The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ desperation levels are hitting the roof. The Bucs won the NFC South title, secured a spot in the playoffs, and are now trying to keep the momentum alive. But according to former Bucs star and current NFL analyst, this is what the team needs to fix ASAP! And he is going all out to let the GM know about it. Because, let’s be real, nothing says urgent team strategy when it is discussed in public for the whole internet to watch. 

The Buccaneers are out window shopping, exploring their options to strengthen their roster. Their GM is eyeing the WR Chris Godwin, LB Mathew Judon and now maybe someone from the winning team – the Philadelphia Eagles. But here’s the drop, the 2025 salary cap stands at $279.2 million per team, but the Buccaneers are basically playing with pennies, with just $8.4 million in available cap space. Does this mean they can snag the players they desperately need?

McCoy on the free agency and the contract situation for the Buccaneers

Gerald McCoy, the Legend himself, retweeted a post from NFL of CB Darius Slay of the Philadelphia Eagles going into free agency. He captioned it as, “HI!! @jasonrlicht Not sure how your Monday is going but just wanted to leave this here……..Have a great week sir!!” The former DT of the Bucs surely made a suggestive post to the GM Jason Licht to seize the opportunity of signing up the CB. We can see how much he values his former team and can’t wait to see them fly high this season. Plus, his opinions matter – it’s no secret that he had an incredible career with the Buccaneers and now as an analyst. 

Darius Slay seems like the right candidate at this point. Since day one, he’s been tackling offences like a pro – which well he is. He literally ‘slayed’ in his college career with 41 tackles as a freshman at ICC. After that for Mississippi State, he had 64 tackles, 6 interceptions and 2 touchdowns. By 2013, he was already one of the hottest CB prospects in the Draft, and the Detroit Lions scooped him up. As a rookie, he delivered 27 solo tackles in 13 games. Fast forward, and now he’s a six-time Pro Bowler, proving he has that magic.

But here’s the juicy part – he’s now a free agent after being released by the Eagles, and he’s made it clear that he wants to play for a Super Bowl contender. Then comes the Buccaneers, who have been making it to the playoffs for back-to-back seasons. So, could the Bucs be his next team? If the Bucs are smart, they should make an offer real quick.

And that’s exactly what McCoy is trying to put out through his post on X – that the Bucs need to ‘buck up’ as they need to strengthen their defense. And what better way to do that than by signing Slay? Because let’s be real, a strong CB can really mess up a good offense. The perfect example would be – Malcolm Butler’s interception in Super Bowl XLIX, which is still a nightmare for many Seahawks fans as the Patriots won that game because of his quick reaction and perfect positioning.  

Obviously, the QBs get the most limelight and also the biggest paychecks but this is a team sport. You can have the most elite QBs, but if the O-line drops like a cookie in tea, good luck winning that game. Take Baker Mayfield – the Buccaneers QB, as an example, if he didn’t have Mike Evans saving him from getting crushed, would he be able to crush the Eagles in the Wild Card round leading the Bucs to a 32-9 win? However, even after delivering his best, he is under scrutiny. As some believe, he isn’t living up to the Bucs’ standards. 

Is Mayfield really “Insufficient”?

It was after the retirement of Tom Brady that the Buccaneers picked Mayfield in 2023, and that says a lot. Sure, he’s not Brady, but come on he showed up on a one-year prove-it deal and ended up securing the NFC South title in the 2023 season. But to expect him to step into the shoes of Tom Brady is just too much pressure. That guy isn’t just an elite QB – he is the QB. His list of achievements seems never-ending—15 Pro Bowl selections, 7 Super Bowl rings and 3 NFL MVP awards. 

However, Brad Gagnon described him as “insufficient” in his article. He wrote, “The 2018 no.1 overall pick led the NFC in touchdown passes but also in interceptions. And that combined with extreme inconsistency, just doesn’t suffice on a decent-not-great team.” The comment on the QB is causing an itch among the Bucs fans as the QB did deliver career-high statistics in the 2024 season – throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. 

Mayfield has had a remarkable journey as well. He was the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Drafted by the Cleveland Browns, and he did not disappoint. He led the Browns to a playoff victory in 2020. The Browns played that game under his leadership as their Head Coach was down with COVID-19. He not only met but surpassed all expectations as their quarterback. 

With the analysts saying everything, the spotlight is on the Bucs. Bottom line? Tampa needed a QB, and Baker delivered. Now, if they want to keep that momentum, they need to build around him—starting with a stronger defense.