Offseason In Review: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Yet he entered the offseason on an outdated extension and then saw the DT market reshaped via a host of deals outpacing his. Jordan Davis, Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons, Jalen Carter, Quinnen Williams and Keeanu Benton signed extensions, bumping Carter outside the top 20 in D-tackle AAV ($17.75MM). Vea’s situation highlighted the risks signing a long-term second contract bring. At 31, he was not in a commanding position to land a third deal. The Bucs held his age against him in an offseason staredown.

Lawrence, Simmons and Williams each received extensions with two years remaining on their deals. It took Lawrence and Williams being traded for those early deals to be finalized, but both late-20-somethings correctly recognized their bargaining power might decline by waiting another year. Vea waited until his contract year to force the issue, which brought a standoff that eventually reached the trade-request stage.

Vea’s trade request became public July 27, and teams began calling. The 49ers, Bears and Bills were among the suitors, but the Bucs — in a pivotal season for Bowles’ future and perhaps Licht’s as well — predictably dug in their heels. While Jets and Giants teams having new leadership in place from when Williams and Lawrence were extended back in 2023, Licht authorized the Vea extension — one that occurred when Bowles was defensive coordinator (and weeks away from succeeding Bruce Arians as HC). Bucs brass reached a compromise, one our Adam La Rose forecasted in a recent mailbag.

In what looks like a two-year, $48MM agreement, the Bucs retained Vea through the 2027 season. Vea had no guarantees remaining on his 2022 extension, and Tampa Bay moved $6MM into his 2026 earnings. Overall, receiving a $46MM guarantee can be interpreted as a win for both sides. Vea receives a significant guarantee bump, and the Bucs avoid committing to him beyond an age-32 season.

A linchpin on the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV-winning team, Vea has made 107 starts and has tallied 48 tackles for loss. Since missing 13 games during that 2020 season — including wild-card and divisional-round tilts — Vea has missed only seven games over the past five campaigns. He started 17 last year, and Pro Football Focus ranked the 347-pound DT as a top-25 interior D-lineman for a third straight season. With Lavonte David and Jamel Dean off the roster, Vea and Antoine Winfield Jr. are the only Super Bowl LV holdovers left on defense (though, Rakeem Nunez-Roches returned after three years away).

The late-summer agreement buys Tampa Bay more time with the stalwart DT, and this agreement will bump him past $100MM in career earnings. Even though the 2018 first-rounder lobbed out a trade request, his situation differed from Lawrence’s. This did not appear contentious, as the request was clearly aimed at convincing the Bucs extend him rather than voicing a true intent to leave.

Notable losses:

• Teddy Bridgewater, QB (retired)
• Lavonte David, ILB (retired)
• Jamel Dean, CB
• Mike Evans, WR
• Greg Gaines, DL
• J.T. Gray, S
• Logan Hall, DL
• Charlie Heck, T
• Christian Izien, DB
• Deion Jones, ILB
• Michael Jordan, G
• Haason Reddick, OLB
• Sterling Shepard, WR
• Kindle Vildor, CB
• Rachaad White, RB

Two of the greatest players in Bucs franchise history are off the roster. Evans bolted for San Francisco after 12 Tampa Bay seasons, while David retired after matching Derrick Brooks in playing all 14 seasons of a linebacking career with the Buccaneers. Both voids could be massive.

Evans will likely reach the Hall of Fame one day because of his consistency. While Evans never entered the conversation as the NFL’s best receiver at any point during his career, few in the position’s history have been as reliable. The 6-foot-5 pass catcher’s 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons match Jerry Rice’s NFL record. The probable Hall of Famer’s 11 coming to start his career separate him from Rice due to the WR legend struggling as a rookie and beginning his otherworldly run in 1986.

The 2014 wide receiver class produced some of this era’s biggest names — from Davante Adams to Odell Beckham Jr. to six-time 1,000-yard performer Brandin Cooks — but none proved as dependable as that year’s No. 7 overall pick. Grabbing Evans out of Texas A&M before Jameis Winston’s arrival, the Bucs planted a seed that would eventually help them sign Tom Brady and reverse their fortunes.

