Grading every Tampa Bay Buccaneers offseason move so far, including Carlton Davis trade

Following a stout 2023 season highlighted by their third straight NFC South division title and a tightly contested bout with Detroit in the NFC Divisional Round, Tampa Bay entered the offseason with a solid top-to-bottom roster and few key question marks.

Even with Dave Canales departing from Tampa Bay to become the next coach of the Carolina Panthers, the Buccaneers were able to land former Rams' coordinator Liam Coen as the team's next offensive coordinator, while hiring several talented assistant coaches under third-year head coach Todd Bowles.

Ahead of March 13, the official start of NFL free agency, the Buccaneers had ~$45 million in salary cap space to spend, the 12th-most in the league. Over the first week and a half of free agency, Tampa Bay has spent its money on new contracts for 14 different players.

Ranging from star quarterback Baker Mayfield to cornerback Tavierre Thomas, here are the offical grades of every free agent signing Tampa Bay has made this offseason.

Tavierre Thomas, CB

Contract: One-year deal
Grade: C+

On Monday, the Buccaneers continued an offseason full of moves by signing Thomas, a six-year veteran cornerback. At 27 years old, Thomas has played three seasons in Cleveland and Houston, and has totaled 225 tackles, two tackles for loss, six passes defended, and six forced fumbles.

Since entering the league, Thomas has struggled to remain on the field, missing 15 games due to injury over the past two seasons. In spite of that, Thomas has been a solid slot corner when healthy, as shown in 2021 with 86 tackles, four passes defended, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and a fumble recovery.

Following the signings of Whitehead, Hall, and Thomas, Tampa Bay has added plently of talent and depth to their roster, relieving some playing stress off 2023 All-Pro First Team selection Antoine Winfield Jr. Inking Thomas to a one-year deal isn't a ground-shaking move, but a needed move nonetheless.

John Wolford, QB

Contract: One-year deal
Grade: B

With the retention of Mayfield at the start of free agency, Tampa Bay still needed to sign a backup quarterback for the season. On Friday, the Buccaneers resigned Wolford as Mayfield's backup for the upcoming 2024 season.

At 28 years old, Wolford has played for Los Angeles and Tampa Bay, but has yet to see serious playing time in the regular season. Regardless, keeping Mayfield's backup in town with Wolford is a smart move, considering Wolford knows the playbook and coaching staff.

Justin Skule, OT

Contract: One-year deal
Grade: C

The last move the Buccaneers made on the offensive line was resigning Skule, their primary swing tackle. With the play of star left Tristan Wirfs and right tackle Luke Goedeke, 2023 Skule only logged 19 snaps on offense and 65 on special teams while playing all 17 games.

Regardless, Skule is still a solid depth piece at 27 years old, and has the capability of being a plug-and-play starter at times. With the signings of Skule, Opeta, and Bredeson, the Buccaneers have clearly bolstered their offensive line.

Sua Opeta, OL

Contract: One-year deal
Grade: B+

Hours after signing Bredeson, the Buccaneers came to terms with Opeta, a versatile offensive lineman from Philadelphia. Since signing with the Eagles as undrafted free agent from Weber State, Opeta played in 38 games and made ten starts in Philadelphia at left and right guard.

Last season, Opeta made a career-high six starts, filling in at separate times for Cam Jurgens on the right side and Landon Dickerson on the left side. Opeta plated 527 offensive snaps overall, 59% of the Eagles' total, and helped Philadelphia rank eighth in total offense and rushing yards, and seventh in points scored.

At 27 years old, Opeta will have a chance to serve as a plug-and-play starter for Tampa Bay on their offensive line, and projects to slot in at right guard following the departure of Felier. On an extremely cheap contract, too, the addition of Opeta ranks as a quiet but solid move by Tampa Bay this offseason.

Ben Bredeson, OG

Contract: One-year deal
Grade: C

Entering the offseason, the offensive line is projected to be one of the Buccaneers' top areas of need to fix. On Friday, Tampa Bay addressed the o-line with a pair of signings, starting by inking former Ravens' and Giants' offensive guard Ben Bredeson to a one-year, $3.5 million deal.

After playing in just 29 total games in his first three seasons, Bredeson earned a starting role as the Giants' starting left guard in 2023, and played a career-high 1,014 snaps in 16 games. On the Giants' porous offensive line, Bredeson gave up a career-worst four holding penalties and earned a 42.1 grade from PFF.

