The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a a pretty good spot as we get closer to the 2024 NFL Draft. All of the key free agents are back, Jason Licht has found a way to get off of some expensive contracts, and the team should be the perfect mix of veterans and young faces to stay highly competitive in 2024 while also being ready to compete in the NFC South for years to come.
However, no team is perfect, and the best teams are always looking for ways to get better. Here is where the Buccaneers can make themselves even scarier via the current free agent market. For what it is worth, the cap situation is pretty tight in Tampa right now. Expect Jason Licht and company to free up some space in the coming weeks to sign their rookie class, add last-minute free agents, and have some spending money for emergencies when the season starts.
This front office could and probably will figure out a way to free up ~$10 million in cap space with a series of simple moves. Expect there to be a little more breathing room than there currently is soon.
Sign a cornerback
The loss of Carlton Davis is going to hurt. That move was necessary, but it leaves a pretty dramatic hole that the Bucs will want to address immediately if they want to stay competitive this season.
A rookie corner is sure to join the team in the draft, but expecting someone to be available when the Bucs are picking and that player also turning into a year-one starter is the definition of a long shot. A free agent signing in this area is the only way the Bucs can keep some control over such an important position.
As much as it would almost assuredly eat up almost all of the cap space the Bucs would be able to generate with a few small restructures, Tampa can't really afford to pench pennies at the corner position. If this team truly wants to compete in the NFC South and beyond (in a league and division that wants to throw the ball first), you have to put guys on the field that you can trust.
For that reason, Stephon Gilmore makes a mountain of sense.
Gilmore is older and probably going to cost somewhere between $5-$7 million, but it is hard to find a better mix of cost, leadership potential, and recent level of play.
The veteran corner is coming off an extremely underrated season with the Cowboys that proved he could still play a big role (healthy for all 17 games) while also leaving space for the rest of the room to develop around him, something the Buccaneers desperately need.
Gilmore plays the type of football that Todd Bowles loves and would be able to fill the Carlton Davis role immediately without forcing the Bucs to take a big risk on a rookie or overpay a trade option or other free agent.
Corner is not the position to bet on when you still have a great chance at winning the division. Take the safe bet, even if you have to pay a little.