This offseason is shaping up to be a lot more fun than the last one was for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Everything feels completely different than it did a year ago, not the least of which is the fact that the Bucs actually have money to spend. Even without counting the new salary cap figure, Tampa Bay has room to make external moves to improve the roster but is also in a position of strength when it comes to retaining key talent.
The Bucs have three top free agents to take care of: Antoine Winfield Jr., Baker Mayfield, and Mike Evans. It's not impossible to imagine the team bringing them all back, especially with the wiggle room provided by the historic salary cap increase.
While those three players are clear priorities, they aren't the only ones the Bucs will need to make a decision on before the new league year starts on March 13th.
Every Buccaneers free agent in 2024 and predicting whether or not they'll be back
Here's a look at every Buccaneers player set to become a free agent this offseason:
- Mike Evans, WR
- Baker Mayfield, QB
- Devin White, LB
- Lavonte David, LB
- Antoine Winfield Jr., S
- Greg Gaines, DT
- Williams Gholston, DE
- Matt Feiler, OG
- Aaron Stinne, OG
- Chase Edmonds, RB
- Ryan Neal, S
Tampa Bay has around $45 million in cap space this offseason, which a lot more than it had to make improvement with this time last year. That doesn't mean the team will go nuts signing players, but it does mean that fringe free agents like William Gholston and Chase Edmonds could be back.
Not everyone will be, nor should they.
Buccaneers free agents who will probably be back
- Mike Evans, WR
- Baker Mayfield, QB
- Lavonte David, LB
- Antoine Winfield Jr., S
- William Gholston, DE
- Chase Edmonds, RB
It's pretty clear that even if it costs the Bucs a pretty penny, Baker Mayfield will be the team's quarterback next season. Whether his deal is worth $75 million or $120 million is yet to be seen, but it's a matter of when not if he signs a new deal.
The same goes for Antoine Winfield Jr., who will absolutely be back in a Buccaneers uniform next season -- it just might not be on a long term deal. Ideally the front office figures out a way to lock him in as a key piece of the team's core moving forward, but there's a chance Winfield gets franchise tagged ahead of the deadline on March 5th.
If that happens, it'll likely be a tactic to buy more time in order to work out a long term contract. Winfield playing anywhere other than Tampa Bay is a fireable offense for those in charge, and it's there's a near-zero chance it happens.
Mike Evans is the wild card here, but all signs continue to point toward him returning as well. The likeliest case here is he hits the open market to establish a price for the Bucs to match. Right now his value is whatever either side says it is, but a third party will help make things a little more clear.
Outside of those top three guys, Lavonte David and Chase Edmonds are prime candidates to return. David has stated he wants to retire with the Bucs, although he recently said he's open to all possibilities. Todd Bowles said that he'd like the team to add a running back this offseason, which could mean looking at free agent options but could also be an early sign that Edmonds will be back.
Buccaneers free agents who won't be back
- Devin White, LB
- Greg Gaines, DT
- Matt Feiler, OG
- Aaron Stinne, OG
- Ryan Neal, S
Devin White is as good as gone, something that keeps becoming more clear with each passing day. Bucs brass is up in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine and the reaction every time White has come up -- and more importantly the amount to which he hasn't -- speaks volumes.
He boxed himself out of a starting role with poor play last year, losing his job to K.J. Britt late in the season. It was also reported that his attitude rubbed coaches and players the wrong way during the team's losing streak, something that also seems to have sealed his fate.
Ryan Neal also seems to have played his last down with the Bucs. Todd Bowles defended him after playing poorly in the middle of the season, but eventually started rotating him out of the lineup as the struggles continued. The only reason he might come back is the lack of depth in the Bucs' safety room, but there are other ways to fill things out.
Matt Feiler never filled in the offensive line gaps the way the Bucs were hoping, and Aaron Stinnie struggled after replacing him. Both guys figure to be gone as the team rebuilds its offensive line, although cheap deals could be a way back in.