Josh Queipo’s Bucs Battle Plan For 2026

Josh Queipo’s Bucs Battle Plan For The 2026 Offseason

I received feedback that my 2025 Bucs Battle Plan wasn’t realistic enough. This year I am shooting for a plan that is a blend of creative while still being in the realm of possible. My goal is to upgrade the talent on defense – specifically in the front seven – while maintaining the potential of the offense as best as I can.

Bucs Trades

I considered potential trades looking for potential targets to specifically boost the team’s pass rush, scouring the rosters of teams that are trying to rebuild and could be looking to offload talent that isn’t in their winning window. But the truth is, due to parity in the NFL most teams feel like they are a few moves away from being competitive. I would have been in on Maxx Crosby, but that ship has sailed since I went last for the Battle Plans. The early bird gets the worm and I was late. So, no trades for me this year.

Unrestricted Free Agents Re-Signed

TE Cade Otton – 3 Years, $32 Million 

You knew this was coming. I knew this was coming. Your grandmother knew this was coming. Otton is a rare breed of good, all-around “Y” tight end. It’s a hard position to fill with someone who can keep everything on the table in terms of scheme. He’s not someone you run your offense through, but with all of the other weapons on offense that isn’t what the Bucs need at tight end. Oh, and his effort as a blocker are criminally underrated.

WR Sterling Shepard – 1 year, $1.7 million

Shepard is a quarterback favorite who does all the little things right. He’s the perfect veteran depth piece to step in when injuries inevitably happen. And he’s a great mentor for the younger players in the room including Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson, Kam Johnson and Emeka Egbuka.

Unrestricted Free Agents Not Re-Signed 

ILB Lavonte David
WR Mike Evans
OLB Haason Reddick
CB Jamel Dean
DT Logan Hall
TE Cade Otton
RB Rachaad White
DT Greg Gaines
OT Charlie Heck
CB Kindle Vildor
TE Ko Kieft
OL Mike Jordan
OL Dan Feeney
ILB Deion Jones
ILB Anthony Walker Jr.
QB Teddy Bridgewater
S Christian Izien
S J.T. Gray
OLB Markees Watts (ERFA)
OT Tyler McLellan (ERFA)

I want to make note of Lavonte David and Mike Evans. David’s play fell off quite a bit last year and I can only assume that will continue in 2026 at age 36. I know David played most of the year on a knee that needed surgery after the year concluded and so theoretically, he could be better in 2026. But the reality is injury rates increase with age. If I re-signed David, it wouldn’t be as a starter, and he wouldn’t go for a backup role. It’s best to move on.

As for Evans, I would love to have him back. But with it feeling more and more like he will really assess his external options, he should have offers at two years for $50 million. Allowing for the fact that he’s absolutely still worth that much, I just don’t have the cash to make that move and still help the defense as much as I want.

Restricted Free Agents Signed

RB Sean Tucker – 1 year, $2.25 million 

This running back free agent class is really good. With that said, few of those options offer the home run ability Tucker does at anywhere close to his price tag. Over the past three years Tucker’s explosive run rate is just 0.8% behind Kenneth Walker III. And he will cost between 1/5 and 1/6 of the price of Walker. Sign me up!

QB Connor Bazelak – 1 year, $840,000

Bazelak impressed in training camp and preseason last year and I am comfortable giving him the same opportunity as a young developmental project as he had last year.

Cuts

OLB Anthony Nelson

Nelson has been a steady fixture for the Bucs over the past seven years, but he’s due $4.5 million this year. That’s an almost 10% boost to our free agent spending limit.

New Unrestricted Free Agents Signed

DT John Franklin-Myers – 3 Years, $45 million

I want to upgrade the pass rush. That’s hard to do at edge. But Franklin-Myers provides juice up the middle. With Calijah Kancey’s injury history, finding someone who can get after the passer to compliment him and Vea as well as hedge against the possibility of losing one or the other. JFM gives the Bucs a strong top three rotation to collapse the pocket and flush quarterbacks to the edge. He finished last year with 43 pressures, a pressure rate north of 10% and 7.5 sacks.

