Buccaneers Rumors

Draft Notes: Barton, ’30’ Visits, Wilson

April 1st, 2024 at 12:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2024 tackle class has drawn rave reviews in the lead-in to this month’s draft, but Graham Barton is among those expected to play on the inside upon entering the NFL. The Duke product has nevertheless helped his draft stock recently.

Barton was already gaining steam as a rising prospect before his Pro Day, as noted by ESPN’s Jordan Reid. He battled injuries during the 2023 season and was forced to miss the Senior Bowl as a result, but the two-time All-American managed to take part in the Blue Devils’ Pro Day last week. Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reports Barton’s performance was highly impressive, and it secured his status as a Day 1 prospect.

Following up on the strong workout, Reid notes Barton could now work his way into the top 15 come draft night. Many NFL teams view the first-team All-ACC selection as a center, but he could also see time at guard at the pro level. Wherever he lines up as a rookie, Barton will face high expectations and no doubt draw the attention of many teams near the top of the order in need of reinforcements up front.

Here are some other draft-related notes from around the NFL:

Missouri’s Darius Robinson has also seen his stock rise in the wake of the Senior Bowl, and NFL teams are keeping an eye on him. The Steelers recently hosted him on a ’30’ visit, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He adds Robinson has 20 meetings with teams on the books, making him one of several potential first-rounders who will remain busy as the draft approaches. O-lineman Taliese Fuaga is among the prospects who also met with the Steelers, as noted by Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Staying in Pennsylvania, the Eagles hosted Laiatu Latu on a ’30’ visit, Geoff Mosher of Inside the Birds reports. The UCLA product is one of the best edge rushers in the 2024 class, having earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2023. His college resume includes a medical retirement, however, so there will be risk involved in selecting him. Philadelphia and all other prospective suitors will no doubt have a vested interest in Latu’s medical examinations. The Eagles traded Haason Reddick to the Jets, creating the need for a new investment along the edge.
The inside linebacker class is not believed to have a Day 1 prospect, but Edgerrin Cooper is among the top options teams will have to choose from. The Texas A&M product had a strong Pro Day showing, and he has a number of ’30’ visits lined up. Per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, the list of interested teams includes the Texans, Eagles, Cowboys, Panthers, Chargers and Buccaneers. Cooper was a consensus All-American in 2023 after racking up 84 tackles (including 17 for loss), eight sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
Pittsburgh, Dallas, Carolina and Tampa Bay are among the teams also set to host Western Kentucky wideout Malachi Corley, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes. Garafolo adds the Browns, Ravens, Seahawks and 49ers have also booked a visit with the small school standout. Corley is a member of a very deep receiver class, but his 180 catches, 2,279 yards and 22 touchdowns over the past two seasons along with a strong pre-draft process has put him firmly on the draft radar.
Marshawn Kneeland has also drawn considerable pre-draft attention. The Western Michigan defensive end has either already met with (or plans to visit) the Eagles along with the Chiefs, Saints, Jaguars, Jets, Vikings, Colts and Commanders, per Pauline. Kneeland spent four years with the MAC program, totaling 12.5 sacks and 28 tackles for loss while establishing himself as a power rusher and strong run defender.
While a number of prospects have helped their stock recently, the opposite is of course true of others. Michigan receiver Roman Wilson appears to have fallen into the latter category, per ESPN’s Matt Miller. He notes Wilson is in danger of falling to the late second round or early in the third, something which could become increasingly possible if a run on the draft’s other pass-catchers takes place. Wilson averaged 16.4 yards per catch and scored 12 touchdowns on a run-heavy Wolverines offense last season, but his size (6-0, 180) and mediocre statistics from his three other campaigns could make him less appealing than other WR options.

NFC South Coaching Updates: Marrone, Cooley, Peelle

March 22nd, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Ely Allen

New Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien is set to take yet another NFL coach onto his new staff. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, former Saints offensive line coach and former NFL head coach Doug Marrone is set to join O’Brien’s staff.

Marrone joins former Patriots tight ends coach Will Lawing at Boston College. Lawing left New England’s NFL team for his first offensive coordinator opportunity at the collegiate level. Both Lawing and Marrone worked under O’Brien at Alabama in 2021.

Bringing his experience as a head coach at Syracuse and for the Bills and Jaguars, Marrone will serve in the role of senior analyst for football strategy/research.