Evans put together his 1,000-yard streak with Mike Glennon and Winston (feat. Ryan Fitzpatrick) before the Bucs landed Brady and Mayfield. That has aged well. Evans’ 13,052 receiving yards lead second-place Chris Godwin by 5,426 in Buccaneers history.

Tampa Bay gave Evans a five-year, $82.5MM extension in 2018 and let him play out the contract. The Licht era has brought several examples (David included) of quality starters playing out their deals only to re-sign before or during free agency. Evans and the Bucs could not come to an agreement in 2023, but the team gave him a two-year deal worth $41MM — one bringing a frontloaded structure — to keep him off the market in 2024. Evans produced another 1,000-yard year but suffered a broken collarbone last season. That ended the all-time Bucs great’s 1,000-yard run and limited him to 368 yards in eight games.

Playing out another contract, Evans commanded extensive interest. Licht said the Bucs’ offer to retain him was significantly better than the 49ers’ proposal, but the 33-year-old playmaker left anyway. Evans signed a three-year, $42.5MM contract that brought $14.3MM guaranteed at signing.

That contract is essentially a one-year deal with two option seasons for the NFC West club. Evans joins a rather old set of skill players in San Francisco, which is in line to have six RBs, WRs and TEs over 30 by season’s end, while the Bucs are still positioned fairly well.

Just about everyone on Tampa Bay’s offense battled injury trouble last season. Evans, Godwin and Jalen McMillan missed large portions of the season, putting plenty on rookie Emeka Egbuka’s shoulders. The first-round pick wore down as the season progressed. The Bucs will count on Egbuka, who is battling a toe injury this summer, again this season.

Second thoughts about Godwin’s latest contract (three years, $66MM) have probably emerged considering the longtime Evans sidekick’s injury problems. Godwin, 30, missed eight games last season after his ankle dislocation cost him 10 in 2024. Due to two void years being on Godwin’s deal, the Bucs would take on $16.23MM in dead cap by cutting him in 2027.

David did not have Evans’ earning power, but he was just as dependable. The 14-year vet’s 215 starts rank behind only Ronde Barber (232) and Brooks (221) in Bucs history. An antiquated Pro Bowl voting system hurt David in his prime, as only one such honor came his way (4-3 outside linebackers, which David was from 2012-18, are regularly passed over for 3-4 edge rushers in Pro Bowl invites). But he snared three All-Pro nods — a first-team placement in 2013 and two second-team honors — to craft an unorthodox Hall of Fame case.

Drafting David in the 2012 second round — under Licht predecessor Mark Dominik — the Bucs did not have to wait too long after Brooks’ retirement to find another linebacking anchor. The Miami native faced stiff competition in his prime for the title of best NFL linebacker, with Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner also drafted in 2012, but he was among the best for most of his career.

David, now 36, played a key role in Tampa Bay’s playoff drought ending in 2020. With the team seeing Devin White flash but fail to provide stability, David remained the defense’s nerve center and was instrumental in the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship.

The Bucs gave David a five-year, $50.25MM extension before the 2015 season. He played out the deal and then played out four more contracts. The team re-signed David to a two-year, $25MM accord in 2021 before three one-year pacts closed his career. After playing for just $4.5MM in 2023, David remained a quality ILB and played for $8.5MM in 2024 and $9MM last season. After Year 14, the Nebraska alum said it was Bucs or retirement. He chose the latter route.

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A year after the Bucs re-signed Carlton Davis, they gave his Super Bowl LV running mate a second contract. Tampa Bay signed Dean to a four-year, $52MM pact in 2023. Injuries plagued the former third-round pick on the deal, but he remained a starter throughout. However, the Bucs gave Dean a substantial pay cut last year — one that reduced his 2025 base pay from $12.5MM to $4.25MM. Dean bounced back, allowing a 49.2% completion rate as the closest defender and a 63.1 passer rating (both his best marks since 2021).

