Bucs 2024 Free Agency Tracker – UPDATED

Free agency began in earnest on Monday, March 11 at noon ET when the open negotiating period began and prospective free agents could begin to negotiate with teams. Deals with new free agents began to be signed and finalized on Wednesday, March 13 at 4:00 p.m. ET. The Bucs kicked off free agency with a bang – re-signing several important players before they hit the open market.

Pewter Report will track Tampa Bay’s additions and losses to the roster in the coming weeks with the Bucs 2024 Free Agency Tracker, which will be updated with news and rumors as we come across information from our team and league sources.

THE LATEST RUMORS

UPDATED 3/16 3:15 pm ET: The Bucs don’t appear to be done adding to their rebuilt secondary, as ESPNs Jeremy Fowler reported Saturday that free agent cornerback Tavierre Thomas is set to meet with Tampa Bay after recently visiting the Lions in his hometown of Detroit.

Tampa Bay already added a new strong safety to its secondary this week with the signing of Jordan Whitehead, plus the team added cornerback Bryce Hall on Friday. Whitehead will start alongside All-Pro Antoine Winfield Jr. at safety while Hall will come in as the No. 3 cornerback, a spot that previously belonged to Zyon McCollum before he was moved up to the No. 2 role after the Carlton Davis III trade.

As for Thomas, he could provide competition at nickel cornerback, as that’s where he’s seen the majority of his work in the NFL. If the Bucs sign Thomas, a Ferris State product, it would give 2023 undrafted free agent Christian Izien some competition this summer. Izien started all 17 games for Tampa Bay as an undrafted rookie out of Rutgers last season.

Thomas previously spent time with the Browns before playing in Houston over the last three seasons. He signed a one-year deal with Houston last year with a $1.5 million base salary. With bonus money, his cap hit with the Texans in 2023 was $2,147,060.

UPDATED 3/16 9:00 am ET: The new additions of offensive linemen Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta do not mean the Bucs are done at trying to upgrade the center and guard positions this offseason.

Tampa Bay needs to find a new starting left guard after letting both Matt Feiler and Aaron Stinnie go in free agency, as well as backup Nick Leverett. And the Bucs would love to upgrade the center position where Robert Hainsey has been average at best over the last two years while filling in for the injured Ryan Jensen.

As of right now, the plan Bredeson will compete at center where he started five games last year in New York, as well as guard where he had 10 starts for the Giants in 2023 after beginning his career with the Ravens. Opeta is strictly a guard candidate after seeing six starts at right guard last season in Philadelphia.

There is a chance that either Bredeson or Opeta emerges as a starter in Tampa Bay depending on how they perform in training camp and the preseason, but it’s more likely that they are younger, bigger, stronger backup players than Stinnie or Leverett. Bredeson is 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, while Opeta is 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, but benched 39 reps of 225 pounds coming out of college.

The Bucs are expected to look for offensive line help in the draft – possibly in the first round where Tampa Bay could draft Duke’s Graham Barton at No. 26 or use their newly acquired third-round pick to move up and draft Jackson Powers-Johnson earlier in the first round. The Bucs could even double up on offensive linemen in the draft, selecting a center and a guard, thus relegating Bredeson and Opeta to reserve status where they might be better suited.

UPDATED 3/15 5:00 pm ET: The Bucs had a major focus on the interior offensive line on Friday afternoon. They signed Ben Bredeson, Sua Opeta and re-signed Justin Skule. Bredeson and Opeta play on the interior, so it’s a sign that the Bucs are doing everything they can to upgrade in that area. Backup quarterback John Wolford was re-signed as well. He’ll continue his role as the third quarterback on the depth chart.

UPDATED 3/15 11:00 am ET: The Bucs added cornerback depth with the signing of Bryce Hall, who played the last four years with the New York Jets. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Hall is great scheme fit for Todd Bowles defense.

Hall played the last two years with newly signed Jordan Whitehead in the Jets secondary and the two will reunite in Tampa Bay.

BUCS RE-SIGNINGS

ILB Lavonte David – one-year deal worth at least $9 million with incentives to hit $10 million
RB Chase Edmonds – one-year deal worth $1.5 million
DT Greg Gaines – one-year deal worth $3.5 million
K Chase McLaughlin – three-year deal worth $12 million
QB Baker Mayfield – three-year deal worth at least $100 million with $50 million in guaranteed money
OT Brandon Walton – one-year deal worth $985,000
WR Deven Thompkins – one-year deal worth $985,000
FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – one-year deal worth $17.123 million via the franchise tag
WR Mike Evans – two-year deal worth at least $41 million
OT Justin Skule – one-year deal
QB John Wolford – one-year deal

BUCS NEW ADDITIONS IN FREE AGENCY

Jets (former Bucs) SS Jordan Whitehead – two-year deal worth $9 million with incentives to hit $10.5 million
Jets CB Bryce Hall – one year deal
Giants OL Ben Bredeson – one-year deal
Eagles OL Sua Opeta – one-year deal

TAMPA BAY’S SALARY CAP ROOM

UPDATED 3/13 2:05 pm ET: According to OverTheCap.com, the Bucs have $7,289,611 in available cap space after the re-signings of Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield, Greg Gaines and Chase McLaughlin but before re-signing Chase Edmonds and signing Jordan Whitehead. But that figure does not account for Russell Gage’s release, which creates an additional $6.448 million of cap space.

BUCS REMAINING FREE AGENTS

Here is a list of the remaining Bucs free agents. Inside linebacker Devin White, strong safety Ryan Neal and left guard Matt Feiler are not expected to be re-signed by Tampa Bay – and there could be others who don’t return as well.

