1. Melvin Gordon, RB
Going back to the running back position, perhaps the biggest named linked to Tampa Bay during the free-agency period that the Bucs elected not to pursue was Melvin Gordon.
Gordon was one of the most talented running backs in the free-agency class and would’ve likely taken a bit of a discount to play alongside Tom Brady.
A backfield that consisted of Gordon, Brady and Jones II would be hard to beat, but it would’ve cost the Buccaneers quite a bit, which is ultimately why they elected to move away.
To get the Gordon deal done- he signed for $8 million per year with Broncos- Tampa Bay would’ve likely had to part ways with Ndamukong Suh and pursue another option either in free-agency or the NFL Draft.
That could’ve been done, though, and many Tampa fans would’ve loved the prospect of having Gordon in the backfield with Brady while the front-seven would’ve taken a little bit of a hit, but maybe not enough for it to make a major difference with Suh out of the picture.