Despite all of the moves the Bucs have made this year, they still have plenty of dough. After recently extending franchise left tackle Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay currently has $22,433,488 in available cap space per Over the Cap.

While general manager Jason Licht and assistant general manager and cap guru Mike Greenberg are responsible when it comes to finances and carefully plan each move, there are ample funds to bring in a free agent to compete for playing time – specifically on the defensive side of the football.

Two areas come to mind, cornerback and outside linebacker.

At cornerback, Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum are the team’s top two options, with Bryce Hall and a mix of unproven youth behind them. With question marks already surrounding Dean’s production and availability and McCollum being able to step into a starting role, an established veteran in the room could go a long way.

Bucs assistant general manager Mike Greenberg – Photo by: Mike Greenberg

The same goes for outside linebacker, and while the team attempted to fill that void with Randy Gregory, each passing day only assures that he will never receive a single snap in Tampa Bay as he has gone AWOL. With Yaya Diaby remaining out with an ankle injury, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson sit atop a depth chart that does raise some cause for concern. Those concerns have only escalated after the team failed to record a single sack in the preseason opener.

There is not a ton of time for players to get acclimated in new places, so if the team decides to make a move, one would imagine it being by the end of the month. With this context laid out, who are five free agents that make sense to bring in, and who would fit head coach Todd Bowles’ defense?

Let’s examine them.

Cornerback

Patrick Peterson

Steelers CB Patrick Peterson – Photo by: USA Today

When it comes to Patrick Peterson, the name recognition is there. Peterson is an eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who did his best work early in his NFL career with the Cardinals. After leaving Arizona after the 2020 season, he found his next home with the Vikings. He was able to recapture some of his early-career magic in purple and gold, recording five interceptions and posting a quality 80.7 Pro Football Focus grade in 2022.

Peterson traded in those threads to head to the Steelers on a one-year, $7.15 million deal in 2023, but his production declined significantly. Still, at 34 years old, he offers the ability to step in a pinch and would be great depth. With 200 career starts and experience playing under Todd Bowles in 2013-2014 when he was the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator, the dots are there to connect him to Tampa Bay.

His veteran presence and renowned ball skills (36 career interceptions) would be a welcome addition to a Bucs’ cornerback room that needs it.

Stephon Gilmore

Cowboys CB Stephon Gilmore – Photo by: USA Today

Patrick Peterson is not the only recognizable name on this list. Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 AP Defensive Player of the Year, has remained a productive cornerback going into his mid-30s. While Gilmore is no longer the same player that he was at his peak with the Patriots, there is a reason that he has continued to find homes at this point of his career.

It’s not the end-all-be-all, but he would have graded out as the Bucs’ best cornerback last year per PFF (Gilmore’s 74.4 to Jamel Dean’s 74.3). Long holding the reputation of a shutdown cover cornerback, that is a trait that would greatly serve a Tampa Bay passing defense that ranked 29th last year. His 31 total interceptions would add ball production and he remains a willing tackler (66 in 2022, 68 in 2023).

The secondary has been revamped this offseason, notably by signing Jordan Whitehead and drafting Tykee Smith, among other moves. It has been a point of emphasis to bolster the back end of the defense, and adding a cerebral and still-productive Gilmore would make opposing offenses respect them even more.

Adoree’ Jackson

The youngest player on this list at 28 years old, Adoree’ Jackson is a free agent after completing his three-year, $39 million deal that he signed with the Giants in 2021. When it comes to Jackson, he lacks the ball production of the other cornerbacks mentioned above (four career interceptions in 83 games). What he would add to the room is sticky man coverage skills, which are his strongest attribute.

Back in 2018, it was on display when the Bucs and Titans held joint camp practice against one another, with this clip going viral.

It’s been a while since those days, and one has to go back to that year when Jackson last played a full regular season. Still, his combination of relative youth and experience would be valuable, and one wonders at this point if he would be open to signing onto the practice squad and working his way up to the active roster.

Outside Linebacker

Yannick Ngakoue

Yannick Ngakoue has been a pass rusher for hire since being traded from the Jaguars in 2020. Since then, he has played for the Vikings, Ravens, Raiders, Colts, and Bears. Known for his ability to get after the quarterback, the 29-year old Ngakoue has a total of 69 sacks across his eight seasons in the NFL. While he has played as a defensive end mostly in 4-3 defenses throughout his career, his size (6-2, 246 pounds) would be best suited as an outside linebacker in Todd Bowles’ 3-4 defensive scheme.

Packers LT David Bakhtiari and Bears DE Yannick Ngakoue – Photo by: USA Today

One would think with his production he would have no problem finding a home. That’s where some red flags arise, and why he remains without a team. After joining the Bears on a one-year, $10.5 million deal last August, he posted a career-low four sacks and did not look like the player he was early in his career with Jacksonville.

To his credit, he still desires to be one of the best.

“I have to re-establish myself and remind people of why I’m one of the best [pass] rushers,” Ngakoue said back in May. “That’s the only thing on my mind.”

His propensity for sacks and applying pressure to the quarterback is his calling card, but that does not come without some drawbacks. Ngakoue struggles in run defense, and his playing style would make him nothing more than a situational pass rusher. The Bucs may want to roll with younger, in-house options at this point (Markees Watts or Jose Ramirez comes to mind), but there is no denying the production and credibility the one-time Pro Bowler would add to the outside linebacker room.