Ronde Barber on Rob Gronkowski Trade: 'Expectation Is' Bucs to Win Super Bowl

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber said the franchise should be aiming for a championship after a blockbuster offseason headlined by the signing of quarterback Tom Brady and a trade for tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Barber told TMZ Sports the acquisition of the former New England Patriots teammates sends a clear message.

"You don't sign Tom Brady to a team that has this much talent ... without the expectation that you wanna win a Super Bowl," he said. "They have talent on this football team. And an emerging defense. I would say the expectation is to win this year."

Barber earned five Pro Bowl appearances and three first-team All-Pro selections across 16 seasons with the Bucs from 1997 through 2012. He also helped the team win Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003.

The 45-year-old Virginia native said he's ready for the team's return to national prominence.

"When has Tony Romo ever been here? Has he done a game here in Tampa? Best analyst in football, and I think he's been here one time. Those types of things will change," he told TMZ. "Monday Night Football will come here. Sunday Night Football will come here. These types of things are gonna drive the energy for the Bucs franchise here in 2020."

The arrival of Gronkowski, who sat out the 2019 season as part of a short-lived retirement, to reunite with Brady merely added to the buzz about the Bucs.

Tampa's championship odds now stand at 14-1, per Caesars Palace. That's tied for the fifth-best mark in the league behind only the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs (4-1), San Francisco 49ers (7-1), Baltimore Ravens (8-1) and Dallas Cowboys (11-1).

The Bucs have the pieces to make a serious run, as Brady will lead an offense with three high-end weapons in Gronkowski and wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The defense is also primed for a big bounce-back year after ranking tied for sixth in yards allowed per play despite giving up the fourth-most points.

It may not be a true Super Bowl-or-bust season for Tampa Bay since Brady signed a two-year contract, but expectations are certainly at a sky-high level heading into the draft Thursday night.