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Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

Buccaneers To Sign K Rodrigo Blankenship

June 15th, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Sam Robinson

Going into training camp, the Buccaneers’ 2023 kicker room will have a Colts-y vibe. After bringing in Rodrigo Blankenship for a minicamp tryout, Tampa Bay is signing the young specialist, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

Blankenship spent part of three seasons with the Colts, being the team’s first non-Adam Vinatieri Week 1 leg since 2005, but was waived last year. The player who both replaced Vinatieri late in the 2019 season and took over for Blankenship in September 2022, Chase McLaughlin, is already on the Bucs’ 90-man roster.

McLaughlin kicked in 16 games for the Colts last season, replacing Blankenship after the latter’s rough day during a Week 1 tie with the Texans. Tampa Bay gave the fifth-year kicker a one-year, $1.13MM deal this offseason. That pact came with just $100K guaranteed, giving the Bucs flexibility. With Blankenship representing competition, the two recent Indianapolis kickers will vie to replace Ryan Succop in Tampa.

This will mark a rematch between McLaughlin and Blankenship, who squared off in a kicking battle in 2020. The Colts had signed McLaughlin, who kicked in four games for the team in 2019, to a reserve/futures deal in 2020. But they went with Blankenship, a 2020 UDFA out of Georgia, to be Vinatieri’s full-time successor. That move, however, only produced one full season of work. A 2021 injury and the struggles in Houston last September led Blankenship out of Indiana. The Colts paid up for ex-Rams standout Matt Gay in March.

The former Lou Groza award winner, Blankenship made 32 of 37 field goals as a rookie but suffered a hip injury during a pivotal 2021 Monday night in Baltimore. Blankenship’s efforts to kick through the injury resulted in a missed extra point and two missed field goals, opening the door to a 19-point Ravens comeback that dealt the Colts what would be a crushing blow — since the team finished one win shy of the playoffs that season. Blankenship booted two kickoffs out of bounds and missed a 42-yard field goal in overtime during his comeback game against the Texans in Week 1 of last season. He later caught on with the Cardinals, making both his field goal tries in two games.

Tampa Bay had gone through numerous kickers during the 2010s, shuffling through a new option annually, but Succop gave the team some sought-after stability. Encountering cap issues this offseason, the Bucs released Succop in March. The 13-year veteran remains a free agent.

Buccaneers Sign Round 1 DT Calijah Kancey

June 14th, 2023 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

This afternoon has brought movement in first-round signings. Both the Buccaneers and Ravens have agreed to terms with their top draft choices. In addition to Zay Flowers signing his rookie deal, Calijah Kancey is now locked down.

The Bucs announced Kancey signed his contract, which runs through 2026 and would allow the Bucs — if they choose — to keep him through 2027 via the fifth-year option. The interior pass rusher will be expected to play a key role for Todd Bowles‘ defense as a rookie.

Chosen 19th overall out of Pittsburgh, Kancey checked out as a clean prospect. No team brought the ACC standout in for a pre-draft visit. The Bucs will bet on the player from Aaron Donald‘s alma mater and a prospect who drew some probably unfair comparisons to the all-time defensive tackle great.

Kancey will fill in up front alongside 2022 second-round pick Logan Hall and Vita Vea, the latter of whom annually making things a bit easier for three-techniques. The Bucs also signed ex-Rams D-tackle Greg Gaines this offseason. The Bucs have not re-signed Akiem Hicks or William Gholston up front, but the team needed to work its way down from a $50MM-plus cap deficit, as Tom Brady’s void-years bill came due.

Kancey totaled 14.5 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. Standing 6-foot-1 and 281 pounds, Kancey blazed to a 4.67-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. He earned first-team All-American acclaim last season, becoming the Panthers’ first unanimous All-American since Donald did so in 2013. Kancey received a first-team All-ACC nod in 2021.

Tampa Bay also agreed to terms with third-round edge rusher Yaya Diaby, who starred at Louisville. After the Bucs agreed to terms with five draftees last week, only second-round O-lineman Cody Mauch is unsigned.

Bucs To Work Out K Rodrigo Blankenship

June 12th, 2023 at 3:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

Rodrigo Blankenship‘s search for a new NFL opportunity will take him to Tampa Bay. The kicker will spend minicamp with the Buccaneers on a tryout this week, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

Tampa Bay waived Jake Verity earlier this month, briefly leaving them with only one kicker on the roster (Chase McLaughlin). The arrival of Blankenship will give the Buccaneers another opportunity to conduct a competition at the position, something the latter will need to win out to get his career back on track.

Blankenship had a strong rookie season with the Colts in 2020, converting 86.5% of his field goal attempts (including 31 of 34 from inside 50 yards). The Georgia alum also made all but two of his extra point kicks, and appeared to be on course for a lengthy tenure as Indianapolis’ kicker. Things have taken an unwanted turn since, then, however.

