The Bucs’ biggest offseason questions are not just at linebacker — they are also in the trenches. The inside linebacker and outside linebacker position groups need help, and the cornerback picture is a little murky right now. Still, the defensive line cannot be neglected, either.

Right now, the room is at a tipping point.

One can make the argument Tampa Bay already has its three starters upfront in Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, and Elijah Roberts, but each comes with significant question marks. Pending free agent Logan Hall throws a wrench into the plans, and the team must decide whether to re-sign him and/or add another defensive lineman or two.

Defensive Line Remains A Need The Bucs Have To Address

As we get further into the offseason, the layers of the Bucs’ defense have come more into focus. On the surface, the team has enough defensive talent to be convinced of better days ahead. When you start to dig deeper, though, more concerns begin to reveal themselves.

There is no area more telling of this conundrum than the defensive line.

Bucs DTs Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Starting with the biggest name, Vita Vea remains a productive player and is a literal anchor. Long asked to soak up double teams, Vea is an effective pass rusher and a critical part of Tampa Bay’s success in run defense. Still, the 31-year-old defensive tackle is beginning to leave the prime of his career. How much longer can the defense rely on him to be the burly, dominant nose tackle?

Vea played a career-high 17 games last year and logged 73% of the defensive snaps. By midseason, one could tell he was not as efficient with that heavy workload. As much as it may pain head coach Todd Bowles and the front office, they must think about the future and life without No. 50. The team will also need to consider that he will be a free agent next offseason.

For Calijah Kancey, no one should question his talent. Kancey is exactly the kind of first-round talent the Bucs selected 19th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, his availability is a large looming question. The 6-foot, 280-pound defensive tackle has only played 29 out of 51 regular-season games through his first three seasons.

He has succumbed to two separate calf injuries and tore his pec early last season. After leading the defense with 7.5 sacks in 2024, Kancey can become a double-digit sack artist paired with Vea. This year will be a make-or-break campaign in determining whether or not he can play a full season.

Looking at the rest of the defensive line, Elijah Roberts is a promising young player who was a great value find in the fifth-round last year.

Bucs DT Elijah Roberts – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Roberts showcased his playmaking ability in spurts getting after the quarterback and being in the right place at the right time. Is he ready to be a full-time starter, though? That is a tall ask of any young player, especially if the team does not re-sign Logan Hall or add a veteran. Beyond the trio, there is not a lot of proven depth. Greg Gaines is a replacement-level player, and Elijah Simmons and Jayson Jones spent most of the year on the practice squad.

With the Bucs needing to roster five or six defensive linemen by next season, there is some work to do.

Should Logan Hall Be In The Bucs Future Plans?

Logan Hall, like Cade Otton, is an upcoming free agent the fanbase is not particularly a fan of. Hall never truly blossomed into a plus starter, but he remains a solid piece whose value often gets overlooked. After spending three seasons being mentored by Will Gholston, the 2022 second-round pick is a more athletic, rotational defensive line piece of the Gholston ilk. His sack numbers dipped from 5.5 to just 1.5 sacks from 2024 to 2025 but is a far more polished product than he was his first two seasons.

Bucs DT Logan Hall – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Like Otton does on offense, Hall is a player who fits gaps and does a lot of the work not seen in the box score. That does not make him a star, but it does make losing him hurt more than most realize. Just to point out some of the underlying numbers, he had 32 pressures, 26 quarterback hurries, and 17 run stops. Again, not otherworldly, but quietly productive in checking a lot of boxes. He is a versatile player who can line up across the defensive line and possesses upside other NFL reporters have noticed.

None of this is to suggest Hall being nothing more than an average to slightly above-average defensive lineman, but he is the type of player Todd Bowles can plug in and know he can handle the responsibilities asked of him. Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo has him getting a two-year, $12 million deal in free agency, and his price tag is the biggest factor to weigh in his potential return.

For the right price, it is worth bringing him back, and $6 million per year is a reasonable projection if a team does not overpay for his services. If he heads elsewhere, it only adds another hole that general manager Jason Licht has to plug.

Who Could Tampa Bay Add To Help Beef Up The Trenches?

So, now that the puzzle pieces have been laid out, how will the Bucs begin to put them together?

If Logan Hall and Greg Gaines are not retained, who could realistically be brought in to round out the depth chart?

Through free agency, there are not a ton of names. Veteran D.J. Reader remains an above-average starter who is solid in run defense, and Josh Queipo predicts him to command a one-year, $4.5 million deal. Calais Campbell and David Onyemata are other capable vets, and DaQuan Jones has experience working with new defensive line coach Marcus West in Buffalo. All would come in at a similar price point.

The biggest defensive lineman with the most upside, while not completely breaking the bank, is Broncos defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers.

Broncos DT John Franklin-Myers – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Ron Chenoy

Franklin-Myers has long flown under the radar for his work with the Jets and the Broncos, but he has been a key part of Denver’s turnaround. Pro Football Focus has him generating 92 pressures, 59 quarterback hurries, and 41 run stops over the past two seasons. Going back to 2020, his 300 total pressures rank 21st among all NFL defenders.

He is more than capable of getting after the quarterback, recording 14.5 sacks across 2024 and 2025. That would have been the most for any Tampa Bay player in a similar span, with Vita Vea and outside linebacker Yaya Diaby pacing the team with 11.5 sacks each.

Franklin-Myers has worked with pass rushing guru Brandon “BT” Jordan in recent years. That is notable because Jordan also worked with Diaby last offseason.

Still just 29 years old, he will command a more lucrative contract in free agency. Franklin-Myers is projected to get a three-year, $45 million contract. That is more than double than Hall is expected to earn, but a fair asking price given his track record. He would be a notable upgrade over Hall, while not precluding the Bucs from potentially drafting a defensive lineman for added insurance.

It is not an overly strong draft class at the position, but Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter and Missouri’s Chris McClellan were two Senior Bowl standouts who caught our eye last month. Hunter is more of the Vita Vea build, not necessarily being a pass rusher but someone who commands attention and allows the players around more opportunities. McClellan offers more pass-rushing juice, and the former Florida Gator turned Missouri Tiger had 48 tackles and six sacks last season.

Hunter is projected to be a late Day 1 to early Day 2 selection, while McClellan is likely a late Day 2 to early Day 3 pick. That makes the latter a more appealing option, with the Bucs having plenty of defensive needs.

There are solutions to the defensive line picture, but simply put, the position cannot go ignored and it will determine how much bite the unit regains in 2026.