2025 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offseason Thread

[Backside]

Brady the outlier of outliers
Gronk was a cheap trade
Fournette and AB were good for us, until they weren’t.

Of course FA moves can and do work out. I think the overall point stands.

Translation:

It was incredibly different. Like as different as it could ever be from a typical free agency year.


Any GOAT’s on the market right now?

[Jonny]

Now we're cooking

Superbowl!!!111!

Or I guess this is why we keep barely winning our division. The management likely believes Bucs were a bad fumble away from winning the Superbowl.

[Miller4Prez64]

Yall are really whining about re-signing Gaines? He’s a solid backup on a cheap deal, the other option would be relying on a rookie to fill interior DL depth when yall are complaining about us relying on rookies.

It kind of just feels like people are upset there isn’t enough new toys to play with on Christmas at this point.

[mdb1958]

Yall are really whining about re-signing Gaines? He’s a solid backup on a cheap deal, the other option would be relying on a rookie to fill interior DL depth when yall are complaining about us relying on rookies.

It kind of just feels like people are upset there isn’t enough new toys to play with on Christmas at this point.

What is the guaranteed money?

[mdb1958]

I would like to know CJ Brewers too?

[mdb1958]

```

[Bootz]

Yall are really whining about re-signing Gaines? He’s a solid backup on a cheap deal, the other option would be relying on a rookie to fill interior DL depth when yall are complaining about us relying on rookies.

It kind of just feels like people are upset there isn’t enough new toys to play with on Christmas at this point.

What is the guaranteed money?

Its a 1 year deal so all of it.

[Bootz]

We have signed a starting left guard, starting receiver, two starting linebackers and a third depth one, and a starting punter. That's six dudes, five of whom are starters, nearly a fifth of our starting spots.

I disagree with complacency. Complacent teams wouldn't have cut Jordan Whitehead, nor would they have upgraded Edge from JTS to Reddick so aggressively.

So what if most of those free agents were our own dudes? That just means they are cheaper. If we signed outside free agents at the positions that we resigned, does that mean it was better? Let Godwin walk and sign some rando receiver instead for the same money? Do the same with Bredeson and LVD and Nelly? Would that be making aggressive moves, or being distracted by shiny new toys? I'd argue the latter.

We're good.

Go Bucs.

5 of those dudes were already on our team. The LG was the worst OL on our team, though it was close with our C. The LB is 35 and we all saw him declining in real time last year. The WR is coming off yet another season ending injury. One of the edge rushers was part of a subpar pass rush. Riley Dixon by all accounts sucks when he's not punting in the thin air of Denver. But we will see there.

Whitehead might not even be able to play because of a non football injury. The fact that he was even brought back speaks to that complacency. We could've attempted to actually sign someone good and we signed him because he had been here before.

This isn't about shiny new toys. This is about realizing the busted toys you do have are busted yet you're good with that because.....Reasons.

[IchabodCrane84]

Licht has been great in the draft, good with trades, bad with free agents, and absolutely shitty when trading for free agents.

I wouldn't be surprised if that is also true of the off-season league wide throughout history.

I have no problem with our approach and have zero desire to replicate what the Eagles did because they won the Super Bowl and it's trendy. We are in a different situation with a different team with different players.

With that said we need significant upgrades on defense. Licht and Bowles know this. They deserve trust. Upgrade the edge rushers and inside linebackers and you magically make the DBs better. If I were a betting man I'd expect a trade for a linebacker and drafting multiple CBs to develop.

[Bootz]

"We're not being complacent. We re-signed the same guys".....Love the irony.

[Grahamburn]

Fournette was cut after training camp, not exactly the same situation as signing him in FA. AB wasn’t signed until halfway through the season after Brady pounded the desk for him enough and literally nobody else wanted him and we found out why the hard way.

Plus, big name aging players WANTED to come here for cheap when we had Brady. They don’t have interest in doing that now with Baker. No offense to Baker, but he’s not Brady.

