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Bucs Have Top Free Agents Set to Hit Market in 2021

Tampa Bay has a trio of NFL stars who will be free agents next year without new contracts.

This offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't just add some big names to their roster. They also kept the band together by re-signing all of their key players who were set to become free agents.

Next year, they'll need to do the same thing if they want to keep some of their best talent in the fold.

NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal recently released his list of the best impending free agents for the league's 2021 class, and the Bucs have three of the top 25 in outside linebacker Shaq Barrett, wide receiver Chris Godwin, and linebacker Lavonte David:

Barrett is ranked the highest at No. 8, following an incredible 2019 campaign that saw him lead the NFL with 19.5 sacks. Rosenthal thinks he's ranked too low on his list, should he put up similar numbers this time around:

According to the Football Outsiders Almanac, Barrett had 18 QB hits and 55 hurries in addition to his league-leading sack total of 19.5 in 2019. If he comes anywhere close to those numbers again, he's ranked too low here.

Next up is Godwin at No. 11, who finished third in the NFL with 1,333 receiving yards last year, despite missing multiple games with a hamstring injury. After earning his first Pro Bowl nod in just his third NFL season, Godwin is primed for even bigger things now that Tom Brady is his quarterback, Rosenthal says:

A new-school prototype who can line up anywhere on the field and make plays after the catch. Don't be surprised if Godwin's value goes up even further with Tom Brady throwing him the ball.

And perhaps fittingly, David is the lowest Buccaneer on the list, coming in at No. 23. Arguably the most underrated player in the entire NFL, David has lived in the shadows when it comes to national respect due to Tampa Bay's lack of team success throughout his stellar eight-year career. Rosenthal acknowledges that David deserves more attention for what he's already done, and what he can still do at age 31:

One of the most underrated players of his generation, David continues to play at a high level with a true three-down skill set that is very hard to find in off-ball linebackers.

The Bucs are likely to lock up Godwin with a long-term deal at some point this year, while David should be a lock to hammer out a new deal to finish his career where it started in Tampa Bay. 

Barrett could be the wild card, as both sides want him to stay long-term, but it will be expensive, and the Bucs don't have too much cap room to play with next year unless they make some significant cuts elsewhere on the roster.

For now, though, Bucs fans can enjoy at least one more season with all three making big plays for the Pewter Pirates.