ERFA: Bazelak, Deckers
Obviously coming back as these are no brainers.
RFA: Watts, Tucker and Izien
I think these three are most likely coming back. Especially Tucker and Izien.
UFA: Evans, Reddick, David, Dean, Gaines, Hall, Heck, Shepard, Vildor, White, Bridgewater, Gray, Jones, Feeney, Walker Jr., Jordan, Otton, and Kieft.
Honestly if Evans wants to keep playing I am all for bringing him back. The rest are questionable because the Bucs might want to go younger along multiple spots to replace these Bucs UFAs.
Jayson Jones was signed and he was the youngest free agent at 25 years old. I think the Bucs push for another youth movement but this time including some free agent signings and not just relying so much on the draft since they are out of cap jail.
Hall, White and Otton are still young enough but I think the Bucs need to spend the cap space elsewhere. Makes no sense to spend cap space here when the Bucs can upgrade in other positions via free agency.
Yeah the only must resign is Evans
Makes sense to me. No point going back into cap jail to re-sign free agents that yielded a losing season and are older.
I'd let Hall shop around and then bring him back at a reasonable price. A lot depends on the coaching situation.
Otton may not be everybody's favorite, but if you let him go you're totally SOL at TE. You'll have to go out and spend money on another TE probably not any better.
I'd keep Kieft.
I think Evans comes back for one more year.
As for White, I think he's gone. He'll find more money elsewhere. He just wasn't getting enough carries here.
Reddick, David, Dean, Gaines, Hall, Heck, Shepard, Vildor, White, Bridgewater, Gray, Jones, Feeney, Walker Jr., Jordan
all gone, right?
Reddick, David, Dean, Gaines, Hall, Heck, Shepard, Vildor, White, Bridgewater, Gray, Jones, Feeney, Walker Jr., Jordan
all gone, right?
Seems that way with how things are lining up because I can not rule out some of them being offered to return. But how likely is that?
Reddick - Bucs need a younger guy to take his place to play opposite if Diaby. If Watts is returned as an ERFA and the Bucs use a 2026 1st/2nd round pick on an end it makes no sense to have Reddick return. Plus, you need to give a guy like Walker playing time and then you have Kamara who the team likes. Nelson is on his final year of his deal and is enough veteran presence for this group. Bucs will be drafting an edge high and signing a younger guy via free agency to double dip. Bucs 2025 double dip at the position with Reddick and Walker did not work out but they will try again.
David, Dean, Gaines, Vildor, Hall
Most of their replacements are on the roster already with the exception of David's so no point bringing any of them back to eat cap space. Bucs will be drafting and signing free agents that will be younger to fill out the defensive roster to go with the core young defenders on defense. Bucs will need to go younger at DT, ILB, OLB for sure. And the defensive players on future contracts like Jayson Jones, JJ Roberts, Nick Jackson, Nash Hutmacher, Mohamed Kamara, Marcus Banks that will be compete for roster spots.
Sheperd, White, Bridgewater, Heck, Feeney, etc.
Bucs probably go younger and say goodbye to Shepard as they have enough WRs that the team likes between T. Johnson, K. Johnson, and Garrett Greene (signed futures contract) for the back half of the depth chart. With Godwin, Egbuka, and McMillan that covers the top half of the WR depth chart and even more so if Evans wants to return.
Bucs already have four RBs they like in Irving, Tucker, Williams and Wright. Bucs will draft and sign two RBs and keep the best 3-4 so no point paying White loads of cash to be a situational player.
Walker Jr and Jordan might be re-signed for depth but you never know and the team moves on from both if they improve both ILB and interior OL enough.
The progress of the 2025 rookies, plus the 2026 draft class and a more complete free agent class means the Bucs will see significant roster turnovers in 2026. Time to turn the page with a lot of these players that have run their course.
The progress of the 2025 rookies, plus the 2026 draft class and a more complete free agent class means the Bucs will see significant roster turnovers in 2026. Time to turn the page with a lot of these players that have run their course.
throw in a potential coaching/scheme change and the team could be radically different in 2026
It will have to be different to an extent. But regardless of what new scheme they are running you still need DT, ILB and OG so a lot of interior players. On the perimeter the Bucs probably focus on adding another boundary CB for special teams play but also as depth. The team is high on JJ Roberts so I think Safety/NCB is covered.
To be more specific:
Bucs need a plan B if Kancey is out again due to injury as they need another under tackle. Maybe they move Roberts full time as an under tackle. But the Bucs need to replace Hall and find a nose to backup Vea in that scenario. Jayson Jones was signed to a future contract but like Simmons the Bucs may roll with both of them as backups. And then just worry about filling out Hall's spot with with a drafted player or let Roberts take Hall's spot and draft an under tackle to sit behind Kancey.
At interior OL I think they go with more of a power guy because Haggard, Scott, and Klein are project players based on technical play. Mauch and Bredeson are still under contract but this is where maybe the Bucs introduce a guy with more power via the draft and allows the team with more flex to protect Mayfield in the middle.
ILB is for sure where the Bucs will find guys that are fast and tackling machines. Nick Jackson and Dennis are not out of the picture as they have shown some things to like on film but shouldn't be handed starting jobs by default.
Keep Evans
Keep Gaines
Keep Tucker
Keep Keift
Everyone else can walk and let's grab some comp picks.
Zero interest in Otton
