Bucs Properly Constructing 2025 Roster From The Backside Up

INTRO: So what’s occurring in Tampa Bay throughout free company this offseason? I’m right here to elucidate – but not essentially endorse – what Jason Licht, Todd Bowles and the Bucs have been doing relating to signing sure free brokers this offseason. Take pleasure in!

FAB 1. Bucs Properly Constructing 2025 Roster From The Backside Up

The place are the splash signings in Tampa Bay this offseason? Aren’t the Bucs going “all in” to win the Tremendous Bowl? Who the hell are Kindle Vildor and Anthony Walker?

Okay, settle down.

Belief Jason Licht and the Bucs brass.

Acknowledge that the Bucs have signed 4 starters in free company this offseason.

Bucs OLB Haason Reddick – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

However chances are you’ll not have realized that as a result of solely certainly one of them – outdoors linebacker Haason Reddick – is new to the crew. But linebacker Lavonte David, large receiver Chris Godwin and left guard Ben Bredeson return as starters to a 10-win crew that received its fourth straight NFC South title final 12 months.

This can be a Bucs playoff crew that simply doesn’t have loads of holes outdoors of nickelback now that Tykee Smith is poised to maneuver to robust security to switch Jordan Whitehead and be a full-time starter.

Right here’s the projected beginning lineup in Tampa Bay in 2025 with new or re-signed starters this offseason in CAPS.

QB: Baker Mayfield
RB: Bucky Irving
WR1: Mike Evans
WR2: CHRIS GODWIN
WR3: Jalen McMillan
TE: Cade Otton
LT: Tristan Wirfs
LG: BEN BREDESON
C: Graham Barton
RG: Cody Mauch
RT: Luke Goedeke
 
OLB: HAASON REDDICK
DT: Vita Vea
DT: Calijah Kancey
OLB: Yaya Diaby
ILB: LAVONTE DAVID
ILB: SirVocea Dennis (promoted to starter)
NCB: ???
SS: Tykee Smith (moved to security from nickel cornerback)
FS: Antoine Winfield Jr.
CB: Zyon McCollum
CB: Jamel Dean

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

And chances are high that Licht and Co. signed a fifth starter this offseason in Riley Dixon, the brand new punter who will problem newcomer Jake Julien for these duties this 12 months after Tampa Bay went by means of three completely different punters in 2024.

Tampa Bay’s purpose this offseason was to enhance the crew’s depth, and that’s not in contrast to the duty that former head coach Jon Gruden took on in 2002 when he arrived in Tampa Bay after being acquired in a monumental commerce with Oakland.

The Bucs misplaced to the Eagles in Philadelphia within the 2001 Wild Card recreation regardless of having the likes of operating backs Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn, large receiver Keyshawn Johnson, quarterback Brad Johnson, defensive sort out Warren Sapp, linebacker Derrick Brooks, defensive finish Simeon Rice, cornerbacks Ronde Barber and Brian Kelly and security John Lynch.

Tampa Bay had loads of star energy – loads of grade-A expertise. However it additionally had loads of C-level gamers, too. Just a few subpar gamers the Eagles may goal and reap the benefits of – and so they did, and it value Tony Dungy his job as head coach.

When Gruden arrived, he shored up the roster and upgraded the expertise from the underside of the roster up. He changed loads of the C-level gamers with B-level gamers. Kenyatta Walker grew to become a B-level participant at proper sort out after being a C-level left sort out, and he was an improve over Jerry Wunsch, who was a C-level proper sort out.

Newcomer Roman Oben was a B-level left sort out, and new addition Kerry Jenkins was a B-level left guard, who changed an growing old Randall McDaniel, who had change into a C-level participant previous his prime. Greg Spires was a B-level free agent import at defensive finish, changing a C-level defensive finish in Steve White, and so forth.

Falcons WR Darnell Mooney and Bucs CB Tyrek Funderburk and former ILB Okay.J. Britt – Photograph by: USA Immediately

That’s precisely what Licht and the Bucs are doing this offseason – constructing their roster from the underside up. Changing the likes of inexperienced cornerbacks Tyrek Funderburk and Josh Hayes with a veteran like Vildor, who has 26 begins below his belt. And upgrading the depth at linebacker over Okay.J. Britt and J.J. Russell with a participant like Walker and 30-year previous veteran Deion Jones, who performed nicely on the finish of the season arising from the apply squad.

Free company isn’t even every week previous, and the Bucs aren’t completed but when it comes to including gamers. So don’t fret.

