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3 free agents Buccaneers should target after NFL Draft

With four months left before the 2024 NFL season, there are multiple free agents available that would fit well in Tampa

By Brad Smith

Cincinnati Bengals v Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cincinnati Bengals v Tampa Bay Buccaneers / Douglas P. DeFelice/GettyImages
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Tyler Boyd, WR

Last season, the Buccaneers surrounded quarterback Baker Mayfield with a solid receiver group of pass catchers, highlighted by running back Rachaad White, wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and tight end Cade Otton. With that, Mayfield would go on to throw for 4,044 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and ten interceptions on 64.3% completion and won the NFL's 2024 Most Improved Player.

By re-signing Mayfield to a three-year, $105 million contract in free agency, the Buccaneers have locked Mayfield in as their QB1 for the next three seasons. Alongside improving the offensive line, Tampa Bay added multiple receiving weapons for Mayfield in the upcoming season.

To clarify, the Buccaneers drafted deep-threat wide receiver Jalen McMillan in the third round, dual-threat running back Bucky Irving in the fourth, and matchup nightmare tight end Devin Culp. Those additions are great on their own, but signing another receiver to complement Evans, Godwin, and McMillan would give Mayfield another target to throw to in 2024.

After Odell Beckham Jr. signed a one-year deal with Miami, the Buccaneers' next best option in free agency is former Bengals' receiver Tyler Boyd. Over the past two seasons, Boyd has been overshadowed by the elite play of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but has remained a serviceable No. 3 receiver.

Starting in 14 of 16 games in 2022, Boyd caught 58 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns, and followed that with a 67-catch, 667-yard, two-touchdown campaign in 2023. In the years before Cincinnati added Chase and Higgins, Boyd was one of the league's better receivers, catching 245 passes for 2,915 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11.9 yards per catch in 45 games (37 starts) from 2018-2020.

At 29 years old, Boyd isn't going to have the same impact as he once did earlier in his career. Still, Boyd would be a great addition to Tampa Bay's receiver room and could be a difference-maker if Evans or Godwin suffers an injury or if McMillan struggles early in his NFL career.

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