Buccaneers' Off-Season Checklist

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished in their usual spot: last place in the NFC South with a record of 5-11. Once again, the Bucs made changes to their coaching staff and reshuffled the deck. What do they need to do to become relevant again and make the playoffs for the first time in well over a decade?

• Get a New Head Coach (done): Bruce Arians has a good pedigree as a head coach. He took the Arizona Cardinals all the way to the NFC Championship in the 2015 season and has a career head coaching record of 58-33-1. The big question will be whether Arians can rein in embattled quarterback Jameis Winston before it's too late.
• Get a Backup Quarterback (not done): Ryan Fitzpatrick did an excellent job filling in for Winston at the beginning of this season, but he'll become an unrestricted free agent in the 2019 off-season. The Bucs should look for players such as Tyrod Taylor, Brock Osweiler, and Teddy Bridgewater to fill the backup void in case Winston permanently heads south.
• Bolster the Pass Rush (not done): Jason Pierre Paul was a nice addition to the Bucs' pass rush, amassing 12.5 sacks this season. But the rest of the defensive ends lagged, with only Carl Nassib being the other other player to get more than three sacks (6.5). Clelin Ferrell would be a good fit for Tampa Bay up front along with Rashan Gary.