Here are a few other coaching updates from around the NFC South:

The Panthers have granted a promotion to secondary and cornerbacks coach Jonathan Cooley. After one year with the team, Cooley was part of a defensive staff under coordinator Ejiro Evero that was completely retained under new head coach Dave Canales. In his second season with the team, Carolina has made Cooley their defensive passing game coordinator, per Joe Person of The Athletic.
This week, the Buccaneers announced the hire of Justin Peelle as their new tight ends coach. Formerly the tight ends coach of the Falcons, Peelle was not retained after the firing of Arthur Smith and will cross the division to join Liam Coen‘s offensive staff in Tampa Bay. Peelle, a former NFL tight end himself, has had plenty of success during his coaching career, mentoring players like Zach Ertz in Philadelphia and Kyle Pitts in Atlanta. In Tampa Bay, he’ll inherit a position group that features Cade Otton.

Buccaneers Re-Sign LS Zach Triner

March 22nd, 2024 at 1:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Buccaneers have a new special teams coordinator for 2024, but the team’s kicking operation will have continuity. The team announced on Friday that long snapper Zach Triner has re-signed on a one-year deal.

Triner has been in place with Tampa Bay since 2019, playing a full season all but once during his five-year tenure with the organization. He was limited to nine contests in 2021 due to a finger injury, but he has been healthy and consistent since then. Coming off a two-year, $2.35MM deal, Triner could have headed elsewhere in free agency, but instead he has elected to remain with the team he has seen his only NFL action with.

The former UDFA spent time with the Jets and Packers before joining the Bucs on a futures deal. He took over from Garrison Sanborn after the latter’s contract expired, leading to this successful ongoing tenure in Tampa Bay. Triner was a member of the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl winning team and he has amassed 10 career special teams tackles (including three stops last season).

The 33-year-old will be working under special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey after he was hired to take the place of the retired Keith Armstrong. The former will have the same three players at the long snapper, punter and kicker positions to work with as the latter did in 2023, though. Triner, Jake Camarda and Chase McLaughlin are on the books for at least one more year; McLaughlin inked a three-year pact earlier this offseason after his succesful debut campaign in Tampa.

2023 saw the Buccaneers post an 18th-place finish in special teams DVOA. McGaughey will aim to guide the team to an improvement in that regard this season, and Triner will play a small role in that effort for a sixth season in his current home. Tampa Bay also has long snapper Evan Deckers on the books due to the futures contract he signed in January, but his path to playing time in Tampa Bay has been narrowed.

NFC South Notes: Cousins, Falcons, Ramczyk, Saints, Davis, Evans, Panthers

March 20th, 2024 at 3:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons are under investigation for tampering during their Kirk Cousins pursuit. Cousins said during his Falcons intro presser he spoke with the team’s trainer ahead of his official signing, which would be a violation. Cousins may well have revealed another tampering violation, indicating (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio) he offered to call Darnell Mooney to help close the Falcons’ pitch to the former Bears wide receiver. Mooney committed to the Falcons on Day 2 of the tampering period. With Cousins’ deal not yet official at that point, such recruitment on behalf of the team would be a violation as well.

None of this will result in the Falcons losing Cousins, but a fine and/or a draft choice being stripped would be in play if the team is found to have violated the tampering policy (albeit during a stretch referred to as the legal tampering period). Given the multiple issues here, the Falcons certainly run the risk of being punished.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