The two biggest name WR free agents in the league wanted to play with Baker in back to back years. So did an All-Pro left tackle. Come on now.

[Bootz]

I love how we're pretending Evans & Godwin & Wirfs were all free agents imported from other teams and had no history here. Especially Wirfs, who wasn't even a free agent. The Bucs tampered with themselves illegally

[Grahamburn]

"We're not being complacent. We re-signed the same guys".....Love the irony.

Where did Haasan Reddick rank on your list of available OLB's in free agency?

[Backside]

So easy to complain. Much harder to present an alternative plan.

How dare they build through the draft like all successful teams do. They’ve only mostly been great at it for several years now.

When does Licht earn the benefit of the doubt here?

[Bootz]

"We're not being complacent. We re-signed the same guys".....Love the irony.

Where did Haasan Reddick rank on your list of available OLB's in free agency?

Wouldve rather had Josh Sweat or Harold Landry honestly. Reddick, pretty low. And that baggage is nothing to gloss over.

That said, I have no issues with the signing. He's talented. But it's clear this is a rental and we're proceeding with caution. Just hope it isn't another Randy Gregory.

[Kona]

I would’ve liked to add a good LB and DB veteran via first wave of FA. Maybe they didn’t view these options as an upgrade worth the price? Still time for less expensive FA, trades, and the draft of course.

[Cheb]

We have signed a starting left guard, starting receiver, two starting linebackers and a third depth one, and a starting punter. That's six dudes, five of whom are starters, nearly a fifth of our starting spots.

I disagree with complacency. Complacent teams wouldn't have cut Jordan Whitehead, nor would they have upgraded Edge from JTS to Reddick so aggressively.

So what if most of those free agents were our own dudes? That just means they are cheaper. If we signed outside free agents at the positions that we resigned, does that mean it was better? Let Godwin walk and sign some rando receiver instead for the same money? Do the same with Bredeson and LVD and Nelly? Would that be making aggressive moves, or being distracted by shiny new toys? I'd argue the latter.

We're good.

Go Bucs.

5 of those dudes were already on our team. The LG was the worst OL on our team, though it was close with our C. The LB is 35 and we all saw him declining in real time last year. The WR is coming off yet another season ending injury. One of the edge rushers was part of a subpar pass rush. Riley Dixon by all accounts sucks when he's not punting in the thin air of Denver. But we will see there.

Whitehead might not even be able to play because of a non football injury. The fact that he was even brought back speaks to that complacency. We could've attempted to actually sign someone good and we signed him because he had been here before.

This isn't about shiny new toys. This is about realizing the busted toys you do have are busted yet you're good with that because.....Reasons.

Who cares if our signings were already on our team last year?

Let's pick one of those guys as an example, and drill down into the decisions here. To pick a name out of a hat, Ben Bredeson.

Does letting Bredeson walk and signing a random free agent guard mean that we are not complacent? Or do we hand that job to Elijah Klein? Draft a rookie "savior" and give him the job instead?

Let's take a peek at the free agent alternatives to resigning Bredeson, taking a look at the signings that have happened thus far. Bredeson was signed for $7.3 million APY on a 3 year deal. The closest comp to him as a free agent in this cycle is James Daniels, a guard recently signed from the Steelers to the Dolphins, who got $8 million APY in a similar 3 year deal. They're neck-and-neck as far as compensation.

Another close comp is Robert Hainsey, who we let walk to sign a 3 year deal with the Jags for $7 million APY to be their new center, but we won't get too sidetracked here.

Bredeson is very well known to the organization. He knows the offense, his teammates, the scheme. He fits in the locker room. And perhaps most importantly, he brings back continuity to a position group that relys heavily on continuity as a matter of course, the offensive line.

James Daniels, by contrast, is a random human being who tore his Achilles' tendon last season.

Which is the better fit? What is the smarter play? James Daniels, or someone like him? A rookie "savior"? Elijah Klein or another backup already on the roster? Or the guy who already did the job and did it well?

You can go through these same points for all of our free agents, but I don't have the time or patience to break it down in detail.

---

