Breakfast with the Bucs at the NFL Owners Meetings
ORLANDO, Fla. - Breakfast with the NFC head coaches at the NFL's Annual Owners meetings in Orlando kicked off the day early in the morning at 7:45 a.m.
Todd Bowles sat down with reporters for half an hour to discuss a wide variety of topics. After resigning Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Lavonte David, Coach Bowles is feeling a lot more confident about his team heading into 2024.
"I feel more comfortable because we have a solid quarterback that's played," Bowles said. "After Tom [Brady] left we didn't really have a guy that's played any snaps, that's stepped in there. But after going a year with him, knowing we have a quarterback at that position and it's solidified, I feel more comfortable that way, but we still have to win games."
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The Bucs have owned the NFC South winning the division for a franchise best three straight seasons, but once again the Bucs are being overlooked by the national media. The Atlanta Falcons are the preseason favorites to win the South. There’s little respect for Baker and the Bucs.
"You talk about respect, Aretha Franklin is about the only one that gets that," Bowles laughed. "Everybody else you kind of just go with the flow. We're not trying to win the offseason. We are trying to win the season."
Bucs GM Jason Licht held court as well. The Bucs have less than $10million in salary cap space, but Licht says they still could add some free agents, but like Todd Bowles, Licht is feeling better about his club than a year ago.
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"Obviously, I feel a lot better than I did last offseason," Licht said. "Knowing what this team's capable of. We are getting better and better as we went along during the season. It's not we're just staying status quo. I think the players we have are going to get better. The team is going to be better. We are going to add some more youth during the draft. I'm really, really excited.
The Bucs once again will head into a new season as underdogs. It’s a role that Jason Licht and the team likes. Licht says he likes keeping "receipts". A reference to those that underestimate this team.
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