USAT: Buccs Wire audio clip

USAT: Buccs Wire

Jan 24, 2022

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded back into the second round of the 2015 NFL draft to snatch a sleeper of a guard prospect out of tiny Hobart College named Ali Marpet, they were coming off a 2-14 season, and in the middle of a 13-year playoff drought. - When the Bucs spent big money in free agency to sign center Ryan Jensen away from the Baltimore Ravens, they had just completed a 5-11 campaign, and were about to have another one. - The 2019 season brought improvement, but still a disappointing 7-9 finish, considering some of the big numbers they put up on both sides of the ball. - Everything changed in 2020, though, when Tom Brady and a couple other big names came to town, giving the Bucs the extra pieces they needed to go from NFL afterthought to championship contenders. - (AP Photo/Doug Murray) - “When I signed here in ’18, just looking at the roster, the guys we had on the team, you know…the team has always been so close,” Jensen said Monday, reflecting on four seasons in Tampa Bay as he looks ahead to free agency. “The talent, BA says this all the time, talent wasn’t the issue. It was just some accountability stuff. Watching the culture change over the last 2-3 years has been an amazing thing to be a part of.” - Expectations changed quickly for the Bucs, who went on an epic playoff run in 2020, winning three straight postseason games on the road before becoming the first team in NFL history to play and win the Super Bowl in their home stadium. - “It’s definitely different,” Marpet says of where the Bucs are now, compared to when he began his career in Tampa Bay. “We’ve come a long way. I’m grateful for how far we’ve come, and the past two years have really been special.” - (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) - That sudden change in expectations has a dark side, though, as evidenced by the weight of Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of this year’s playoffs, ending the Bucs’ bid for a second straight Lombardi Trophy. - Jensen still relishes the standard they set with last year’s magical title run, and hopes they can keep a high bar for the franchise moving forward. - “Those expectations, they make diamonds,” Jensen said. “I think you saw that over the last couple of years. These younger players, and really good players who have been here for a long time, really start to shine. It was awesome to be a part of. Hopefully, moving forward, that’s something that can continue, and keep up that expectation and deliver on that expectation.” - - List - - Which Bucs are set to hit free agency in 2022? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Bucs Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Bucs Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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Jan 27, 2022