UFAs:
WR Mike Evans
OLB Haason Reddick
ILB Lavonte David
CB Jamel Dean
DT Logan Hall
DT Greg Gaines
OT Charlie Heck
WR Sterling Shepard
CB Kindle Vildor
RB Rachaad White
ILB Deion Jones
QB Teddy Bridgewater
S J.T. Gray
ILB Anthony Walker Jr.
G Dan Feeney
G Mike Jordan
TE Cade Otton
TE Ko Kieft
RFAs:
DB Christian Izien
RB Sean Tucker
OLB Markees Watts
My two cents:
OK, White is gone, I want Mike to end his career here, LD time has come, I do not want to see Sheperd back, I do not want to pay Dean big bucks and I do not care what our FO does with most of the others. As long as Bowles is our HC it is not going to end good anyway!
i mean honestly, other than Evans and washed David wanting to come back, i wouldn't really spend a whole lot of effort on the others; bring back the RFAs and get new bodies for the rest.
i mean honestly, other than Evans and washed David wanting to come back, i wouldn't really spend a whole lot of effort on the others; bring back the RFAs and get new bodies for the rest.
agreed and that list has 11 or 12 players who started/played substantial snaps
I'll take back Evans, Logan Hall, Cade Otton and Ko Kieft. I think Hall and Otton are workmanlike players, but they'll have to be replaced and that will be more expensive just to get similar players.
There were issues with practice habits that weren't really brought up until after the season. We'll see how that gets dealt with. There may be one or two surprising players on the trading block or otherwise moving on.
If we bring back Otton I'm gonna switch to being a Jets fan
Evans is the only one that should be back. There is no point bringing back any other player as the goal is to improve not the status quo.
Bucs are no longer in cap jail so they don't have to take the lesser choices now.
If we bring back Otton I'm gonna switch to being a Jets fan
The problem isn't Otton. The problem is not having a better option.
Durham is the better option. No point throwing money toward Otton when that money can be used on defense.
didn't realize dixon was FA as well
now signed .... dislike!
I do not care what our FO does with most of the others. As long as Bowles is our HC it is not going to end good anyway!
If you put your 2026 list up next to the 2021 list you can see how much the team has dropped off in terms of talent. The 2021 team was a legit SB contender. The 2025 team BEFORE injuries, loaded with guys who most "dont care what our FO does" with them.
just go through the list lol
White versus "playoff Lenny"
Otton versus Gronk"
Brady versus Mayfield
AB
young healthy Godwin
Young healthy LVD
That does not absolve Bowles, but it might explain why he got another shot
That isn't a good argument because the 2021 team was trying for a repeat.
If you compare the 2022 team versus 2025 team the Bucs have far more talent. The problem isn't talent it is that the Bucs talent (especially on defense) is not growing. There is a reason why the offense on talent is considered Super Bowl caliber.
That isn't a good argument because the 2021 team was trying for a repeat.
If you compare the 2022 team versus 2025 team the Bucs have far more talent.
huh?
I was saying if you compare the FAs, not the signings, you can see the OBVIOUS difference in talent. Not sure how that is even possible to dispute. The 2021 team was considering Gronkowski, the 2025 Otton. etc
I agree the 2025 team has more talent than the 2022 team. They didn't all play in 2025, but the team has definitely been rebuilding since 2022. The DBs stand out as an obvious upgrade, 2025 over 2024, but even then you have Carlton Davis traded in that 22-25 window FOR PICKS because . . . the talent on the roister was SECONDARY to the cap. Again, I am not sure how anyone could argue to the contrary. Licht doesnt even dispute it
the ONLY major difference between 2025 and the 2024 and 2023 teams was that Bowles defense TOTALLY collapsed in 2025.
That should have (in my view) been fatal to Bowles, but it was not because of the injuries and because of the performance RELATIVE TO TEAM EXPECTATIONS in 2023 and 2024.
Even with offensive coordinators you can see the team giving Bowles a break because he missed on Grizz BUT he obviously overperformed on both Canales and Coen.
None of the Bowles teams 2022, 2023, 2024 or 2025 were close to the talent of 2020 and 2021. The 2022-2025 teams were all rebuilding and almost exclusively by drafting. That's not on Bowles. And that is why he's back (ev en though he should not be)
There is a reason why the offense on talent is considered Super Bowl caliber.
Kyle Trask?
Oh wait . . Bowles brought in $4 million Mayfield
That is the easy way to look at things. But the offense (young talent) has been growing and improving and Grizz was the scapegoat when in fact I didn't see the young guys not showing signs of growth. EE. T. Johnson were a revelation as well as G. Greene with his snaps and the Bucs like D. Houston.
It is very easy to say the defense collapse is a result of this but if you look at it from a multiple season perspective, Kancey, Diaby and T. Smith are the only ones growing. To a certain extent McCollum.