In addition to the draft, Ira also talks about how next year's team will be different, GM Jason Licht, and more.
If you're a Buccaneers fan or just love the NFL, you need to listen to this podcast.
See why so many fans check us out and why our guests and journalists provide details on the best sports in the state.
Download wherever you listen to podcasts. Or just type “Florida State*Florida Sports Podcast” into your favorite search engine. You can also find him on any of his 17 USA TODAY-Network Florida websites.
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Walters can be reached at twalters@gannett.com.
