NFL Insider Highlights The Wild Month Of March For The Buccaneers
It seemed like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went through a roller-coaster ride during the offseason.
There was a time when football experts counted them out because of Tom Brady‘s retirement.
When he returned, they were suddenly contenders again because the likes of Chris Godwin and Leonard Fournette chose to stay in Tampa Bay.
But given that these events occurred in March, NFL Network’s Rich Eisen had a perfect name for the Buccaneers’ timeline.
Eisen said, “March Madness indeed.”
While upsets became normal during this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Buccaneers fans were also upset in a different way when Bruce Arians announced his resignation as head coach.
He held the position since 2019 and led the team to victory in Super Bowl LV.
Arians will now take the role of senior football assistant, working alongside general manager Jason Licht.
Meanwhile, former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will take over from Arians, and Byron Leftwich will stay as offensive coordinator.
How Will The Coaching Change Affect The Buccaneers?
There are speculations that Brady had a hand in Arians’ resignation.
Otherwise, why would the head coach resign just weeks after getting his top play-caller back?
He should still be at the helm for at least one more season for continuity.
But the timing of the events leads the likes of Skip Bayless and Pro Football Talk to theorize that Arians’ ouster was allegedly Brady’s demand before returning.
Even without Arians, the Buccaneers are still one of the best teams in the league.
Fournette gives them a reliable backfield option, while Godwin and Mike Evans will be their top receivers.
However, Tampa Bay needs to improve its offensive line after Ali Marpet‘s resignation and Alex Cappa‘s departure.
The same goes for their defensive line, especially if they won’t bring back Ndamukong Suh.