ILB Devin Bush – 2 Years, $25 million

Bush played at an All-Pro level last year, recording 125 tackles, seven TFLs, two sacks, eight PBUs, three INTs and two forced fumbles. Bush is explosive in his movements, confident in his decisions and a sure tackler. Plus, he has experience working next to a rookie, as he and Carson Schwesinger formed one of the best linebacker units in the NFL last year. I hope that sentence is foreboding.

CB James Pierre – 2 Years, $10 million

Pierre played really well down the stretch for the Steelers last year. He will probably be looking for a chance to start, so this is a legit stretch. But he provides really good depth on the outside. He’s not fast, but he has good length and showed better technique last year. He’s also a strong special teamer with familiarity with new special teams coach Danny Smith.

OT Justin Skule – 1 Year, $1.5 million

Skule is coming off of a down year where he disappointed in Minnesota. He’s going to be fighting for a roster spot. Having previous success with offensive line coach Kevin Carberry makes him a perfect fit for a return to the Bucs on a near-league minimum deal.

OL Daniel Brunskill – 1 Year, $1.3 million

Brunskill has experience at all five offensive line positions and provides veteran depth the team clearly covets. He can swing across all three of the interior offensive line positions.

QB Kyle Trask – 1 Year, $1.3 million

Wasn’t it now retired Bucs coach Tom Moore who famously said, “If we lose our starting quarterback, we are f---ed.” I’m just not interested in investing too much in a backup quarterback. Trask has familiarity with the organization and spent last year in Atlanta with Robinson. That means there is a familiarity with the new offensive system as well. That’s valuable (especially at this price) to me. Also, Trask looked pretty good over the last two preseasons.

S Jason Pinnock – 1 Year, $1.25 million

Pinnock has starting experience with some solid tape from his time in New York with the Giants. He lost his starting job in San Francisco last year and will be looking for backup gigs where he can support a solid room. He fits the Bucs’ mold for a safety as he plays well going forward and rushes the passer well as a box safety.

Queipo’s 2026 Bucs Draft Picks

Round 1 (No.15) – Georgia ILB CJ Allen

Allen plays like a man possessed. He is fast, fluid and tough. Allen can work well going both forwards and backwards which makes him an ideal fit for Todd Bowles’ mugged-up, chaos-style defense that will feature him as both a blitzer and as a coverage player. He has the athleticism to match up with almost any back. Pairing him with Devin Bush makes them a smaller tandem, but one of the most athletic and fastest duos in the league. You can get my more detailed thoughts on Allen here.

Round 2 (No.46) – UCF OLB Malachi Lawrence

Lawrence is an athletic, twitched up pass rusher who can win high side. The Bucs have been looking for that for literally years. He can burst off the line and sustain speed up the arc with enough bend to turn the corner and win. But what makes him a true threat is that he can win inside as well as outside. He has a deep bag of tricks and the size and speed to maximize them. And as opposed to many of his contemporaries in this draft class his frame/length/arm length doesn’t give him a giant physical hole in his eval that he has to overcome. And if any of you tell Bailey Adams about this pick I’ll deny it and then quit Pewter Report.

Round 3 (No.77) – Arizona State ILB Keyshaun Elliott

Elliott is one of my favorite players in this draft class so far. He works downhill with purpose and tenacity, and he has a nose for the ball as evidenced by his seven sacks last year. His vertical and broad jumps show his strong lower half help him work in the box as a strong run defender and he loves to hit things hard. You can get my more detailed thoughts on him here.

