Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

Pro Football Rumors 2025 NFL Mock Draft

The pool of prospects available for teams later this month delivers an interesting challenge for anyone making a mock draft. This year’s crop of players has been viewed as far more deep than it is top-heavy, with only 15-20 players receiving first-round grades in most scouting departments. Because of this, we’re left with a fun uncertainty in which any of several players with second- to third-round grades could hear their names called throughout the back half of the first round.

Here, we’ll make an attempt to identify the best prospects for each team in their draft slot and with their position needs. Because we’re in a rare and fun scenario at the moment in which every team holds its own first-round pick for the first time in a long, long time, we will not be predicting any in-draft trades, but you can read here about the possibilities for such trades happening at the tail-end of the first round.

1) Tennessee Titans — QB Cam Ward, Miami (FL)

Let’s not overthink this one. The Titans have a need at quarterback, unless they’re fully willing to run through the 2025 NFL season with Will Levis as their leader under center. While top-ranked prospects like Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Penn State’s Abdul Carter are certainly worthy picks here, it makes a bit too much sense to just address the most important position in football.

Ward has run away with the honor of being the best quarterback prospect in this year’s class. Year after year, Ward has progressed from Incarnate Word to Washington State to Miami and has played better and better football at each step of his journey. The well-traveled passer has his shortcomings as a prospect, but there is no reason to believe he won’t continue to improve and excel at the next level.

Ward here would give the Hurricanes their first first-round pick on offense since David Njoku in 2017 and their first No. 1 overall pick since the Cowboys took defensive lineman Russell Maryland in 1991. He would be bringing the best arm in the draft to Tennessee to spread the ball out behind a slowly improving offensive line.

2) Cleveland Browns — WR Travis Hunter, Colorado

I was extremely tempted to go with Hunter’s quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, at this pick. Star pass rusher Myles Garrett was a big critic of the team’s chances to contend for a title, largely due to the Browns’ quarterback situation. It felt like the only thing that could convince him to make a hard U-turn on this thinking (besides money) would be if team brass had clued him in to a plan to address the position. At this point, though, Sanders has begun to slide down a lot of boards and could be available via trade from the early second round back into the late first. We’ve also seen the Browns express interest in Alabama passer Jalen Milroe, who could be another candidate to add a fifth-year option to his contract with a trade into the first round.

Instead, we’re going with Hunter. It is strange to think we could have two players going Nos. 1 and 2 who began their collegiate careers at the FCS level, but here we are. Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry reportedly views Hunter primarily as a wide receiver, making him an exciting weapon to pair with Jerry Jeudy.

Strong ball skills combined with explosiveness and an ability to make tacklers miss make Hunter a scary edition to a group that already includes Jeudy and Njoku. While they need a quarterback to distribute the ball, that problem may be addressed later in the round. There’s a chance the Browns try to utilize Hunter’s unicorn ability to play both sides of the ball in the NFL, but we know his offensive abilities are what Cleveland primarily values.

3) New York Giants — OLB Abdul Carter, Penn State

While ultimately an easy decision, it is likely not one the Giants would prefer. Ward, Hunter, and Carter are, by a wide consensus, considered the surefire top three picks of this draft in some order. Though, it’s always possible another quarterback sneaks his way in due to desperation from Cleveland or New York. The Giants would likely love to add Hunter as a shutdown, true No. 1 cornerback, but with the 2024 Heisman winner in Cleveland, Carter is far and away the best prospect left on the board at this point. Any other pick here would be a reach. The only thing to watch out for here is the fact that general manager Joe Schoen was lucky to retain his job this offseason, and he may feel the need to do something bold in order to keep his job like going after Sanders or Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

There is not a huge need for Carter in New York. Despite the loss of Azeez Ojulari in free agency, the team still rosters Brian Burns and former top-five pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. The two only combined for 14 sacks in 2024 and only have two double-digit sack seasons between them. That said, the Giants have invested a lot in the pass-rushing duo and likely intend to keep utilizing the pair. Little depth exists behind them and adding Carter to serve as a third edge rusher seems underwhelming for a No. 3 pick. The Giants do have a past of making such moves, as Mathias Kiwanuka (2006) and Jason Pierre-Paul (2010) joined John Mara-run teams that had strong edge-rushing units already. It would be foolhardy for New York to pass up the last elite talent left in this draft.

