Bucs Mailbag: What’s Next For Tampa Bay In Free Agency?

Bucs general manager Jason Licht – Photo by: Bailey Adams/PR

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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport Twitter account this week in the Bucs Mailbag. Submit your question to the Bucs Mailbag each week via X using the hashtag #PRMailbag.  Here are the Bucs questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

QUESTION: Do what we usually do sit around until the free agent market is all picked over then scramble at the end?

ANSWER: Well, I wouldn’t say the Bucs necessarily scramble at the end of free agency. But what they usually don’t do is make splash signings on the first day of free agency. That’s when the crazy – and some would say “stupid” – money gets tossed around. That was certainly the case today. Nate Hobbs, an oft-injured nickel cornerback for the Raiders was signed to a four-year, $48 million contract with the Packers that includes $16 million in guaranteed money. Hobbs had a 61.4 Pro Football Focus grade last year.

Hobbs wasn’t the only questionable deal done in free agency at the cornerback position. Brandon Stephens left the Ravens for the Jets, agreeing to a three-year deal worth $36 million and featuring $23 million in guaranteed money. Stephens had a 54 PFF grade last year. The Bucs have a big need at cornerback, but would you want either of those two players in Tampa Bay for those prices?

General manager Jason Licht has tried the splashy free agent signing route before and has (wisely) found out that it usually doesn’t work.

Licht didn’t say that (but new Raiders G.M. John Spytek probably did). Yet he believes in that principle.

The Haason Reddick deal is kind of a mix between a splashy free agent signing and a value signing. As of right now, Reddick ranks No. 21 out of the highest-paid edge rushers, according to OverTheCap.com at $14 million per year on his one-year deal. Reddick made an average of $15 million per year over the past two seasons with the Eagles (2023) and Jets (2024), so in an edge rusher market that is going up, up, up, he’s actually scheduled to make less in 2025.

Tampa Bay is looking for value. Shaquil Barrett and Baker Mayfield were some of the best signings that Licht has ever made and both were on one-year, prove-it deals for $5 million and $4 million, respectively. Zack Baun signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Eagles last year and became an All-Pro who re-signed for $51 million over three years last week. We’ll see what happens the rest of this week as the big money deals dry up and some good players can be had at very good prices.

QUESTION: Were there any offers on the table for Chavarius Ward?

ANSWER: I would guess the Bucs had interest in former 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward, but certainly not at $60 million over three years with $35 million guaranteed. Ward will be 29 later this year and is coming off a rough 2024 season that saw the sudden death of his young daughter.

I’m not sure the Bucs wanted to drop $20 million per year on Ward when Zyon McCollum is entering a contract year. He’s younger and could be better if he continues to develop and improve. Having two $20 million cornerbacks is just about undoable – even with the increase in the salary cap.

The Bucs do need help at cornerback but will likely look for a cornerback who would make less than McCollum will make when he gets an extension – possibly later this year. And that’s one thing to consider. Tampa Bay is interested in potentially doing early extensions for McCollum, right tackle Luke Goedeke and tight end Cade Otton, and there is only so much money and salary cap room to go around.

Speaking of defensive backs, keep an eye on Chiefs safety Justin Reid. If he’s available for the right price, the Bucs could be very interested. The 28-year old Reid is coming off a strong season in Kansas City, where he had 16 pass breakups, three interceptions, three sacks and a forced fumble over the past two years. He had a 78.2 Pro Football Focus grade last year and a 76.5 coverage grade.

If Tampa Bay signs Reid and he starts at strong safety, the team could keep Tykee Smith at nickelback. If Smith does move to strong safety, it does create an opening at nickelback. So the Bucs could be looking for both a nickelback and an outside cornerback to possibly replace Jamel Dean this offseason, as well as better depth at cornerback.

QUESTION: I love the moves so far! Chris Godwin and Ben Bredeson re-signed. Haason Reddick signed, but cornerback is still a big need. Do you see Jason Licht signing Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy?

ANSWER: You are right. Cornerback is a big need. I think the Bucs will sign a veteran free agent and also draft one. This is a pretty good year for cornerbacks in the NFL Draft, so getting a young, developmental corner makes sense. But finding a more reliable starting-caliber veteran does, too.

