Tampa Bay Buccaneers mock offseason: Predictions for Bucs' free agency and NFL Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are entering a pivotal offseason after a disappointing 8-9 season in 2025. The team has major needs to address starting with pass rusher and inside linebacker. The biggest storyline is whether or not veteran wide receiver Mike Evans will return for his 13th NFL season. With plenty of holes to fill and a limited $50 million cash budget to do it with, the front office will have their work cut out for them.

I took my best shot at stepping into the shoes of general manager Jason Licht and managing the Buccaneers' free agency and draft.

Josh Crysler's Buccaneers blueprint for the 2026 offseason

Contract Restructures

According to Over the Cap, the Buccaneers are entering the offseason with just under $20 million of cap space. My first move is to restructure a few contracts to create some cap flexibility.

LT Tristan Wirfs - Restructuring Wirfs' contract creates $18.525 million in cap space.

RT Luke Goedeke - Restructuring Goedeke's contract creates $15.206 million in cap space.

Restructuring the team's two cornerstone offensive tackles created about $34 million in cap room, and we're now entering free agency with a cap figure near $54 million.

Unrestricted Free Agents Re-Signed

WR Mike Evans - 2 years, $38 million ($23 million guaranteed)

Right off the bat, I'm bringing back the face of the franchise on a two-year deal, but with only one year of fully guaranteed money. This deal gives Evans a significant payday to ensure he finishes his career in a Bucs uniform.

The second non-guaranteed year tacked on prevents Evans from entering free agency again next year in the event he decides to keep playing after 2026, while giving the organization the flexibility to move on if necessary.

WR Sterling Sheperd - 1 year, $1.7 million

Sheperd brings a great veteran presence for the younger players in the wide receiver room, and also has a great relationship with Baker Mayfield. Sheperd would have to accept a team-friendly deal as he'd be the WR6 in a crowded position room behind Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson.

IOL Dan Feeney - 1 year, $1.3 million

Feeney is a valuable depth piece that is worth being retained at the right price. The veteran backup appeared in 12 games last season, starting 10 of them.

Unrestricted Free Agents Not Re-Signed

ILB Lavonte David* (retired)

OLB Haason Reddick

CB Jamel Dean

DT Logan Hall

TE Cade Otton

RB Rachaad White

DT Greg Gaines

OT Charlie Heck

CB Kindle Vildor

OL Michael Jordan

ILB Deion Jones

ILB Anthony Walker Jr.

QB Teddy Bridgewater

S J.T. Gray

OLB Markees Watts (ERFA)

OT Tyler McLellan (ERFA)

Restricted/Exclusive Rights Free Agents Re-Signed

The Buccaneers have already declined to pick up the tenders on DB Christian Izien and RB Sean Tucker, but that doesn't mean they aren't interested in bringing them back at the right price.

RB Sean Tucker - 1 year, $2.25 million

With Rachaad White leaving in free agency, the Bucs can't afford to have Bucky Irving as the only running back in the stable. Tucker has proven to be a capable runner when given the opportunity, and he should be brought back.

DB Christian Izen, 1 year, $2.25 million

Izien's versatility as a defensive back makes him a crucial backup that can fill multiple roles when needed.

TE Ko Kieft - 1 year, $1.1 million

Kieft specializes as a blocker and a special teams player. After losing Cade Otton in free agency, the tight end room is incredibly thin, and there's room for Kieft at the right price.

QB Connor Bazelak - 2 years, $1.9 million

Per his agency, the Bucs have already re-signed Bazelak. He beat out Kyle Trask for the QB3 job last offseason, and could maintain a backup spot with the team moving on from Teddy Bridgewater.

LS Evan Deckers - 1 year, $950K

The Buccaneers have already brought back Deckers, who has served as the team's long snapper for two seasons.

Between the unrestiricted and restricted free agents that have been re-signed, we have just over $20 million of the team's $50 million offseason budget left to spend.

New Unrestricted Free Agents Signed

EDGE Trey Hendrickson - 2 years, $44 million ($22 million guaranteed)

Signing the biggest free agent on the market would be quite the splash move, and it's the exact kind of move Tampa Bay needs to make right now. The Bucs haven't had a player reach double-digit sacks since Shaq Barrett did it in 2021.