In a division with two of the league’s restructure mavens, the Panthers are hoping to avoid such moves under new GM Dan Morgan. The former Carolina assistant GM said (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) he will aim to avoid kicking the can down the road in the form of restructures. Teams have turned to restructures more in the 2020s, as the larger cap spikes have helped clubs manage the bigger cap hits down the road, but both the Buccaneers and Saints have needed to take some medicine at points this decade due to restructures.
Having said that, the Panthers did reach a restructure agreement with Shaq Thompson to both create cap space and retain their longest-tenured player. This will reduce the 10th-year linebacker’s base salary to $3.1MM and clear around $3MM in cap space, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Headed into his age-30 season, Thompson is coming off a two-game campaign halted by a fractured fibula. He is now on the Panthers’ cap sheet at $3.19MM.
Ryan Ramczyk finished last season on IR due to a knee injury that he admitted bothered him for nearly the entire season. A cartilage defect in his knee also brought some ominous comments from the standout right tackle, but he is on track to play an eighth season with the Saints. Ramczyk underwent what Dennis Allen (via NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras) labeled a minor knee procedure; he is expected to be ready for training camp. Additionally, Ramczyk agreed to a reworked contract that guarantees him $6.5MM this season, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. Ramcyzk’s 2021 extension previously had no guarantees left, but it called for a $27MM 2024 cap number. This reworking brought that down to $12.9MM, and NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett refers to it as a significant pay cut. Ramczyk is signed through 2026, but no guarantees are due beyond 2024.
The Saints also brought James Hurst‘s cap number down from $6.5MM to $2.9MM, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Two void years are present in Hurst’s deal, but the veteran O-lineman, who has been needed to start over the past three seasons, is due for free agency in 2025.
New Orleans’ latest Demario Davis contract (two years, $17.25MM) will bring $13.25MM in guarantees, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. The team is guaranteeing $2.5MM of Davis’ $6.5MM 2025 base salary, with Terrell adding a $1.75MM roster bonus will be due next year. That roster bonus will be key in determining if Davis plays the 2025 season in New Orleans; the new deal dropped Davis’ 2024 cap hit from $18.1MM to $6.2MM.
Not quite as prolific as the Saints on the restructure front, the Buccaneers have been aggressive here since the Tom Brady signing. Tampa Bay has already restructured Mike Evans‘ deal, per MLFootball, with his $21.8MM roster bonus into a signing bonus. This freed up $17.4MM in cap space, which the Bucs put to good use as they re-signed Baker Mayfield and Lavonte David following the application of Antoine Winfield Jr.‘s franchise tag.
The Panthers‘ Dane Jackson contract is for two years and worth $8.5MM in base value, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. While this NFL period has featured Carolina-to-Buffalo moves, the veteran cornerback will make the reverse trip and do so for $5.12MM guaranteed. The guarantees cover $1MM of Jackson’s 2025 base salary ($3.74MM).

Buccaneers To Sign CB Tavierre Thomas

March 18th, 2024 at 3:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Buccaneers created a vacancy at the cornerback spot by trading away Carlton Davis, but the team has made a few moves aimed at adding replacement options. That has included a deal with Tavierre Thomas.

The latter has agreed to terms on a deal with the Bucs, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. This will be a one-year agreement, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Thomas was on the Buccaneers’ radar last offseason, and that remained in the case in 2024. The 28-year-old recently visited the team, as noted by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Thomas played sparingly on defense during his three-year run with the Browns to begin his career. He had been in Houston since 2021, though, and the Texans provided him with a much larger workload. The former UDFA started 19 games over the past three years logging snap shares between 56%-60% along the way. He will compete for playing time in the slot with Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers dealt Davis to the Lions, a team known to be in the CB market. Tampa Bay also brought in Bryce Hall last week, though, and he will provide another depth option in the secondary. The team used undrafted rookie Christian Izien in the slot last year, and he impressed in that role. Thomas (who posted posted 178 tackles and five forced fumbles with the Texans) could see time on the inside, or at a minimum he will be in line for special teams duty.

A Detroit native, Thomas visited the Lions prior to this Bucs agreement, per Wilson. Instead of joining his hometown team, he has elected to head to the NFC South champions for 2024. Tampa Bay has retained a long list of incumbents on both sides of the ball, and the secondary will also have a new but familiar face in the form of safety Jordan Whitehead. Thomas will join that unit and attempt to establish himself as a full-time starter along the way.

Buccaneers To Re-Sign QB John Wolford; Team To Add OL Sua Opeta

March 15th, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Amid an offseason that has featured nearly the level of roster retention their 2021 blueprint brought, the Buccaneers will keep a lower-profile player. GM Jason Licht confirmed the team is re-signing QB John Wolford.

The Bucs are also re-signing O-lineman Justin Skule and bringing in ex-Eagles swingman Sua Opeta, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine and SI.com’s Curtis Allen. Both the O-linemen will be attached to one-year contracts, with Laine adding Wolford is also rejoining the team on a one-year agreement.

