The Tampa Bay Buccaneers agonizingly missed out on the NFL playoffs in 2026, but they only have themselves to blame after a putrid second half of the regular season that included straight losses to Super Bowl contenders back when the Bucs themselves were vying for contention before melting down to a truly embarrassing degree against struggling sides in the NFC South.
Now, the Buccaneers need to plan for the future and for a return to the postseason by having a productive offseason. And that all begins with taking care of their own impending free agents, of which they have a handful of notable names.
Here are the three biggest priority players for the Bucs to keep in 2026, ranked in order.
3. LB Lavonte David
Lavonte David is honestly finished at the highest level of football, but the Buccaneers are so lousy defensively, especially in the front seven, that keeping David actually makes a ton of sense - assuming he does not want to retire first.
Last season, David still led the Buccaneers with 114 combined tackles and even chipped in eight tackles for loss. While that says a lot about the incompetence around him, the Bucs can't really afford to lose David just yet.
2. CB Jamel Dean
Even though Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles seemed intent on proving his own incompetence by not trusting Jamel Dean as a nailed on starter, the young cornerback still distinguished himself to those actually paying attention as one of the best corners in the NFL last season.
Dean led all Bucs corners with nine passes defended and was so much better than his teammates at the position that quarterbacks were mercilessly targeting the likes of Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison while avoiding Dean (and Jacob Parrish) like the plague.
Best yet, Dean allowed a QB Rating of 63.1 with a completion percentage surrendered under 50. He also had two touchdowns allowed to three interceptions and just one missed tackle. Dean is quietly becoming a truly great corner and is a no brainer to keep.
1. WR Mike Evans
Speaking of no brainers to keep, Mike Evans is one of the biggest legends in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - and with players like Tom Brady and Derrick Brooks in their history, there are plenty - and he was amazing last season.
The Bucs totally fell apart as a team on offense and in terms of their leadership without Evans due to injury, and they are definitely not ready to lose him. You could statistically argue that Dean was more important, but stats are not everything. Evans is the most important player on the Bucs, still, and as long as he wants to keep playing football, he has a home in Tampa Bay.