4) New England Patriots — T Will Campbell, LSU

Here’s where the draft can become really interesting. Now that the top prospects are off the board, we get a little more into speculation on team preference and fit. While New England was dead last in team sacks in 2024, it made strong additions in former Titan Harold Landry and ex-Eagle Milton Williams. Because the Patriots already invested a lot in the defensive line through free agency, they use this draft slot to address another area of weakness: the offensive line.

FA pickup Morgan Moses is set to lock down his side of the line, slotting Michael Onwenu at right guard. Former Vikings center Garrett Bradbury should start, as well, allowing Cole Strange to return to his role as starting left guard with Layden Robinson providing depth on the interior. Vederian Lowe and Caedan Wallace could both receive opportunities to start at left tackle, as each was part of last season’s merry-go-round at the position. But new head coach Mike Vrabel admitted that the draft could be a useful tool to improve at the position.

Campbell started at left tackle for all three of his seasons in Baton Rouge. While analysts criticized Campbell’s lack of length as a detriment to his first-round status, scouts don’t believe it to be an issue that would prevent him from having a successful NFL career at left tackle. He heads north to New England, where Lowe or Wallace would be in place as a stopgap if the seasoned SEC blocker needs any acclimation time. Considering 2025 will be a crucial developmental year for Drake Maye, it would stand to reason Campbell would step in immediately.

5) Jacksonville Jaguars — DT Mason Graham, Michigan

Jacksonville’s biggest holes are at tight end, linebacker, and maybe safety, but none of the top prospects at those positions feel worthy of going fifth overall. The best player on the board at this point is Graham, and while defensive tackle may not be a gaping hole, it’s a spot at which the Jaguars could use an upgrade.

Graham was the top-ranked interior defender in the NCAA last year, per Pro Football Focus, and this was not a breakout year; he ranked fifth in 2023. Graham can be disruptive as an inside pass rusher, totaling nine sacks and 18 tackles for loss in three seasons, but he is an elite run defender — the NCAA’s best, per PFF — and would be pivotal to a unit that finished 25th in run defense in 2024. With Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker in place on the edge, Graham pairs with Arik Armstead to form the team’s most menacing defensive line since its 2017 “Sacksonville” crew.

6) Las Vegas Raiders — RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

There’s work to be done at a number of positions in Las Vegas, but running back seems to have the biggest need for improvement. The other position I considered here was defensive tackle, but Graham is off the board, and I think Jeanty adds more to the running backs group here than Derrick Harmon or Walter Nolen would add to the defensive line. Plus, with a decent O-line and a lack of elite wide receivers in the class, the new brain trust of general manager John Spytek, head coach Pete Carroll, and minority owner Tom Brady will need to find some way to add a weapon for new quarterback Geno Smith.

A lot will be expected of Jeanty in 2025 after he carried the Broncos to the College Football Playoff last year. Hopes that some combination of Alexander Mattison and Zamir White would make for a passable run game proved misplaced as the Raiders finished dead last in rushing in 2024. Vegas added Raheem Mostert to improve the room in free agency, and though he’s only a season removed from a 1,000-yard rushing campaign in which he led the league in rushing touchdowns with 18, the veteran speedster took a backseat last year in Miami. He would do so again here behind Jeanty, whose run at Barry Sanders‘ hallowed single-season Division I-FBS rushing record (2,628) fell just 27 yards short.

7) New York Jets — T Armand Membou, Missouri

It is extremely tempting to go with Jaxson Dart here. Post-Aaron Rodgers, the Jets are once again trying to figure out their future at quarterback. At the moment, though, they seem decently positioned with Justin Fields set to start and experienced backup Tyrod Taylor behind him. New York even rosters former Florida State star Jordan Travis as a potential underrated pick to develop. Ultimately, Dart would feel like a reach, especially if Fields continues to improve as a starter. Instead, the team decides to add a piece to protect its new starting passer.

