The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a roster filled with young talent that will be looking to break out and prove its worth in the upcoming season. However, there are also some veterans who didn’t have a productive season in 2023 and will be looking to bounce back and return to their old glory in 2024.
Here are four players who could have a bounceback season in 2024 with the Buccaneers.
Four Bounceback Candidates for the Buccaneers in 2024
Lavonte David, ILB
Interior linebacker Lavonte David has been consistently reliable for most of his career, always playing an important role in the Bucs’ secondary and delivering solid performances on a consistent basis. He had a modest season in 2023 though, posting 134 tackles, 4.5 sacks, five passes defensed, no interceptions, and just one forced fumble over 15 games with the team. It was a decent season for the veteran linebacker, although far from his best. This is a player who has been an AP All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 2013 and 2015 respectively, and he’ll be looking to put up similar numbers in 2024. Fellow interior linebacker Devin White left the team to join the Philadelphia Eagles via free agency, so he will have to step up and lead the Bucs’ defense further aiding his case as a bounceback candidate for next season.
Chase Edmonds, RB
Running back Chase Edmonds wasn’t one of the candidates to sign a contract extension with the Buccaneers this offseason. After signing a one-year deal with the team in 2023 and sitting on the bench for most of the season, it was likely that he would look to be the leader of the backfield elsewhere. However, on March 13th, he signed another one-year contract and will stay with the team through 2025. Over 13 games with the Buccaneers in 2023, he saw 49 touches and was able to post 176 yards with no touchdowns out of that. His best season came with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021 when he recorded 592 yards on 116 attempts for an average of 5.1 yards per attempt and two touchdowns. He won’t be the lead man in the Buccaneers’ backfield while Rachaad White is on the team, but he can at least aspire to perform positively from the few chances he’ll be given.
Chris Godwin, WR
Like Edmonds, wideout Chris Godwin isn’t the number one option in his position with fellow wide receiver Mike Evans on the roster. However, Chris Godwin is an extremely talented receiver who could easily claim the WR1 spot in the offense of any other team and will likely gain more involvement in the Buccaneer offense as Evans continues to age. In 2023, he tallied 1024 yards and two touchdowns on 83 catches over 130 targets for a catch percentage of 63.8%, the third-worst in his career. His best season undeniably came in 2019, when he was selected as a Pro Bowler for the first and, so far, the only time in his career, and posted career-high numbers in yards (1,333), yards per reception (15.5), touchdowns (nine), and first downs obtained (63). He will continue to be the number two receiving option as long as Evans is on the team, but if quarterback Baker Mayfield finds a way to get him more involvement on the offense, he could be in for a very productive and maybe even his career-best season.
Robert Hainsey, C
Tampa Bay’s biggest issue on the field was the offensive line. Particularly, center Robert Hainsey‘s production dropped significantly in 2023, as he allowed 13 more quarterback pressures and five more sacks than he did in 2022. They intend to solve these issues by spending their first pick in the draft on an offensive lineman, and Duke product Graham Barton was the chosen one to fulfill this role. Hainsey played as a tackle during his rookie year in 2021, and as Barton begins to settle in at center, the Bucs will likely look to relocate Hainsey to a position he is at least familiar with. Look for him to turn things around in 2024 as the team upgrades its blocking ability and looks to solve its main issue from last season.
