INTRO: This will be my final SR’s FAB 5 column of 2025 with next Thursday being Christmas. The next one will be on January 2, 2026 – the week before the Bucs’ season finale. Will Tampa Bay be 9-7 at that time, or 8-8 or 7-9? It’s crazy to think that this Bucs team could finish anywhere between 7-10 and 10-7 over the final three weeks of the season, especially after a 6-2 start.

That means that Tampa Bay could be picking in the draft somewhere between pick No. 11 and pick No. 25 – depending on how the team finishes. It’s kind of wild to think that a team that could finish 10-7 and win the NFC South again could have so many holes in its roster heading into the 2026 offseason. But that’s the case. It’s not that the Bucs have a lot of free agents in 2026. They just have a lot of positions that need a serious upgrade in talent next year in order to take the necessary step to go from playoff pretender to possible Super Bowl contender.

I take a year-end deep dive into the holes in the roster and an advanced look at Tampa Bay’s free agents in 2026 in this week’s SR’s FAB 5. Enjoy!

FAB 1. Bucs Have A LOT Of Holes To Fill In 2026

Here’s what is crazy about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers heading into 2026. With three straight wins to close out the 2025 season, the Bucs could be 10-7 once again – and have a lot of holes to fill on the roster next year.

I mean a ton.

This is not a Bucs team that is a player or two away from contending for a Super Bowl, and that’s probably why Jason Licht didn’t make a trade at the trade deadline. He knows that.

Right now, this is a team with enough talent to win the NFC South, which is the worst division in football. That’s about it. Maybe the Bucs play extremely well and win a home Wild Card game. But do we really expect much more from this year’s version of the Buccaneers?

No, not when this team is 1-5 since the bye week and could very well go 0-3 in the next three weeks and finish 7-10.

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs have seven starters heading towards free agency next March, and I’m including running back Rachaad White in that mix given the number of snaps he plays each week. The others are wide receiver Mike Evans, tight end Cade Otton, outside linebacker Haason Reddick, defensive tackle Logan Hall, linebacker Lavonte David and cornerback Jamel Dean.

That’s not an overwhelming amount until you realize the number of needs this team has to not only fill those holes – either with re-signings or new players – but the positions that need to be upgraded. Here’s how I see the team’s needs overall:

QB: An experienced backup QB is needed behind Baker Mayfield if Teddy Bridgewater departs.

RB: If Rachaad White and Sean Tucker depart, the Bucs are left with just Bucky Irving and Josh Williams.

WR: The Bucs have a lot of good receivers, but if Mike Evans retires, they’ll need to find another big X receiver to replace him. Tampa Bay has plenty of slot and Z receivers.

TE: Even if Cade Otton is re-signed to a cheap, one-year deal, he’s not a starting-caliber tight end – more like a TE2. The Bucs need a serious upgrade to this position.

OL: The starters are great, but Cody Mauch will be coming off knee surgery and entering a contract year. Bucs likely need another starting-caliber guard for depth in case Mauch doesn’t return to form, and to replace Mike Jordan and Dan Feeney.

DT: Logan Hall will likely depart in free agency, and another starting-caliber defensive tackle is needed, as well as another reserve DT to replace Greg Gaines. This position must be bolstered as Vita Vea turns 31 and is in a contract year in 2026 and Calijah Kancey just can’t stay healthy.

OLB: This room needs an overhaul as Haason Reddick won’t be back, and Yaya Diaby is proving to be more of a solid No. 3/No. 2 edge rusher. Chris Braswell is a bust and needs to be replaced.

ILB: This position also needs an overhaul as Lavonte David turns 36 in January and could retire. SirVocea Dennis has not proven himself to be a playmaking starter and enters a contract year. Deion Jones and Anthony Walker Jr. are both 31 and neither is the future.

CB: Jamel Dean will leave in free agency and likely Kindle Vildor, too. With Zyon McCollum coming off a shaky season and Benjamin Morrison an unknown, the Bucs need another starting-caliber outside cornerback to replace Dean and another one for depth.

Bucs OLB Haason Reddick and ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: USA Today

Oh, you want that list prioritized? Okay, what do you think about this top 5?

1. Outside linebacker/edge rusher
2. Inside linebacker
3. Cornerback
4. Defensive tackle
5. Tight end

The Bucs only have seven draft picks this year, and with the amount of serious needs on this team – especially in the defensive front seven – not all needs can be filled via the draft. Truthfully, the only free agent who needs to be re-signed is Evans. Tampa Bay could use upgrades in talent at outside linebacker, inside linebacker, defensive tackle, cornerback and tight end with new additions.

That’s a lot of needs for one offseason, and kind of crazy to think a potential 10-win Bucs team that might once again capture the NFC South title has so many roster holes to fill and upgrade in 2026 – but it’s true.

Tampa Bay is poised to enter free agency with $34.5 million in salary cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.

In this SR’s FAB 5 I’ll identify the team’s personnel problems. Once the 2026 offseason rolls around and I get deeper into my free agency and draft study, I’ll identify some possible solutions.

So let’s do a deeper dive into the needs and look at all of Tampa Bay’s upcoming free agents.