In 2023 and 2024, Hendrickson posted 17.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons. While an injury-riddled 2025 season limited him to only seven games, he still recorded four sacks and earned the sixth-higest pass-rush grade in the NFL per PFF.

Hendrickson wants to return to his home state of Florida to play for the Buccaneers, and if he's willing to give a hometown discount, (no state taxes!) Tampa Bay shouldn't pass up the opportunity to get him in the building. A two-year deal with a team option after 2026 gives the team flexibility to move on if he regresses due to age or injuries.

ILB Justin Strnad - 2 years, $8 million

Strnad is one of the biggest sleepers in this free agency class, and he comes at a bargain price as a result. Strnad is coming off the best season of his career for the Denver Broncos in 2025.

PFF ranked Strnad as the NFL's 16th-best linebacker in 2025. He was elite in pass coverage, earning a top-ten coverage grade and was also an effective pass rusher with five sacks.

Strnad is an ideal veteran to add to a thin linebacker room with true breakout potential at an incredible value.

ILB Jamal Adams - 1 year, $1.3 million

The Bucs double dip at linebacker and reunite Jamal Adams with the head coach that drafted him, Todd Bowles. Adams was drafted as a safety, but last season's move to linebacker proved to be the right move for his career.

He ranked as PFF's No. 33 linebacker and had strong grades in coverage (14th out of 88) and as a pass rusher (20th out of 88). Adams can provide a veteran presence, familiarity with Bowles' scheme, and the blitzing ability that Bowles loves to utilize -- all for the vet minimum.

QB Mitch Trubisky - 1 year, $3 million

The Bucs badly need an upgrade at backup quarterback, especially considering the physical brand of football that Mayfield plays.

The team has played with fire the past few seasons relying on Kyle Trask and Teddy Bridgewater as their insurance policies.

Trubisky only got significant playing time in one game last season, and he made the most of it going 22-for-29 with 259 yards and four touchdowns. He is capable of keeping the offense functional if anything happens to Mayfield, and would help solve an under-the-radar weakness.

Total Money Spent on Internal and External Free Agents for 2026 season: $60.75 million

I went slightly over the $50 million cash budget set by team ownership, but I’ve earned some slack after bringing back franchise icon Mike Evans and landing the top free agent on the market in Trey Hendrickson. To make the numbers work from a salary cap standpoint, Tampa Bay would likely add void years to both contracts to lower the immediate cap hits and create some short-term flexibility. Now, a successful draft class will be key to filling the remaining holes on the roster.

Josh Crysler's Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2026 NFL Mock Draft

Round 1, Pick 15: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

After losing Cade Otton in free agency, tight end has quietly become a major need. Ko Kieft is mainly a blocker, while Payne Durham and Devin Culp combined for only two catches last season.

Signing Trey Hendrickson to address the pass rush combined with the depth of this linebacker class gives us the flexibility to take the best player available, even if it's on offense.

Sadiq is an athletic freak. At 6-foot-3, 241 pounds, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash for a tight end in NFL Combine history at 4.39 seconds. He was secong among FBS tight ends with 8 touchdown catches in 2025, and he's also a strong run blocker.

The Bucs' strength currently lies in the offense, and it doesn't hurt to lean into that strength and make Baker Mayfield's life even easier by adding a matchup nightmare at tight end.

Round 2, Pick 46: Jacob Rodriguez, ILB, Texas Tech

Rodriguez is the future of the linebacker position in Tampa Bay. He had an incredibly productive college career with over 300 tackles, six sacks, six interceptions, and 13 forced fumbles. He had one of the best collegiate linebacker seasons ever in 2025, taking home just about every award possible.

Watching his film, it's apparent he's a high-effort, instinctive player who is always around the football and in position to make a play. If he's on the board at 46, you sprint to the podium and don't think twice.

Round 3, Pick 77: Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington

Coleman could be an ideal replacement for Rachaad White due to his ability as a pass blocker and receiver. He surpassed 1,000 scrimmage yards in three consecutive seasons at Washington, where the Buccaneers have developed quite a pipeline.

