The first wave of free agency and the NFL Draft, the two biggest offseason roster-building events, are now over, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their 90-man roster for training camp. The club has, for the most part, taken care of its depth chart needs as best it can, though there may be a few roster changes made before training camp starts. That started before to the formal start of free agency, as the Buccaneers’ first objective was to re-sign their own important future free agents.
Notably, the Buccaneers were able to hold onto players like A Chase McLaughlin, Antoine Winfield Jr., Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield, and Lavonte David who were all projected free agents. While there was cause for celebration in the early hours of free agency, general manager Jason Licht and important staff members like assistant general manager Mike Greenberg and vice president of football research Jackie Davidson continued to construct the roster over the offseason.
Licht remarked, “Well, you have great people working for you in the experts of Mike and Jackie,” in reference to negotiating the wage ceiling and free agency. We’ve been planning for a while; it’s not something you wake up and decide to do; it’s your plan. Fortunately, we have wonderful people working for this organization who are supporting us through it. It’s a puzzle. We have some constraints—there is the cap and all of those things.
Licht stated, “We’ll have more parts and I’m optimistic that we’re going to put our best foot forward because I’m a confident guy in general. You have my word on that.”
Some of those pieces came via the 2024 draft, as the Bucs selected Graham Barton, a new starting center, in the first round, along with a few other players (OLB Chris Braswell, S Tykee Smith, WR Jalen McMillan, RB Bucky Irving) who should be strong candidates for key roles. As for free agency, the positions that were left unattended—such as off-ball linebacker, cornerback, and interior defensive line—may be the more intriguing developments. As Licht stated prior to the draft, a team typically cannot address all of its remaining needs in the draft, which occasionally results in some post-draft additions on the remaining free agent market.
Here’s where the team stands a few weeks after the draft. Once again, the Bucs have completed the majority of their 2024 roster restocking; you can review how they got to this point below. We will continue to track all of the comings and goings on that roster between now and training camp with our 2024 Free Agency Tracker, of which this is the version updated in mid-May.
Fresh Arrivals
Ben Bredeson, OL
Randy Gregory, OLB
Bryce Hall, CB
OL Metz Lorenz
G Sua Opeta
Tavierre Thomas, CB
S. Jordan Whitehead
A year ago, Licht put his personnel staff under pressure to demonstrate their ability to find the talent needed to keep the Bucs competitive despite having very little cap space. The personnel staff gladly accepted the challenge and met it with impressive results, as the Buccaneers found a new starting quarterback in Baker Mayfield, an extremely dependable kicker in Chase McLaughlin, and several other vital players in free agency, the draft, and post-draft rookie signings. Tampa Bay won the NFC South for the third consecutive year and made it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
The first outside player the Bucs signed was former New York Jets safety Jordan Whitehead, who is also a former Buccaneer. A fourth-round draft pick out of Pitt in 2018, Whitehead played his first four seasons in Tampa and was a starter on the Super Bowl LV-winning squad before landing a nice two-year deal in New York in his first foray into free agency. Whitehead returns to his NFL origins after two productive seasons with the Jets in which he started all 34 games and racked up 186 tackles and six interceptions. With Whitehead, the Bucs should be able to stabilize the other safety position beside All-Pro Antoine Winfield Jr.
After agreeing to deals with offensive linemen Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta, and cornerback Bryce Hall—who spent four seasons with the Jets and started 26 games—the Bucs went on a mini-shopping binge late in the first week of free agency. Bredeson and Opeta have made 25 and 10 starts in the NFL, respectively, and could be contenders to start at left guard. Beginning the second week of free agency, the Bucs signed former Houston cornerback Tavierre Thomas, who has vast NFL experience playing in the slot.
A second-round draft pick in 2015, Randy Gregory played five seasons for the Cowboys before signing with Denver in 2022, and the Broncos traded him to the 49ers at midseason in 2023. As free agency entered April and slowed down significantly across the league, the Buccaneers made another move, this time to add to their edge rush rotation. On April 4, veteran outside linebacker Randy Gregory, who most recently played in the Super Bowl with the 49ers, signed a one-year deal to come to Tampa.
Metz, an offensive lineman who is a member of the International Player Pathway program and has a roster exemption, is the most recent free agent acquisition to the Bucs; with Metz, the organization will be allowed to bring 91 players to training camp.
With Winfield, the Buccaneers made him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL on a four-year deal, marking the first time that title has been held by a safety rather than a cornerback. Teams frequently use the franchise tag as a means to extend the negotiating window for a new, long-term deal with a highly-valued player. Mission accomplished.
Winfield combined 122 tackles with 6.0 sacks, three interceptions, 12 passes defensed, six forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries. In just four seasons, Winfield has already earned a Super Bowl ring, a Pro Bowl appearance, and an All-Pro selection. The Buccaneers believe his arrow is still pointed upward. Winfield may have been the best safety in the NFL in 2023; his first-team Associated Press All-Pro status indicates that voters thought he was at least one of the top two.
