After briefly dipping a toe or two into free agency, tight end Rob Gronkowski re-signed with the Buccaneers and said during a press conference this week he thinks the Super Bowl-winning offense can be better in 2021.
Left tackle Donovan Smith wasn’t a free agent, but recently agreed to a two-year extension through the 2023 season. The Buccaneers officially announced the move on Thursday and in the O-lineman’s press conference, Smith agreed with Gronkowski’s line of thinking that the offense has room to improve.
“Anytime you’re in a system for multiple years, you get comfortable,” Smith said. “Some things may be shaky and you’re figuring them out. But then you get it. And now maybe a new problem [happens], or there may be no problem, to where you can really lock into assignments and stuff like that and what you’ve got to do, and [you’re] able to just play free.
“So I think in the aspect of, we have a bunch of guys coming back who have been in the system, know the system, learned the system, you’re just going to see a bunch of guys coming back flying around having fun playing fast. And I think that’s the scary part about it, because some mistakes wouldn’t be made.”
The Buccaneers’ offense didn’t have too many flaws throughout the season regardless, ending the year third in points scored and seventh in yards gained. But all the continuity combined with quarterback Tom Brady’s skill and will should have Tampa Bay in as good of a position as any team to be a Super Bowl contender in 2021.