Membou would enter a really good situation in New York. A combination of center Joe Tippmann, left guard John Simpson, and right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker anchored an impressive interior line in 2024. Olu Fashano, the team’s pick at No. 11 overall last year, should step up at left tackle, where he started five games last year. If Membou is ready, he can step in as the starting right tackle right away. If not, Chukwuma Okorafor is available to fill in until Membou develops.

8) Carolina Panthers — LB Jalon Walker, Georgia

We know that Carolina is likely to focus on defense in this year’s draft, and its biggest weaknesses currently reside in the linebacking corps, where the team has plenty of bodies but lacks elite talent. Safety, wide receiver, and tight end seem to be other positions at which the team could add, but unless the Panthers want Tyler Warren out of Penn State, none of those positions feature prospects that fit at this point of the draft.

The team’s weakness in the linebacking corps applies to both the off-ball group and the edge-rushing stable. Josey JewellChristian Rozeboom, and Trevin Wallace man the inside linebacker spots, while Jadeveon ClowneyPatrick JonesD.J. Wonnum, and DJ Johnson comprise the outside linebacker corps. Aside from Clowney, none of the Panthers’ OLBs have proven to be entirely effective as starters. Walker is the perfect addition. Playing 311 snaps as an off-ball linebacker and 249 as an edge rusher in 2024, the Bulldogs standout’s versatility across the defense is reminiscent of Micah Parsons. The Panthers will get to determine at which spot Walker offers the greatest potential to help.

9) New Orleans Saints — QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

Sanders is trending heavily here, especially following the injury update to veteran starter Derek Carr, but hear me out. Dart makes so much more sense here. To get it out of the way: there are weaknesses on New Orleans’ offensive line (namely at guard), cornerback, and defensive tackle, but Carr’s situation makes quarterback a direr need. While initially the team was linked to Day 2 passers like Texas’ Quinn Ewers, the situation seems to necessitate a Day 1 move.

Now, back to the Dart-Sanders argument. This doesn’t boil entirely down to the fact that the two’s draft stocks have been moving drastically in opposite directions for weeks, but that is noteworthy. New head coach Kellen Moore has worked with three quarterbacks in the past three seasons: Dak PrescottJustin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts. Moore’s experience is with big-bodied passers with deep-ball and rushing abilities, two facets Sanders has seen criticized about his game. Sanders carries only average arm strength and plays conservatively. He also did not inherit his father’s electric speed and finished at Colorado with negative rushing yards (sacks count against rushing yards in college). Dart is a much more willing and accurate deep-ball thrower and has far more ability as a rusher.

If Carr is able to play in 2025, all the better to sit and develop Dart responsibly. If not, Dart stands a much better chance at finding success with a relatively weak offensive line and a bevy of offensive weapons than Sanders.

10) Chicago Bears — TE Tyler Warren, Penn State

Adding center Drew Dalman and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson to a line bookended by an impressive pair in Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones solidifies a group that was suspect in 2024. Upgrades could be made along the defensive line, but Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett are serviceable on the interior while Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo both have more potential than they showed in 2024. It is tempting to go with Georgia’s Mykel Williams or Marshall’s Mike Green here to add more pass-rushing bodies, but the best safety blanket you can provide a young, growing quarterback like Caleb Williams is a talented tight end, and Warren is too good a prospect to fall outside of the top 10.

Now, I know Cole Kmet exists and earned a four-year, $50MM extension after a career year in 2023, but last season brought Kmet’s worst work since his rookie year. His contract includes a potential out following the 2025 season that would allow them to cut him with only $3.2MM in dead cap. Drafting Warren here provides Williams with a top-tier weapon, one coming off a 1,233-yard receiving season, and gives the Bears a chance to determine whether or not they’re able to move on from Kmet should his down 2024 turn out not to be an anomaly.

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Buccaneers, Cowboys, Jets, Patriots, Seahawks Host EDGE Mykel Williams

Mykel Williams‘ pre-draft itinerary is becoming quite busy. After meetings with the Cardinals, Saints and 49ers surfaced, the Georgia edge defender prospect will run his meeting count toward 10.

