Grading the Buccaneers first 8 moves of free agency
By Josh Hill
Re-signed Greg Gaines to one-year deal
Lost in the shuffle of the midday madness that broke out across the league was the Bucs bringing back a key piece of their defensive line depth. Greg Gaines is back on a one-year, $3.5 million deal which is the same exact contract he signed last season when coming over from the Los Angeles Rams.
It's not the flashiest of moves, but Gaines returning will provide some nice continuity on defense and some extra depth. The Bucs are expected to look at edge rushers in the draft but the interior of the line might not get much attention. Gaines coming back doesn't prevent the team from making moves there but it also means there's some insurance in case they don't.
Grade: C+
Re-signed Chase McLaughlin to a three-year deal
Tampa Bay started its day by bringing back kicker Chase McLaughlin on a three-year deal that gives him a rather significant pay raise.
McLaughlin won a training camp battle last year with Rodrigo Blankenship, and went on to be one of the most accurate kickers the Bucs have had in a while. He finished the season with the highest kicking percentage of his career, making 93.5 percent while hitting seven field goals from 50-yards or more.
That last bit is important, as long distance kicking is what the Bucs were looking for when they moved on from Ryan Succop last year and McLaughlin delivered. He simply doesn't miss when it counts, at least he didn't last season, and the Buccaneers are betting on him continuing that success by locking him in for the next three years.
Grade: A
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