Buccaneers Free Agency: What They Got Right — And What They Missed So Far

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' GM Jason Licht has been working in the shadows so far this offseason. Despite not making any trades or big-name free agent acquisitions for a football team that clearly needs to improve from last season, the Bucs' GM has made some solid under-the-radar moves.

Like all NFL teams, the Bucs have got some things right and some things wrong in free agency. Let's take a closer look at what the Bucs' front office has gotten right and what they've missed so far in free agency.

What they got right

Addressed positional needs

Even if the players that the Buccaneers have signed so far in free agency don't necessarily inspire a ton of excitement amongst the fanbase, that doesn't mean Jason Licht hasn't addressed his team's most pressing needs. In fact, that's exactly what he's done.

Tampa Bay brought in outside free agents linebacker Alex Anzalone, edge Al-Quadin Muhammad, running back Kenneth Gainwell, defensive linemen A'Shawn Robinson, QB Jake Browning and special teamer Miles Killebrew, in conjunction with returning FAs like running back Sean Tucker and tight end Cade Otton, all of whom fill obvious positions of need for the Buccaneers.

Re-signed Cade Otton

Although there was plenty of debate as to whether or not Otton was worth investing in for a new contract, Licht and the Buccaneers made the right call by bringing him back. First of all, the Bucs have no one else they can depend on at the position. Secondly, Otton, although he isn't elite in any one area, is an extremely steady and versatile tight end who is capable of making a positive impact in both the run and pass game, depending on what the particular matchup requires of him.

Throw in the high quality of his character, physical toughness and continuity within the organization, and bringing Otton back — on a very reasonable 3-year, $30 million deal, no less — was a no-brainer for the Bucs.

Replaced Teddy Bridgewater as QB2

This may seem insignificant to some, but it really isn't. Although Baker Mayfield has been very durable since joining the Bucs, his rugged and fearless style of play could change his luck in that regard at any moment. Anyone who believes a 33-year old former high school offensive coordinator who needs to wear two gloves to throw a football is the best backup QB the Bucs could find is not thinking clearly.

Not only is Jake Browning four years younger than Bridgewater, but based on what we've seen from him backing up Joe Burrow in Cincinnati over the last several seasons, he's undoubtedly a significant upgrade at this point in his career.

What they've missed

Acquiring a top-tier edge rusher

It felt like the stars were aligning when players like Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby were made available this offseason at a time when the Buccaneers desperately needed to add a bona fide star to their collection of edge rushers.

Years of mediocrity have plagued the Buccaneers' outside pass rushers under Todd Bowles' guidance, and despite his reputation for being an upper-echelon drafter, Licht has been downright terrible when it comes to selecting edge rushers in the draft.

When Mike Evans left to join the San Francisco 49ers, that left a significant chunk of money for the Bucs' front office to work with. But instead of trying to swing for the fences, Licht chose to hit a few bunt singles instead, opting for experienced veterans at positions of need on short-term contracts. Only time will tell if that was the right move or not, but in the moment, not adding a player like Hendrickson or Crosby feels like a missed opportunity.

Mike Evans

Beyond the emotion associated with the unexpected loss of a franchise icon like Mike Evans, there are inevitable repercussions on the football field. Although the Bucs have plenty of quality depth at the WR position, there is a certain level of redundancy in terms of the skillsets of those players. The Bucs will be hard-pressed to ever find a quality X receiver who can win downfield and dominate in the redzone like Evans did in Tampa Bay for the past 12 seasons.

Will the Bucs trade for a true X receiver? Probably not. Will they draft one? Possibly. What Licht and the Buccaneers missed on was the opportunity to preserve an environment that was appealing enough to keep Evans in Tampa Bay for the rest of his career. And whether it was the team's poor play down the stretch of last season, his lack of belief in Baker Mayfield, the retention of Bowles or something else altogether, the Bucs missed out on a golden opportunity to extend their competitive window when they allowed the greatest offensive player in the history of the franchise to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

A veteran cornerback

Jamel Dean served the Buccaneers admirably for many years. This was especially true last season, where Dean was undoubtedly the team's best outside corner. Having now moved on to join the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team needs to find a steady veteran to replace him.

Licht invested heavily in the cornerback position last year with the selections of Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish in the draft. Although Parrish looks very promising based on his tremendous rookie season, Morrison was in and out of the lineup with injuries all season long and made a minimal impact in the opportunities he had. Zyon McCollum regressed following his excellent 2024 campaign, and if he isn't able to recapture the play that earned him a big contract last offseason, it could be a big problem for Todd Bowles' secondary.

Based on the unpredictable futures of both starting outside corners, Morrison and McCollum, combined with the departure of Dean, there's no question that the Buccaneers need to add some quality depth to the position. At least so far in free agency, the Bucs' front office has not done that.

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