Another point. We have $33 million in dead cap space this season, one of the bigger amounts of dead cap in the NFL, money we cannot spend elsewhere to make the team better.

If we had that money available, we could have signed Haason Reddick twice over with room to spare.

---

Frankly, I think that people are going to complain no matter what the Bucs do. I think that Licht is doing a good job of using the resources that he has.

The Bucs starting 22 is pretty solid before the draft even happens. Our starting 11 on offense is rock solid. Our defensive front 7 is also made stronger with the addition of Reddick. Losing Whitehead at safety is addition by subtraction.

We need depth everywhere, as do most teams, but honestly, we aren't that bad.

The sky isn't falling. And even if it did... life would go on.

Go Bucs.

[Bootz]

5 of those dudes were already on our team. The LG was the worst OL on our team, though it was close with our C. The LB is 35 and we all saw him declining in real time last year. The WR is coming off yet another season ending injury. One of the edge rushers was part of a subpar pass rush. Riley Dixon by all accounts sucks when he's not punting in the thin air of Denver. But we will see there.

Whitehead might not even be able to play because of a non football injury. The fact that he was even brought back speaks to that complacency. We could've attempted to actually sign someone good and we signed him because he had been here before.

This isn't about shiny new toys. This is about realizing the busted toys you do have are busted yet you're good with that because.....Reasons.

Who cares if our signings were already on our team last year?

Let's pick one of those guys as an example, and drill down into the decisions here. To pick a name out of a hat, Ben Bredeson.

Does letting Bredeson walk and signing a random free agent guard mean that we are not complacent? Or do we hand that job to Elijah Klein? Draft a rookie "savior" and give him the job instead?

Let's take a peek at the free agent alternatives to resigning Bredeson, taking a look at the signings that have happened thus far. Bredeson was signed for $7.3 million APY on a 3 year deal. The closest comp to him as a free agent in this cycle is James Daniels, a guard recently signed from the Steelers to the Dolphins, who got $8 million APY in a similar 3 year deal. They're neck-and-neck as far as compensation.

Another close comp is Robert Hainsey, who we let walk to sign a 3 year deal with the Jags for $7 million APY to be their new center, but we won't get too sidetracked here.

Bredeson is very well known to the organization. He knows the offense, his teammates, the scheme. He fits in the locker room. And perhaps most importantly, he brings back continuity to a position group that relys heavily on continuity as a matter of course, the offensive line.

James Daniels, by contrast, is a random human being who tore his Achilles' tendon last season.

Which is the better fit? What is the smarter play? James Daniels, or someone like him? A rookie "savior"? Elijah Klein or another backup already on the roster? Or the guy who already did the job and did it well?

You can go through these same points for all of our free agents, but I don't have the time or patience to break it down in detail.

---

Another point. We have $33 million in dead cap space this season, one of the bigger amounts of dead cap in the NFL, money we cannot spend elsewhere to make the team better.

If we had that money available, we could have signed Haason Reddick twice over with room to spare.

---

Frankly, I think that people are going to complain no matter what the Bucs do. I think that Licht is doing a good job of using the resources that he has.

The Bucs starting 22 is pretty solid before the draft even happens. Our starting 11 on offense is rock solid. Our defensive front 7 is also made stronger with the addition of Reddick. Losing Whitehead at safety is addition by subtraction.

We need depth everywhere, as do most teams, but honestly, we aren't that bad.

The sky isn't falling. And even if it did... life would go on.

Go Bucs.

Because they aren't "signings". They're re-signings. There is a major difference even if people want to try and re-write history.

It's clear the context of what I conveyed went way over most people's heads. The sky isn't falling. Point is status quo is being maintained. Are we a worse team than we were before? No. Are we a better team? No. But at least we aren't worse and that'll be good enough for most.

[mdb1958]

Somebody needs to give Trask a big ole contract.

[Bootz]

Somebody needs to give Trask a big ole contract.

4-11 28 yards. 44.9 QB rating.

How much you paying him?

[Backside]

We could say the same thing at this point one year ago.

