Super Bowl 2021: Under-the-radar moves that put Buccaneers on the brink of a championship

Don't sleep on these moves that got Tampa Bay to the Super Bowl

If you had told a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan a year ago today that Tom Brady would be leading their club to a Super Bowl appearance, they'd universally laugh you off the face of the planet in disbelief. Nevertheless, that's where things have led us down that crazy road we called 2020 and the Bucs are looking to add a second Lombardi Trophy to their mantle (first since the 2002 season). Of course, Tampa Bay landing Brady in free agency after he severed ties with the Patriots last spring was the story of the offseason. Not only that, but the Bucs also were able to bring tight end, Rob Gronkowski, out of retirement and acquire him via trade with New England. 

While those acquisitions were the headline grabbers of last offseason and a key reason why the Buccaneers are currently in the Super Bowl, there were also other pieces to what may end up being a championship puzzle. Below, we'll take a look at some of the more under-the-radar moves that have helped contribute to Tampa Bay's magical playoff run. 

Drafting Tristan Wirfs 

Under normal circumstances, hitting on your first-round draft choice isn't exactly "under-the-radar" but when you bring in the greatest quarterback of all-time and arguably the greatest tight end of all-time in one offseason, things get moved down a peg. Tampa Bay targeting Wirfs and jumping up to No. 13 overall to select him helped solidify the right tackle spot for Tom Brady and has really proven to be a key addition this postseason. According to Pro Football Focus, the rookie has allowed just one pressure in 114 pass-blocking snaps over three playoff matchups leading into the Super Bowl. 

That is just the cherry on top of what has been a tremendous season for the Iowa product, who allowed just one sack in 769 pass-block snaps in 2020 (including playoffs). This was an area that needed improvement regardless of who was going to be under center for the Buccaneers this season but creating a wall in front of Brady has been a tremendous luxury for the 43-year old.  

Drafting Antoine Winfield Jr. 

Tampa Bay really did crush it with their first two selections at the draft. While they used their first-rounder to solidify the O-line, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was taken with the 45th overall pick in the second round and was an immediate plug-and-play option in the secondary. He played (and started) in all 16 regular-season games for the Buccaneers and was third on the team in tackles (94). He also was tied for third on Tampa Bay's defense with six passes defended. 

In the divisional round against the Saints, Winfield also was able to come up clutch by punching the ball out of tight end Jared Cook's arms and force a turnover. That helped Tampa Bay knot the game up at 20 and eventually take the lead to upset Drew Brees' club in New Orleans. Winfield was unable to play in the NFC Championship due to an ankle injury and his status will be worth monitoring as we get closer to the Super Bowl. 

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Re-signing Jason Pierre-Paul 

Tampa Bay did have some key free agents primed to hit the market this offseason. While they had control over Shaq Barrett -- who was hit with the franchise tag -- things were not so sure with JPP, who was an unrestricted free agent. However, the Bucs were able to retain their pass rusher on a two-year, $27 million deal, which has proven to be beneficial for both sides. While Tampa Bay was able to keep its front seven largely intact by tagging Barrett and signing defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh along with JPP, the 32-year-old enjoyed one of his more productive seasons in recent memory. 

His 9.5 sacks led the team and were the most by him since 2018 while he also had 55 tackles and 14 quarterback hits. JPP's two interceptions and four forced fumbles were also career-highs. 

Signing Leonard Fournette 

Fournette was looked at as an embarrassment of riches when he signed on with the Buccaneers after being let go of the Jaguars. By that point, Tampa Bay had already landed Brady, traded for Gronk, and also signed LeSean McCoy so, at the time, Fournette was simply another big name to be paired with McCoy and Ronald Jones. While the former first-round pick was merely a depth piece throughout the first chunk of the year, he assumed the starting job in Week 15 and has proven to be a valuable weapon for Brady's backfield. In these playoffs, Fournette is averaging five yards per touch and over 100 yards from scrimmage per game. He also has three total touchdowns, including a tremendous 20-yard run in the NFC Championship. 

Playoff Lenny!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/ib5IDM9034

— 7⃣ Leonard Fournette (@_fournette) January 25, 2021

Honorable mention: Letting Jameis Winston go

Sometimes the deals you don't make are the best moves. While the writing was on the wall for the Buccaneers to move on from Jameis Winston after his 30 interception season in 2019, the franchise does deserve some credit for cutting their losses from a player that they spent five years developing after selecting him No. 1 overall. That type of decision by a club isn't exactly the easiest move to make, especially after Winston also led the league in passing with 5,109 yards. Some teams would choose to look solely at the positives rather than the 30 picks and continue down the path. For Tampa Bay, they allowed Winston to enter free agency and they swung for the fences and went after Brady. While landing TB12 is hardly underrated, allowing yourself to move off of your former top pick is a difficult decision that Tampa Bay deserves some credit on.