The Buccaneers, Cowboys, Jets, Patriots and Seahawks have also brought in the first-round talent for “30” visits, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. Listed as the No. 22 overall prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Williams is among the latest in a wave of Georgia defender prospects considered a safe bet to be a first-round pick.

[RELATED: Panthers Showing Interest In Williams]

The Bulldogs sent five defenders (Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt and Lewis Cine) into the 2022 first round and saw two more (Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith) go in Round 1 in 2023. Both the Bulldogs’ 2024 first-rounders (Brock Bowers, Amarius Mims) came on offense, but this year will introduce another wave of Bulldog defenders to the NFL masses on Day 1 of the draft. Williams joins hybrid linebacker Jalon Walker and safety Malaki Starks as first-round candidates.

Williams spent each of his three years at Georgia, earning second-team All-SEC honors in 2023 and ’24. A former five-star recruit, Williams did not quite live up to expectations in Athens. He did not eclipse five sacks or 10 tackles for loss in a season, though he was a regular on three Georgia defenses — including a national championship-winning 2022 group. An ankle injury hindered Williams’ play in 2024. Still, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound rusher’s size and athleticism has him squarely on the first-round radar. Unlike Walker, Williams is a pure edge rusher who will not enter the NFL with questions about his best positional fit.

The Bucs have been mentioned as a team that could still target an edge rusher despite their Haason Reddick signing. Tampa Bay has needed consistent help from non-edge players to produce sacks in recent years. Barring an unexpected blockbuster trade, Dallas has Micah Parsons anchoring a D-end contingent that houses a returning Sam Williams, 2024 second-rounder Marshawn Kneeland and Dante Fowler, who rejoined the team after a year in Washington. DeMarcus Lawrence left for the Seahawks, who cut Dre’Mont Jones as part of their latest cap purge. The team still rosters Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and Uchenna Nwosu, who has seen back-to-back injury-shortened seasons lead to a reworked contract.

Neither the Jets nor Patriots appear in range for Williams, as the AFC East squads both hold top-10 picks. A trade-up move could conceivably be in play, though both can use these meetings to gather intel on Williams as a potential future opponent as well. The Pats reunited Mike Vrabel with Harold Landry last month but could still use another edge defender. The Jets split with Reddick to wrap a tumultuous partnership but still feature starters Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald.

Broncos, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Packers Host WR Matthew Golden

Not viewed as one of this decade’s better wide receiver classes, the 2025 crop is still expected to see a few of its best options go off the board in Round 1. Matthew Golden is becoming a player to watch here.

The Texas prospect has assembled a busy pre-draft itinerary after an impressive Combine showing. While he could not quite match 2024 Longhorns WR prospect Xavier Worthy‘s 4.21-second Combine record in the 40-yard dash, Golden blazed to a 4.29 clocking in Indianapolis. Teams are lining up to spend time with the Longhorn one-and-done.

The Broncos, Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers have brought the former Houston recruit in on “30” visits. Golden met with the Bucs on Monday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets, and stopped through Denver on Wednesday, 9News’ Mike Klis adds. He met with the Cowboys on Thursday, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein reporting the 2024 SEC standout’s Packers meeting occurred before these summits.

A Houston native, Golden spent his college career in Texas and is coming up as a Cowboys fit. Dallas is looking into receivers, with Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline indicating the team is viewed as a prime landing spot (at No. 12 overall) for a player NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah slots as his top wideout in this class. The Cowboys are targeting a receiver pick early, per Pauline, with Stephen Jones confirming the team is interested in augmenting its WR situation. They have met with Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka as well. While they have shown interest in Travis Hunter, Golden is a more realistic target.

The Packers (No. 23) have met with Egbuka and one-year Golden teammate Isaiah Bond. The team has long resisted calls to draft a receiver in the first round; it has still been since 2002 (Javon Walker) since such a move transpired. Green Bay has four rookie-deal receivers of note on its roster, but Christian Watson is expected to miss significant time due to a January ACL tear. Romeo Doubs joins Watson in a contract year.

