In an offseason featuring the re-signings of Mike Evans and Lavonte David, another player who has contributed more than 10 years of service to the Buccaneers is staying. William Gholston is coming back for a 12th season in Tampa.

The veteran defensive lineman agreed to terms to stay with the Bucs for a 12th season. The 2013 draftee has only played for one NFL team. This will be the third straight offseason in which Gholston has signed a Bucs contract; he agreed to one-year deals in 2022 and ’23. Gholston played for $2.7MM last year and $4.5MM in 2022.

Not many NFL teams in recent years have employed three players who have been around for at least 10 years together. The Eagles’ former “Core Four” held that distinction, and with Evans back after completing his 10th season, this Bucs group qualifies. While Gholston does not hold the kind of role Evans and David do, he is the team’s second-longest-tenured player — behind David, a 2012 second-round pick.

Although Gholston no longer operates as a full-time starter along Tampa Bay’s D-line, he played in 16 games last season (one start) for a team that made a surprise venture to the divisional round. Gholston’s Tampa Bay stay coincides with Jason Licht‘s; the GM’s first offseason doubled as Gholston’s NFL arrival. The team retaining Todd Bowles as head coach certainly helps Gholston’s cause, as the latter has played in Bowles’ system for the past five seasons.

Gholston, 32, is in rare territory in terms of games played as a Buccaneer. Only five players — three of them Hall of Famers — have suited up more times than the Michigan State alum, who has played 169 career contests. Gholston trails only Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, tight end Dave Moore, tackle Paul Gruber and David among games played with the franchise. Staying healthy this season would vault David and Gholston into the top three on this list.

After totaling 20 QB hits in 2020 and compiling 7.5 sacks between the ’20 and ’21 seasons, Gholston logged only 244 defensive snaps last season — a career-low number. But the Bucs clearly value his place on their D-line. The team has Vita Vea and recent high picks Logan Hall and Calijah Kancey along its defensive front; ex-Rams Super Bowl LVI starter Greg Gaines remains under contract as well. Gholston, who has 19.5 career sacks (none over the past two years), will rejoin during an offseason focused on the Bucs retaining everyone they can.

The Bucs have brought back Evans, David, Baker Mayfield and Chase Edmonds; they also circled back to Jordan Whitehead, who spent the past two seasons with the Jets. Like Whitehead, Gholston was a key backup in Super Bowl LV. For his career, however, Gholston has started 88 games — including 22 between the 2020 and ’21 seasons — and would be in place to add to that total if injuries affect the Bucs’ younger D-linemen.

JULY 25: The deal, which is now official, will see Gholston’s 2023 cap hit decrease from what it was already scheduled to be (Twitter link via Auman). The veteran was set to account for $2.4MM on the team’s cap as a result of the void year which existed on last season’s contract. While the Buccaneers are still dealing with more than $70MM in dead money from other contracts, Gholston will represent a lesser financial burden while continuing his Tampa career.

JULY 24: Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and defensive lineman William Gholston being a Buccaneer. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Tampa Bay has officially agreed to terms to bring Gholston back for his 11th season with the team.

The veteran lineman, who turns 32 years old next week, is set to return to Tampa Bay on his fourth NFL contract. Ever since being drafted as a fourth-round pick back in 2013, Gholston has been a solid defensive stalwart for the Buccaneers. He started as a rotational player, earning starts here and there, before eventually earning a starting role for a solid year or two.

The always strong but never remarkable Gholston has since yo-yoed back and forth between a rotational starter and a sub off the bench. In his ten years with the team, Gholston has started 87 of 153 appearances out of 162 possible games. He doesn’t miss much time due to injury (his last missed game was in November 2017), and he contributes both on defense and on special teams.

Even in the latest, most recent years, Gholston has continually received a top-three snap share on the defensive line. With the departure of Rakeem Nunez-Roches to the Giants, Gholston would have been set up for another large share alongside Vita Vea and Logan Hall, with first-round pick Calijah Kancey likely factoring in, as well. The free agent addition of Greg Gaines might not be enough to replace the production of Nunez-Roches, but it should be enough for the team to not require too much of Gholston in his 11th season.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Buccaneers had every intention of re-signing Gholston earlier in the offseason, but the higher priority was to settle the team’s rookie contracts to see where the salary cap would be. With Tampa Bay concluding their rookie signings today, Gholston gets his new contract.

The Buccaneers continue to prioritize keeping their free agents. Hours after another Leonard Fournette reunion came to pass, the team is close to re-signing William Gholston.

The veteran defensive lineman is nearing a deal to stay in Tampa, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. At least four other teams expressed interest in the nine-year veteran, per Fowler, but Gholston wants to stay with the Bucs. It is a one-year agreement, Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets.

Tampa Bay already extended Gholston, but the team is in a bit stronger position than it was when the parties agreed to that deal — a five-year, $37MM pact — back in 2017. Gholston, 30, played out that contract last season. Gholston has been a regular starter for the Bucs for most of the past eight seasons and sits behind only Lavonte David as the team’s longest-tenured player.

After teaming with Gerald McCoy as the Bucs’ D-line anchors, Gholston has worked alongside Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea for the past three seasons. Vea signed an extension recently, but Suh is unsigned. So is Jason Pierre-Paul, who has been connected to other teams. But the Bucs have done well to retain high-priority free agents, tagging and then extending Chris Godwin and keeping Ryan Jensen and Carlton Davis off the market.

Fournette and Gholston represent the latest puzzle pieces. Although unsigned players remain and the team lost guard starters Alex Cappa and Ali Marpet, Tampa Bay’s 2022 offseason resembles its historic 2021 retention effort.

Gholston, who will turn 31 before Week 1, registered a career-high 4.5 sacks last season. DC Todd Bowles deployed Gholston as a part-time player in 2021, using him on 44% of the team’s defensive snaps. The former fourth-round pick has nevertheless been a key part of the team’s past two Bucs defenses, combining for 15 tackles for loss and 31 quarterback hits in that span.

The Buccaneers and defensive end William Gholston have agreed to terms on a new contract, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’ll be a five-year deal with a max value of $37MM, (Twitter link). That pact includes $13.5MM fully guaranteed.

Gholston was said to be a priority free agent for the Bucs and they have managed to retain him before the legal tampering period gets underway on Tuesday. The 25-year-old (26 in July) is coming off of one of his best career seasons. In 14 games (all starts), he had 50 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. For what it’s worth, the metrics at Pro Football Focus didn’t paint Gholston in a flattering light this past year, ranking him as just the 90th best edge defender out of 109 qualified players.

The Bucs still have a number of defensive linemen set to hit the open market, including Akeem Spence, Sealver Siliga, John Hughes, and Jacquies Smith.