G-C Nick Leverett – one-year deal with New England, financial terms not yet disclosed

OLB Shaq Barrett – one-year deal worth as much as $9 million with Miami
ILB Devin White – one-year deal worth as much as $7.5 million with Philly
DT Will Gholston
LG Matt Feiler
LG Aaron Stinnie – one-year deal with the New York Giants, financial terms not yet disclsed
SS Ryan Neal
LS Zach Triner
WR David Moore
DT Pat O’Connor
OLB Cam Gill
CB Dee Delaney

CONTRACT RESTRUCTURES / CAP CASUALTIES / TRADES

UPDATED: 3/11 – 6:20 p.m. ET: In an expected move, Tampa Bay has traded cornerback Carlton Davis III, who turns 28 in December, to Detroit. The oft-injured Davis had a $14 million base salary and is entering the final year of his contract. Pewter Report has forecast this move for some time. Zyon McCollum is now expected to start opposite Jamel Dean at cornerback in Tampa Bay.

UPDATED 3/11 – 6:05 p.m. ET: In an expected move, the Bucs parted ways with wide receiver Russell Gage on Monday. Gage’s option year in 2024 was not picked up and he becomes a free agent. The move creates $6.448 million in cap room.

Expect contract restructures to happen this week for players with high 2024 base salaries like defensive tackle Vita Vea ($15.5 million) and cornerback Jamel Dean ($12 million).

Tampa Bay can also create more cap room this offseason by doing long-term contract extensions with Pro Bowl left tackle Tristan Wirfs and All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and lowering the first-year base salary for each of those players.

The team picked up Wirfs’ fifth-year option for 2024, so he’s currently under contract for $18.244 million in base salary and has a current cap hit of $18,606,582, which includes a prorated amount from his signing bonus back in 2020. The franchise tag amount for Winfield is $17.123 million in 2024.

TAMPA BAY’S 2024 PERSONNEL NEEDS

With quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and kicker Chase McLaughlin back in the fold for 2024, the team still has some pressing personnel needs to address this offseason. Free agency begins now, followed by the 2024 NFL Draft, and Tampa Bay’s needs happen to align perfectly with the strength and depth of certain positions in free agency.

Outside Linebacker

The Bucs have moved on from aging veteran Shaq Barrett and could use another, better pass rusher to start opposite YaYa Diaby, who had a promising rookie year and led the team with 7.5 sacks. Tampa Bay is not expected to go big-game hunting for the top edge rushers in free agency but could target value-type players like New England’s Josh Uche instead. Or the team could always draft another outside linebacker next month.

In-house options to replace Barrett include former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, who is entering a contract year, veteran reserve Anthony Nelson and second-year players Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez, who have the team excited about their potential.

Left Guard

With Tampa Bay not re-signing Matt Feiler and looking for an upgrade over Aaron Stinnie, left guard is a priority this offseason. The Bucs invested over $30 million per year into Mayfield and need to do a better job of protecting him in 2024. There are some free-agent options, but the 2024 NFL Draft is deep at guard. Duke’s Graham Barton is currently the pick for Tampa Bay in Pewter Report’s latest Bucs mock draft.

Center

The Bucs could use an upgrade over Robert Hainsey, who has been average at best as the team’s starting center for the past two seasons. There has been a big drop off in talent from Ryan Jensen, who suffered a career-ending knee injury in training camp back in 2022, and Hainsey.

Free agency happens to be loaded at the position with former Rams center Brian Allen and Titans center Aaron Brewer being possibilities. There are also several quality centers in the 2024 NFL Draft, starting with Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, and even Duke’s Graham Barton, who can play center and guard at the next level.

Strong Safety

Ryan Neal was a bust and the Bucs will be moving on from him this offseason. Tampa Bay needs to find a complement to Antoine Winfield Jr. either in free agency or the draft – both are loaded at the position. The Bucs wouldn’t mind reuniting with Jordan Whitehead if the price was right, but Winfield would have to be willing to take a big pay cut to return to Tampa Bay.

The Bucs have a couple of in-house candidates in Kaevon Merriweather and Christian Izien, who started all 17 games at nickelback last year, but played some strong safety at Rutgers. He’s built like Winfield and Whitehead.

Inside Linebacker

The Bucs are not re-signing former first-round pick Devin White after two very inconsistent and disappointing seasons. This position becomes super-prioritized if free agent Lavonte David doesn’t return. Losing one starting inside linebacker is one thing, but Todd Bowles can’t fathom losing both of his starters in the same offseason. David needs to return, but the Bucs could sign a value free agent like Buffalo’s Tyrel Dodson or Houston’s Blake Cashman.

Tampa Bay has some in-house candidates to replace White, including K.J. Britt, who is entering a contract year. Britt actually unseated White as a starter down the stretch last year. J.J. Russell is another option and performed well in his lone start in place of White last year versus Carolina. SirVocea Dennis will also be in the mix, but he’s better suited to eventually replace David at Mo linebacker rather than play Mike linebacker.

Running Back

Chase Edmonds was slated to become a free agent but the Bucs re-signed him on a one-year deal. Yet Tampa Bay needs more talent in the backfield behind Rachaad White in case he gets injured. The Bucs were lucky that White was healthy for all 17 games as there was a big drop-off in talent on the depth chart.

Ke’Shawn Vaughn was cut last year and the Bucs could sign another running back in free agency and still draft one in April. Sean Tucker is back for another season but was seldom used as a rookie and is not a lock to make the team.

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