In spite of this, Bredeson will be an obvious upgrade over Aaron Stinnie and Matt Feiler, as the former signed with New York and the latter remains a free agent. Bredeson is set to compete for one of the two starting guard positions between Logan Stenberg, Cody Mauch and whoever Tampa Bay adds via the draft.

Bryce Hall, CB

Contract: One-year deal
Grade: B

Days after signing Whitehead, Tampa Bay another player from the Jets' secondary in Hall. The contract is a one-year deal, and reunites Hall with Whitehead in Tampa Bay to offset the departure of Davis III.

After a forgettable rookie season, Hall quickly emerged as the Jets' top cornerback in his second season. Starting in all 17 games, Hall recorded 79 tackles, four tackles for loss and 16 pass breakups, the sixth-most in the league. Since then, Hall's play has been reminiscent of his uninspiring 2020 campaign, with combined marks of seven tackles and two pass breakups in 14 starts in the past two seasons.

While the financials of the deal are undisclosed, Hall is a true low-risk, high-reward signing. Whether Hall will be able to return to his spectacular 2021 season remains to be seen, but will still provide depth and solid play in one of the Buccaneers' three starting cornerback slots.

Jordan Whitehead, S

Contract: Two-years, $9M
Grade: A+

With some of the money gained from trading Davis III the Buccaneers used to sign Whitehead, which marks a return for the 27-year-old back to Tampa Bay. After spending the past two years in New York, Whitehead returns to Tampa Bay, where he spent his first four NFL seasons.

During his two-year tenure as a Jet, Whitehead recorded 186 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 17 pass breakups and six interceptions in 34 starts. (34 games). Last season, Whitehead was especially great as the Jets' starting strong safety, posting 97 tackles, nine pass breakups and four interceptions, all career-highs.

Back in Tampa Bay, Whitehead will reunite with Winfield Jr to form one of the NFL's top safety duos. As Bryce Hall, Christain Izien, and Dean will strive to fill Davis III's void, Whitehead will be a key factor in disrupting the pass and run at strong safety. To retain Whitehead at only the $4.5 million per year pricetag, the 30th highest in the league, and this is a home-run signing for Tampa Bay.

Chase Edmonds, RB

Contract: One-year deal
Grade: C

Due to the large surplus of quality running backs in free agency, the Buccaneers were expected to make a splash on one of the top available backs for Mayfield and the offense. Instead, Tampa Bay chose to resign Edmonds as the team's No. 2 back behind starter Rachaad White on a one-year deal with the terms of the contract undisclosed.

The deal with keep the 27-year-old Edmonds in Tampa Bay for a second straight season. In his first year as a Buccaneer, Edmonds totaled 257 yards from scrimmage on 63 touches, 49 carries and 14 catches. Since rushing for 592 yards and two touchdowns and catching 311 yards in 12 games in 2021, Edmonds has failed to eclipse 300 yards with Denver, Miami, or Tampa Bay.

Even so, Edmonds is still a decent backup option to White in the backfield in the run-and-pass game. On a one-year contract with an expected minimal price tag, the signing is an insignificant depth transaction, but still questions the Buccaneers' decision to not sign a better running back for slightly less money.

Lavonte David, LB

Contract: One-year, $9M
Grade: A

Besides locking down Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and Antoine Winfield Jr. to contract extensions, finding a way to retain David was among the Buccaneers' most important priorities in free agency. Just hours into the first day of free agency, Tampa Bay managed to do just that, coming to terms with David on a one-year, $9 million deal.

There were growing reports that David could potentially leave Tampa Bay -- including the man himself -- so locking down the 12-year veteran through 2024 is just as important as any other transaction the Buccaneers made this offseason. Coupled with the news of middle linebacker Devin White leaving for Philadelphia just days later, and keeping David is even more valuable for the Buccaneers.

At 33 years old, David still had a solid campaign for Tampa Bay in 2023, with 134 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, 4.5 sacks, and five passes defended in 15 games. Paying $9 million for a 33-year-old veteran may seem pricy, but David is one of the Buccaneers' true leaders on the field and in the locker room and getting him for one more season is a victory, no matter the cost.

Carlton Davis traded to Detroit Lions

Grade: A

With reports surfacing that the Buccaneers were open to trading one of their starting cornerbacks in Davis III or Jamel Dean, a potential move early in free agency wouldn't be shocking. Ultimately, Tampa Bay opted to move on from Davis III, shipping the 27-year-old and sixth-round picks in 2024 and 2025 for the Lions' 2024 third-round pick.