FAB 2. Bucs Skill Positions Are Quite Good Entering 2026 – As Long As Mike Evans Returns

Here are the Bucs’ free agents at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end in 2026.

2026 FREE AGENTS
QB Teddy Bridgewater – UFA
RB Rachaad White – UFA
RB Sean Tucker – RFA
WR Mike Evans – UFA
WR Sterling Shepard – UFA
TE Cade Otton – UFA
TE Ko Kieft – UFA

The Bucs will have three big free agent starters on offense in 2026, headlined by future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans. The other two are tight end Cade Otton and running back Rachaad White.

Evans’ current deal averages $20.5 million per season, and he has $13.074 million in dead money in 2026 that can be rolled into a new contract – even if it’s a just a two-year deal with a void year included.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

In a perfect world, the team would like to re-sign both Otton and White, who are homegrown players from the 2022 draft, but only if the price is right on a cheap, one-year deal. And if Otton re-signs that shouldn’t preclude the team from trying to upgrade the tight end position either in free agency or the draft.

Thankfully the team didn’t extend Otton before the season. He’s currently the 62nd-rated tight end in the NFL out of 77 according to Pro Football Focus, and Bucs backup Payne Durham is No. 47 on the list. The team does like Ko Kieft for his special teams ability, and he could be re-signed to a one-year, league-minimum deal for a chance to compete for a roster spot.

Running back Sean Tucker will be a restricted free agent and the lowest tier tender, which is the first right of first refusal, is expected to be a one-year deal around $3.453 million. If Tampa Bay wants to tender him with second-round draft pick compensation, which is unlikely given the price tag, that tender is expected to be around $5.658 million.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I have a feeling that the Bucs will choose between Tucker and White in free agency. If they let White sign elsewhere – and he probably does want to find a possible starting job out there as opposed to being second fiddle to Bucky Irving here – then Tampa Bay could be in line to get a compensatory draft pick in 2027. If the team doesn’t match any offer Tucker gets, there won’t be chance at a compensatory pick.

I’m not sure what Teddy Bridgewater wants to do, and with Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson having proved themselves, I think the Bucs move on from Sterling Shepard, who turns 33 next year, at wide receiver.

FAB 3. Bucs Offensive Line Doesn’t Need Much Help In 2026 – Thanks To Great Drafting

Here are the Bucs’ free agents along the offensive line in 2026:

2026 FREE AGENTS
OT Charlie Heck – UFA
G Mike Jordan – UFA
G Dan Feeney – UFA

The good news for the Bucs is that the offensive line is the strength of this team. Homegrown offensive tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke are locked up for the long term and both are stud players. Athletic center Graham Barton has loads of potential and is under contract for three more years, including his fifth-year option. This unit needs the least amount of attention in the upcoming offseason.

There is a chance that Charlie Heck gets re-signed in the offseason, but the team may go with a cheaper option at tackle. Ben Chukwuma will supplant Heck as the swing tackle next year. The team is very fired up about his future, and he could ascend to the level of that of a starter sooner rather than later. But the Bucs will need a fourth tackle on the depth chart and can probably find that via the undrafted free agent route again.

Bucs RG Cody Mauch – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Mike Jordan and Dan Feeney have been emergency fill-in veterans and the Bucs can replace both players next year. Luke Haggard and Elijah Klein are still on the depth chart as young, developmental pieces worth keeping around for another training camp.

But knowing Jason Licht and his affinity for offensive linemen, if there is a stud interior offensive lineman worth drafting in the middle rounds, he might pull the trigger. The Bucs could use another potential starting-caliber guard to either eventually challenge Ben Bredeson or possibly replace Cody Mauch, a former second-rounder who is coming off a major knee injury and will be entering a contract year in 2026.

The Bucs just can’t assume Mauch will be back and as good as always next year. But if he is, Mauch is worth re-signing after the 2026 season because he’s athletic and has made big strides over the years and flashed Pro Bowl potential. Having said that, guard is not nearly as high of a team need as addressing needs on defense first.

FAB 4. Tampa Bay’s Defensive Front Needs A Complete Overhaul

Here are the Bucs’ free agents at inside linebacker, outside linebacker and defensive tackle in 2026:

2026 FREE AGENTS
ILB Lavonte David – UFA
ILB Deion Jones – UFA
ILB Anthony Walker Jr. – UFA
OLB Haason Reddick – UFA
OLB Markees Watts – RFA
DT Logan Hall – UFA
DT Greg Gaines – UFA

There is a lot of work that has to be done up front on defense. The Bucs have whiffed on some premium draft picks in the defensive trenches in recent years, and swung and missed on free agent Haason Reddick – a signing that made sense on paper, but just didn’t pan out.

Fixing the defensive front six/seven must be the priority for Jason Licht, Rob McCartney and Mike Biehl this offseason. The Bucs’ top need is at both linebacker spots – inside and outside.

Tampa Bay needs to add at least two, if not three more inside linebackers to the room this offseason – and two of them need to be starting-caliber players. Lavonte David’s play is sliding downhill at age 35 and he’s not going to be any better at age 36, which he turns in January. He’s one starter who needs to be replaced.

Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

SirVocea Dennis will be entering a contract year in 2026 and while he has shown some improvement as the season has progressed, he’s just not a great athlete nor is he a playmaker. The Bucs could use another linebacker here to challenge him for the starting job next year.

John Bullock and Nick Jackson are undrafted free agents worth keeping around and developing as depth pieces, but Deion Jones is replaceable. And the jury is still out on Anthony Walker Jr., who was just re-signed to the roster for the final three games. The inside linebacker position has been a team weakness for the last two years and that needs to change in 2026.

Another team weakness has been at edge rusher, where only Yaya Diaby has shown some real signs of life. Signing Haason Reddick at age 31 was a mistake in hindsight as he’s a shell of his former self and too close to the one-sack guy that he was with the Jets last year. The Bucs absolutely must hit on an alpha edge rusher in the draft or in free agency who can threaten the quarterback on a regular basis.

Not only must Reddick go, but so must Chris Braswell, a former second-round pick who has shown next to nothing in two seasons in Tampa Bay. He’s just occupying a roster spot that ultimately belongs to someone else. So that’s two edge rushers that need to be replaced on the depth chart. Make it three edge rushers, as Markees Watts is not worth re-signing as a restricted free agent, either.

Bucs OLB Haason Reddick – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs have high hopes for David Walker, last year’s fourth-round pick who wound up on injured reserve after the first week of training camp. But Walker has not proven himself and the team can’t count on him rebounding from a torn ACL to suddenly becoming a starting-caliber edge rusher after a rookie season gone awry due to injury.

So the Bucs need two to three inside linebackers and at least three new outside linebackers. Licht and Co. can’t solve the problems along the defensive front in the draft alone.

Oh, Tampa Bay could also use two more defensive tackles. Logan Hall is not worth re-signing, and won’t be. And it’s time for the Bucs to find an upgrade over Greg Gaines as a reserve nose tackle. Elijah Simmons was showing some early promise, but then he’s been inactive quite a bit since the bye week for some reason.

The Bucs also have to come to grips with the fact that Calijah Kancey, as good as he’s been on the field, will have played in 28 games and missed 23 games due to injury by the end of this season. He’s missed at least four games in each of his three years in Tampa Bay and absolutely cannot be counted on to suddenly play 17 games in 2026 given his track record.

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

Vita Vea turns 31 next year and will be in a contract year. This season has not been as productive as the two previous seasons. So Tampa Bay better start thinking about finding another starting-caliber defensive tackle sooner rather than later.

And given the fact that it usually takes two or three years for defensive tackles to really mature, drafting another tackle next year – even early – would be a wise investment. Elijah Roberts, this year’s fifth-rounder, has shown some promise, but he was really drafted to replace Hall – not Vea or Kancey.

So the Bucs need to find at least two new defensive tackles, at least two new inside linebackers and two new outside linebackers – if not three. The talent in the front six/seven this year has not been good enough. Upgrades in talent are required in 2026.

That’s some heavy lifting that is going to require Licht and the Bucs to explore free agency and possibly some trades and not just rely on the draft.

FAB 5. Bucs Secondary Needs Another Starting-Caliber Cornerback

Here are the Bucs’ free agents in the secondary in 2026:

2026 FREE AGENTS
CB Jamel Dean – UFA
CB Kindle Vildor – UFA
S Christian Izien – RFA

Looking at 2025 in a vaccum, it looks like the Bucs made a huge mistake by forcing Jamel Dean to take a massive pay cut this year from $13 million to $5 million in exchange for wiping out the final year of his contract. On the surface, Dean has had a career year with three interceptions, including a pick-six, two forced fumbles and a sack, while staying relatively healthy.

But Dean turns 30 next year and has still missed nearly three games due to injury this season. This year has been the exception of his career – and not the rule. I seriously doubt he wants to return to a team that made him take a pay cut in the offseason and then paid Zyon McCollum $16 million to be a lesser cornerback a few months later.

Bucs CB Jamel Dean – Photo by: USA Today

If the Bucs automatically pencil Benjamin Morrison in as a starter to replace Dean in 2026, they are fools. Morrison has been more injured this year than Dean has in any season with one hamstring injury after another, dating back to the mandatory mini-camp and then training camp and the preseason and then the regular season where he’s only suited up for seven games during his rookie year.

Despite the fact that Morrison is a second-round pick, he needs to win the job via competition in the offseason. That means the Bucs need to bring in another starting-caliber cornerback either in free agency or the draft to replace Dean.

I’m not sure Kindle Vildor has proven himself worthy of returning next year – even on another cheap, one-year deal. So make it two cornerbacks that the Bucs need to add in the offseason.

Christian Izien will be a restricted free agent in 2026. He’s proven his worth as a versatile defensive back capable of providing depth at either safety spot or at nickelback. But is he worth $3.453 million, which is the lowest restricted free agent tender? Doubtful. They’d take him back for a lesser amount, though.

The Bucs could use another safety for depth, but finding a backup safety is a very low priority right now with starters Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield Jr. – especially with other more pressing needs on defense.