Then we got Bucky, Barton, McMillan, Tykee, and became better.

Re-signings aren’t worse than signings. They are better.

[mdb1958]

5 of those dudes were already on our team. The LG was the worst OL on our team, though it was close with our C. The LB is 35 and we all saw him declining in real time last year. The WR is coming off yet another season ending injury. One of the edge rushers was part of a subpar pass rush. Riley Dixon by all accounts sucks when he's not punting in the thin air of Denver. But we will see there.

Whitehead might not even be able to play because of a non football injury. The fact that he was even brought back speaks to that complacency. We could've attempted to actually sign someone good and we signed him because he had been here before.

This isn't about shiny new toys. This is about realizing the busted toys you do have are busted yet you're good with that because.....Reasons.

Who cares if our signings were already on our team last year?

Let's pick one of those guys as an example, and drill down into the decisions here. To pick a name out of a hat, Ben Bredeson.

Does letting Bredeson walk and signing a random free agent guard mean that we are not complacent? Or do we hand that job to Elijah Klein? Draft a rookie "savior" and give him the job instead?

Let's take a peek at the free agent alternatives to resigning Bredeson, taking a look at the signings that have happened thus far. Bredeson was signed for $7.3 million APY on a 3 year deal. The closest comp to him as a free agent in this cycle is James Daniels, a guard recently signed from the Steelers to the Dolphins, who got $8 million APY in a similar 3 year deal. They're neck-and-neck as far as compensation.

Another close comp is Robert Hainsey, who we let walk to sign a 3 year deal with the Jags for $7 million APY to be their new center, but we won't get too sidetracked here.

Bredeson is very well known to the organization. He knows the offense, his teammates, the scheme. He fits in the locker room. And perhaps most importantly, he brings back continuity to a position group that relys heavily on continuity as a matter of course, the offensive line.

James Daniels, by contrast, is a random human being who tore his Achilles' tendon last season.

Which is the better fit? What is the smarter play? James Daniels, or someone like him? A rookie "savior"? Elijah Klein or another backup already on the roster? Or the guy who already did the job and did it well?

You can go through these same points for all of our free agents, but I don't have the time or patience to break it down in detail.

---

Another point. We have $33 million in dead cap space this season, one of the bigger amounts of dead cap in the NFL, money we cannot spend elsewhere to make the team better.

If we had that money available, we could have signed Haason Reddick twice over with room to spare.

---

Frankly, I think that people are going to complain no matter what the Bucs do. I think that Licht is doing a good job of using the resources that he has.

The Bucs starting 22 is pretty solid before the draft even happens. Our starting 11 on offense is rock solid. Our defensive front 7 is also made stronger with the addition of Reddick. Losing Whitehead at safety is addition by subtraction.

We need depth everywhere, as do most teams, but honestly, we aren't that bad.

The sky isn't falling. And even if it did... life would go on.

Go Bucs.

We need depth everywhere, as do most teams, but honestly, we aren't that bad.

Good post except I would have worded it = we need competition everywhere.

[Grahamburn]

@Cheb wins the thread today.

[Bootz]

Not the 1st time someone gets impressed with a lot of words

[Grahamburn]

Where did Haasan Reddick rank on your list of available OLB's in free agency?

Wouldve rather had Josh Sweat or Harold Landry honestly. Reddick, pretty low. And that baggage is nothing to gloss over.

That said, I have no issues with the signing. He's talented. But it's clear this is a rental and we're proceeding with caution. Just hope it isn't another Randy Gregory.

Both players MUCH more expensive with less sack production the last 3 years than Reddick, and Reddick barely played in 2024. Landry didn't play in 2022 because of an ACL injury. Titans fans are glad to see him go and said most of his production is clean up stuff because of Simmons. He's less injury prone than your favorite whipping boy Chris Godwin? Interesting.

Shaq had 19.5 sacks in his prove it rental year. Sometimes guys play their best with their back against a wall.

[Grahamburn]

Not the 1st time someone gets impressed with a lot of words

Logical reasonable words versus toxic baseless negativity. Yeah.

[Bootz]

