Buccaneers' biggest roster holes heading into the 2026 offseason

The 2025 season can only be described as atrocious for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After being viewed as a legitimate Super Bowl contender at the beginning of the season, the Bucs collapsed, ultimately losing the NFC South to the Carolina Panthers and missing the playoffs.

Moves have already begun to be made across the coaching staff, with Todd Bowles retaining his position as the head coach and offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, among a number of other coaches, being let go. While the focus has been on the staff, it's important to diagnose the issues where the Bucs must improve heading into next season.

With that, here are the biggest holes Tampa Bay must address this offseason if it hopes to return to its rightful place as the kings of the South.

Interior Offensive Line

Graham Barton Ben Bredeso — Sep 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Graham Barton (62) Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

There isn't much to complain about when it comes to talent on the offensive side of the ball, but one area that should be prioritized for the Bucs this offseason should be the interior of the offensive line.

With right guard Cody Mauch missing the entire season with a knee injury and left guard Ben Bredeson out of the lineup, the Bucs were forced to use backups that weren't necessarily ready for the moment. And let us not forget how porous second-year center Graham Barton played this season without his two guards next to him.

Interior pass protection was inconsistent to poor, run blocking lacked any push or cohesion, and when depth was tested with Bredeson and Mauch out, performance across the board noticeably dropped.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield's success is highly tied to how well his line blocks for him, and the run game became inefficient due to the differences across the line. While a starter isn't necessarily needed here, real depth at this position will be crucial as we head toward 2026.

Linebacker

Lavonte David SirVocea Denni — Sep 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebackers Lavonte David (54) and Sirvocea Dennis (8) Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

On defense, linebacker play has been a massive issue over the past few years. It is believed that Bowles will be without legendary linebacker Lavonte David as he likely enters retirement, leaving a huge gap in the middle for the Bucs.

Not only would David need replacing, but SirVocea Dennis has yet to live up to the hype placed on him by the coaching staff. Other linebackers have been in and out of the lineup for Tampa Bay, but none have been useful enough to examine here.

The evolution of the game has put Bowles' linebackers in some unfavorable positions, but the lack of quality starters and depth has caused this group to make numerous miscues. They have been asked to perhaps do too much in space, leading to coverage mismatches against elite offenses, and the lack of depth behind the starters has become a real problem.

Getting an elite linebacker should be at the forefront of the Bucs' to-do list, preferably one that is rangy and even has a coverage-first mindset.

Edge/Pass Rush

Perhaps the biggest hole the Bucs need to fill this offseason is getting a legitimate edge rusher who can win one-on-one.

The Buccaneers signed veteran pass rusher Haason Reddick to a one-year deal this past offseason opposite of Yaya Diaby, but he did not improve things the way the team had hoped. Diaby is the building block for the Bucs, and has shown promise by consistently getting into the backfield, but the room outside of him thins out fast.

The overall concerns about this group arise from a lack of a consistent second edge threat, too many streaky or rotational players and a heavy reliance on scheme pressure/dropouts from Bowles' defense. A defense, especially Bowles', works best when he doesn't have to blitz, and if you look at the landscape of the league, most playoff teams can consistently get home with only four-man rushes.

With the expectation that Reddick won't be returning to Tampa Bay, they must acquire an elite pass rusher either via free agency or the NFL Draft if they hope to start forcing opposing offenses to worry about who is coming to attack.

Cornerback

Jamel Dean Zyon McCollu — Sep 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean (35) is congratulated by cornerback Zyon McCollum (27) Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Bowles' scheme puts his cornerbacks on islands at times, and to no surprise, it has burned them more often than not.

While the unit has a promising outlook, as they have gotten younger, development is still needed on the outside. Add in the fact that their best corner, Jamel Dean, could likely leave this offseason in free agency, and it means that the young guys will have to turn a leaf and prove they are the future of this secondary.

Too many contract questions are still there, and heavy snap counts that lead to wear and tear, along with depth concerns, are all part of the reason why this group could use a facelift.

The Bucs' secondary struggled no matter if they were in man or zone, so it will be imperative that Bowles and company find a well-balanced leader in the backend to sure things up, whether early in free agency or even use an early draft pick at the position of need.

HM: Running Back

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White (1) Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The running game took a step back in 2025 after being one of the best rushing units in the league in 2024.

While much of this can be attributed to the offensive line injuries and playcalling by Grizzard, the Bucs know they must add to the room behind Bucky Irving. Rachaad White has already said his goodbyes in a multitude of ways via social media, so he won't be back, and Sean Tucker is set to hit the open market and could walk.

While the Bucs have their home-run hitter in Irving, they will need a nice change of pace back that can lighten the heavy workload put on him. Getting that, along with depth, should elevate the position and allow the Bucs' rushing attack to return to form, balancing out the offense for Baker Mayfield to have open throwing lanes.

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