He recorded 87 catches in his college career and his comments about the pride he takes in his pass blocking ability will certainly catch the Bucs' attention.

Despite measuring in at only 5-foot-8, Coleman is compact at 220 pounds with a playing style that perfectly complements Bucky Irving.

Round 4, Pick 116: Logan Jones, IOL, Iowa

Nobody would be happier than Tristan Wirfs if the Buccaneers brought in another Iowa offensive lineman.

Jones was one of the best centers in college football last season, earning the highest pass-blocking grade of any center in the nation. Tampa Bay struggled with interior offensive line depth last year, and the long-term outlook at center and guard remains uncertain. Graham Barton has experienced some growing pains as the starting center, Cody Mauch is entering a contract year, and Ben Bredeson is in the final season of his deal with guaranteed money attached.

Jones offers intriguing upside as an interior depth piece with a legitimate path to earning a starting role in the near future.

Round 5, Pick 153: Kaleb Proctor, DL, Southeastern Louisiana 

The Bucs want to get bigger on the defensive line this offseason, and while Proctor doesn’t fit that mold at an undersized 6-foot-2, 291 pounds, his athletic traits and elite pass rush ability are too difficult to pass up on Day 3.

Proctor finished as PFF’s ninth-ranked defensive lineman out of 888 qualifying players in 2025, and his pass rush grade ranked third.

His 39 pressures ranked fourth among all defensive linemen and his 9 sacks ranked second in 2025.

The one question Proctor will face is the level of competition he faced, playing in the FCS at Southeast Louisiana. The Bucs drafted EDGE David Walker in the fourth round last year after he had incredible college production in the FCS, and they take a similar swing here.

Round 6, Pick193: George Gumbs Jr. EDGE, Florida

Gumbs Jr. is a developmental prospect, so we’re betting on potential here.

He played at both wide receiver and tight end before converting to edge rusher, so he’s still raw at the position but  by all accounts, he’s a high-effort, high-character player.

He recorded 11 sacks in his college career along with four forced fumbles. His stock rose at the combine, as his 33 ⅝ arms are among the longest among defensive ends/edge rushers in this draft class and he recorded the second-highest vertical jump ever at his position at the NFL Combine. 

The Bucs would need to be patient as he continues to grow at the position, but the potential is there for him to be a quality backup that can develop into a starter with time.

Round 7, Pick 229: Luke Altmyer, QB, Illinois

The Buccaneers need another quarterback in the building after spending too many years playing with fire with weak depth at the position.

I signed Mitchell Trubisky earlier in free agency, but he’s likely more of a short-term bandaid than a long-term backup option. Altmyer could potentially develop into that role for the future behind Baker Mayfield.

Altmyer draws some comparisons to Mayfield due to his smaller 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame and similar playing style and mentality. During his Combine interview, Altmyer didn’t hesitate when asked which quarterback he tries to emulate.

“Baker Mayfield kind of resembles me a little bit. His passion, his competitive spirit, his toughness, his desire to win shows up through the screen. I think his creativity and mobility when things are not there is really special,” Altmyer said via Illini Inquirer.

Like Mayfield, Altmyer also transferred in college, going from Ole Miss to Illinois where he became one of the most productive quarterbacks in school history. He threw 60 touchdowns with 24 interceptions while adding 13 rushing touchdowns during his career.

Taking a seventh-round swing on a quarterback who models his game after Mayfield and could eventually develop into his backup is a fitting way to close out this draft.

As this mock offseason comes to a close, the Buccaneers are built to compete in 2026.

Mike Evans returns, Trey Hendrickson gives Tampa Bay the elite pass rusher it has long been searching for, and the linebacker room gets a complete overhaul with three new additions. Tampa Bay also adds a generational athlete at tight end to replace Cade Otton, finally upgrades the backup quarterback situation behind Baker Mayfield, bolsters the interior offensive line depth, and finds a potential long-term replacement for Rachaad White.

The result is a roster that isn’t just built to win the NFC South, it’s built to chase a Super Bowl.