David Lavonte LB
Chase Edmonds, RB
Mike Evans, wide receiver
Greg Gaines, DL
DL Gholston
Baker Mayfield, quarterback
K. Chase McLaughlin
T. Justin Skule
LS Zach Triner
WR Deven Thompkins
T. Brandon Walton
S. Anthony Winfield Jr.
John Wolford, quarterback
When it came to their own list of possible unrestricted free agents, it was easy to see the Bucs’ top priorities, and somehow they managed to address each one before the market opened up. Evans was the first domino to fall, signing a new two-year contract that should help him stay a Buccaneer for life.
“Mike is undoubtedly an exceptional player,” Licht remarked. “He and his spouse, Ashli, and their family are remarkable individuals.” Together with Mike on the field, [they] have accomplished extraordinary things in the neighborhood. He is very important to me, my family, and our community, fan base, and organization. Both our children and many others look up to him as a role model. I will never forget the moment we learned that Mike wanted to be a [Buccaneer] forever.”
In his first ten years in the NFL, Evans is coming off the best season of his career, grabbing 79 receptions for 1,255 yards and tying for the league lead with 13 touchdown catches. Evans’ career totals now stand at 762 catches, 11,680 yards, and 95 total touchdowns (94 receiving, one fumble recovery), climbing to 13th place on the NFL’s all-time TD reception list. Evans now appears destined to become the first offensive player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, having played all or most of his career with the Bucs.
After establishing a strong rapport early in 2023, both Evans and Mayfield had stated their desire to play together going forward. They were granted their wish when the quarterback signed a new three-year contract to remain in Tampa. Mayfield revitalized his career in Tampa, finishing third in the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year voting and making his first Pro Bowl appearance. He also set career highs with 4,044 passing yards, 28 touchdown passes, and just 10 interceptions.
Following his second consecutive offseason agreement to a one-year contract, David, like Evans, has a great chance to play his entire career for the Buccaneers. David did not show signs of slowing down in his 12th NFL season, leading the team with 134 tackles, adding 4.5 sacks, and a team-high 17 tackles for loss. This was his highest tackle total since 2015 and his highest sack total since 2016. He was also named a team captain for the tenth consecutive year.
The Buccaneers signed McLaughlin back on a three-year contract, marking the first time in his career that he will be able to start consecutive seasons with the same team. Last season, he made 29 of his 31 field goal tries in the regular season, with his only two misses on blocked kicks, and all 33 of his extra point attempts. He set new single-season Buccaneer records for field goal percentage (93.5%) and successful attempts from 50-plus yards (seven). The Buccaneers were highly motivated to lock him down for the foreseeable future after he produced the best season by a kicker in franchise history.
Gaines and Edmonds, who combined for 257 yards from scrimmage and 42% of the Bucs’ defensive snaps last season, are among the two players the team re-signed. Gaines’ return preserves the team’s four-man front-line rotation. Edmonds, on the other hand, became the primary backup to starting back Rachaad White.
Mid-April saw the return of one of the longest-tenured players in Buccaneer history, defensive lineman Shaquille Gholston, who has already played 169 games, the most of any player in the team’s history, and is trying to lock down a position on the roster for a 12th season.
If the Bucs had tendered the required qualifying offers prior to free agency, both Thompkins and Walton would have become exclusive rights free agents. However, the Bucs chose not to do so, instead re-signing both players to one-year contracts prior to the commencement of the 2013–14 season. Thompkins was responsible for all punt and kickoff return duties for the Bucs in 2013, racking up 17 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown on offense; Walton was a reserve tackle who played in just four games as the Bucs’ starting line largely avoided injuries.
Late in the first week of free agency, the Bucs signed new contracts with tackle Justin Skule and quarterback John Wolford, who was the team’s third quarterback in 2023 after Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield. Skule, who was the team’s swing tackle but didn’t see much action in 2023, has starting experience in the NFL. At the end of the second week of free agency, the Bucs also re-signed long-snapper Zach Triner, who had been with the team for the previous five seasons, save for an eight-game stint on injured reserve in 2021 after suffering a fractured finger.
The Bucs and Winfield were able to reach an agreement on a ground-breaking new contract that will last through the 2027 season, as previously mentioned. This marks the second consecutive year that Tampa Bay has used the franchise tag at the beginning of free agency and then completed a long-term deal prior to the tag deadline; the last instance occurred with wide receiver Chris Godwin in 2022.