Keep in mind that Licht and the Bucs are much better at drafting gamers than they’re signing free brokers, and Tampa Bay will add six extra gamers within the draft subsequent month for improved depth functions – and maybe discover an eventual starter or two in that bunch as nicely.

However on the finish of the day, the Bucs simply don’t have loads of holes on this roster as a result of they’ve drafted nicely over the previous few years and re-signed their star gamers.

That’s the signal of an excellent crew – and that’s what the Bucs are.

FAB 2. Why Is Jamel Dean Nonetheless On The Bucs?

Bucs CB Jamel Dean and Commanders WR Terry McLaurin – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

One of many anticipated – and maybe projected – strikes this offseason was the Bucs transferring on from cornerback Jamel Dean, who has struggled to remain wholesome and struggled to make performs on the ball in protection.

Throw in the truth that the Bucs may save $8,284,941 in cap room by buying and selling him or releasing him, and that Dean has a hefty cap worth of $15,136,941 in 2025, and it appeared like parting methods with the seventh-year cornerback was inevitable.

In spite of everything, a excessive price ticket and a scarcity of turnovers from oft-injured Carlton Davis III prompted the Bucs to commerce him to Detroit final offseason. However Tampa Bay already had a alternative on-hand for Davis in high reserve Zyon McCollum, who really performed higher than each Davis and Dean did through the 2023 season. Transferring on from Davis was simply as a lot about making McCollum the starter in 2024.

As a result of the Bucs don’t have one other starting-caliber cornerback on the roster proper now, it doesn’t make sense for the crew to maneuver on from Dean till they discover one. When wholesome, Dean is a top quality cornerback. Professional Soccer Focus ranked him because the Twenty fifth-best cornerback final 12 months, and after what some lesser cornerbacks made within the free agent market this offseason, he’s really changed into a little bit of a cut price.

Dean is at the moment the Nineteenth-highest paid cornerback within the league at $13 million per 12 months. That’s $12 million much less per 12 months than Carolina’s Jaycee Horn, the league’s highest-paid cornerback makes. Dean had a 75.7 PFF defensive grade final 12 months, whereas Horn had a 64.5 PFF grade. Dean earned a 75.4 protection grade whereas Horn had a woeful 57.9 protection grade.

Bucs CB Jamel Dean – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs handed on signing free brokers like Davis, Charvarius Ward and Paulson Adebo, who all had decrease PFF grades and signed offers for $18 million per 12 months. Former Jets cornerback D.J. Reed is just too small to play in Todd Bowles protection as an outdoor cornerback, however even he had a lesser PFF grade than Dean final 12 months earlier than signing for $16 million per 12 months with the Lions.

I might have most well-liked Tampa Bay including one other veteran cornerback like Ward to the combo to compete with Dean after which draft one other starting-caliber cornerback to overload the place in case there’s a rash of accidents. However having two cornerbacks making $13 million or extra could be difficult to the wage cap, particularly because the Bucs are entertaining an extension for McCollum this offseason. McCollum figures to make not less than $13 million, too.

Maybe the Bucs will preserve Dean round for 2025 with the understanding that he’ll get harm and can miss some video games. However when he’s wholesome sufficient to play, he ought to give Tampa Bay 12-13 high quality performances.

The Bucs have already signed a veteran backup within the scrappy Kindle Vildor and can virtually definitely choose one or two cornerbacks inside the first 4 rounds of the draft. A kind of rookie cornerbacks will hopefully venture because the crew’s starter reverse McCollum sooner quite than later and supplant Dean.

And if Dean winds up being CB3 in some unspecified time in the future in time this 12 months, so be it. There are worse issues than having a prolonged, quick, veteran cornerback who is aware of Todd Bowles’ system and has a Tremendous Bowl ring as a reserve.

FAB 3. The Bucs View SirVocea Dennis As A Starter

Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

Inside linebacker place has been a place with a evident want this offseason, proper? Nicely, not essentially to the Bucs. The crew has signed three inside linebackers within the legendary Lavonte David, who re-signed for a 14th season, Deion Jones, who re-signed after an excellent exhibiting within the Wild Card recreation, and reserve Anthony Walker, who final performed in Miami.

David turned 35 in January, and this very nicely might be his closing season within the NFL. His play slipped a bit final 12 months, particularly in protection as Father Time is closing in, however he’s nonetheless one of the best inside linebacker on the roster. David value $9 million to re-sign with the wage cap growing this offseason, so he received a little bit of a increase.

As a substitute of pairing David with a participant like Dre Greenlaw, who’s coming off a torn Achilles that value him a lot of the 2024 season, the Bucs plan to begin third-year linebacker SirVocea Dennis at Mike linebacker to switch Okay.J. Britt and J.J. Russell, who began there final season.

