The Atlanta Falcons are now the betting favorite to win the NFC South this upcoming season after the team added veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason. But it doesn’t sound like the defending division champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all that worried about what offseason moves other teams are making.
During an interview session at the NFL’s annual league meetings this week, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles made it clear that the team is not worried about earning praise for what they do during the offseason or respect from those making preseason predictions. They’re just trying to build a team that can win next season and defend their division title.
“It’s no different. You’re talking about respect,” Bowles said Tuesday according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “Aretha Franklin is probably the only one who gets that. Everybody else you just kind of go with the flow.
“We’re not trying to win the offseason, we’re trying to win the season. So, our focus will be the same. It fuels a lot of us. It fuels a lot of the players, and we get ready to come back and try to defend our title like we did and just go further in the playoffs. That’s all we worry about this time of the year.”
We’ll have to see whether or not the Buccaneers can stay on top despite an offseason push from the Falcons.
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