Free agency hasn't been kind to Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans this year. It's not to say that the team hasn't made any meaningful moves -- they have -- but the painful aspect of 2026 free agency has been the departures, namely Mike Evans, who signed with the 49ers.
The Buccaneers also lost Jamel Dean to the Steelers, which is another painful loss for this squad. It's bad enough to simply lose good players, it's another for them to end up in better situations and those moves being applauded.
Gilberto Manzano of SI might have made things even worse for Buccaneers fans. Manzano wrote up what he perceived to be the five best free agent signings so far and two former Bucs appeared on the list. Evans to the Niners was considered the best signing and Dean to the Steelers was fourth on the list. Pain.
Buccaneers fans get painful reminder of what they lost in free agency
Here's part of what Manzano said about why he put Evans to San Francisco first on the list:
"Evans wasn’t exaggerating when he said he’s the final piece the 49ers have needed to win the Super Bowl. The future Hall of Fame wide receiver is that good, and his presence will give coach Kyle Shanahan another element for his extensive playbook that already highlights versatile running back Christian McCaffrey."
Evans said a lot of stuff that hurt Bucs fans' hearts during his introductory press conference with his new team. Stating that he believes he's the missing piece for San Francisco was like a swift kick to the you-know-what area.
As for Dean, Manzano called him "one of the more underrated players" at safety, even if he's pushing 30. Manzano also said that Dean "has shown over the past two seasons that he can still contribute at a high level as an outside cornerback."
Dean's departure wasn't anywhere close to as sad as Evans' was (especially after the uncalled for shot he took at his now former team) but it's always disappointing to see good players leave. To see two former Buccaneers players end up on this list is just another reminder as to how painful this offseason has been.