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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense must answer a lot of questions in 2026.
How much will the loss of Mike Evans hurt?
Can Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. form a top-WR pair?
Will Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell be an electric backfield combo?
Can Godwin, Irving, and WR Jalen McMillan stay healthy?
Can tight end Cade Otton provide solid production once again?
If the Bucs receive positive answers to these questions, the offense can be very good this season.
If not, Tampa may find itself on the outside looking in for the playoffs once again.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN also has concerns about the Bucs' offense. Barnwell ranked each team's group of offensive weapons (RBs, WRs, TEs) and ranked Tampa's 22nd out of the 32 NFL teams.
That is a significant drop-off from last season, when Barnwell had the Bucs ranked seventh. What caused Tampa's arsenal of weapons to decline so much in only one year?
Obviously, losing Evans is a major factor. However, the addition of Gainwell to the backfield has the Bucs' running back room looking a lot more explosive.
How did Barnwell land on 22nd for the Bucs?
Barnwell acknowledges that Tampa was a very difficult team to evaluate. He believes the Bucs are loaded with good players on offense, but he worries that injuries may be a major issue again in 2026. He also questions if rookie WR Ted Hurst will need time to adjust to the NFL after playing his college ball at Georgia State.
"The Bucs are one of the tougher teams around the league to evaluate heading into 2026. Obviously, losing Mike Evans without making a significant addition in response is going to drop Tampa Bay a bit, even if Evans was compromised for most of last season by injuries. I'm excited about third-round pick Ted Hurst III's upside given his high-end athleticism, but the Georgia State product might need a year to adjust to stiffer competition in the NFL before making a larger impact in 2027.
"What can we count on from the Bucs' new 'Big Three' in 2026? Emeka Egbuka was awesome to start the season, averaging 2.3 yards per route run through Week 10. He was down to 1.3 afterward, below guys such as Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Hutchinson. Chris Godwin Jr. came back from his gruesome ankle injury, dealt with fibula issues after initially returning, and wasn't back for good until Week 12. He had solid games against the Cardinals and Dolphins, but at 30 and with multiple serious injuries in his past, I'm not sure it's realistic to project a peak-caliber season from Godwin, even after Evans' departure.
"Bucky Irving was also sidelined for two months by foot and shoulder injuries, and across his two stretches of active play, he averaged just 3.4 yards per carry. Irving turned only 6.4% of his designed rush attempts into 10-plus-yard gains, down from 13% as a rookie. The Bucs swapped out Rachaad White for Kenneth Gainwell, who was wildly productive for the Steelers in a situational role, and there's a chance that he is Tampa's best back."
Barnwell's assessment of Tampa's offensive weapons is fair. The Bucs do have several players who can be great, but also carry significant risks.
Godwin has missed a large chunk of each of the last two seasons and is now being counted on to step up his game in the wake of Evans' departure.
Irving was not only injured last season, but he also wasn't the same player when he was on the field. His yards-per-carry average last season was only 3.4, which was a full two yards less than his fantastic rookie season in 2024. Which Irving will the Bucs get in 2026?
Tampa's offense has a lot of potential this season. However, until they prove they can stay healthy and return to being the players we have seen in the past, there will be doubts about the offense's ceiling.
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How much will the loss of Mike Evans hurt?
Can Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. form a top-WR pair?
Will Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell be an electric backfield combo?
Can Godwin, Irving, and WR Jalen McMillan stay healthy?
Can tight end Cade Otton provide solid production once again?
If the Bucs receive positive answers to these questions, the offense can be very good this season.
If not, Tampa may find itself on the outside looking in for the playoffs once again.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN also has concerns about the Bucs' offense. Barnwell ranked each team's group of offensive weapons (RBs, WRs, TEs) and ranked Tampa's 22nd out of the 32 NFL teams.
That is a significant drop-off from last season, when Barnwell had the Bucs ranked seventh. What caused Tampa's arsenal of weapons to decline so much in only one year?
Obviously, losing Evans is a major factor. However, the addition of Gainwell to the backfield has the Bucs' running back room looking a lot more explosive.
How did Barnwell land on 22nd for the Bucs?
Barnwell's Reasoning
Barnwell acknowledges that Tampa was a very difficult team to evaluate. He believes the Bucs are loaded with good players on offense, but he worries that injuries may be a major issue again in 2026. He also questions if rookie WR Ted Hurst will need time to adjust to the NFL after playing his college ball at Georgia State.
"The Bucs are one of the tougher teams around the league to evaluate heading into 2026. Obviously, losing Mike Evans without making a significant addition in response is going to drop Tampa Bay a bit, even if Evans was compromised for most of last season by injuries. I'm excited about third-round pick Ted Hurst III's upside given his high-end athleticism, but the Georgia State product might need a year to adjust to stiffer competition in the NFL before making a larger impact in 2027.
"What can we count on from the Bucs' new 'Big Three' in 2026? Emeka Egbuka was awesome to start the season, averaging 2.3 yards per route run through Week 10. He was down to 1.3 afterward, below guys such as Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Hutchinson. Chris Godwin Jr. came back from his gruesome ankle injury, dealt with fibula issues after initially returning, and wasn't back for good until Week 12. He had solid games against the Cardinals and Dolphins, but at 30 and with multiple serious injuries in his past, I'm not sure it's realistic to project a peak-caliber season from Godwin, even after Evans' departure.
"Bucky Irving was also sidelined for two months by foot and shoulder injuries, and across his two stretches of active play, he averaged just 3.4 yards per carry. Irving turned only 6.4% of his designed rush attempts into 10-plus-yard gains, down from 13% as a rookie. The Bucs swapped out Rachaad White for Kenneth Gainwell, who was wildly productive for the Steelers in a situational role, and there's a chance that he is Tampa's best back."
Final Thoughts
Barnwell's assessment of Tampa's offensive weapons is fair. The Bucs do have several players who can be great, but also carry significant risks.
Godwin has missed a large chunk of each of the last two seasons and is now being counted on to step up his game in the wake of Evans' departure.
Irving was not only injured last season, but he also wasn't the same player when he was on the field. His yards-per-carry average last season was only 3.4, which was a full two yards less than his fantastic rookie season in 2024. Which Irving will the Bucs get in 2026?
Tampa's offense has a lot of potential this season. However, until they prove they can stay healthy and return to being the players we have seen in the past, there will be doubts about the offense's ceiling.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
