In the NFL, the worst place to be is not in a rebuilding phase — it is being stuck in the middle with not enough talent to contend for a championship or too much talent to bottom out completely and rebuild.
As it relates to the Bucs, a serious point of conversation is whether they have reached the point of stagnation.
Based on Pro Football Focus’ post-free agency power ranking, it appears that is right where they sit.
Bucs Rank Surprisingly Low On PFF Power Ranking
While there has been optimism in recent years that the Bucs were trending in the right direction, the team veered off course last season. After 2023 was promising in the first year with Baker Mayfield, the team got to 10 wins on the back of a top-five scoring offense in 2024. Things appeared to be going well in 2025 after a 6-2 start, but everyone knows how that ended.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Put those three seasons together, and Tampa Bay has been 27-24 with Mayfield under center and just 35-33 under head coach Todd Bowles.
That is the definition of average.
Heading in 2026, there is waning confidence this team is in a much better spot, and there is a reason they will be picking 15th in the 2026 NFL Draft. That much is made clear in PFF’s post-free agency power ranking, where the Bucs placed 20th.
Here is what was said about the team:
Without Mike Evans and Lavonte David, two of the longest-tenured Buccaneers in franchise history, a changing of the guard is underway in Tampa. The losses extended to Jamel Dean and Logan Hall, among other players with significant experience in the Buccaneers system.
As the departures mounted, the Buccaneers moved to fill in the gaps with capable contributors, such as Alex Anzalone, Kenneth Gainwell and A’Shawn Robinson. Those moves allow Tampa Bay to get younger and potentially more productive in key spots, but it comes at the cost of familiarity.
Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Kirby Lee
A few takeaways can be gained from what was said. It is clear that Tampa Bay was searching for a new identity this offseason in losing Evans, with David still considering a return or retirement. They are hoping an attitude adjustment is the answer on the defensive side of the football, while the offense is banking on offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to get the most out of the talent surrounding Mayfield.
The losses in free agency were mitigated to an extent by the additions, but losing so many players is a bit unprecedented for a team that has prided itself on drafting and developing. As it relates to whether or not the Bucs are a middle-of-the-pack team, it is hard to say they are anything but in their current state.
None of the acquisitions from a talent perspective moves the needle enough to get them to the upper echelon, and for as much as one can talk themselves into believing this is the year, the same thing was said over the past two seasons before things did not go as expected.
Between the Glazers not giving the green light to spend all of the available cap space, general manager Jason Licht remaining steadfast on draft-building rather than acquiring top talent by other means, to the ceiling of the team being 8-10 wins under Todd Bowles, not much has changed from the status quo, and there are only so many bites of the apple.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Each year, a couple of players from the 2020 Super Bowl squad have left for another team. What is left is a nucleus of star players with growing question marks who are also getting up there in years — players such as wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. and defensive tackle Vita Vea. The free agent signings were solid, but not the kind of big moves that seemingly will propel the defense.
After having the 18th scoring-offense and 20th scoring-defense in 2025, it is reasonable to expect better marks on both sides of the football in 2026.
But really, how much better?
As it stands, marginal improvement is more than possible, but the ceiling of this team is relatively limited, even if Licht hits it out of the park in the NFL Draft next month. Playing in the NFC South — considered to be the worst division in football — has helped the Bucs in recent seasons win the division. It is no longer a guarantee after the Panthers won it last season, with Carolina adding big-name free agents and with the Saints and Falcons remaining competitive in their own right.
Until Tampa Bay makes a move that actually changes its trajectory, this is a team stuck surviving in the NFL’s most dangerous place: the middle.