He’s baaaackkk. The Bucs and defensive end Will Gholston have come to terms on another deal that will keep the longtime-fan favorite in Tampa Bay for another year, his 12th in red, white and pewter. The team announced the move on Monday afternoon.
Tampa Bay originally drafted Gholston in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He is one of only two players that pre-dated current general manager Jason Licht in 2023 (the other being linebacker Lavonte David). Despite not being a Licht draft pick, Gholston endeared himself to the current Bucs leadership as Licht has now re-signed him four times.
Last year, Gholston was a late signing for the Bucs, re-joining the team on the eve of training camp. But this year, he signed back on the same day Tampa Bay began its offseason workout program at the AdventHealth Training Center.
Gholston Has Been A Steady-Eddie For The Bucs
Over his 11-year career, Gholston has provided solid-to-great run defense as a 4i/5t defensive end who can contribute as a rotational pass rusher in nickel sets. With 420 tackles and 58 tackles for loss in his career, he has helped establish the Bucs as one of the best run-defending units in football for years. His efforts as a pass rusher hit high water marks in 2020 and 2021, when he accumulated 85 pressures and 7.5 sacks combined over the two seasons.
But while he is still a solid contributor, Gholston is now in the twilight of his career. He has no sacks in the last two seasons and his snap count has gone down in each of the past three seasons. In 2023, it was a career-low 244. Despite that, he recorded the first interception of his career in 2023.
Gholston will continue to act as a mentor for a Bucs defense that is quickly getting younger. With the departure in recent years of players like Shaq Barrett, Jason-Pierre Paul, and Ndamukong Suh, Gholston will now be relied upon to be the elder statesman of a locker room that is known to be one of the best in the NFL. Gholston, who turns 33 in July, has already played the most games of any defensive lineman in Bucs history.
In addition to the aforementioned 420 tackles and 58 tackles for loss, Gholston has recorded 19.5 sacks, 77 quarterback hits and three forced fumbles over the course of his career.
Bucs Also Add To Their Offensive Line With International Signing
In addition to announcing their re-signing of Gholston on Monday afternoon, the Bucs also announced that they signed offensive lineman Lorenz Metz. Metz, a 6-foot-9, 310-pound tackle out of Bavaria, Germany, didn’t start playing American football until he was 18. But he went on to play both guard and tackle at the University of Cincinnati and earned All-AAC honors during his junior season in 2021. He made 27 starts during his career with the Bearcats.
Metz originally signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent last year before being released prior to training camp. He then earned a tryout with the Giants, but wasn’t on the team’s roster for the 2023 season. Now, he’ll get a shot to continue his career in Tampa.
As part of the International Player Pathway Program, Metz does not count against the 90-man offseason roster limit. He is the third offensive lineman Tampa Bay has added this offseason, joining guard/center Ben Bredeson and guard Sua Opeta.
– Bailey Adams contributed to this report
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