Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Projected Cap Space: $18.4 million

Draft Picks: 7

• 1st (No. 15)
• 2nd (No. 46)
• 3rd (No. 77)
• 4th (No. 116)
• 5th (No. 153)
• 6th (No. 193)
• 7th (No. 229)

Notable Free Agents: 

• WR Mike Evans
• LB Lavonte David
• RB Rachaad White
• TE Cade Otton
• DE Haason Reddick
• CB Jamel Dean
• DT Logan Hall
• RB Sean Tucker (RFA)
• S Christian Izien (RFA)
• G Michael Jordan
• G Dan Feeney
• LB Deion Jones
• QB Teddy Bridgewater
• LB Anthony Walker
• DT Greg Gaines
• OT Charlie Heck
• WR Sterling Shepard

Top Three Needs

1 – Edge Rusher

While Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles‘ scheme is still feared by opposing coaches and quarterbacks, the results on defense have deteriorated over the last few years. Tampa Bay has finished 23rd, 18th and 19th in total defense the last three years, and 16th and 20th in scoring defense in the last two. Bowles’ scheme is known for its blitzes, but it might not be a coincidence that the regression has coincided with a drought in high-end pass-rushing talent. The last Bucs player to crack double-digit sacks was Shaquil Barrett in 2021. 

No player has had more than 7.5 sacks since then. The overall sack numbers were alright until this past year, when Tampa Bay had just 37 and was 25th in pressure rate. Reddick was signed with the idea of being the high-octane rusher the team was missing but the veteran had just 2.5 sacks and is unlikely to be back. That number happens to be equal to the career output from 2024 second-round OLB Chris Braswell so far. 

Former third-rounder YaYa Diaby has easily been the team’s best pass rusher over the past three years with 19 sacks, including seven last season. If there’s another step to his game, his upcoming contract year would be a good time to find it. That could price him out of Tampa Bay, though, adding another layer of need to the team’s situation here. 

2 – Linebacker

If David returns for a 15th season with the Buccaneers, that would alleviate the short-term need here. Still, help is needed. The position has grown thin and the other starter, SirVocea Dennis, is going into a contract year. As a duo, the Buccaneers could do a lot worse. But David doesn’t have the range he did in his prime and Dennis is undersized, which can be exposed by certain opponents. Beyond that, linebacker is a grueling position and the depth behind those two is almost non-existent. 

3 – Tight End

Like linebacker, the situation at tight end looks a lot better for the Buccaneers if they’re able to keep Otton, a pending free agent. He has 59 catches each of the past two years and has finished in the 500-600 yard range for the past three. He’s not flashy but he’s a good all-around tight end and those can end up getting paid well in free agency. 

If Otton is priced out of Tampa Bay, it will be imperative to find a replacement. The Bucs still have Payne Durham under contract and will likely be a heavy 11 personnel team with their talent at receiver, but Durham is more of a blocking specialist and not a viable full-time starter at this stage. 

One Big Question

Is this Todd Bowles’ last stand? 

In a year where there were 10 total vacancies and three of the league’s most tenured and decorated coaches either moved on or were let go, the Buccaneers’ decision to retain Bowles stood out. Tampa Bay had designs on being a true contender in the NFC this past year and was 6-2 after the bye at the midway point of the season. They proceeded to lose seven of their final nine and miss the playoffs. 

Ultimately, ownership put more weight on the three straight NFC South titles and the stability of the post-Tom Brady transition than last year’s collapse when electing not to fire Bowles. Since he took over as the appointed successor to Super Bowl-winning HC Bruce Arians in 2022, Bowles has a 35-33 record. It’s not bad and it’s not great — which is pretty spot on as a descriptor for the Buccaneers under Bowles. 

When expectations have been low in Tampa Bay, Bowles has exceeded them. A lot of people didn’t expect him to survive the transition from Brady to QB Baker Mayfield, but that turned into a remarkable success story. When expectations were higher, like in Brady’s final season and in 2025, the Bucs have failed to meet the moment. If you zoom out, Bowles and the Bucs have been largely the same the last four years; the expectations are the biggest thing that’s changed. 

The revolving door at offensive coordinator also has to be discussed. Zac Robinson will be the fifth play-caller for Bowles in five years, following in the footsteps of Byron Leftwich, Dave Canales, Liam Coen and Josh Grizzard. Each lasted just a season for opposite reasons. Canales and Coen are head coaches, Leftwich and Grizzard…aren’t. Bowles deserves credit for two quality hires but it’s clearly not a given every year. That level of turnover is also bad for the offense over the long run. 

Even if the Robinson hire proves to be solid and he gets head coaching interest, the Buccaneers will have to ask themselves whether it’s better to watch another offensive coach walk out the door or if they should be the ones to give him the head coaching promotion. Bowles needs to have success to be assured of job security in 2026, that much is clear. But even success could be a threat to Bowles.