With the NFL offseason soon approaching, the Bucs will be looking to improve their roster. I recently looked at some free agent edge rushers Tampa Bay could pursue.

Bills WR Stefon Diggs and Bucs SS Ryan Neal – Photo by: USA Today

There were some questions as to why I didn’t profile some of the absolute best potential free agents like Jacksonville’s Josh Allen. The reasoning is two-fold. One, most of those players won’t be available when free agency begins. Their current teams will either get a long-term deal done or hit those players with a franchise tag.

Secondly, even if those players are available, it is extremely unlikely the Bucs would look to pay top-of-the market rates for an external free agent when they have so many of their own players who will be commanding large contracts themself. So, to make this series more realistic I will focus the “high-end” players of this series as high-end for what the Bucs may target rather than just the “best” player who might be available.

Outside linebacker is far from the only position the team could try to improve with a veteran. And so today I will focus on another defensive position. Safety. For contract valuations I will be citing the work I did with Kyle DeDiminicantanio for AtoZ Sports.

Bucs Target One: Geno Stone

The Bucs could use a safety who they can trust to play up top in single and two-deep shells. This would allow head coach Todd Bowles to feel free to move superstar safety Antoine Winfield Jr. around as the chess piece he has proven to be. Last year Ryan Neal proved incapable of doing that reliably and Dee Delaney was out of position as a fill in while Kaevon Merriweather was more of a box player himself.  Enter Geno Stone. Here is what we had to say about him on our AtoZ writeup:

“Stone has gone from seventh-round pick to starting safety over four years, steadily growing his snap count with each passing year. 2023 marked his breakout season, as he tallied seven interceptions while operating within one of the most innovative and impressive defenses in the league.

Stone has primarily operated as a free safety, where his coverage skills shine. Stone’s 0.25 yards per coverage snap was fourth and his 50.8 QB rating against was sixth among all safeties with at least 300 coverage snaps.

Stone will be a perfect complement to a team that has a very good box safety that allows him to stay up top where he does his best work.”

While Winfield isn’t a traditional box safety, having Stone up top allows the Bucs to put Winfield anywhere. We project Stone to command a three-year $25.5 million contract. That $8.5 APY would be a significant investment, especially considering they are set to pay Winfield $17 million or more as well. But by putting the two together, the Bucs would potentially have the best playmaking backfield in the NFL.

Bucs Target Two: Jeremy Chinn

Bucs WR Chris Godwin and Panthers S Jeremy Chinn – Photo by: USA Today

Chinn is an incredible athlete wrapped in a 6’3 frame. With a lot of potential that has not yet been tapped, the Bucs could take another flier, similar to one they took on Neal last year in hopes that the return is more reminiscent of Shaq Barrett circa 2019. Here is what we had to say:

“Coming off of a 2023 season where he only played 12 games, Chinn’s play ended on a high note, but was up and down for much of the season. He was targeted 17 times in the season and allowed an 82% catch rate, along with two touchdowns.

Still, Chinn is a big, athletic chess piece who has immense potential. He is at his best playing in the box as a hybrid safety-linebacker who can match up against some of the best tight ends in the game. With some improved health and solid play, he could be in-line for a multi-year deal in 2025.”

At one year and $3 million, which is the contract we project for Chinn, the risk of signing him would be substantially less than that of Stone. But Chinn is still an intriguing bet and Bowles has a successful track record of getting a lot out of safeties.