The 2019 Lou Groza award winner was limited to just three games in 2021, and was waived early last season. That marked a disappointing end to his Colts tenure, and ultimately led him to the Cardinals’ practice squad. Blankenship, 26, made a pair of appearances in Arizona last season, converting both of his field goal tries and two of three extra point attempts. With Matt Prater re-signing in March, though, the team’s kicker situation is not in doubt.

Blankenship is thus in need of a new opportunity as he looks to re-discover the form he enjoyed three seasons ago. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is in search of a Ryan Succop successor, after the veteran was released following a three-year run with the team. Blankenship will likely need to wait until training camp to land his next tryout if this endeavor does not result in a deal being offered.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 6/8/23

June 8th, 2023 at 7:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s draft pick signings:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers have taken their time signing their draft picks; these are the first reported signings out of Tampa Bay, and the team’s top-three picks (including first-round defensive tackle Calijah Kancey) remain unsigned.

Of the late-round grouping, SirVoceaDennis could have the best opportunity to carve out a role as an inside linebacker. The Pittsburgh product will compete with former fifth-round pick K.J. Britt for a key role playing behind starters Devin White and Lavonte David.

Payne Durham and Trey Palmer bring strong college resumes but will need some lucky breaks to see significant playing time in 2023. Durham finished his fourth season at Purdue with 56 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns, while Palmer had a breakout season at Nebraska after transferring from LSU, finishing the 2022 campaign with 1,043 receiving yards.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/7/23

June 7th, 2023 at 6:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Dallas Cowboys

Los Angeles Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

Banogu is a local product for Dallas, even playing for the nearby Horned Frogs in Fort Worth for college. While at TCU, Banogu totaled 8.5 sacks in each season while racking up a combined 34.5 tackles for loss. His ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage factored into the Colts selecting him in the second round in 2019. After a disappointing first three seasons, we considered him a likely release candidate, but he was able to finish out his rookie contract and hit free agency instead.

In Dallas, Banogu has a long line to work through to earn snaps. The Cowboys have quite a bit of depth at defensive end with Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, last year’s second-round pick Sam Williams, Dante Fowler, Takkarist McKinley, Chauncey Golston, and more on the roster. Banogu will have to live up to his second-round draft stock in order to break onto the field in Dallas.

Tristan Wirfs Confirms Move To Left Tackle

June 6th, 2023 at 3:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers are following through with the long-rumored plan to move Tristan Wirfs from right to left tackle. The All-Pro blocker confirmed as much Tuesday.

In Todd Bowles‘ exit meeting with Wirfs conducted a day after the 2022 season ended, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman notes the second-year Bucs HC said the team would probably go through with the position switch. This, of course, came when eight-year left tackle starter Donovan Smith remained on the Bucs’ roster. Tampa Bay released Smith in March, and the veteran blocker is now expected to become Kansas City’s left tackle starter.

This move comes after Wirfs proved himself to be an elite NFL right tackle. The Bucs traded up one spot for Wirfs in 2020, taking him 13th overall. The Iowa product proved a quick study, helping keep Tom Brady upright during a season that ended with Wirfs playing well in Super Bowl LV. The following year, Wirfs earned first-team All-Pro acclaim at his now-former position. Wirfs received a Pro Bowl nod last year, despite missing four games.

While college left tackles regularly move to other positions as pros, Wirfs spent most of his Big Ten career on the right side. Wirfs began his starter foray at that spot as a freshman in 2017, started all 12 Iowa games there as a sophomore in 2018 and continued that run for nine 2019 games. Wirfs did start three games at left tackle for the 2019 Iowa squad, earning All-American acclaim for his two-position season. That short stint at left tackle suddenly becomes relevant again.

Smith allowed seven sacks last season and led the team in penalties. Pro Football Focus rated Smith outside the top 65 among tackles last season, and the Bucs created some cap space by cutting him. With Wirfs sliding over to the highest-profile O-line post, 2022 second-round pick Luke Goedeke is ticketed to be the Bucs’ first option on the right side. The Bucs attempted to move Goedeke, primarily a college right tackle, to guard last season. They will now try the Central Michigan alum at his more natural spot.

Wirfs, 24, will also have a chance to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid offensive linemen soon. While Wirfs is eligible for an extension now, the Bucs picking up his fifth-year option in April points to the team waiting until 2024 to complete a deal. This move may lead to the Bucs paying a bit more compared to negotiations on a top-tier right tackle extension.

The Chiefs and Eagles raised the right tackle market past $20MM per year in March, via Kansas City’s Jawaan Taylor pickup and Philly’s latest Lane Johnson extension, but left tackles ballooned past that point back in 2020. Although only three LTs (Laremy Tunsil, Trent Williams, David Bakhtiari) are tied to deals north of $20MM AAV, all three earn at least $23MM per annum. Wirfs transitioning smoothly to his new role will put him on track to command a contract in the Tunsil neighborhood ($25MM per year).