After Davis helped set the market for modern third-contract CBs last year, Dean benefited. Dean’s 2025 rework removed a year from his 2023 deal, allowing a move to free agency at 29 instead of 30. That probably proved significant; the Steelers gave the seventh-year vet a three-year, $36.75MM deal. In typical Pittsburgh fashion, no guarantees are in place past Year 1. Dean still collected $13.75MM at signing and will be due a $4MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the ’27 league year.

Yet another Day 2 corner chosen under Licht, Jacob Parrish is set to replace Dean as the boundary cover man opposite Zyon McCollum. After spending most of his rookie season in the slot, the Kansas State product is on track to complement McCollum. Fourth-round pick Keionte Scott will be given a shot to stabilize the Bucs’ slot post — one that has seen extensive turnover in recent years — as 2025 second-rounder Benjamin Morrison resides as the team’s CB4.

Hall arrived as the first pick of the 2022 second round; he had one productive season from a pass-rushing perspective (2024, with 5.5 sacks and 10 QB hits) but was an unremarkable piece of the Bucs’ front seven. The Texans gave the interior D-lineman a two-year, $13MM contract. That betters Reddick, who remains unsigned. Reddick’s career has nosedived since his 2024 Jets holdout. Given a one-year deal worth $14MM in 2025, Reddick totaled just 2.5 sacks in 13 Bucs games.

Before Bucky Irving’s midseason takeover of the starting running back job in 2024, the Bucs had White as their lead back. The pass-down option turned out to be a bit miscast in such a role, but he still totaled 1,539 scrimmage yards in 2023. That ranks sixth-most in Bucs franchise history; only the late Doug Martin has outgained White in a season over the past 25 years.

Even though Irving injuries provided White more time last season, the 2022 third-rounder — who expected to depart Tampa in free agency — only fetched $2MM on a one-year Commanders pact. His Bucs replacement outdid that by a considerable margin.

Free agency additions:

• Alex Anzalone, ILB. Two years, $17MM ($12MM guaranteed)
• Kenneth Gainwell, RB. Two years, $14MM ($9.83MM guaranteed)
• A’Shawn Robinson, DL. One year, $10MM ($9.15MM guaranteed)
• Al-Quadin Muhammad, OLB. One year, $4MM ($2.5MM guaranteed)
• Christian Rozeboom, ILB. One year, $1.5MM ($950K guaranteed)
• Justin Skule, T. One year, $1.4MM ($500K guaranteed)
• Miles Killebrew, DB. One year, $1.79MM ($490K guaranteed)
• Rakeem Nunez-Roches, DL. One year, $1.3MM ($300K guaranteed)
• David Sills, WR. One year, $1.22MM
• Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB. Practice squad
• Easton Stick, QB. Practice squad

The market was unkind to White, despite his extensive work as a starter, but it treated Gainwell much better after he played out a low-end contract in Pittsburgh. The Steelers had the longtime Eagles RB2 for just $1.77MM last year; that became a bargain. Gainwell totaled a career-best 537 rushing yards and added 486 through the air — on 73 receptions — and earned Steelers MVP honors.

As this space frequently references, RBs who spend their early years as backups can enjoy longer careers. Gainwell enters his sixth season at just 394 carries. Also a 27-year-old back, White enters Year 5 with 677. Gainwell’s time backing up Miles Sanders, D’Andre Swift and Saquon Barkley in Philly helped create an appealing market, and Tampa Bay will roll with an Irving-Gainwell timeshare.

Gainwell was an above-average finisher in Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected per attempt metric (0.55), while Irving ranked second-to-last (minus-0.84). The latter did play with multiple injuries last season and ranked sixth in that metric in 2024 (0.94).

It will be interesting to see how the Bucs divvy up carries, especially with Irving having missed extensive time due to foot and shoulder injuries last season. The shoulder issue required surgery, and Irving did not receive clearance until training camp. Gainwell’s intriguing receiving season in Pittsburgh helped him secure nearly $10MM guaranteed at signing. It would surprise if the Bucs paid that much for a pure backup.