As for Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy, he’s a bit of a mixed bag. He signed a three-year deal worth $66 million on Monday night. The former Cardinals second-round pick had a career-best 74.4 Pro Football Focus grade in 2024, which was his second year in Minnesota. He also had a career-high 73.5 coverage grade – partially due to his personal-best six interceptions in 2024. Those picks earned him his first-ever Pro Bowl nod.

But Murphy also gave up four touchdowns last year, and he’s surrendered 32 touchdowns while producing 14 interceptions in his six seasons in the NFL. While Murphy has had nine interceptions over his two-year stint with the Vikings, he’s allowed 10 touchdowns over that span. He also is not a sure tackler, and tackling was an issue in Tampa Bay last year. Not sure the Bucs were interested – especially with that price tag.

Todd Bowles prefers longer, lengthier cornerbacks on the outside, and Murphy would have projected to a nickel cornerback role at 5-foot-11, 190 in Tampa Bay’s defense. The Bucs could be interested in Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas, who struggled in Buffalo last year, but had a very good career in Green Bay from 2021-23 where he snared 10 interceptions, including three pick-sixes.

QUESTION: NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry said if Chris Godwin signed with Bucs it will be a three-year deal. He also said that reading between the tea leaves, if Sean Tucker improve in pass protection he could become RB2 behind Bucky Irving is that true? Or is this the national media being wrong again?

ANSWER: It wound up being a three-year deal for Chris Godwin, so Matthew Berry was correct. I didn’t think it would be longer than that with him just turning 29 years old. I’m not sure Tampa Bay wanted to commit to more than that in terms of length given the fact that he’s coming off a serious ankle injury. Godwin received $22 million per year, which was fair market value. And it helped the Bucs given that the state of Florida doesn’t have any state income tax.

I’m not sure if Godwin had any other suitors who were really close to acquiring him, as he wanted to stay in Tampa Bay, but I’m sure his agent got plenty of phone calls given the sparse free agent wide receivers available. I staked my reputation on the fact that Godwin was going to return, going so far as to guarantee it last November. Thankfully, I was right.

As for Sean Tucker, there is a chance that he could move up the depth chart, but pass protection is an issue. Tucker finally got to see field last year and showed off his speed and explosiveness as a rotational back. Despite being No. 3 on the depth chart, Tucker ran for 308 yards and a pair of touchdowns and averaged 6.2 yards per carry, which was the best of any running back on the team. He also nine catches for 109 yards (12.1 avg.) and a touchdown through the air and was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 6.

Rachaad White is currently Bucky Irving’s backup and he’s an elite pass protector – one of the best blocking backs in the NFL. So it would take Tucker making a monumental leap in that area to surpass White as RB2 in Tampa Bay. White is entering a contract year and has everything to play for, so he’s going to make every run, catch and snap count this year in order to maximize his value in free agency in 2026.

QUESTION: Any sense of who the Bucs may like to bring in for Top 30 visits?

ANSWER: The Bucs have shown a penchant for bringing in players from each day of the draft – prospects from the first round all the way down to Day 3. My guess is nearly 10 of the Top 30 visits will be for potential first-round prospects because whoever gets drafted first will be counted on to play – and likely start – as a rookie, and will have the most expensive contract. Teams need to hit on their first-round pick to truly have a successful draft.

With Tampa Bay picking at No. 19, there will be a wider array of players available than if the team had a Top 10 selection. That means they’ll need to bring in more potential candidates who could be options at No. 19 – perhaps as many as 10. With Top 30 visits, draft prospects get to spend all day at the NFL team’s facility meeting with the general manager, head coach, scouting department as well as the coordinators and position coaches.

But it’s also important for the Bucs to get a good feel on who they are drafting in rounds 2-7. Even formal interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine only last 18 minutes. Tampa Bay had a formal interview with tight end Devin Culp last year and then also brought him in for a Top 30 visit and he wound up being the team’s seventh-round pick.

Of course, the Bucs went into stealth mode a few years ago with defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who wound up being the team’s first-round pick in 2023. Kancey did not come in for a Top 30 visit nor did he even have a formal interview with Tampa Bay. That’s why his selection caught most off guard. It was a different story last year with center Graham Barton, who came in for a Top 30 visit after having a formal interview with the Bucs in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Most of the players who got formal interviews with the Bucs would be ideal candidates to come in for Top 30 visits. You can see who the Bucs met with formally at the Combine right here.

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