After the Draft, Players Signed as College Free Agents
Zack Annexstad, quarterback
Marcus S. Banks
DL Judge Culpepper
G. Xavier Delgado
LB Kalen DeLoach
CB Funderburk Tyrek
Antonio Grier, LB
Daniel Grzesiak, OLB
Andrew Hayes, CB
Ramon Jefferson, RB
WR Kameron Johnson
G. Avery Jones
Latreal Jones, wide receiver
Tanner Knue, WR
Chris McDonald, CB
Shaun Peterson, OLB
D.J. Williams, RB
S. Rashad Wisdom
Following the draft, the Bucs signed 16 undrafted rookies, then two more (Hayes and Jefferson) after they had attended the team’s rookie mini-camp on tryout contracts two weeks later. Among the eighteen players signed were Toledo defensive lineman Judge Culpepper, son of former Buccaneer Brad Culpepper; Tampa Bay also signed Toledo’s Chris McDonald, a coveted cornerback, and Florida State’s Kalen DeLoach, a productive linebacker.
Players Traded, Signed, or Released by Other Teams
Shaquil Barrett, OLB
Carlton Davis, cornerback
Dee Delaney, DB
OLB Cam Gill
G. Nick Leverett
WR David Moore
Aaron G. Stinnie
Devin White, LB
Barrett has played five seasons in Tampa and is considered one of the best free agent signings in franchise history. His 19.5 sacks in 2019 broke the Bucs single-season record and made him the first Tampa Bay player to lead the NFL in that category. His 45.0 sacks as a Buccaneer rank fifth in team annals. Two weeks prior to free agency, the Buccaneers informed Barrett of their intention to release him once the new league year started and gave him permission to speak with other teams. Barrett is reportedly going to sign with the Miami Dolphins after his release is official.
In addition, the Bucs and the Detroit Lions reached an agreement on a trade that was officially carried out on the first day of the 2019 NFL season. Davis, a veteran cornerback in his seventh season, was sent to Detroit along with two sixth-round picks in exchange for the Lions’ third-round pick, number 92 overall. Initially selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Davis played in 76 games with 75 starts, recording 324 tackles, nine interceptions, 73 passes defensed, three forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries. In 2018, Davis was selected in the second round.
Leverett didn’t see much action for the Bucs in 2023 because the starting offensive line stayed healthy, but he did start 10 games at right guard in 2022. White signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, his new NFL home after five seasons in Tampa. White started 75 games for the Buccaneers and recorded 566 tackles and 23 sacks. Stinnie took over as the Bucs’ starting left tackle after six games last season and opened the last 13 games, including playoffs.
Wide receiver David Moore, who spent most of the 2023 season on Tampa Bay’s practice squad, left the Bucs in the second week of free agency to join the Panthers, where he will be reunited with head coach Dave Canales, who served as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator in 2023. Moore finished the season as a productive fourth option at receiver, recording eight catches for 171 yards, including playoff touchdowns, and long catch-and-run scores in decisive victories over Green Bay and Philadelphia.
Following the draft, another former Buccaneer joined the Panthers as an outside linebacker, signing with the team’s division rival on May 13. Gill played in 40 games and recorded 2.5 sacks while on injured reserve during the 2023 season. Three days later, former Bucs defensive back Dee Delaney, who played multiple positions in the Bucs’ secondary before being announced by Buffalo as a safety, signed with the Bills. Delaney had 24 tackles, two interceptions, and five passes defensed for Tampa Bay during the previous season.
Unrestricted Free Agents Still Available
G. Matt Feiler
Russell Gage, wide receiver
Ryan Neal, S.
Pat O’Connor, DL
There are still some possible deals to be completed with the players on the Bucs’ list of prospective free agents, even if it is evident that they have taken care of the most crucial matters first.
Feiler began the 2023 season as the starting left guard for the first six games. O’Connor has also been a Bucs special teams standout for several seasons. Neal played a large portion of his first season in Tampa as Winfield’s main safety complement, with 75 tackles.
After the Bucs declined to take up Gage’s 2024 option year, he became an unrestricted free agent. Gage missed the whole previous season due to an ACL rupture he sustained during training camp.
Restricted Free Agents Still Available
Not one
Players with an expiring contract and three years of accrued free agency credit are considered restricted free agents (RFAs). They can only negotiate with other teams while their original team has the opportunity to match any deal they sign. The Bucs had two players who could have been in that category: cornerback Dee Delaney and guard Nick Leverett. However, Delaney chose not to extend his tender offer, which effectively made him an unrestricted free agent. Delaney signed with the Bills.
Exclusive Rights Remaining for Free Agents
Not one
As previously mentioned, wide receiver Deven Thompkins and tackle Brandon Walton could have started free agency in that category, but the Bucs skipped the process and signed them to new one-year deals. Exclusive rights free agents are players with expiring contracts and two or fewer seasons of accrued free agency credit. If they get the qualifying offer to make them ERFAs before free agency begins, they can only re-sign with their current team.
Independent Contractors
CB Delaney Dee
If players do not receive a qualifying offer from their respective teams, they become equivalent to unrestricted free agents. Delaney is one such player; he has played three seasons in Tampa as a versatile piece in the secondary, seeing time at safety, outside corner, and slot corner. In 2023, he handled 449 defensive snaps and contributed 24 tackles, two interceptions, and five passes defensed.
