Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles makes a candid admission regarding team's major offseason moves

There was a good bit of angst among the fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the team's 31-23 loss to the Detroit Lions in the divisional round of the playoffs back in January. 

After all, there was a lot of uncertainty regarding the roster with the season coming to an end.  Mike Evans was becoming free agent.  Baker Mayfield just made himself a ton of money with a career year, either with the Buccaneers or another team.  Lavonte David also could leave if he wanted to. 

As such, there were plenty of fingers crossed among Bucs fans heading into the offseason.  As it turns out, you can include Bucs head coach Todd Bowles among that group.  

Bowles told Rich Eisen on Tuesday that despite having faith in his general manager Jason Licht, there was some general uneasiness going into the offseason he was feeling. 

"It was scary at first.  You've got all of these guys open, and with Mike potentially being free, and Baker being free, and Lavonte being free, and [Antoine] Winfield [Jr.] as well before they tagged him, you've got a chance to not only lose all of your leaders but lose all of your playmakers as well.  So, it's always an option, so you're always scrambling from that standpoint.  But, fortunate enough, Jason did an outstanding job getting everybody back that we needed back, and I feel a lot better now." 

It's understandable why Bowles had some concerns about his stars leaving, particularly Mayfield, Winfield, Jr., and Evans.  That trio all had incredible seasons, with Mayfield and Evans making the Pro Bowl and Winfield, Jr. being named AP first team All-Pro.  

However, Licht was able to do what he does as well as anyone in the league, retain his best players while creating cap space in the process.  While Winfield, Jr. and the Bucs have yet to reach a long-term deal after the Bucs placed the franchise tag on him, there's still time to work one out - until mid-July - before he would have to play out the season on the franchise tag. 

Accordingly, the fear of losing their stars has long since vanished for both Bucs fans and Bowles.  Now they can turn their sights on something else: claiming the team's fourth straight division title and fifth straight playoff appearance this upcoming season.