Anzalone, 32 this month, returns to the NFC South after five years in Detroit. The former Saints third-round pick was a steady Lions starter on a team that continues to dole out big-ticket contracts to its Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell-era draftees. The Jets were connected to Anzalone leading up to free agency; that would have brought a reunion with Aaron Glenn. It is worth wondering if they were one of the better offers the 10th-year vet said he turned down to join the Bucs.

A former Florida Gator, Anzalone already had a home in Tampa. Regional ties worked to the Bucs’ advantage, and Glenn instead reunited with former Anzalone Saints teammate Demario Davis. Anzalone does not have the body of work the ageless Davis does, but he is nearly six years younger. Pro Football Focus ranked Anzalone as a top-35 linebacker in each of the past three seasons. He will help a Bucs team needing to replace the second-best ILB in franchise history and one that has seen some recent investments (Devin White, K.J. Britt, SirVocea Dennis) disappoint.

David covered up plenty of the issues alongside him at ILB, but the team has not seen an eight-sack season since Barrett’s 2021. Tampa Bay tried hunting bigger game at OLB but was unsuccessful.

Tampa Bay was in the Trey Hendrickson mix, and a pre-free agency report indicated the accomplished vet — who played at Florida Atlantic and has a home in the Tampa area — was interested in joining the Bucs. They offered the 31-year-old All-Pro a short-term deal; a Ravens proposal including $60MM guaranteed at signing won out.

Tampa Bay was also in the Jonathan Greenard market, joining Washington as teams that discussed the veteran EDGE with Minnesota before his draft-weekend trade to Philly. The Bucs made their big strike here during the draft, but they added a stopgap in Muhammad. A few salary rungs down from Henderson’s Baltimore deal, Muhammad was also part of the Saints’ impact 2017 draft class with Anzalone.

Bouncing around the league since, Muhammad benefited from rushing opposite Aidan Hutchinson last year in Detroit. The nine-year vet racked up 11 sacks on 20 QB hits. Both figures are out of step with his usual work, and trepidation understandably ensued. This $4MM flier of sorts will be set to play behind YaYa Diaby and first-rounder Rueben Bain Jr.

Re-signings:

• Cade Otton, TE. Three years, $30MM ($20MM guaranteed)
• Dan Feeney, OL. One year, $1.49MM ($1MM guaranteed)
• Ko Kieft, TE. One year, $1.65MM ($600K guaranteed)

Yet another example of this Bucs front office retaining a key cog after he played out a contract year, Otton secured the second-most money of any FA tight end this offseason. His $20MM at signing trailed only Isaiah Likely’s $20.5MM Giants number. PFR’s first- and second-ranked TEs in this class benefited from the Falcons taking Kyle Pitts off the market via the franchise tag. But the Bucs have established one of the NFL’s best draft-and-retain processes. Otton leaving would have been a surprise through this lens.

Otton has only cleared 10 yards per catch in one of his four seasons (2023, 10.2), but he has operated both as an inline tight end and in the slot. A team that has struggled to keep wide receivers healthy recently carries some security in Otton, the Rob Gronkowski successor who caught 59 passes in each of the past two seasons for a combined 1,172 yards. Otton, 27, secured two fully guaranteed years at signing.

Draft:

• Round 1, No. 15: Rueben Bain Jr. (EDGE, Miami) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 46: Josiah Trotter (LB, Missouri) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 84 (from Packers): Ted Hurst (WR, Georgia State) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 116: Keionte Scott (CB, Miami) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 155: Demonte Capehart (DT, Clemson) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 160 (from Packers): Billy Schrauth (G, Notre Dame) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 185 (from Raiders): Bauer Sharp (TE, LSU) (signed)

The Chiefs were believed to have Bain as their backup option, in case they were unable to land cornerback Mansoor Delane. Thankfully for the Bucs, Kansas City’s trade-up to No. 6 for Delane panned out. Eight more teams passed on the Miami edge rusher, who will remain in-state as he begins his pro career.

