Bucs to look at Gators QB Anthony Richardson and big decisions loom at NFL combine

TAMPA ― It has been 42 days since Bucs coach Todd Bowles last spoke publicly about the failures of the 2022 team, following the wild-card loss to the Cowboys.

Since then, quarterback Tom Brady officially has retired, leaving the team more than $56 million over the salary cap with 23 unrestricted free agents. Bowles fired or retired nine members of his coaching staff and made it clear that winning the NFC South with an 8-9 record wasn’t nearly good enough.

“Those who come back, we’ve got to create new culture, new chemistry and new camaraderie,” Bowles said. “We’ll have new people coming in. If you’re lucky enough to come back or privileged enough to come back, be ready to work.”

That work really begins this week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

There are plenty of things the Bucs hope to learn when they gather to study the 319 players invited to participate, including Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Here is an outline of the team’s to-do list over the next several weeks.

Provide some answers?

Both Bowles and general manager Jason Licht and will be made available to the media on Tuesday.

Licht has not yet spoken about the 2022 season. Naturally, he would like to turn the page, but it will be interesting to get his take on what went wrong in Brady’s final (we think) season.

He and Mike Greenberg, the Bucs’ vice president of football administration and a salary-cap savant, must determine how to be compliant as they sit more than $56 million over the $224.8 million limit for player costs.

Why didn’t Brady provide them with some relief by signing a voidable one-year deal after June 1 that would have spread his $35 million in dead money to $11 million this season and $24 million in 2024? The Bucs may claim they were leaning toward the rip-off-the-Band-Aid-approach anyway, but Brady didn’t give them an option. Instead, presumably he is free to talk with any team beginning March 13 if he has a change of heart rather than have to wait until mid-summer.

Why did Bowles let go of the bulk of his offensive assistants but retain offensive line coach Joe Gilbert and run game coordinator Harold Goodwin when the Bucs were last in the league in rushing?

Bowles has not personally addressed the process that led to the hiring of offensive coordinator Dave Canales, opting to release a statement instead. The Bucs interviewed at least 10 candidates for the job and picked one that hasn’t called plays in about 18 years, since he coached the JV team at his high school in Carson, California.

Both Licht and Bowles informed those interviewed for the job that they need to see if Kyle Trask can be their starting quarterback moving forward. Clearly, they need to add free agents or a draft pick at that position, too. But the salary-cap constraints are real.

Address free agency

The Bucs likely will have to restructure some contracts and/or release some veteran players in order to become cap-compliant.

Licht will meet with the agents of many of those unrestricted free agents while in Indianapolis to see what can be done. Some may be informed of the team’s plans to release them for cost-cutting reasons.

The Bucs would like to retain cornerback Jamel Dean, linebacker Lavonte David and safety Mike Edwards, to name a few.

Among those who could be facing a reduction to stay on the team or be released outright:

• LT Donovan Smith: Smith, 29, was second in the NFL for the most accepted penalties with 12 for a league-high 100 yards. He also allowed a team-high six sacks. Releasing him would save $9.95 million, once you subtract his salary-cap hit for 2023. But the Bucs don’t have anyone currently on their roster to take over at left tackle unless they move Tristan Wirfs from the right side.

• RB Leonard Fournette: He lost his job midway through the season to rookie Rachaad White. He caught 73 passes for 523 yards and three touchdowns but only averaged 3.5 rushing yards per attempt last season and less than 50 yards per game over the past two seasons. The Bucs can save $3.5 million by releasing him.

• TE Cameron Brate: At 31, injuries limited Brate to only 11 games. He caught 20 passes for 174 yards, with his only TD coming in the playoff loss to Dallas. Releasing him would save $2 million as the Bucs move forward with Cade Otton and Ko Kieft.

• K Ryan Succop: He saw his field-goal percentage go from 90.3 to 83.6 to 81.6 over the past three seasons. Moreover, he was only 2 of 7 on attempts of 50 yards or more in 2022. He’s due to earn $3.75 million in 2023, none of it guaranteed.

Prepare for the draft

The Bucs own the 19th pick in the NFL draft. They’re allowed to interview players at the combine for 15 minutes each. The biggest needs are at quarterback, safety, edge rusher, inside linebacker, offensive tackle and cornerback.

Players the Bucs will watch closely:

• Florida QB Anthony Richardson: Arguably the most intriguing player in the draft because of his high ceiling. At 6-foot-4, 232 pounds, Richardson has tremendous speed and will put on a show with his arm strength as one of the few quarterbacks who plan to work out at the combine. But he completed only 54.7 percent of his college passes, with 24 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Since they already have Trask, the Bucs could bring Richardson along slowly, though after the combine it seems unlikely he will last until No. 19.

• Iowa defensive line/edge rusher Lukas Van Ness: Shaquil Barrett is coming off a torn Achilles, and Joe Tryon Shoyinka didn’t take a step forward. Van Ness had 13-1/2 sacks over the past two seasons even though he wasn’t a starter and has a big upside at a huge position of need.

• Tennessee OT Darnell Wright: If the Bucs move Wirfs to left tackle, Wright makes a lot of sense for the Bucs to solidify the line. At 6-foot-5, 342 pounds, he has the strength and length to improve the team’s blocking in both the run and pass game.

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