With the Bucs having a litany of players heading towards free agency this season, it’s no surprise that a couple of them land on Pro Football Focus’s Top 100 free agents list. What’s important to identify is that the Bucs who are named are put in very high regard, which shows how crucial it is that they return to Tampa Bay next season.

Brad Spielberger of PFF constructed the Top 100 free agents rankings heading into the 2023 offseason and there are two Bucs not only on it, but inside the Top 10. Cornerback Jamel Dean punched in at five while veteran inside linebacker and team captain Lavonte David was one spot behind him at six on the list.

Dean’s Importance To The Bucs

Here’s what Spielberger said about Dean:

Bucs CB Jamel Dean- Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Fellow Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis returned to the team this offseason on a three-year, $44.5 million contract that could serve as something of a benchmark to clear for Dean wherever he potentially ends up. Dean carries some injury history but has outperformed Davis since entering the league in 2019, earning coverage grades above 75.0 in every season thus far.”

“Dean takes some risks attempting to jump routes that at times can lead to explosive receptions over the top, but his size, athleticism and physicality at the line of scrimmage enable him to disrupt opposing wide receivers’ releases and will have a lot of teams interested. He doesn’t have great ball skills — though he did snag two interceptions on the year — and can be a bit stiff in the hips, but we’re nitpicking here with a guy who can match up well with a lot of the top big-bodied wide receivers across the NFL.”

Given the tough financial situation that the Bucs are in, Dean may have out-priced himself out of Tampa Bay. He was on a tear at the beginning of the season but then leveled out as the year went on. Overall he had a very solid performance in a contract year with 57 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions in 15 games.

What should be worrisome for Tampa Bay is that they are very thin at corner if Dean leaves in free agency. Outside of Davis, the Bucs only have Zyon McCollum on the roster, who struggled often in his rookie season.

What David Means To The Bucs

This is what Spielberger thought of David:

“One of the best off-ball linebackers of his generation, David is still playing at an extremely high level and may benefit from New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner playing very good football well into their 30s on recently signed contracts of their own. Potentially losing a step or two with age can be negated by elite play recognition and instincts, both of which David has in spades.

Bucs LB Lavonte David and Bengals QB Joe Burrow – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“David’s 88.5 coverage grade this season ranked second among off-ball linebackers, and his elite 93.0 mark over the past four seasons is the top mark at the position.”

Pewter Report has talked multiple times about how David could get a Bobby Wagner-type deal with a team that might be more ready to contend. The question for David is whether he wants to retire, finish his career only playing for the Bucs, or contend for another title somewhere else. At this point, we’re not sure what he values most. Though not in his prime, David showed to be very consistent all season recording 124 tackles, five pass breakups, three sacks and a fumble recovery in all 17 games.

Much like the Dean situation, the Bucs are even in a worse situation at inside linebacker. Devin White is going into a contract year, then beyond him it’s K.J. Britt and J.J. Russell, who are both better suited to play special teams than inside linebacker.

No Other Bucs Make Top 100 Rankings

Dean and David were shown right away at five and six, but those are the last Bucs you’ll see. In a bit of a surprise, no other Buccaneer made the list. Tampa Bay has defensive backs Mike Edwards, Logan Ryan, Keanu Neal and Sean Murphy-Bunting hitting free agency, as well as outside linebackers Anthony Nelson and Carl Nassib. But none were able to crack the rankings.

Regardless, it’ll continue to be a busy offseason for the Bucs’ front office.