It has been quite the off-season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But what has excited the Tampa fan base this off-season has been met with a collective yawn from the national media.
The Buccaneers have had one of the best off-seasons since the Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski signings in 2020.
The Bucs had a lot of critical free agents on the team that they needed to sign before looking at other free agents across the league. They needed to sign some of those free agents first, which they did to keep a group together that has been to the playoffs four straight seasons together.
Buccaneers re-sign Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield
The first domino to fall was the signing of Mike Evans to a two-year $51 million contract. Evans has played his entire career in Tampa and had no desire to play anywhere else.
This new contract makes it possible that Evans will retire as a Buccaneer.
The next big domino to fall was the signing of Baker Mayfield to a new three-year $115 million deal. Mayfield had wanted to come back to Tampa and re-sign with the Buccaneers, but that was contingent on Evans staying in Tampa and the team bringing in an offensive coordinator who would keep some elements of the offense the same.
The Buccaneers signed Evans to a new contract and hired Liam Coen as offensive coordinator, and as a result, Mayfield will be a Buc for the next three seasons.
Buccaneers revamp the secondary
After these two pieces were in place, Jason Licht and the Bucs front office went to work on fixing the defensive backfield.
The Bucs sent Carlton Davis to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a 2024 third-round draft pick. This move gives fellow cornerback Zyon Mccollum a chance to start in 2024, coming off a season where he improved in all aspects of his game.
The team then signed two players who should pay immediate dividends. First up was the signing of cornerback Bryce Hall to a one-year contract.
Since Hall entered the league in 2020, he has started 26/39 games. He will provide much-needed secondary depth and compete with McCollum for playing time.
The Bucs then welcomed a familiar face back to Tampa, safety Jordan Whitehead. Whitehead, a fan favorite when he played with the Buccaneers from 2018-2021, returns to Tampa after a two-year stint with the New York Jets.
He did not miss a game in the last two seasons and is third in interceptions by a safety over the previous two seasons. Whitehead paired opposite Winfield make this duo one of the best safety combinations in the NFL.
The deal is worth nine million over two years and could be worth 10.5 million with incentives.
The Buccaneers continued adding to the secondary as they inked cornerback Tavierre Thomas to a one-year contract. Thomas played with the Houston Texans last season.
He will compete with Christian Izien for playing time. Thomas was a top-five corner in 2021 and 2022, but his performance slipped slightly in 2023, making him expendable. The Bucs were willing to bring him in on a one-year deal, and if he can return to his 2022 form, that makes the secondary that much better.
Buccaneers Add Depth Along The Offensive Line
The Bucs then turned their attention to the offensive line, signing guard Ben Brederson to a one-year contract worth 3.5 million dollars. Bredeson is a versatile offensive lineman who can play more than one position along the offensive line. In his career, he has played both guard positions and center.
The Buccaneers like versatility in their offensive linemen, and Bredeson fits the bill. Bredeson is a better pass blocker than a run blocker, but signing him adds much-needed depth to the offensive line.
The Bucs also signed guard Sua Opeta to a one-year contract to replace Matt Feiler. Opeta can play both guard positions and is a better run blocker than a pass blocker.
It would not be surprising to see Opeta get a starting spot at some point during the season. Even with these two signings, the Buccaneers will look to add more depth to the offensive line in the NFL draft next month.
The Buccaneer’s running game has been near the bottom of the league for the last two seasons, yet they resigned Chase Edmonds to a one-year contract.
Edmonds averaged 4.9 yards per carry last season and is a good leader in the running back room. The running game is a significant need on this team, and the Bucs will have to address it soon to take some of the pressure off Baker Mayfield.
Kicker Chase McLaughlin Returns
Good kickers are hard to find, and the Buccaneers found one last season in Chase McLaughlin. McLaughlin set a franchise record by connecting on 29/31 FGs for 93.5%. He was also excellent on field goals over 50 yards, hitting on 7/8. Both field goals that McLaughlin missed were partially blocked.
He also made every one of his extra-point attempts. So, it was no surprise that the Bucs signed McLaughlin to a three-year, 12.3 million dollar deal.
The Bucs also resigned offensive tackle Justin Skule to a one-year deal, and quarterback John Wolford will be back in Tampa in 2024 as he signs a new contract.
The Wolford signing makes sense from a continuity standpoint. He will also be able to help Mayfield and Kyle Trask learn the nuances of new OC Liam Coen’s offense.
Lavonte David Returns For One More Season
And the Bucs’ free agency signings would not be complete without linebacker Lavonte David returning for his 13th season on a one-year deal.
David, a future hall of famer and leader of the Buccaneer defense, expressed that he did not want to play anywhere else and wanted to remain in Tampa.
Lavonte David, is one of the best linebackers in the league and, despite his age, David is still one of the best linebackers in the NFL in stopping the run and executing the blitz.
David will make ten million a year on his new one-year deal.
The Bucs did have some players move on during free agency, most notably linebacker Devin White.
White ostracized himself from the team and the fan base with his poor play and demeanor on and off the field. The Buccaneers made no overtures to bring him back.
White signs a one-year deal with the Eagles worth up to $7.5 million
Another fan favorite, linebacker Shaq Barrett, signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins. Barrett had a Hall of Fame Season with the Buccaneers in 2020 with 19 sacks and was a critical factor in the Bucs winning the Super Bowl against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Offensive lineman Nick Leverett signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots.
Aaron Stinnie signs a one-year deal with the New York Giants.
Wide receiver David Moore will join Dave Canales in Carolina for the 2024 season.
Safety Ryan Neal will not return to the Bucs in 2024.