One season remains on Kyle Trask‘s rookie contract, with Wolford, 28, back in place to be the team’s third-string quarterback. The Rams showed interest in bringing Wolford back to Los Angeles, following Matthew Stafford‘s thumb injury last year, as did ex-Rams OC Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota. But Wolford preferred to stay in Tampa; the Bucs then promoted him to the active roster.

The 2024 campaign will be Wolford’s sixth NFL season. The former Alliance of American Football arm may be an even better with the Bucs in 2024, with ex-Rams OC Liam Coen stepping in as the play-caller.

The Bucs already signed Ben Bredeson, a 16-game Giants starter last season. Opeta spent the past four seasons with the Eagles and started six games in 2023. The former UDFA has experience at both guard and tackle, giving him an onramp to a swing role. The Bucs, however, have not re-signed Matt Feiler; Aaron Stinnie, a longtime backup who started 11 games last season, has committed to the Giants. Skule played in 17 games as a backup last season.

Buccaneers To Sign OL Ben Bredeson, CB Bryce Hall

March 15th, 2024 at 12:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two former New York residents are heading to Tampa to compete for Buccaneers jobs. The Bucs are signing offensive lineman Ben Bredeson and cornerback Bryce Hall, according to Pewter Report and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, respectively.

Bredeson spent last season as a full-time Giants starter at guard, while Hall is a former Jets starter who also played out his rookie contract in New York. Bredeson is joining the Bucs on a one-year deal worth up to $3.5MM, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.

Amid an injury-ravaged season on the offensive line, the Giants relied on Bredeson as a 16-game starter. The Giants put Bredeson — a 2020 Ravens draftee acquired in a trade a year later — in competition for guard and center spots last summer. As expected, second-round pick John Michael Schmitz won the center job. But Bredeson was in place at guard as turnover occurred across Big Blue’s front.

As could be expected on a line that gave up the second-most sacks (83) since the league began charting them in the early 1960s, Bredson graded poorly in 2023. Pro Football Focus viewed the Michigan alum as one of the NFL’s worst guard regulars last season. He has 25 starts on his resume, however. The Bucs have not re-signed guards Matt Feiler or Aaron Stinnie — during an offseason that featured higher-priority player-retention tasks — opening the door for Bredeson to compete for a starting job or settle in as a swing backup.

The Jets chose Hall in the 2020 fifth round and used him as a starter in 26 games. Twenty-four of those came over Hall’s first two years, as the Jets refrained from investing in corners. That changed in 2022, via the D.J. Reed signing and Sauce Gardner draft pick, relegating Hall to a bench role. Hall did return a fumble for a touchdown last season but only played 138 defensive snaps.

The Bucs traded Carlton Davis to the Lions this week. While Hall could conceivably be thrown into a competition to replace the veteran cover man, it seems likely the Bucs will bring in a higher-profile option as the favorite to start opposite Jamel Dean.

Eagles To Sign LB Devin White

March 14th, 2024 at 6:54pm CST by Ben Levine

As expected, Devin White won’t be returning to the Buccaneers in 2024, but the linebacker will be sticking in the NFC. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, White is signing with the Eagles.

It’s a one-year deal for the linebacker, according to Schefter. The contract has a max value of $7.5MM.

The former first-round pick had a productive first four seasons in Tampa Bay. After forcing three fumbles and scoring two touchdowns as a rookie, White followed that up with three-straight seasons of 120-plus tackles. He earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2020 after compiling nine sacks, and he added 38 tackles in three playoff games en route to a Super Bowl championship. That Super Bowl win also featured a crucial pick-six on Patrick Mahomes.

White made a Pro Bowl after finishing with a career-high 18 QB hits in 2021, and he added another 124 tackles and 5.5 sacks to his resume in 2022.

Set to play the 2023 campaign on his fifth-year option, the former fifth-overall pick sought out a massive extension last offseason. A deal didn’t materialize, and White ended up requesting a trade from the organization. Little interest was shown around the league, and White ultimately played out the 2023 campaign on his expiring contract.

The linebacker did little to increase league-wide interest with his play. He ended up splitting snaps with K.J. Britt down the stretch, and he didn’t start either of the team’s two playoff games. White finished the campaign with a career-low 83 tackles, with Pro Football Focus ranking him as the league’s third-worst linebacker in 2023.

White should have an opportunity to bounce back in Philadelphia. The team only returns a pair of inside linebackers in Nakobe Dean and Ben VanSumeren, so White should be in line for a significant role in 2024.

