3 massive questions for Buccaneers heading into the 2024 offseason

Which of their defensive stars will be prioritized?

The Bucs' defense may look a lot different next year.

Having two starting linebackers and their first team All-Pro safety all hitting free agency probably keeps Todd Bowles up at night longer than losing Canales did. The Bucs have some tough decisions to make, though you can probably take a decent guess at how it's going to go: David is 34, while both White and Winfield are 25. While David played better than White this year, the nine-year age gap speaks for itself.

That being said, the loyalty and leadership that David has shown the Bucs over the years goes a long way. Just like Evans, he's expressed a desire to remain in Tampa Bay for the entirety of his career but David won't be holding the team over a barrel with expensive contract demands.

As for Winfield, he presents the biggest question on defense and arguably the most important one outside of what's going on with Baker/Evans. He deserves a long-term deal, but the franchise tag exists for a reason. A little over $14 million for one of the best safeties in football is money well-spent and frees up space for Mayfield/Evans/White. And this is all just considering guys they want to bring back – if they have any interest in other team's free agents, Bucs fans may have to start re-memorizing numbers again this July.