Multiple hurdles appeared in Bain’s path during the pre-draft process. His arms measured 30 7/8 inches in length, and our Ely Allen noted that was the third-shortest arm length for an edge rusher at the Combine since 1999. A careless driving citation from two years prior also surfaced during the draft runup. A car accident — one that killed a 22-year-old female passenger — occurred with Bain behind the wheel. This did not overshadow his pre-draft profile like the Jalen Carter street-racing incident had the elite D-tackle prospect three years ago. For the most part, teams were not believed to view Bain as a character risk.

While teams indicating they did not expect Player X to be on the board when their turn arrived is a post-draft trope at this point, Bain was regularly mocked as a top-10 pick. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board slotted Bain seventh, and Dane Brugler’s The Athletic board ranked him ninth. The Steelers discussed a trade-up move with the Bucs, in an effort to land Makai Lemon, and Tampa Bay came up as a team willing to move down. Bain’s presence deterred the team from giving up No. 15.

Bain was productive throughout his three-season Miami tenure, totaling 20.5 sacks and 33.5 TFLs. Helping the Hurricanes to the CFP championship game last season, Bain racked up 9.5 sacks and 15.5 TFLs. D-end mate Akheem Mesidor was chosen seven spots later; Bain (22 next week) is more than three years younger than his Miami EDGE counterpart.

Tampa Bay missed on Tryon-Shoyinka in the 2021 first round, and it took teams overlooking Barrett as a free agent in 2019 for the Bucs to revitalize their pass rush. Licht-era second-rounders Braswell (2024) and Noah Spence (2016) did not pan out. YaYa Diaby, a 2023 third-rounder, has shown promise and, barring an 11th-hour extension, could join Baker Mayfield as a 2027 franchise tag candidate.

Diaby came up as a potential 2026 extension recipient this offseason, but his next eight-sack season will be his first. Diaby has been a steady pressure artist, however, and a second contract for the Louisville alum would pair well with Bain’s rookie-scale deal. Bain impressed during Bucs training camp and seized the starting job opposite Diaby. The Bucs will hope Bain can give them the kind of edge-rushing duo the Licht years have mostly lacked, beyond the brief but important Barrett/Jason Pierre-Paul pair.

Set to play an age-21 season this year, Trotter is even younger than Bain. Both Tampa Bay linebacker picks bring youth-oriented upside, and Trotter earning first-team All-SEC acclaim at age 20 reveals an appealing trajectory. PFF ranked Dennis outside the top 70 among ILB regulars last season, and the advanced metrics site slotted Britt as the league’s second-worst ILB option in 2024. (PFF’s disdain for Britt predecessor Devin White runs deep, statistics notwithstanding.) Without David to provide stability, the Bucs will be counting on Anzalone as a Trotter mentor.

The younger linebacking son of ex-Eagles Pro Bowler Jeremiah Trotter, Josiah suffered an ACL tear while at West Virginia but rebuilt his draft stock during one season at Mizzou. A 13-TFL season garnered Trotter attention, and his college exit with two years remaining reminded of the pre-NIL era. Not too many non-first-rounders play age-21 NFL seasons anymore, but the Bucs will groom one after losing a 14-year starter.

Hurst transferred up from the Division II level (Valdosta State) in 2024 and made an immediate impact at mid-major Georgia State. Brugler ranked Hurst one spot ahead of Trotter on his big board (72nd), and the 6-3, 206-pound wideout ran a respectable 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the Combine.

Hurst is coming off a 1,004-yard senior season. The quality jump from the Sun Belt conference to the NFL is obviously major, so the recent small-school standout may need some seasoning. the Bucs have three established regulars to deploy while Hurst develops.

That said, Egbuka’s toe injury provides some concern, as Godwin is a regular on Bucs injury reports and has missed 19 games over the past two seasons. Godwin is also 30 and tied to no guarantees beyond 2026. A 2027 where Tampa Bay rolls out an Egbuka-McMillan-Hurst WR trio will likely be in play, should the rookie develop as the organization hopes.