Denver (No. 20) looked into Cooper Kupp and Stefon Diggs, and while Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen are among the vets who remain available, the Broncos are doing work on complementing Courtland Sutton with another young player. The team drafted Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele over the past two years but has now hosted Golden and Missouri’s Luther Burden. Running back remains an area the Broncos are focusing on, but a receiver addition makes sense as well. Sutton is entering his age-30 season.

A Bucs receiver move early would be rather interesting, considering the resources the team has devoted to this position. Tampa Bay (No. 19) drafted Jalen McMillan in last year’s third round and gave Chris Godwin a three-year, $66MM deal a year after re-signing Mike Evans. The latter is back in a contract year, though Tampa Bay has obviously made it a high priority to keep its all-time receiving leader a one-team player.

Golden is viewed as one of this draft’s fastest-rising players, Pauline adds, and he made an impression in Quinn Ewers‘ final season in Austin. Averaging 17 yards per catch, Golden went 58-987-9 for the Longhorns in 2025. While he did not put together a season like that in Houston, The 5-foot-11 prospect did combine for 13 TDs with the Cougars. With Tetairoa McMillan‘s grip on the top WR slot slipping, Golden could be poised to swoop in.

Buccaneers Targeting CB Draft Addition; Team Open To Adding Rookie Edge Rusher

The Buccaneers were not among the teams which made a major free agent splash at the cornerback spot. That position thus represents one to watch on the draft front.

“We don’t have a lot of depth,” head coach Todd Bowles said during the league meetings (via NFL.com). “That’s crystal clear — we don’t have a lot of depth. We hope to address that at some point in the draft, as well. We didn’t sign many [corners] in free agency… We’re going to address that in the draft.”

Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum represent the top options on Tampa Bay’s depth chart, although Bowles noted Dean’s injury history is a concern. The 28-year-old has yet to handle a full campaign during his six seasons in Tampa Bay, and he was limited to a career-low 12 games in 2024. A fifth-round pick in 2022, McCollum is entering his walk year as things stand but he is a core member of the team’s secondary after handling over 1,000 defensive snaps last season.

While it would come as no surprise if McCollum were to receive a new deal this offseason as a result, he and Dean (on the books for two more years) will likely soon have company on the depth chart. The Bucs added Kindle Vildor from the Lions in free agency while losing special teamer Tavierre Thomas. Tampa Bay also re-signed Bryce Hall after he was limited to just one game in 2024. Defensive depth (or, potentially, competition for a starting gig) would be welcomed during this month’s draft.

Tampa Bay’s offseason has also included a one-year deal for Haason Reddick. The two-time Pro Bowler’s Jets tenure consisted a lengthy holdout and, ultimately, 10 largely ineffective games to close out the campaign. As one would expect, the Reddick addition will not drastically alter the Buccaneers’ draft strategy. General manager Jason Licht said the team could still select an edge rusher despite Reddick’s presence (video link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).

Shaquil Barrett intends to play in 2025, and another Tampa stint could give the team a veteran presence on the edge. A rookie could also be in play early in the draft, though, with Bowles’ comments confirming the same is true at the cornerback position. The Buccaneers will have options to consider at both positions with the No. 19 pick.

2025 NFL Draft Visits: Schwesinger, Cowboys, Nolen, Ezeiruaku, Burden, Turner, Bond, Steelers, Emmanwori

This isn’t exactly a visit in the sense of top-30 visits, like most of the rest of bullets that follow this will be, but UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger held a private pro day earlier this week in Los Angeles and had 30 teams in attendance, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

While, obviously, not a comprehensive list, Schefter specifically mentions the Cowboys, Giants, Saints, Chargers, and Broncos, and notes that the linebackers coaches from Dallas, New York, and New Orleans all met privately with Schwesinger.

Schwesinger is not currently the top-ranked linebacker prospect in most analysts’ eyes, but he often slides in as the second-best off-ball linebacker in the class behind Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell — third if you count Georgia defender Jalon Walker, who has the ability to play every linebacker spot at the next level. Some thought Schwesinger may sneak into the back end of the first round at the end of the month, but more likely is that he hears his name on Day 2. Per Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, it would be surprising to see him fall past the first half of the second round.

