It seems like the season just ended, but a new page is already starting to turn.
NFL free agency is set to officially open on March 13th, but the legal tampering period has already started. Teams are allowed to talk to players set to hit the market but can't actually sign them until the new league year begins.
That doesn't mean sides can't agree to a handshake deal that will become official once free agency opens. This sort of business has always been conducted, to the point where the NFL baked tampering into the rules since it happened so often.
For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, business has mostly already been taken care of. The team needed to find a way to work out deals that brought back its three key free agents: Antoine Winfield Jr., Baker Mayfield, and Mike Evans.
All three were set to hit the market and each were rated in the Top 25 of the entire free agent class. None of them will be leaving, thanks to getting deals done over the last week, but the Bucs have more than just those guys to take care of.
Who are the Buccaneers free agents in 2024? (Updated)
Heading into the offseason the Bucs had a handful of guys on expiring contracts that need to be attended to one way or another. A few guys have already been taken care of (see below), but here's the complete list for the sake of record keeping:
- Mike Evans, WR (Re-signed)
- Baker Mayfield, QB (Re-signed)
- Devin White, LB (Signed with Eagles)
- Lavonte David, LB (Re-signed)
- Antoine Winfield Jr., S (Franchise Tagged)
- Greg Gaines, DT (Re-signed)
- Williams Gholston, DE
- Matt Feiler, OG
- Aaron Stinne, OG (Signed with Giants)
- Chase Edmonds, RB (Re-signed)
- Ryan Neal, S
- Shaq Barrett, LB (Signed with Dolphins)
- Chase McLaughlin, K (Re-signed)
The Bucs have about $14.7 million in cap space after reaching deals with Baker, Evans, and Winfield Jr., so there's plenty of room to play with when it comes to both adding outside help and continuing to re-sign key players.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers free agents who re-signed
So far the biggest moves the Bucs have made internally were bringing back Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans on multi-year deals. Antoine Winfield Jr. will eventually be joining them but he was franchise tagged to allow for more time to work something out.
- Mike Evans (Re-signed, 2-yrs/$52M)
- Baker Mayfield (Re-signed, 3-yrs/$100M)
- Antoine Winfield Jr. (Franchise tagged)
- Chase McLaughlin (Re-signed, 3-yrs/$12.3M)
- Greg Gaines, DT (Re-signed, 1-yr/$3.5M)
- Chase Edmonds, RB (Re-signed, 2-yr)
- Lavonte David, LB (Re-signed, 1-yr, $9M)
Free agents leaving the Buccaneers
Note: This will be updated as free agents agree to deals with other teams. Right now the Bucs haven't lost any players to outside deals.
- Russell Gage, WR (Released)
- Carlton Davis III, CB (Not a free agent, but traded to Detroit)
- Shaq Barrett, LB (Signed with Miami Dolphins)
- Devin White, LB (Signed with Philadelphia Eagles)
- Aaron Stinnie, OL (Signed with New York Giants)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers free agent signings in 2024
It took the Buccaneers a few days to dip into the free agent market, but it seemed like they wanted to take care of their own players first. That was a theme that continued even as they made outside additions, as the Bucs' first signing was Jordan Whitehead, who spent the first five years of his career in Tampa Bay.
- Jordan Whitehead, S (Signed, 2-yrs, $9M)
- Bryce Hall, CB
- Ben Bredeson, C (Signed, 1-yr, $3.5M)
- Sua Opeta, OG