Other:

• Exercised DL Calijah Kancey’s $14.48MM fifth-year option
• Discussed extension with QB Baker Mayfield; no deal coming in 2026
• ACL tear leads OLB David Walker to IR
• Signed 13 UDFAs; Jalon Daniels named backup QB

Licht was able to retain Mayfield at the 11th hour in 2024, via a three-year, $100MM deal. The Bucs then showed more faith in their bargain-bin free agency addition by guaranteeing $30MM of his 2026 compensation last summer. Despite generating MVP buzz early in the season, Mayfield took a step back last year. Not only did just about everyone else on Tampa Bay’s offense battle injuries, the veteran quarterback did as well. Like he did with the Browns in 2021, Mayfield played through pain; similarly, that did not prove beneficial in the grand scheme.

During this year’s Quarterback installment, Mayfield said he sustained a sprained MCL and PCL in Week 2 and then played through a low-grade AC joint sprain in his left shoulder — one suffered in Week 12 — before other maladies intervened later in the year. Wear and tear is obviously common in this sport, but Mayfield has a history of gutting it out perhaps when he shouldn’t.

The former No. 1 overall pick’s attempt to play through a torn left shoulder labrum in 2021 keyed a chain reaction that led him out of Cleveland. The Browns would certainly like a do-over on that decision, as Mayfield’s career eventually recovered while Cleveland’s trade for his replacement (Deshaun Watson) continues to sting four-plus years later. More Bucs belief in Mayfield emerged than on the Browns’ part, as no substantive negotiations took place in Cleveland. But he enters this season at a crossroads after offseason talks did not yield the desired result.

Bowles, Licht and Bucs ownership endorsed a Mayfield extension this offseason, but the team was not ready to commit on a level the quarterback deemed appropriate. Multiple summer reports indicated the sides were not close, and Mayfield set a training camp negotiating deadline. A $50MM-per-year ask emerged from the QB, and that became a sticking point.

A late-July report indicated the Bucs “could not quite get there” regarding a $50MM-per-year offer, but a subsequent offering noted the team indeed reached that range — only with a structure that did not impress Mayfield. The Bucs are believed to have proposed a two-year deal with an AAV in that range, while Mayfield wanted a longer commitment. Guarantees assuredly were a key component here, as adding term length is a rather antiquated pursuit for players due to annual salary cap spikes. It is clear the Bucs were not willing to provide Mayfield with the future guarantees he sought.

Sticking to his guns and cutting off negotiations upon reporting to camp, Mayfield described the Bucs’ offers as “not appealing whatsoever.” It is worth wondering if Tampa Bay submitted pay-as-you-go structures beyond Year 1. Though he did attempt to keep things in perspective when addressing the failed talks, the 31-year-old passer said he felt “disrespected” and “undervalued.” With no more negotiations on tap until 2027, those words figure to be closely associated with Mayfield’s latest contract year.

The NFL’s $50MM-AAV club consists of 12 quarterbacks and Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. A summer Trade Rumors Front Office piece mentioned the range between where the Colts went for Daniel Jones in March (two years, $88MM) and the Eagles’ 2023 Jalen Hurts re-up ($51MM AAV) as reasonable territory for a Mayfield conclusion, but it is relevant to point out the cap has climbed by more than $75MM since Hurts signed his extension.

Mayfield undoubtedly targeted the contracts given to Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence and Jared Goff from 2024-25 during his third round of Bucs talks, but as this space noted previously, Lawrence, Love and Purdy were entering age-26 seasons at the time of signing (Goff was 29 when he signed his Lions extension in 2024). Mayfield is 31 and has injury concerns.

The former Heisman winner pushed back when asked about that being an issue holding him back in negotiations; after all, he is 54-for-54 in starts since coming to Tampa in 2023. He will opt to prove it this season and would be OK playing the 2027 slate on a franchise tag; OverTheCap projects a 2027 QB tag to come in just north of $50MM. That seems appropriate based on the recent negotiations’ subject matter.

I mentioned this franchise’s lack of QB longevity on a few occasions during this exhaustive process. No Bucs quarterback has stuck around for more than six seasons as a starter (only top-10 picks Vinny Testaverde and Trent Dilfer reached Year 6 — 1992, 1999). This is the only franchise never to have the same QB1 in place for more than six years.