With Smith gone, the Bucs only have one higher-end O-lineman pact — the $13MM-per-year accord given to center Ryan Jensen — on their payroll. Wirfs may play the 2023 season on a rookie salary, but the chances of him playing the ’24 slate on the fifth-year option are slim. It will be interesting to see how Wirfs fares on the left side this year, as he may soon be on track to push for a potential record-breaking O-line deal.

Buccaneers OC Dave Canales Addresses QB Competition

June 4th, 2023 at 2:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the key decisions the Buccaneers will need to make this offseason is their 2023 starting quarterback, something which will be made based on the result of a competition between two relative unknowns. Tampa Bay will be evaluating an inexperienced developmental passer in Kyle Trask alongside free agent addition Baker Mayfield, whose career has taken a number of unwanted turns since being selected first overall.

The latter joined the team on a one-year, $4MM deal in March. That base value is far lower than what Mayfield may have envisioned given his situation as the Panthers’ starter last summer, but things did not go according to plan in Carolina in 2022. Tom Brady‘s second retirement opened up another opportunity for the former Heisman winner, though, and Mayfield could be well-positioned to occupy another QB1 role.

However, there is support in the organization for Trask, whom the Buccaneers spent a second-round pick on in 2021. The Florida alum has made only two brief appearances in his career, but Brady’s absence opens the door to an extended look during the summer. When asked about the situation, new offensive coordinator Dave Canales addressed the obligation the team feels to both signal-callers.

“I think it’s partly just respecting the team, respecting what’s best for everyone, and then also respecting Kyle’s process,” Canales said of Trask during an appearance on Fox 13’s No Days Off podcast. “You know, he comes in as the second-round pick with high hopes… Tom Brady’s been here, so he’s been able to learn from him. But at the same time he’s worked really hard to try to have an opportunity to show what he can do.

“On the flip side, too, I think Baker, would he love to be named the starter? I’m sure. But Baker also knows this is his road back, too. From Cleveland to Carolina and L.A… And so for him to be able to come out here to win the team over in his own right, to perform and to show them that he can be the caliber quarterback that he believes he can be, I think I owe it to both of them and to the team to put the best guy out there.”

Those remarks certainly leave the door open to either quarterback winning out the starting job, one which Mayfield should be considered the favorite for at this point. In any event, the Buccaneers’ offense will enter the 2023 campaign with tempered expectations under center, after the team declined to make a big-money investment at the position in free agency and elected not to draft a signal-caller.

In spite of that, playing out the coming season atop the depth chart would be critical for Trask and Mayfield. The former has two years remaining on his rookie contract, and his performance as a starter would go a long way in informing the team’s decision with respect to extending or supplanting him next offseason. The latter, meanwhile, would boost his stock considerably heading into another free agent period with a strong showing if he were to land the top spot.

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

June 2nd, 2023 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The start of June has served as a key NFL financial period for decades. While teams no longer have to wait until after June 1 to make that cost-splitting cut designation, teams pick up the savings from those transactions today. With a handful of teams making post-June 1 cuts this year, here is how each team’s cap space (courtesy of OverTheCap) looks as of Friday:

  1. Chicago Bears: $32.58MM
  2. Carolina Panthers: $27.25MM
  3. Arizona Cardinals: $26.68MM
  4. New York Jets: $24.79MM
  5. Detroit Lions: $23.72MM
  6. Indianapolis Colts: $23.39MM
  7. Dallas Cowboys: $20.48MM
  8. Houston Texans: $16.81MM
  9. Green Bay Packers: $16.57MM
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers: $15.73MM
  11. Cincinnati Bengals: $14.92MM
  12. New Orleans Saints: $14.27MM
  13. New England Patriots: $14.12MM
  14. Miami Dolphins: $13.9MM
  15. Cleveland Browns: $13.86MM
  16. Philadelphia Eagles: $13.85MM
  17. Los Angeles Chargers: $12.61MM
  18. Jacksonville Jaguars: $12MM
  19. Washington Commanders: $11.57MM
  20. Baltimore Ravens: $11.54MM
  21. San Francisco 49ers: $10.72MM
  22. Atlanta Falcons: $10.7MM
  23. Denver Broncos: $10.13MM
  24. Minnesota Vikings: $9.75MM
  25. Tennessee Titans: $7.99MM
  26. Seattle Seahawks: $7.94MM
  27. New York Giants: $3.82MM
  28. Las Vegas Raiders: $3.37MM
  29. Los Angeles Rams: $1.49MM
  30. Buffalo Bills: $1.4MM
  31. Kansas City Chiefs: $653K
  32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $402K

The Dolphins gained the most from a post-June 1 cut (Byron Jones) this year, creating $13.6MM in cap space from a deal that will spread out the cornerback’s dead money through 2024. But the Browns (John Johnson, Jadeveon Clowney) and Cowboys (Ezekiel Elliott) created more than $10MM in space as well.

