Even though free agency is mostly over for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that doesn’t stop the rumors about potential free agents from spreading.
The odds are almost entirely against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers making any more big free agents signings. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski have already been more than anyone would’ve expected this time last year.
Even though the odds are long, that hasn’t stopped rumors from flying during this offseason. Numerous players have been linked to Tampa Bay, often based on speculation alone, but that doesn’t mean that all of these claims are entirely baseless.
The best thing going for the Bucs right now is their status in the limelight. Every free agent in the league that remains has probably given Tampa Bay some thought, and the allure of being on one of the most talked-about teams in the NFL could bring some unique names to the table.
On the other hand, despite some of the perceived realism behind these signings, there seems to be little chance that they will happen in the end, but at this point, Bucs fans shouldn’t be quick to rule anything out as impossible after the offseason that they’ve put together.
Regardless of realism or not, these players have been linked to joining the Buccaneers in one way or another and are still available.
Starting with the most realistic player and then working down, Clay Matthews has a decent chance of starting the year out as a Buccaneer. As one of the most successful free agents remaining, Matthews would be a steal for any team.
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Matthews had an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show earlier this summer, where he said that he was open to the idea, so it looks like the Buccaneers are in the driver seat to make this move happen.
As a whole, this signing has several positive implications for both sides, making it very likely. Matthews is still a very talented player, but his cost is minimal. Tampa Bay hasn’t signed all of their rookies yet, but after doing so, they should still have enough money left over to invest elsewhere.
In addition to the economics, Matthews would be a valuable part of the Buccaneer defense. With a diverse range of experience and success, the Bucs could use the veteran linebacker at several different positions.
The most likely scenario is that the Bucs bring in Matthews to be a depth piece at edge behind Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul. There is still time left to make a move happen, but it likely wouldn’t occur until after training camp, and the rookies are signed.
Moving down the list of reliable options, running back Devonta Freeman was another name that started getting some buzz about joining the Buccaneers at the end of May.
A report had come out that the Bucs had offered Freeman, but he disputed this quickly on Twitter, saying no such deal was offered.
While Freeman did shoot down the rumor, he made it clear that he was not against playing for the Bucs, they just had to contact him.
Realistically speaking, one of the only reasons for the Bucs to sign Freeman is if Ronald Jones experiences a massive injury before the start of the season. Jones looks to be in command of the starting job, and Freeman doesn’t want to get paid backup running back money.
If Tampa Bay gets to the point where they are unsure about the future of their running back room, Freeman should be one of the top names that the team pursues.
Freeman has made it clear that he is willing to wait for the right contract to come along and will not play in 2020 if the right deal doesn’t isn’t offered, so there is a chance that he will still be available depending on the needs of the Buccaneers closer to the start of the season.
Finishing up with the least-likely option on this list, Antonio Brown’s name still comes up in conversations regarding the Buccaneers even though Bruce Arians has been clear that the team is not pursuing the controversial wide receiver.
As recently as last week, Mike Lombardi hinted that the Bucs could be trying to sign Brown on the Pat McAfee Show.
With each day that passes, the Bucs and Brown combination seems like an even stranger occurrence, but the rumors do have a clear basis. Brown would help elevate the Buccaneer offense to unmatched heights in the history of the NFL, and his price tag would be a steal.
Brown played at a record-setting pace for the majority of the 2010s and was starting to look on track to be in the conversation for the best receiver of all time. Unfortunately, several personal issues arose, and Brown looks far away from a return to the league.
It may seem like overkill, but adding Brown to the roster has almost no drawbacks, and the benefits could be monstrous. Signing Brown would immediately make the Bucs favorites for the NFC Championship Game, and making that happen may only take Bruce Arians to bury the hatchet.
Arians and the Bucs have been clear that this move isn’t happening, but it wouldn’t be the first time this offseason that a signing has come as a complete surprise.