Dennis was on his approach to supplanting Britt because the starter final 12 months by means of the primary three video games of the season earlier than a shoulder harm – that started in faculty and flared up in coaching camp – reared up once more in Week 4 and required season-ending surgical procedure. The fifth-round decide in 2023 had seven tackles and a sack within the 37-20 season-opening win over Washington whereas platooning with Britt. Then he posted a career-high 11 stops in a 20-16 victory at Detroit the following week.

Within the first three weeks of the season, regardless of enjoying fewer snaps, Dennis had 22 tackles in comparison with Britt’s 15. The previous Pittsburgh star is a really cerebral linebacker, who’s a nifty blitzer, has a nostril for the soccer and could also be Tampa Bay’s finest protection ‘backer. Though Dennis performed on simply 81 passing performs final 12 months with 64 protection drops, he posted the second-highest Professional Soccer Focus grade amongst Bucs defenders seeing the sphere for not less than 15 go performs.

Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

Ought to Dennis falter or not be capable to deal with a full-time position at Mike, Tampa Bay signed veteran Anthony Walker, who’s seen as an improve over Britt and Russell, particularly in protection. And the crew additionally re-signed 30-year veteran Deion Jones, who earned a 71.1 go protection grade and a 74 general grade within the 23-20 playoff loss to the Commanders whereas platooning with Russell. The Bucs appreciated how Jones match into Todd Bowles’ scheme and wish to see extra from him in 2025.

If the season began in the present day, the Bucs would really feel good with David and Dennis because the starters and Jones and Walker because the backups. And Tampa Bay is predicted to draft one other linebacker subsequent month so as to add youth, expertise and extra competitors to the room. I don’t suppose it’s going to be within the first or second spherical the place I count on the Bucs to proceed to deal with their go rush and discover a starting-caliber cornerback.

If this crew passes up the likes of Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell or UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger early, that signifies that Bowles and common supervisor Jason Licht actually consider in Dennis – and that his accidents, which have restricted him to showing in simply 17 video games in his first two seasons in Tampa Bay, are a factor of the previous.

FAB 4. The Loss Of Justin Skule Stings A Bit

Former Bucs OT Justin Skule – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs have had a profitable begin to free company to this point, however not the whole lot has gone in keeping with plan. Tampa Bay misplaced veteran swing sort out Justin Skule to Minnesota on Thursday afternoon and the crew had hoped to re-sign him.

Tampa Bay was relying on the success that Skule had final 12 months below the event of offensive line coaches Kevin Carberry and Brian Picucci could be sufficient to sway him to return. Along with his shut friendship with All-Professional left sort out Tristan Wirfs and the close-knit offensive line group.

However Skule, who’s coming into his sixth NFL season, opted for alternative as an alternative. As a reserve swing sort out, Skule wasn’t going to see the sphere in Tampa Bay until Wirfs or proper sort out Luke Goedeke will get injured. He began one recreation for Wirfs final 12 months and 4 video games for Goedeke in 2024.

However with Vikings Professional Bowl left sort out Christian Darrisaw coming off a torn ACL, there could also be an opportunity that Skule sees extra motion in Minnesota, particularly early within the season the place he could have to begin. And at age 28, that’s what Skule is in search of – the chance for extra enjoying time.

So whereas Skule’s departure stung the Bucs’ entrance workplace for a couple of hours, they rapidly rebounded with the addition of Charlie Heck on Thursday night time. Tampa Bay feels the 6-foot-8, 311-pound son of former NFL Professional Bowl lineman Andy Heck, will be simply pretty much as good as Skule, particularly with Carberry and Picucci there to develop him.

Keep in mind that Skule was signed to Tampa Bay’s apply squad in November of 2023 and that this time final 12 months he was a reserve/future signing. Skule did loads of creating final offseason with Tampa Bay’s offensive line gurus and the Bucs’ brass is anticipating the identical sort of improvement to happen with Heck and that Skule will not be missed ultimately.

FAB 5. Watch Pewter Report’s New Bucs Mock Draft Present – Offered By Stroll-On’s

Yours actually and Pewter Report’s Josh Queipo debuted the third of our 5 7-Spherical Bucs Mock Drafts of the 12 months on Thursday night – sponsored by Stroll-On’s Sports activities Bistreaux. Then we hosted a particular Bucs Mock Draft Present podcast at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night time – simply hours after the discharge – to go over our third Bucs Mock Draft of the offseason, reply your questions and get your reactions.

Try the episode under and tell us what you suppose within the feedback.

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