After months of wondering how things would go this offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers turned in a masterful first day of free agency. Anxiety was calmed almost right away when Chris Godwin's saga ended with a brand new contract that keeps him with the Bucs for the next three years.
Godwin wasn't the only big signing for Tampa Bay on Monday. Haason Reddick inked a one-year deal worth $14 million deal to help provide some much-needed pass rush help, closing the loop on interest the team has had in him since last offseason.
Tampa Bay crossed off arguably the two most important things the team needed to accomplish in the first wave of free agency, but the work is hardly done. The Bucs aren't flush with cash or cap space but there's still room to make moves and some intriguing candidates on the market who make sense as potential targets.
Best available players Buccaneers can target on Day 2 of free agency
Tampa Bay still has a number of areas it needs to address this offseason, and free agency is still ripe with some potential high-upside candidates worth taking a chance on at the right price.
Pass Rush Free Agents
- Za’Darius Smith, Edge
- DeMarcus Lawrence, Edge
- Von Miller, Edge
- Azeez Ojulari, Edge
- Joseph Ossai, Edge
- Matthew Judon, Edge
- Joshua Uche, Edge
The Bucs found some pass rush help right out of the gate in Reddick, but they'd be wise to double dip if the price is right. We'll see what the market ends up being with Za'Darius Smith and DeMarcus Lawerence but they might be in too high a range to be worth a shot.
If Tampa Bay goes back for more pass rush help, someone like Joshua Uche or Matthew Judon makes a ton of sense. Von Miller could be good if he's willing to take a deal closer to what Reddick got but even that might be too much considering the Bucs can also add help next month in the draft.
Secondary Free Agents
- Justin Reid, Safety
- Rasul Douglas, Cornerback
- Jevon Holland, Safety
- Asante Samuel Jr., Cornerback
- Mike Hilton, Cornerback
- Justin Simmons, Safety
- Kristian Fulton, Cornerback
- Benjamin St-Juste, Cornerback
One area the Bucs didn't address that still needs attention is the secondary. It's not nearly as top-heavy of a market as it is at other positions, as we didn't see a ton of movement on the first day of free agency. The biggest name that came off the board was Charvarius Ward, who was mentioned as a potential target for Tampa Bay.
Even if the Bucs don't release or trade Jamel Dean in the next few days, adding a cornerback in free agency makes a lot of sense. It's a position that has gotten extremely thinned out at the wrong times in back-to-back seasons and help is very much needed.
Rasual Douglas and Asante Samuel Jr. are intriguing names to keep an eye on. Both are top free agents remaining and would help upgrade the secondary. The Bucs could also dip into safety, with Justin Simmons being a great veteran addition to the safety room and adding some talented depth.
Other Notable Free Agents
It's unlikely that the Bucs splurge in free agency but there are a few players outside of obvious positions of need who could make sense as targets. We're still not sure what the future holds for Kyle Trask, which might put Tampa Bay in the market for a backup quarterback.
Daniel Jones returning to the Vikings makes the most sense for him, but perhaps he comes to Tampa Bay to help revive his career the way we've seen offensive coordinators come in and boost their stock. A year behind Baker and in Tampa Bay's high-powered offense might be a win-win scenario.
The same can be said for Tyler Lockett, who would add a ton of veteran leadership to the locker room while providing insane talent as WR4 on the depth chart. That bumps up against Trey Palmer's roster spot, but he'd no doubt add a ton to a team trying to win a Super Bowl.
- Daniel Jones, QB
- Tyler Lockett, WR
- Mac Jones, QB
- Brandon Cooks, WR
- Eric Kendricks, LB
- Kyzir White, LB
- Elandon Roberts, LB
We'll see what the next day of free agency holds, but if the Bucs are still in the market to pick up some help then there are plenty of decent routes they could take.
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