We're still a week away from NFL free agency officially opening, but already teams are starting to trim their roster to make room and save money. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released safety Jordan Whitehead at the end of February, and there are a number of areas that need to be addressed once the new league year begins.
Pass rush is the biggest need but the secondary isn't far behind on the list. Jamel Dean's future remains up in the air and there's a possibility that the Bucs enter the offseason with just Zyon McCollum as the only true starter on the depth chart.
Even if Dean stays, the Bucs will likely be in the market for some cornerback help, which makes the Philadelphia Eagles releasing Darius Slay extra interesting. It's not just Bucs fans who are connecting the dots, as former player and current NFL analyst Gerald McCoy is already leading the charge.
Gerald McCoy is calling on Jason Licht to sign Darius Slay in free agency
McCoy not only tweeted about the Bucs signing Slay but went as far as to tag Jason Licht in his message. It doesn't get any clearer than that what he thinks should happen, and based on his predictions during the season on NFL Network he's not often wrong.
HI!! @jasonrlicht Not sure how your Monday is going but just wanted to leave this here……………… Have a great week sir!! https://t.co/jLyT5QoGpC
— Gerald McCoy (@Geraldini93) March 3, 2025
This is hardly an indication that the Bucs will end up signing Slay, but it continues a trend of players who are hitting the market as potential targets for Tampa Bay. We know the Bucs won't be breaking the bank to make any splashy moves -- sorry to anyone holding out for a Myles Garrett trade -- but that doesn't mean the team won't make smart splashes.
We saw the Bucs dip their toes in these waters last offseason when they made seemingly low-wattage moves like signing Sterling Shepard and Ben Bredeson. The Bucs also brought back Jordan Whitehead and Mike Edwards as well, and even found a place for the much-maligned Ryan Neal late in the season.
All of these moves ended up producing meaningful playing time for each player, albeit to varying degrees of success. Slay feels like a cut above the bargain shopping the Bucs did last year but could still fall into the shallow end of the pool as far as how much he'd end up costing.
He was due a $16.1 million option in 2025 that the Eagles wisely declined, and there's little chance he gets near that amount on the market. He's been open about not having many years left in his career, which suggests he's ready to ring hunt in his final seasons rather than seek out a payday.
Slay isn't the only veteran free agent who could both improve the Bucs defense and boost confidence by choosing to sign in Tampa Bay. Over the weekend ESPN's Jeremy Fowler linked the Bucs to Khalil Mack, who is in an indentical spot as Slay in terms of hunting for a Super Bowl over a big contract.
If Slay picks the Bucs, that's a massive endorsement of how far the team can go.
There's little chance he gives the Bucs a deal, but Slay won't cost nearly as much as some of the other options Tampa Bay could consider to help bolster its secondary. Getting Slay paired up with Zyon McCollum and some rookie talent from this year's draft feels like a great way to re-tool a cornerback room that will need some attention this offseason.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers news and rumors