Predicting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Offseason: Seven Round Mock Draft and Predicted Free Agent Signings

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

With the start of free agency just days away, and the offseason ready to kick into top gear, it’s time for one last prediction of what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will do over the course of the entire offseason. With over 30 million dollars in cap space, and the 13th pick in the draft, there’s plenty to work with. Be sure to leave your thoughts and comments at the bottom of the page on how I predict the offseason going down.

Buccaneers Free Agents:

• Michael Bennett – Allowed to sign with another team
• Ronde Barber – Retired
• E.J. Biggers – Re-signed to a 4.5 million dollar per year contract
• Dallas Clark – Allowed to sign with another team
• Sammie Stroughter, Roscoe Parrish – Allowed to sign with another team
• Andrew Economos – Re-signed to 800k dollars per year.
• Jacob Cutrera – Resigned to a cheap deal
• Jeremy Trueblood – Allowed to sign with another team
• LeGarrette Blount – Re-signed to a 2 million dollar second round tender, no team offers him a deal
• Roy Miller – Allowed to sign with another team
• Brandon McDonald – Resigned to a cheap deal
• Daniel Te’o-Nesheim – Resigned to a cheap deal

Players Released

• Eric Wright, Released
• Quincy Black, Released

Players Signed

• Mike Williams, WR, signed to a 6.5 million dollar per year contract extension
• Trevor Scott, DE from New England, signed to a 1 million dollar per year contract
• Dashon Goldson, FS from San Francisco, signed to an 8.5 million dollar per year contract
• Greg Toler, CB from Arizona, signed to an 5 million dollar per year contract
• Ramses Barden, WR from New York, signed to a 2.5 million dollar per year contract
• Aaron Curry, free agent LB, signed to a cheap contract

Players Drafted

• First Round: Select Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
• Second Round: Select Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
• Third Round: Select Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego State
• Fourth Round: Select Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford, and David Quessenberry, OT, San Jose State
• Fifth Round: Select Lavar Edwards, DE, LSU
• Sixth Round: Select Sanders Comings, CB, Georgia
• Seventh Round: Select Rex Burkhead, RB, Nebraska

Summary

I went with a more realistic approach to this version, since the Buccaneers will likely leave plenty of cap space for Josh Freeman and Gerald McCoy contract extensions. Ronde Barber might not be in the future for the Buccaneers if the plans for the offseason involve getting a future free safety, as Barber might not accept his role and decide to hang up his cleats. If he’s willing to play nickel corner, he would likely sign back with his usual 4 million dollar deal. Goldson brings the free safety needed to help keep Mark Barron closer to the line of scrimmage, where he can show his excellent tackling skills and not get caught out in deep coverage where he struggled in 2012. This means the Bucs don’t need to spend as much on corners, and focus on building up depth at the position instead and have a formidable trio of Toler, Biggers, and Banks to compete for the two starting spots, and the third corner combines with Leonard Johnson to give to dependable backups. Trevor Scott is insurance for Da’Quan Bowers, as is Lavar Edwards. Barden and Escobar give Freeman tall targets to find on intermediate routes. And the Buccaneers take advantage of Star Lotulelei’s fall in the draft, and give themselves a dynamic duo at defensive tackle.

There would still be around 8 to 10 million dollars of cap space, which would be able to be carried over to help pay for Gerald and Josh. A one year deal for Ronde wouldn’t break the bank, and could easily be added on.

Let us know your opinions in the comment section below, and join in the discussion. Free agency is about to kick off, so this is your last chance to get in a prediction!