The Jets’ number is a bit deceiving. They are still working on a restructure with Aaron Rodgers, as the trade acquisition’s cap number — after a Packers restructure — sits at just $1.22MM. In 2024, that number skyrockets to $107.6MM. Rodgers’ cap hit will almost definitely will climb before Week 1, so viewing the Jets along with the other teams north of $20MM in space is not entirely accurate.

Minnesota is moving closer to separating from its $12.6MM-per-year Dalvin Cook contract. The team already created some space by trading Za’Darius Smith to the Browns. Cleveland, which is one of the teams connected to DeAndre Hopkins, added Smith and did so with help from its Deshaun Watson restructure. Watson was set to count $54.9MM against the Browns’ 2023 cap. That number is down to $19.1MM, though the Browns’ restructure both ballooned Watson’s mid-2020s cap figures to $63.9MM — which would shatter the NFL record — and added a 2027 void year.

Tampa Bay and Los Angeles sit atop the league in dead money, with the Bucs — largely from their April 2022 Tom Brady restructure — checking in at $75.3MM here. That total comprises nearly 33% of the Bucs’ 2023 cap sheet. The Rams, at more than $74MM, are not far behind. Despite the Bills and Chiefs — the teams most frequently tied to Hopkins — joining the Bucs and Rams near the bottom of the league in cap space, both AFC contenders also sit in the bottom five in dead money.

Each NFL Franchise’s Richest QB Contract

May 29th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The quarterback market has moved again this offseason. A year after Aaron Rodgers raised the average annual value bar past $50MM, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson did so on long-term extensions. Overall, four teams have authorized the most lucrative QB deal in their respective histories this offseason. Two more — the Bengals and Chargers — are in talks about record-setting extensions as well.

On that note, here is the richest quarterback contract each team has authorized. Although teams like the Jets and Lions have acquired big-ticket contracts via trade, only teams’ extensions or free agency agreements will qualify here.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Jay Cutler, January 2014. Seven years, $126.7MM. $38MM fully guaranteed

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Carson Palmer, December 2005. Six years, $97MM. $30.8MM fully guaranteed

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

In trading this contract to the Jets in April, the Packers restructured the deal. Rodgers’ exit will still tag the Pack with $40.3MM in 2023 dead money.

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Carr’s second Raiders deal — agreed to in April 2022 — was worth $40.5MM per year. The full guarantee, thanks to the February escape hatch the team built into the contract, checked in lower than Carr’s initial Raiders extension.

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Cousins’ 2020 extension checked in with a higher AAV ($33MM) but did not approach his initial Minnesota pact for guarantees.

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Chad Pennington, September 2004. Seven years, $64MM. $23MM guaranteed.

The Jets have signed three quarterbacks to deals involving more guaranteed money, but each of those contracts — for Mark Sanchez (2009), Sam Darnold (2018) and Zach Wilson (2021) — was a rookie pact.

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Buccaneers Expect LB Devin White To Attend Minicamp

May 26th, 2023 at 5:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

Devin White drew headlines when he requested a trade earlier this offseason. As a result, it comes as no surprise that the Pro Bowl linebacker is currently absent from the Buccaneers’ OTAs. His absence may not extend into next month, though.

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Tampa Bay expects White to attend mandatory minicamp. Refusing to do so would result in cumulative fines for the 25-year-old, particularly if any hypothetical holdout were to last into training camp. His future with the Buccaneers has been in question since contract talks stalled to the point of White’s trade request going public.

The former No. 5 pick is reportedly seeking a deal which would put him amongst the league’s highest-paid middle linebackers. Establishing White’s value could be difficult for Tampa, considering the disparity in his performance when comparing counting stats with his advanced metrics evaluations. The LSU product has racked up 483 tackles and 20.5 sacks in four seasons, but his PFF ratings have ranged between 36.2 and 51.9 over that span.

White is set to earn $11.7MM in 2023 on the fifth-year option. That figure comes in well short of his asking price on a long-term extension, and the fact that he is only on the books for one more year has discouraged teams from inquiring about his availability. Unsurprisingly, the Buccaneers have remained committed to retaining White through what could be a multi-year transition period.

White remaining absent until mid-June would put him in line with the situation Austin Ekeler found himself in with the Chargers until recently. Shortly after the latter’s team stated their intention of having the running back at minicamp, he agreed to a new deal which put the uncertainty surrounding his immediate future to rest. Whether or not the Bucs can do the same with White this offseason will be a storyline to watch in the next few weeks in particular.

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