Tuesday, 4 a.m.
We are a long way from the cheers. The confetti has yet to fall. The dances in the end zone are still to be choreographed.
But if the Tampa Bay Bucs are to win the NFC South — again — then Monday will be the reason for it.
The Bucs got better Monday. They got deeper. They became more dangerous. The receiving corps is better. The pass rush is better. Presumably, the coaching is smarter. Only the owners got a little poorer.
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Monday was one of those dream days for Jason Licht and the Bucs.
They went into the day worried about losing Chris Godwin. They didn’t. They ponied up the money to keep him.
They went into the day unsure if they could afford to add a pass rusher. They did. They signed Haasom Reddick, who had been a sack machine before last year.
They wanted to keep their offensive line intact. They did, keeping Ben Bredeson (and paying just a hair more than Jacksonville paid for backup Robert Hainsey).
They could feel even better about last year’s trade for Carlton Davis, who raked in a $60 million contract from New England (he wouldn’t have gotten there if he had signed for 12 years).
All of this came a day after they brought back inside linebacker Lavonte David.
Just like that, the Bucs are better. Godwin will make Baker Mayfield better, and Mike Evans. Reddick will make YaYa Diaby better, and Vita Vea. Brederson will help keep Bucky Irving upright, and Mayfield.
Look, the South is going to be better this year. Young quarterbacks Bryce Young and Michael Penix will assure that. But the Bucs will matter, too.
Oh, there are more needs. The Bucs could use defensive back help. They could use another pass rusher, maybe a younger one. A younger linebacker would help.
Here’s a question, though. How long before you really trust Licht.
Oh, once upon a time, it was easy to question Licht. He had too many Roberto Aguayos and Noah Spences on his resume.
But Licht is a bright cookie. He’s invested the Glazers’ money well. That’s why Reddick feels more like Jason Pierre-Paul than Spence. It’s why Godwin — like Mike Evans before him — chose to stay here.
Does that mean Tampa Bay will make the playoffs next year? Of course not. It does mean they still have a pulse, though. And if a team is going to win the South, it’ll have to go through Tampa to do it.