Round 4 (No.116) – Western Michigan OLB Nadame Tucker

Tucker is a quick-twitch speed rusher who can bend with the best of them. He profiles best as a pash rush specialist who can win around the arc with connected hands and feet and fluid movements. Tucker causes panic with his quick get off and he fast footwork presents a chaotic picture for offensive tackles. As a run defender he is someone the Bucs will want to keep off the field as much as possible, but his athleticism and frenetic play style are perfect for late and long situations.

Round 5 (No.153) – Georgia TE Oscar Delp

Delp has a bit of a lanky frame and pairs it nicely with open-field speed and soft hands to create a move tight end compliment to Otton’s ‘Y’ role. He can win near the sidelines as a part of flood concepts, and he can win over the middle in the intermediate part of the field. Delp is a willing blocker even if he isn’t technically sound. There’s potential with Delp to become a secondary weapon for the Bucs’ offense who can develop into more down the line.

Round 6 (No.194) – Washington CB Ephesians Prysock

Prysock tested incredibly well at the Combine. His height, wingspan, arm length, hand size and vertical jump all measured at the 80th percentile or better and he was above the 50th percentile in every test save the 10-yard split. He’s a mini version of Zyon McCollum. And for all of the struggles McCollum had last year, he is still an incredibly successful Day 3 pick. Prysock is a talented zone defender with the length and speed to take advantage of his intelligence. He likes to play physically near the line of scrimmage, staying connected with press technique and isn’t afraid to make a tackle.

Round 7 (No.229) Indiana C – Pat Coogan

Coogan is a smart and technically refined center with a championship pedigree. His athleticism is limited which will cap his upside, especially when working in a movement-heavy system. But his ability to set protections and make sure his quarterback stays clean, along with his communication skills will make him a fan favorite in scouting and coaching rooms.

Queipo’s “Way Too Early” Bucs 53-Man Roster Projection

QUARTERBACKS – 3

QB Baker Mayfield
QB Kyle Trask
QB Connor Bazelak

Analysis: The Bucs will live and die by Mayfield this year. And I have set up the quarterback room to reflect that. Trask provides a veteran presence with knowledge of the current playbook and Bazelak is the young developmental guy who maybe can beat him out. Bottom line, if Mayfield goes down so does the team’s chances of winning. Which is the case for almost every team with their starter. They just spend more on backups.

RUNNING BACKS – 3

RB Bucky Irving
RB Sean Tucker
RB Josh Williams

Analysis: Tucker finally gets his chance to have a real shot to be a weekly contributor. His explosive speed and power pared, with Irving’s elusiveness and playmaking ability give the Bucs a good one-two punch. Williams stays on as an intriguing backup.

WIDE RECEIVERS – 6

WR Chris Godwin
WR Emeka Egbuka
WR Jalen McMillan
WR Tez Johnson
WR Sterling Shepard
WR Kameron Johnson

Analysis: This is basically last year’s receiving corps sans Mike Evans. I’m hoping that much like his comeback from a torn ACL in 2021, that Godwin’s ankle fracture from 2024 was more of a two-year process and he is as close to his best self in 2026 as possible. Egbuka should continue to grow from an up-and-down rookie season and benefit from Godwin becoming more of a volume target. McMillan fits in as a man-beater with intermediate-to-deep upside. Tez Johnson provides both big play and manufactured touch potential. Shepard and Kameron Johnson fill specific roles as veteran backup and returner, respectively.

TIGHT ENDS – 4

TE Cade Otton
TE Payne Durham
TE Oscar Delp
TE Devin Culp

Analysis: Otton provides stability to the passing attack and helps get the running game back to their 2024 level. Delp and Durham are opposites of each other but can split duties as TE2 while Culp is still an intriguing athletic backup – though the window is closing quickly on whether he can ever tap into his potential.

