NFL Free Agency is finally upon us, and with is comes the chaos of teams scrambling to try and land the biggest fish they can. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this marks yet another offseason where the team is more interested in reunions than it is hunting for whoever the top player on the market is.
Thankfully, that Venn diagram is a circle when it comes to the biggest name the Bucs are after. Chris Godwin wasn't franchise tagged before the deadline and was set to hit free agency this week. It's not an unfamiliar spot for Tampa Bay to be in, even though some noise over the weekend suggested choppy waters might be ahead.
Just like last year, though, things worked out exactly the way we all thought. Mike Evans was set to test free agency until he didn't and Baker Mayfield signed a $100 million extension before the tampering period began.
Godwin went the furthest distance in terms of waiting to sign a new deal, but he confirmed yet again that all roads lead back to Tampa Bay in the end.
Latest Tampa Bay Buccaneers free agency news and rumors (Updated March 31st)
Note: This list will be updated live. After the initial wave of free agency moves will be grouped together with the lastest one listed first.
All other moves and signings
Day 3
- Buccaneers re-sign C.J. Brewer
- Greg Gaines returns on a one-year deal
- Kyle Trask re-signs on one-year deal
Day 2
- Buccaneers sign ex-Broncos punter Riley Dixon
- Joe Tryon-Shoyinka signs with AFC North team in free agency
- Bucs re-sign Anthony Nelson to $10M deal
Day 1
Here's an updated look at every move the Buccaneers have made on the first day of the free agency tampering period:
- Bucs sign Hasson Reddick: 1-year, $14M
- Chris Godwin re-signs: 3-years, $66M
- Ben Bredeson gets a new deal
- Buccaneers falsely reported as having signed Super Bowl running back
Bringing back Godwin was by far the biggest task the Bucs needed to accomplish but finding pass rush help was a very close second. In the span of mere minutes the team checked both boxes, as Haason Reddick's signing was quickly overshadowed by the Godwin news.
That doesn't mean it's not a massive deal, though.
Reddick has been on Tampa Bay's radar since last offseason when his holdout from Jets camp prompted trade rumors to swirl. The Bucs were routinely mentioned in those rumors but nothing materialized, and now the team has been rewarded for waiting.
Instead of paying draft picks for Reddick, all it cost Tampa Bay to bring in a veteran pass rusher is $14 million -- $12 million of which is guaranteed. That's still a pretty penny, but it's bargain compared to what it might have cost a year ago.