Buccaneers praised for landing two of the biggest bargains of free agency

Jason Licht has put on a masterclass this decade, going from a guy on the rise to perhaps the best general manager in the NFL this side of Howie Roseman. Nobody has done a better job of not only putting together championship-caliber rosters, but doing so on tight budget.

After Tom Brady retired almost no thought was paid to the idea of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being competitive. The Bucs had a $55 million salary cap snag to untangle as well as gobs of dead cap space weighing them down.

Despite this, Licht crafted one of the youngest rosters in the league while not allowing the culture or talent to get diluted, something that has resulted in the team seamlessly transitioning into a new era. The Bucs haven’t missed the playoffs in five years, are NFC South champions four seasons running, and have a future brighter than it’s ever been.

All of that is Licht being able to approach things like free agency and come away a winner, which he’s being praised as having done once again.

Buccaneers praised for landing two of the biggest bargains of free agency

Carmen Vitali, who Buccaneers fans will remember from her days covering the team not the long ago, had some high praise when it came to Tampa Bay’s free agency haul. Not only did the Bucs land two of the top players of the offseason, but they did so on two of the biggest bargains of free agency.

Chris Godwin and Haason Reddick’s deals were among Vitali’s ten best bargains of the offseason, which is saying a lot considering the talent the team added.

In Godwin the Bucs are trusting that he’ll be able to bounce back from a season-ending injury that cut what was looking to be a career year short. Rather than leave for a monster deal, which nobody would have faulted him for as much as it would have hurt, Godwin took less money to return to Tampa Bay.

He’s by far the best bargain of free agency, which is saying a lot considering he was also a top free agent on the market. This isn’t the first time the Bucs have brought back one of their own players who happened to be a top free agent, as Jamel Dean re-signed a few years ago on a surprisingly team-friendly deal.

Godwin presents so much more talent and upside than Dean did, but the vibes are the same. Players who have been in Tampa Bay love being there and don’t want to leave, full stop. Adam Schefter reported that around $20 million was left on the table in order for Godwin to come back, which is about as big of an endorsement as it gets — as well as an obvious bargain.

Reddick is a pure addition, coming over from the New York Jets after a season he admitted was ‘bizarre’. Paying a guy $14 million for one season is a steep price, but when Reddick is at his best he’s an elite pass rusher who can wreck a backfield.

That’s what what Bucs are betting on, and it’s a pretty good gamble. Reddick has a down year last season but had 11 or more sacks from 2020 to 2023, which is what the Bucs are investing in. It’s a bit pricey but if all goes well, Tampa Bay is getting a highly motivated Reddick who has the sort of chip on his shoulder that fits right in with the team’s identity.

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