As we barrel toward the NFL Draft, the dust is finally starting to settle on the free agency frenzy we saw unfold last month. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' free agency venture was a successful one, one that saw the team bring back Chris Godwin while signing Haason Reddick to potentially fix the pass rush.
Just as the the Bucs celebrate this year's haul, some eyes are already turning to next offseason.
The Athletic is peering into its crystal ball—specifically, NFL writer Daniel Popper—to see what will happen when free agency rolls around again next offseason. When it does, the Buccaneers are predicted to have competition for Mike Evans and Luke Goedeke, two key pieces of the offense's success over the last few seasons.
It's no real surprise that Evans is not only on the list but near the top. He'll be 33 years old when the 2026 season kicks off, but all signs point to him wearing a Buccaneers uniform when that time comes. The biggest chance Tampa Bay had of losing him was last offseason; at this point it doesn't make a lot of sense for Evans to sign elsewhere to spend the last few seasons of his career with a new team.
Goedeke, however, could be tricker to bring back.
Buccaneers in danger of losing Luke Goedeke in free agency next offseason
He'll hit the market at just 27 years old, and will be in the prime of his career. Right now that's looking like it will be a decently high peak, as he's started 30 games at right tackle over the past two seasons and has established himself as a potentially elite pass protector if he continues developing the way he has.
Tampa Bay will need to do all it can to make sure it doesn't lose a key cog on the offensive line and accidentally harm the championship window that is currently open. Replacing Goedeke won't be easy, and it seems we're headed toward yet another offseason where the Bucs are faced with a situation where they need to figure out a way to bring back a homegrown player before he gets stolen away.
Good news there is that Jason Licht has a pretty good track record in making that happen. Not only did he bring Evans back last offseason but retained Chris Godwin on a team-friendly deal that also took care of a key player. All signs point to that happening with Goedeke, assuming he continues to take steps forward, but it's never too early to start getting a little nervous about what the future might hold.
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