During his four seasons as one of the Buccaneers' starting corners, Davis III compiled 324 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 73 pass breakups, and nine interceptions in 75 starts. Last offseason, the Buccaneers chose to resign Davis III to a three-year, $44.5 million contract, which expires in 2025.

By offloading his contract to Detroit, Tampa Bay saved $7.4 million in cap space, which allowed the Buccaneers to address their secondary with multiple free agent signing later, and add their now fourth top 100 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Losing a solid starting cornerback in his prime does sting, but the return and what the Buccaneers were able to do with the extra cap space makes the trade a major win for the present and future.

Greg Gaines, DT

Contract: One-year, $3.5M
Grade: B

Following four solid seasons in Los Angeles with combined marks of 122 tackles, 24 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks, Gaines declared for free agency in 2022. There, Gaines signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with Tampa Bay, and went on to post 24 tackles, five quarterback hits, and one sacks in all 17 games as a reserve.

With that, Gaines decided to return to Tampa Bay for the upcoming 2024 season on another one-year deal with the Buccaneers. While Gaines' stats in 2023 were underwhelming, the 27-year old was used sparingly in a reserve role behind the Buccaneers' starters.

This season, Gaines will play a larger role on Tampa Bay's front seven, as defensive tackle William Gholston retired and outside rush linebacker Shaquil Barrett signed with Miami in free agency. As a result, Gaines will likely start alongside superstar defensive tackle Vita Vea on the defensive line on a low-risk, high reward contract.

Baker Mayfield, QB

Contract: Three-years, $100M
Grade: A+

Succeeding forgettable stints with Carolina and Los Angeles in 2022, Mayfield signed a one-year, $4.5 million "prove-it" deal with Tampa Bay last offseason. Mayfield's decision to bet on himself proved to be the right one, as the Buccaneers and the 28-year-old agreed on a three-year, $100 million deal.

In his first season in Tampa Bay, Mayfield completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 4,044 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, ten interceptions, and a 94.6 passer rating, and was named as the NFL's 2023 Most Improved Player of the Year.

With that, the Buccaneers made Mayfield the 16th-highest-paid quarterback in the league with an average annual value of $33.3 million. For reference, Mayfield's contract is cheaper than those of Atlanta's Kirk Cousins ($45 million), New York's Daniel Jones ($40 million), and even New Orleans' Derek Carr ($37.5 million), further portraying a win-win deal for Tampa Bay and Mayfield.

Antoine Winfield Jr., S

Contract: TBD (Franchise Tagged)
Grade: A+

In the hours leading up to the franchise tag deadline, Tampa Bay used the tag on Winfield Jr to keep the superstar free safety as a Buccaneer for the 2024 season. The move also gives the Buccaneers time to come to a long-term extension with Winfield Jr., who has quickly become one of the premier safeties in the league.

Starting in all 17 games last season, Winfield Jr. recorded 122 tackles, six tackles for loss, six sacks, 12 passes defended, three interceptions, six forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries. As a result, Winfield Jr. earned his first All-Pro First Team selection, while leading the Buccaneers to their third straight NFC South division title.

At just 25 years old, Winfield Jr. is arguably the best safety in the league, and still hasn't entered his prime. In the months leading up to next offseason, securing a long-term deal for Winfield Jr. will be key, but tagging him is a good first step in retaining Winfield Jr.

Mike Evans, WR

Contract: Two-years, $52M
Grade: A+

The first and biggest move the Buccaneers made this offseason was to lock up Evans on a two-year, $52 million deal, keeping the superstar wide receiver in Tampa Bay through the 2025 season. In doing so, Tampa Bay managed to keep Evans on the team before he could begin contract talks with other teams, such as the Falcons, Patriots and the Vikings, all of whom were potential suitors.

At 30 years old, Evans was still one of the NFL's top receivers, catching 79 passes for 1,255 receiving yards, a league-leading 13 touchdown catches and 15.9 yards per catch. Since entering the league in 2012, Evans has totaled 762 passes for 11,680 receiving yards and 94 touchdowns in 154 games while catching over 100 yards in 36 games -- a franchise record.

Even though $26 million per year is expensive for a 30-year veteran receiver, Evans is clearly worth every penny for the Buccaneers. With his return, quarterback Baker Mayfield is set up to repeat his success from last season, while giving him and new offensive coordinator Liam Coen a stout skill position room alongside Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer, Rachaad White, and Cade Otten.

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