Bucs Sign Veteran Free Agent DT

A former fourth-round pick in Los Angeles, Gaines played at the University of Washington with Bucs nose tackle Vita Vea and outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Gaines and Vea are close friends. Gaines also played with new Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield with the Rams over the last month of the 2022 season.

Gaines has 122 career tackles with 11 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in four years with the Rams. He’s played in 59 games with 25 starts and will be part of Tampa Bay’s defensive line rotations.

Greg Gaines Helps Bucs Defensive Line Depth

The Bucs started free agency with just two experienced defensive linemen under contract – Vea and Logan Hall, who was last year’s second-round pick. Reserve Rakeem Nunez-Roches, 30, signed with the New York Giants last week at the start of free agency.

The Bucs now have four other defensive linemen available in free agency, including Will Gholston, Akiem Hicks, Pat O’Connor and Deadrin Senat. Gholston and O’Connor could be the favorites to return to Tampa Bay on a cheap, one-year deals.

The team may move on from Hicks, who will turn 34 this year and has had trouble staying healthy the last couple of years. Hicks missed six games last year and underwhelmed as a pass rusher, recording just one sack, which came in Week 18 at Atlanta.

Gaines, who is much younger at age 26, has limited pass rush ability, but did record a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2021 and four sacks last year.