OFFENSIVE LINE – 10

LT Tristan Wirfs
LG Ben Bredeson
C Graham Barton
RG Cody Mauch
RT Luke Goedeke
OT Ben Chukwuma
OT Justin Skule
OL Elijah Klein
OL Pat Coogan
OL Daniel Brunskill

Analysis: When healthy, this is a top three offensive line in all of football. Goedeke and Mauch form a fantastic double team in the run game, and both are plus pass blockers. Goedeke, for my money is a top five right tackle in all of football. Opposite him, Wirfs is top three. Bredeson had perhaps his best season as a pro last year while playing multiple positions and Barton took another step forward late in the year.

Behind them, Chukwuma looks to be an exciting developmental swing tackle and Skule is back after playing the best ball of his life the last time he was in Tampa Bay. Brunskill gives the Bucs a veteran interior lineman who is hopefully an upgrade on Michael Johnson and Dan Feeney and Elijah Klein gets one more shot at turning into something.

DEFENSIVE LINE – 6

DT Vita Vea
DT Calijah Kancey
DT John Franklin-Myers
DT Elijah Roberts
DT Jayson Jones
DT Elijah Simmons

Analysis: Head coach Todd Bowles has said they want to get bigger this year. My big signing (Franklin-Myers) goes against that philosophy, but it does get to the heart of what he wanted to do last year. And Jones and Simmons provide the beef Bowles is looking for. Vea, Kancey, and JFM make for a formidable pass rushing trio and Jones and Simmons add run-stuffing compliments for early downs when needed. Roberts is the wild card. He’s not fast, but his hand usage makes him dangerous if he can continue to develop in year two.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS – 5

OLB Yaya Diaby
OLB Malachi Lawrence
OLB David Walker
OLB Nadame Tucker
OLB Chris Braswell

Analysis: This is a lot of hypothetical upside. And while I’d love to say I addressed it with a veteran with a proven track record, the cost of such players was astronomical compared to the talent. Especially since I was too late on Maxx Crosby. Still, with an improved interior push this gives me four guys who could be a part of a strong pass rush plan who could give the Bucs waves of pass rushers. Diaby and Lawrence can be three-down players with Walker and Tucker providing complimentary skillsets as second wave rushers. All four have pass rush talent and the hope is at least two hit.

INSIDE LINEBACKERS – 4

ILB Devin Bush
ILB CJ Allen
ILB SirVocea Dennis
ILB Keyshaun Elliott

Analysis: Allen and Bush completely transform the athleticism of this room, getting faster and providing movement in space skills to improve coverage and close windows. I truly believe the transformation of this room would have a cascading effect that would improve the front four as well as the back end. Dennis moves from poor starter to solid backup who can provide a minimum level of run defense. Elliott is someone who I would trust to get on the field as a rookie if need be and can be a solid part of a pass rush plan working forward more than backwards.

CORNERBACKS – 5

CB Zyon McCollum
CB Benjamin Morrison
CB Jacob Parrish
CB James Pierre
CB Ephesians Prysock

Analysis: McCollum gets a chance to bounce back while Morrison and Parrish battle for the starter spot opposite him. Parrish kicks inside in nickel situations. Pierre provides a veteran presence with more upside than Kindle Vildor. He could start if things don’t work out with any of the top three. Prysock is an athletic developmental project who should be solid on special teams.

SAFETIES – 4

S Antoine Winfield Jr.
S Tykee Smith
S JJ Roberts
S Jason Pinnock

Analysis: Winfield continues to highlight the group. The key to getting the most out of him is finding creative ways to rotate him down near the line of scrimmage where his play-making skills can be highlighted best. Smith was one of the team’s best players last year until an injury hampered him late in the season. A return to health could see him find another gear in 2026. Roberts was extremely exciting in preseason last year and provides depth at both the nickel and safety. Pinnock is a solid backup box safety.

SPECIALISTS – 3

K Chase McLaughlin
P Riley Dixon
LS Evan Deckers

Analysis: The battery remains the same for 2026 with hopes for more consistency out of punter Riley Dixon. New special teams coach Danny Smith can hopefully help improve the coverage units and get more out of the punting unit.