TAMPA — The Buccaneers messed with the football gods last year, paying a hellacious price.
Coming off a 4-12 season under coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik, the Bucs changed direction and a new management team promptly decided to veer away from standard NFL doctrine and invest heavily in free agency.
“If you think you’re at a point you can legitimately compete for a championship, not just squeeze into the playoffs, that’s when you go after those big pieces,” said ESPN football analyst Ron Jaworski, who attended Bucs camp on Friday.
When the 2014 free agency period began, GM Jason Licht and head coach Lovie Smith quickly targeted veteran quarterback Josh McCown, defensive end Michael Johnson and left tackle Anthony Collins.