The Bucs are going back to familiar players once again in free agency and are re-signing defensive tackle C.J. Brewer to a one-year league minimum deal, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports. Brewer was an exclusive rights free agent, meaning that if the team extended an offer to him, he could not negotiate with any other team.

Playing his college football at Coastal Carolina, Brewer signed as an undrafted free agent with the Bills in 2022. During that season he was called up for games twice, recording two tackles.

Bucs DT C.J. Brewer – Photo by: USA Today

Brewer then went to the Bucs in 2023 where he was on the practice squad for the first 10 weeks of the season but was not elevated for any of their games. He was released in late November by then re-signed in the first week of December, eventually signing a futures contract with Tampa Bay after the season.

When training camp came around in 2024, Brewer had a really good camp and stood out in their preseason games. He came close to making the initial 53-man roster, but was signed to the practice squad. Not long after, Brewer was signed to the active roster in late September and made his Bucs’ debut that season participating in 12 games.

Brewer recorded his first and second sacks of his career NFL sacks in a Week 9 loss against the Falcons. It was a game where Tampa Bay wore their old school creamsicle uniforms. He wound up with 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, three quarterback hits and two pass breakups in 160 snaps.

Just like the other years, Brewer will come into training camp for the 2025 season needing to compete and earn a chance to make the roster. Depending on who else Tampa Bay decides to sign or draft, it’s likely he could either get one of the last roster spots or end up making the practice squad and being a game day elevation based on who’s available.

Are The Bucs Set At Defensive Tackle?

Bucs DT C.J. Brewer – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs re-signed Greg Gaines on Wednesday along with Brewer, building out the depth to the defensive tackle room. The top three are Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey and Logan Hall with likely Gaines as the fourth defensive tackle. That leaves Brewer competing with future contract signings Mike Greene and Adam Gotsis for the fifth spot.

Veteran defensive tackle Will Gholston is still a free agent that the Bucs could also re-sign and put back on the roster, potentially taking up the fifth spot.

Last season, the Bucs kept six defensive tackles out of training camp. They were Vea, Kancey, Hall, Gaines, Gholston and Earnest Brown. Later on in the season Brown was released by the Bucs and signed to the Cowboys practice squad, so he is not involved this season.

Tampa Bay only kept four inside linebackers at the start of the regular season last year, so if that number were to bump up to five considering what they need to fill, the Bucs may have to keep less defensive tackles if they decide to construct the defensive side of the roster differently in 2025 because of it.

They have a lot more needs at inside linebacker, cornerback and safety at the moment more than defensive tackle. There’s still a chance that the Bucs draft a defensive tackle on day three, which would throw another name into the competition with Brewer for a spot on the roster. Currently the Bucs feel fine with the players they have, but it wouldn’t stop them from trying to upgrade at any position.