Here are some more prospect-NFL team connections we’ve seen recent reports on:

  • The Cowboys have certainly been very busy in the runup to the 2025 NFL Draft. On Friday, the team held their invite-only “Dallas Day,” hosting draft prospects without the visits counting towards their top-30 visits. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton met with the team at “Dallas Day.” The well-balanced rusher continues to skyrocket up draft boards, is likely to join Ashton Jeanty in the first round, and has several other visits lined up.
  • Jeanty was also in attendance on Friday, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. We had relayed that Jeanty would be taking a top-30 visit with the Cowboys, but it’s unclear whether this is what was meant in that original report. Also in attendance for “Dallas Day” were Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner, Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon, TCU wide receivers Savion Williams and Jack Bech, Texas quarterback and offensive lineman Quinn Ewers and Cameron Williams, and Miami tight end and running back Elijah Arroyo and Damien Martinez.
  • Also in attendance at “Dallas Day” was Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Nolen will follow up his Dallas visit with a visit with the Panthers on Monday and a visit with the Bengals some other time this week.
  • Joining Nolen in Carolina on Monday will be Boston College pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, per Joe Person of The Athletic. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year has been a hot topic with multiple scouts of late, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid. He’s currently viewed as an early-Day 2 prospect, and his stock continues to rise.
  • Speaking of another “Dallas Day” athlete, Wilson of KPRC 2 provided an updated list of teams that Turner, from Texas A&M, is set to visit with. We already noted his recent visit in New Orleans, but Wilson tells us that Turner has also visited the Texans and plans to visit the Ravens, Rams, Eagles, Dolphins, Colts, Buccaneers, and Cardinals.
  • According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, the Broncos hosted Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden for a top-30 visit last week. The talented wideout fell off in 2024 after an incredible sophomore campaign with the Tigers, but his high ceiling makes him a borderline first-round prospect. Denver would love to bring in another talented weapon for young quarterback Bo Nix.
  • We already reported recent visits for Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond in Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, and Los Angeles, but we now have a couple sources adding some new locations for the Longhorn. Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Bond had dinner with the Bills before a private workout Friday and a top-30 visit as well as visits with the Browns and Packers. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds that Bond has visits scheduled with the Chiefs and Titans, as well.
  • Brooke Pryor of ESPN tells us that the Steelers hosted a full house on Thursday. Prospects on hand last week included Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas, Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, and Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew.
  • Lastly, Pryor adds that Pittsburgh was one of the recent teams to host South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. The pre-draft standout had reportedly lined up visits with Atlanta, Carolina, Seattle, Cincinnati, and Miami already. The Steelers’ interest in the Gamecock is no surprise as he’s trending towards being a Day 1 selection at this point.

Veteran OLB Shaquil Barrett To Play In 2025

Last season, we saw 32-year-old veteran pass rusher Shaquil Barrett ride a roller coaster of availability with the Dolphins and Buccaneers. No such uncertainty will accompany Barrett’s 2025 campaign as his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, claimed today that “he’s definitely going to play this year,” per Mike Florio of NBC Sports.

A two-time Pro Bowler during his original five-year stint with the Buccaneers, Barrett was predictably released by Tampa Bay as a cap casualty following the 2023 regular season. Deciding to continue his playing career, Barrett signed with the nearby Dolphins, moving about three hours south. Four months later, though, Barrett changed his mind about playing and announced his retirement from the NFL.

At the time of his announcement, the Dolphins left the door open for a potential return for Barrett, and after losing Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb for parts of the 2024 season, it seemed like Barrett returning to the fold could be a big development for Miami. When Barrett applied for reinstatement in late-November, though, the team opted not to accept his application, keeping him on the reserve/retired list and ensuring he would be ineligible to return for the Dolphins in 2024.

Ultimately, with Barrett making it clear that he had desires to return for the 2024 season, the Dolphins made the move to waive him from the reserve/retired list. This transaction left two possibilities: either Barrett would get claimed by a team forcing him to remain on the reserve/retired list for the remainder of the 2024 season or Barrett would clear waivers and have the ability to sign wherever he prefers. There were fears that teams may claim Barrett simply in an attempt to block rival competitors from enlisting Barrett’s services for the final stretch of the season, but ultimately, Barrett went unclaimed.

