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Most Underrated Offseason Move the Buccaneers Made

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Most Underrated Offseason Move the Buccaneers Made

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By River Wells | Last updated May 18, 2026 11:57 AM ET

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a lot of work to do in the offseason to set themselves up as a contender in 2026, and they were able to do most of that work through free agency and the NFL Draft.

Most of that work had to come on defense, and it certainly did. The Bucs brought on free agent Alex Anzalone and second-round draft pick Josiah Trotter to completely revamp their linebacker corps, they signed edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad and then drafted Miami star Rueben Bain to inject new life into their pass rushing attack and then drafted defensive back Keionte Scott in the fourth round to play nickel, which will kick second-year player Jacob Parrish outside to improve the depth in that room, too.

Defense wasn't the only focus of the offseason, though, and Tampa Bay's most underrated move may have come on the offensive side of the ball in free agency when they signed running back Kenny Gainwell from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bucs adding Kenny Gainwell is their most underrated offseason move

Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay has been looking to fix its rushing attack for some time after lead running back Rachaad White excelled in some areas but lacked in others. The answer appeared to have been found when the Bucs selected Bucky Irving in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he excelled as a rookie, even with limited snaps, and became the first Bucs running back to eclipse 1,000 yards since 2015.

The team suffered a regression in 2025, though. Irving, though still spectacular when healthy, took the brunt of the team's carries and injured his shoulder at the beginning of the year, and he didn't return until much later in the season. Tampa Bay's offensive line also got considerably banged up, and the Bucs were back to using White for a majority of snaps. White is now gone, though, signing with the Washington Commanders for one year,

The Bucs signed Gainwell to replace White, and it may be a huge boon for their offense. Gainwell can do a lot of what White did in Tampa Bay with more proven success — Gainwell had 4.7 yards per carry in 2025 with the Steelers and boasted 1,023 total yards between rushing and receiving. More importantly, though, he showed that he could be a number one option for the Steelers last year — in Tampa Bay, he can handle more carries, and that could help preserve Irving's health in 2026 and beyond.

Gainwell's excellent pass-catching ability and his ballcarrier vision also make him a strong third-down back, which would continue Tampa Bay's success there. He could also be a red zone threat with those abilities, too, and the Bucs need help there — they were 24th in the league in red zone conversion percentage last year, and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson loves running inside the 10-yard line. Robinson did so 72.22% of the time in 2024 and 59.70% in 2025, and Gainwell could be a weapon for that type of playcalling with his versatile skillset.

Tampa Bay's defensive signings will be what make them a playoff team, if they do make the playoffs. But the Gainwell signing brings in a running back who can replace White's skillset easily and spell Irving over a longer period of time, and if Tampa Bay's offensive line can stay healthy in 2026, general manager Jason Licht could see some excellent returns on Gainwell in the future.