Offseason
Prior to the season the Buccaneers were still unsure if the team would remain in Tampa Bay or if it would be moved by new ownership family led by Malcolm Glazer and sons, either to Cleveland, Los Angeles, or the nearby city of Orlando. Eventually, the team's future was determined by a local referendum, which approved funding for a new stadium for the 1998 season.
Rule changes earlier in the decade brought about a salary cap, and a minimum spending cap forced Bucs to spend more on players. With the new ownership, tax disclosures showed the old Culverhouse regime was running a “for-profit” business in which players who were getting good were released before their contracts could get big, all the while claiming poor and trying to get some home games played in Orlando.
Read more about this topic: 1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season