Buccaneers: Veteran free agents that could join Tom Brady in Tampa
By Rob Leeds
A return of one of the greatest Buccaneers of all time
Regardless of anything else that happens this offseason, the Buccaneers need to at least offer Gerald McCoy a chance to return to the team that drafted him. McCoy carried a horrible defense for years alongside Lavonte David, and he deserves a chance to win a ring before he retires.
McCoy is coming off an injury and may not want to pass up the money, but he could still play a role with the Buccaneers, albeit a smaller one. The Buccaneers love their defensive line, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have to reevaluate anything this summer either. Suh could leave in the offseason, although this is unlikely, and several other free agents could be hard to keep.
Tampa Bay could stand to lose Steve McLendon and Rakeem Nunez-Roches this offseason, and McCoy could fill a void as a depth/rotational player with Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea, and William Gholston.
There may be some slight awkwardness with his return, especially considering Suh is now wearing his number, but the Buccaneers could still offer McCoy the chance that he deserves to win. The Buccaneer defensive line would just get better, and McCoy likely wouldn’t need too large a contract to return to his home.