While Mayfield’s age undoubtedly worked against him in a push for the $50MM-per-year club, it also could help him come 2027. Barring a major injury, the 120-game starter will be a coveted option ahead of the 2027 free agency period. This Bucs roster will likely not be bad enough to generate a 2027 top-10 pick, with Mayfield’s presence having produced a selection outside the top 20 in two of his three seasons. Another similar season will limit the Bucs’ options in 2027.

Mayfield’s leverage would only increase the closer he gets to free agency, and unless the outspoken QB regresses under ex-Rams position coach (whom he urged the Bucs to hire) Zac Robinson, the Bucs would be coming back to the table in a more desperate position if/once negotiations resume in 2027.

It would be farfetched for the team to view Daniels as an heir apparent at this point, but it certainly is notable the six-year Kansas quarterback won the backup job. UDFA QBs regularly find themselves on practice squads to open careers; Daniels — not in Brugler’s top 300 and ranking 283rd via ESPN’s Scouts Inc. — is two rungs above that level entering his rookie season.

Daniels outplayed FA addition Jake Browning during training camp and impressed in his extended preseason audition last week. While the emergency third QB rule has existed for a few years now, the Bucs carrying only Mayfield and Daniels on their 53-man roster reflects highly on the rookie. The team did acquire some insurance in ex-Chargers backup Easton Stick (practice squad), but Daniels would get the call if Mayfield went down. Daniels is the only rookie UDFA to reside as his team’s QB2 entering the season.

Diaby is an extension candidate, but Kancey still has more to prove. The Pittsburgh alum was part of the 2023 draft’s record-setting number of exercised options (23), and he is not currently on the extension radar — especially for a Bucs team that regularly lets players exit contract years unsigned — due to a lost 2025 season.

Kancey, 25, missed 14 games last year with a pectoral tear. But his performance from 2023-24 was enough to warrant a 2027 guarantee, as the Bucs gauge his long-term viability. The interior D-lineman combined for 11.5 sacks, 21 TFLs and 29 QB hits over his first two seasons.

Tampa Bay authorized a short-term commitment to resolve its Vita Vea matter; Kancey could become a long-running option — for a team that usually takes care of its own — with a bounce-back 2026 season. With Vea 31 and the Bucs lacking other pillars up front, a Kancey reemergence would be critical for the organization.

Top 10 cap charges for 2026:

1. Baker Mayfield, QB: $39.98MM
2. Tristan Wirfs, LT: $36.33MM
3. Chris Godwin, WR: $33.68MM
4. Antoine Winfield Jr., S: $27.47MM
5. Vita Vea, DT: $10.83MM
6. A’Shawn Robinson, DL: $10MM
7. Alex Anzalone, ILB: $9MM
8. Ben Bredeson, G: $8.77MM
9. Luke Goedeke, RT: $7.48MM
10. Kenneth Gainwell, RB: $7MM

We are here again with Bowles, who enters the season on a hotter seat than he did in 2025. The Bucs gave the second-chance HC an extension last year; that deal played into the team’s decision not to fire him after the second-half collapse. Bowles will turn to his fifth OC in five years to help him keep the gig, with Mayfield’s performance obviously central to that cause.

Although David and Evans are gone, the Bucs still have a nice mix of Super Bowl holdovers in their primes (Vea, Wirfs, Winfield), homegrown younger players, and free agents. Nearly as important here: Tampa Bay has won the NFC South in four of the past five seasons. While the Panthers won the division (at 8-9) last year and the Saints may have found a quarterback in Tyler Shough, this still looks like the NFL’s worst division. And the Bucs appear to have the group’s highest floor.

Tampa Bay’s experience may be enough to claim the division’s playoff home game yet again. Considering the Bucs’ status as a middle-class NFCer since Brady’s 2022 unretirement year, would making the playoffs be enough for Bowles to stave off a firing? Or will the veteran HC need a bigger step — in a conference that brings daunting competition out west — to be back in 2027?