How Buccaneers' UDFA Signings Show Jason Licht's Trust in His Scouts

The Bucs were not playing around this year with their UDFAs.

Dec 7, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

After a calculated but modest free agency period, Buccaneers' GM Jason Licht sought to go out and do what he does best — identify talent and value in the draft and provide his coaching staff with a promising group of prospects to mold into the next generation of Buccaneers stars.

No rookie class isn't complete the moment the draft concludes, though.

As soon as the 257th pick is made, teams are urgently competing with one another to contact prospects they liked who didn't hear their name called during the draft and agree to terms with those players with hopes of accumulating a group of undrafted free agents that may have the potential to fill out the practice squad or, better yet, eventually crack the 53-man roster.

So even though many people were excited about the Buccaneers' draft class, the work was far from finished.

Bucs invested big in their UDFA class

Nov 8, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After the dust had settled, contract numbers for the various NFL UDFA classes were made public, and that information immediately told us that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of the league's most aggressive teams in terms of guaranteed money handed out.

The Buccaneers spent more money than most on their UDFA class, coming in at No. 4 in the NFL for 2026.

Bucs undrafted rookie free agents with the most guaranteed money, per Spotrac:

T Paul Rubelt $277,500
QB Jalon Daniels $272,500
G Henry Lutovsky $262,500
DL DeShawn McKnight $257,500
WR Eric Rivers $250k
S Ja'Qurious Conley $180k

($247,500 is practice squad salary) https://t.co/PfE17GE6Li

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) May 28, 2026

So what exactly does the Buccaneers' heavy investment tell us?

Jason Licht trusts his staff

Jan 5, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Fox Sports color commentator Tom Brady talks with Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM Jason Licht before the start of the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

There's no question that Licht, a former scout himself, has poured an incredible amount of time, effort and resources into creating an environment where every member of his player personnel department is not only well trained, but has a voice. This has allowed even lower-level scouts on his staff to feel confident enough to pound the table for a player if they truly believe in his talent.

Licht himself is a very busy man. As such, delegating scouting responsibilities is a key aspect of his job. When it comes to UDFA prospects, chances are Licht is more removed from the player evaluation process than he is compared to draft investments.

Based on the amount of money handed out this UDFA signing period by the Bucs, it's safe to assume that Licht put a lot of trust in his scouting staff and ultimately made sure that the financial support from ownership was available to support their vision.

Beyond the obvious belief in the players themselves, the Buccaneers' investment in this year's UDFA class speaks to the leadership of Licht and the way he empowers his staff to have an influence on the roster.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.