Getty Image / Nick Cammett
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went through some pretty big changes this offseason.
They replaced their offensive coordinator.
They released their leading rusher from the last few seasons.
Still, none of their other changes comes close to having to replace Tom Brady after he decided to retire.
With the team turning to either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask at quarterback, the football world isn’t expecting much from the Bucs even in a weak NFC South.
According to one of the team’s cornerbacks, that shouldn’t be the case.
Buccaneers corner Carlton Davis told Go Long’s Tyler Dunne that the rest of the league is going to be in for a rude awakening if they think the Bucs lost something this offseason.
"Anybody who feels we've lost Tom — and lost something — is going to be in for a rude awakening. A rude awakening."
Carlton Davis will make sure the #Buccaneers stay on the Super Bowl hunt in 2023: https://t.co/EbItyhtsLa
— Go Long (@GoLongTD) July 6, 2023
“We’re about to do it to ‘em,” Davis says. “Anybody who feels we’ve lost Tom — and lost something — is going to be in for a rude awakening . A rude awakening. Tom was a great addition for us, but obviously it’s a team sport. Obviously, you need components to be successful. We still have those components. And I’m only getting better.”
Davis also promised, “Plays. Will. Be. Made.”
The Bucs defense is going to need to make a whole lot of plays next season if the Bucs are going to make it back to the playoffs.
They were 14th in the league in points allowed last season on their way to an 8-9 record. Next season, the team is going to need to rely a whole lot more on their defense.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to need their defense to turn into one of the NFL’s top 10 units next season and Carlton Davis sounds pretty confident they’ll be able to make it happen.