Wouldve rather had Josh Sweat or Harold Landry honestly. Reddick, pretty low. And that baggage is nothing to gloss over.

That said, I have no issues with the signing. He's talented. But it's clear this is a rental and we're proceeding with caution. Just hope it isn't another Randy Gregory.

Both players MUCH more expensive with less sack production the last 3 years than Reddick, and Reddick barely played in 2024. Landry didn't play in 2022 because of an ACL injury. Titans fans are glad to see him go and said most of his production is clean up stuff because of Simmons. He's less injury prone than your favorite whipping boy Chris Godwin? Interesting.

Shaq had 19.5 sacks in his prove it rental year. Sometimes guys play their best with their back against a wall.

3 things:

1. Why would I care what players did in 2022?

2. Why 3 years? Why not 4 or 2 or 1. Is that some mandatory benchmark for looking back? I know with your history you'll use whatever time period fits your agenda.

3. MUCH more expensive? Landry signed a 3 year deal for $14.5mil/ year. Sweat signed one for $17mil/year. BOTH will likely have lower cap numbers than Reddick will this year, whos at $14mil.

Let's also not pretend like you wouldn't have given either of those signing glowing reviews had we made them, even at the same price.

Additionally both are younger and don't have the baggage. Yes, Landry is less injury prone that Godwin. On that we agree.

[mdb1958]

Not the 1st time someone gets impressed with a lot of words

It's important to give freedom to posters opinions. I've become less stressed by not being bothered to much with them.

[Bootz]

Not the 1st time someone gets impressed with a lot of words

It's important to give freedom to posters opinions. I've become less stressed by not being bothered to much with them.

You didn't give me an answer on Trask.

[mdb1958]

Somebody needs to give Trask a big ole contract.

4-11 28 yards. 44.9 QB rating.

How much you paying him?

Not me.
Not us.

I also think he could do better.
I also would be happy with a comp pick.

[Bootz]

4-11 28 yards. 44.9 QB rating.

How much you paying him?

Not me.
Not us.

I also think he could do better.
I also would be happy with a comp pick.

Do you think he'll get a significant deal?

[CannonFire]

@Bootz Agreed with everything you said. We're doing exactly what I said in the other thread. We shouldn't let "good" get in the way of us being "great", but that's what we're doing. We're re-signing guys who either weren't good enough or have issues (such as injuries or baggage), who couldn't get it done, and we're paying them more money which is preventing us from bringing in other players who could potentially make us better.

If we're looking towards the draft to fill those needs, that's fine... if we're looking at the future. It's not good if we're looking for instant results.

[Grahamburn]

WHO ARE THE GREAT PLAYERS WE SHOULD BE SIGNING?!

[Backside]

Yea rookies never make an instant impact in the NFL.

[Jonny]

Yall are really whining about re-signing Gaines? He’s a solid backup on a cheap deal, the other option would be relying on a rookie to fill interior DL depth when yall are complaining about us relying on rookies.

It kind of just feels like people are upset there isn’t enough new toys to play with on Christmas at this point.

This feels like MJW post free agency spiel.

Any other year where we were trying to climb out of the post-Brady dead cap era, the signings of players like Greg Gaines would be fine.

This year is different. Baker has shown he can command an explosive offense. All the pieces of offense are here. Defense was putrid last year. No matter what I think of Bowles' scheme and coaching, when Bowles had a good group of defensive players, Bucs were a dominant team.

All we have done on defense so far is add a once semi-blue chip bookend coming off a bad year.

There is a real possibility that Evans takes a back step soon and so could Godwin. These are guys approaching 30s or in 30s playing the most athletic position of the game. Also a possibility that Vea's ability could diminish since he's a big body in his 30s. The opportunity is now to strike. Go big or go home.

Sure, may be the free agents are not interested in coming here. But the re-signing of mediocre at best players is concerning. If you don't sign Greg Gaines or Nelson, both subpar players and rather try someone different at their position, it will at least seems like the management is seeking change even at the risk of getting worse at those positions. But bringing back these guys when the defense was among the worst is perplexing. It means we don't think there is room for improvement among backup defensive linemen on one of the worst defenses of NFL.