Baker Mayfield Discusses Bucs Contract

March 13th, 2024 at 10:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Before agreeing to a new three-year, $100MM deal with the Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield was uncertain if he’d be returning to Tampa Bay for the 2024 season.

After inking a one-year prove-it deal with the organization last offseason, Mayfield rehabilitated his value with a bounce-back season. There wasn’t any guarantee that the Buccaneers front office would be willing to pony up the money it’d take to retain the quarterback, but the two sides ultimately agreed to a new deal before the start of free agency.

“There were times that the couple days prior we didn’t know if we were going to get it done before free agency hit. So it was a lot of ups and downs,” said Mayfield (via ESPN’s Jenna Laine). “Unfortunately I had to think about that. I had to think about the fact that we would be here for the birth of our daughter before we even move. We wanted to be back, but if it wasn’t going to be the right fit for us, we were going to let God take control again and that was the big thing. We tried to be as patient as we could. I would be lying if I said we were happy the whole time, but it worked out how it’s supposed to…”

Mayfield admitted that he started to think of backup plans in case a deal with the Buccaneers fell through. Ultimately, it was a text sent by Mayfield to GM Jason Licht that got the wheels in motion, and the front office was quick to draw up an offer after learning of the quarterback’s clear desire to stick with the organization.

“He had us circled as the best place to go and we had him circled as the best player to come and follow the legend, Tom Brady,” Licht told reporters. “Not many quarterbacks would have the confidence to do that, but Baker certainly did. We love his leadership – we love his ability on the field – but his leadership, his ability to rally the team, the city, the fanbase has been surreal.”

Considering the Buccaneers took a chance on Mayfield, it wasn’t a surprise that the QB wanted to stick around after rehabilitating his value. Mayfield admitted that he “had fun playing football again” last season, and he opined that the coaching staff allowed him to be the “best version” of himself. The quarterback also put a clear emphasis on stability; in addition to being wary of a move with a child on the way, Mayfield revealed that he was previously experiencing “dark times” after bouncing between four teams in less than a calendar year.

With the weight of a contract year now off his shoulders, Mayfield will look to build off his strong 2023 campaign. The 28-year-old finished this past season with career-highs in completion percentage (64.3), passing yards (4,044), and touchdowns (28). More notably, he helped guide the Buccaneers to a 9-8 record and a postseason victory, only the second of his career.

Bucs To Bring Back S Jordan Whitehead

March 13th, 2024 at 12:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Buccaneers’ offseason blueprint brings a heavy retention vibe, they will bring back another familiar face. After two seasons with the Jets, Jordan Whitehead is coming back to Tampa.

The six-year veteran safety will rejoin the Bucs on a two-year deal that can max out at $10.5MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. In base value, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports Whitehead will be tied to a two-year, $9MM deal that features $4.5MM guaranteed at signing. This checks in south of Whitehead’s Jets deal (two years, $14MM) from 2022.

A 2018 Bucs draftee, Whitehead was a regular for four seasons before departing for New York. He will return to play alongside franchise-tagged safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The Jets expressed modest interest in retaining Whitehead but did not view the two-year starter as a top priority. As for the Bucs, they wanted to retain Whitehead in 2022, ESPN’s Jenna Laine tweets.

Whitehead started all 34 Jets games over the past two years. In 2023, he stood out in an ugly season for the team. Whitehead intercepted four passes — three in the team’s season-opening win over the Bills — and broke up nine more. Pro Football Focus rated Whitehead 39th among safeties last season. But Whitehead is better remembered for his Buccaneers contributions.

Whitehead started all four playoff games for the Super Bowl LV-winning team, forcing two fumbles during that four-game bracket, and has posted at least two INTs in each season this decade. He teamed with Winfield as a starter during the Bucs’ romp over the Chiefs, a win that has aged better given the AFC power’s accomplishments since, and started 55 games for the team since joining Winfield, Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting as Day 2 draft investments in the Bucs’ secondary.

Despite being a six-year veteran, Whitehead will be 27 throughout the 2024 season. Ryan Neal, who joined Winfield as a starter last season after the Seahawks parted ways with him, is a free agent. This clears the runway for Whitehead to reprise his role alongside the All-Pro talent.

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