He ended up signing back with the Buccaneers with two games left in the season. Taking a week to get his bearings back in Tampa Bay, Barrett appeared in the team’s regular season finale, playing just under 20 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, before contributing on five defensive snaps in the Buccaneers’ playoff loss to the Commanders.

The deal Barrett signed in 2024 made him a free agent at the end of the league year, so if he’s going to play in 2025, Barrett will need to sign with a new team. Tampa Bay seems like a likely destination, due to his familiarity and their willingness to bring him back in 2024. Though the team brought in Haason Reddick to work across from YaYa Diaby, Barrett could be a productive depth piece after a full offseason with the team.

Julio Jones Announces Retirement

Julio Jones bounced around the NFL during the 2020s, but the former Falcons first-rounder authored one of the most productive careers in the history of the wide receiver position. After not playing in 2024, Jones is retiring.

The 13-year veteran confirmed his NFL exit Friday via social media. Rivaling Hall of Fame defensive end Claude Humphrey and perhaps Matt Ryan as the greatest players in Falcons history, Jones retires after earning All-Decade honors for the 2010s. His prolific stretch from 2014-19 remains unmatched at the position in terms of receiving yardage.

A five-time All-Pro with two first-team honors (2015, 2016), Jones rivaled Antonio Brown as the top receiver of the 2010s. From 2014-19, the all-around great accumulated 9,388 receiving yards. That is the most during a six-season stretch in NFL history. While hamstring injuries slowed Jones in the early 2020s, he finished his career with 914 receptions for 13,703 yards and 66 touchdowns. Jones’ yardage total ranks 16th in NFL annals.

It took a blockbuster trade package for the Falcons to obtain Jones in the first place. Then-Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff sent Nos. 26, 59 and 124, along with 2012 first- and fourth-rounders, to Cleveland for No. 6. The Browns did not make out well in that trade, but the Falcons gave Roddy White a wingman who eventually became their aerial ace. Jones played a lead role for a Falcons team that booked the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2012 and was even better two years later, when the franchise assembled one of the greatest offenses in NFL history.

Kyle Shanahan‘s second season as OC produced 33.8 points per game; that remains tied for eighth in the Super Bowl era. After a career-best 1,871 yards in 2015, Jones posted 1,409 in just 14 games to rocket the ’16 Falcons to the NFC’s No. 2 seed. Along with MVP Ryan, Jones powered that squad to Super Bowl LI with a 180-yard, two-TD showing in an NFC championship game romp over the Packers. Jones added 87 yards in the Super Bowl, including a marvelous sideline reception, but that game is obviously better known for the Falcons’ 25-point collapse.

During Atlanta’s dominant 2016 offensive run, the 6-foot-3 dynamo delivered a 300-yard receiving game against the Panthers. This came two years after he scorched a playoff-bound Packers team for 259. He added a 253-yard outing against the Buccaneers in 2017.

Jones again led the NFL in receiving in 2018, with 1,677 yards, and reset the market at his position just before the ’19 season. Lengthy extension talks produced a three-year, $66MM deal (which came with $64MM guaranteed), making Jones the first $20MM-AAV receiver. He was unable to play out that contract — his second lucrative re-up — after suffering hamstring injuries in 2020 and ’21. The Falcons traded Jones to the Titans for a second-round pick in 2021, soon seeing Calvin Ridley leave the team due to mental health reasons, and dealt Ryan a year later. Jones contributed to Tennessee’s No. 1 seed that year but only totaled 434 yards in 10 games. The Titans designated him a post-June 1 cut in 2022.

Venturing to Tampa in 2022 and Philly in ’23, Jones was unable to show much of his pre-injuries form. He combined for just 373 yards over his final two seasons, and no team signed him last year. That said, Jones will earn Canton induction; by not playing in 2024, he will be eligible for the 2029 class.

Over the course of his career, the Alabama alum earned $147.3MM. Much of this came on his first extension, a five-year, $71.25MM deal agreed to just before the 2015 season. The Falcons employed a White-Jones-Tony Gonzalez aerial armada from 2011-13, but Jones was alone as the team’s receiving anchor by 2016. White’s 63 receiving TDs still rank first in franchise history, but Jones surpassed his former mentor in receptions and yardage with Atlanta.

