Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Top 10 worst free agency signings in team history

Number 3: Anthony Collins – T (2014)

2014 was not a good year in free agency for the Buccaneers. They tried to address the edge of their defensive line with the aforementioned Johnson and tried the same on the edge of their offensive line with Anthony Collins. The gargantuan Donald Penn missed only four games between 2007 and 2013 and was about as solid a left tackle as you’ll find. The Buccaneers decided to let him walk and sign with the Raiders, and replaced him with Collins.

The Buccaneers signed Collins to a five-year deal worth $30 million despite him only starting 25 games in six years with the Bengals (these Bengals sheesh). Simply put, Collins was awful. This revolving door with legs ended up starting over ten games to carry over his Bengals legacy and ended up as a healthy scratch to close out the season.

Penn, on the other hand, ended up having two Pro Bowl seasons with the Raiders while Collins was stinking it up and the Buccaneers continuing looking for Penn’s replacement. Penn would go onto retire after the 2019 season while Collins didn’t play a snap since this 2014 debacle. This wasn’t just a swing and amiss, this was the Buccaneers going down looking.