Bucs Restructure Baker Mayfield’s Contract

Baker Mayfield showed his 2023 resurgence was no fluke, posting career-best numbers last season. The Buccaneers went through with a transaction that reveals confidence in the former No. 1 overall pick being their quarterback beyond 2025.

In an effort to create cap space, Tampa Bay has restructured Mayfield’s contract. The Bucs will save nearly $15MM with this move, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who reports the team’s base-to-signing bonus conversion will leave Mayfield’s 2025 cap number at $23.88MM.

The Bucs gave Mayfield a three-year, $100MM deal in 2024, keeping him off the free agent market. With Sam Darnold and now Geno Smith agreeing to new contracts, Mayfield’s $33.3MM AAV ranks 19th among QBs. Mayfield, 30 this month, secured an additional $10MM in 2025 guarantees by remaining on Tampa Bay’s roster as of Day 5 of the 2025 league year. There was never any doubt about Mayfield’s 2025 status, after his 41-touchdown pass 2024 showing, and the 2026 season comes into focus thanks to this restructure.

This transaction balloons Mayfield’s 2026 cap number to $49.38MM, per OverTheCap, and three void years appear on the contract. The move will give Mayfield some leverage as he positions himself for another raise.

While the Bucs have their starting QB under contract for two more seasons, they would now see a $31MM dead money bill if they were to cut him in 2026. A $22.35MM dead money hit would emerge if Mayfield were to depart in 2027. Though, this franchise is no stranger to such penalties after Tom Brady‘s $35MM void years-driven dead cap bill hit the team’s 2023 payroll — leading to Mayfield arriving on a low-cost accord.

Darnold’s $33.5MM-per-year Seahawks contract is team-friendlier than Mayfield’s thanks to its structure, but the less proven passer secured a higher AAV than the three-time playoff qualifier. The Bucs regularly let their players play out contracts, as Chris Godwin‘s timeline most recently showed, but they made an exception for Tristan Wirfs last summer. With this restructure strengthening the Mayfield-Bucs partnership, the sides huddling up for 2026 extension talks would make sense.

Shifting to defense in Tampa, the team’s latest Greg Gaines deal is worth $3.5MM and brings $2.25MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson adds. A former Super Bowl LVI starter, Gaines has signed the same contract (one year, $3.5MM) in three straight offseasons. Gaines joins Anthony Nelson as front-seven pieces to have re-signed with the Bucs in March.

Buccaneers Restructure Antoine Winfield Jr.’s Contract

The Buccaneers continue to restructure veteran deals. After reworking Tristan Wirfscontract last month, the team has now restructured the contract of safety Antoine Winfield Jr., according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports.

Specifically, the team took Winfield’s impending $21MM base salary and converted it into a minimum salary and a bonus. In the process, a void year was added to the safety’s contract. After all the machinations, the Buccaneers managed to carve out $15.86MM in cap space.

It was less than a year ago that Winfield inked a four-year, $84.1MM extension ($45MM guaranteed) with the Buccaneers. The contract made the veteran the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. Winfield still has three years remaining on that contract, although there is an out on the deal after the 2025 campaign.

The former second-round pick has established himself as one of the league’s top safeties. A lingering ankle injury limited him to only nine games last season, although he still managed to compile 60 tackles, two sacks, and a defensive TD. He earned his first career All-Pro nod for his efforts during the 2023 season.

Wirfs and Winfield weren’t the only Buccaneers to have their contracts reworked. According to Auman, receiver Mike Evans also had his deal restructured. However, unlike the other two deals, Evans’ restructured contract won’t provide the Buccaneers with any additional cap space.

Instead, Evans simply saw some of his compensation moved to 2025. Evans is entering the second season of a two-year, $52MM deal he signed with Tampa Bay last offseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/28/25

Friday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Welch has played 72 games in the NFL, with much of his tenure taking place with the Ravens. The 26-year-old saw time with Baltimore and Denver last season, but in 2023 he played for the Packers. This reunion will give Green Bay depth at the second level of the defense along with a familiar face on special teams.