Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

Buccaneers Sign Second-Round DL Logan Hall

July 23rd, 2022 at 9:06am CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers are one step closer to signing their entire draft class. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), Tampa Bay has agreed to terms with second-round defensive lineman Logan Hall. Per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter), it’s a standard four-year deal worth $9.316MM.

Hall had a standout collegiate career at Houston, including a 2021 campaign where he earned first-team All-AAC honors. The defensive line had his best season in 2021, finishing with 47 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and six sacks. His performance vaulted him up the draft boards, and he was ultimately selected by the Buccaneers with the first pick of the second round (No. 33).

It remains to be seen if the Buccaneers will immediately insert Hall into their starting lineup. There’s a better chance he helps provide a breather to veterans like Ndamukong Suh and Akiem Hicks.

With the signing, the Buccaneers only have one unsigned draft pick in fourth-round tight end Cade Otton:

Round 2: No. 33 (from Jaguars) Logan Hall, DL (Houston) (signed)
Round 2: No. 57 (from Bills) Luke Goedeke, OL (Central Michigan) (signed)
Round 3: No. 91 Rachaad White, RB (Arizona State) (signed)
Round 4: No. 106 (from Jaguars) Cade Otton, TE (Washington)
Round 4: No. 133 Jake Camarda, P (Georgia) (signed)
Round 5: No. 157 (from Vikings through Jaguars): Zyon McCollum, CB (Sam Houston State) (signed)
Round 6: No. 218 (from Rams) Ko Kieft, TE (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 7: No. 248 Andre Anthony, DE (LSU) (signed)

Stroud notes that Otton is expected to sign his contract by the time rookies report today. Hall was previously the highest-picked unsigned draft selection, an honor that now resides with Seahawks defensive end Boye Mafe (No. 40).

Buccaneers To Sign TE Kyle Rudolph

July 20th, 2022 at 9:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Tom Brady has a new tight end. The Buccaneers have signed Kyle Rudolph, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the veteran tight end.

We heard recently that the market for Rudolph was starting to heat up. The Buccaneers were listed among the known suitors, as were the Vikings, Rudolph’s former team. Rudolph was also connected to the Broncos and his former GM George Paton earlier in the offseason. Ultimately, it was the Buccaneers who managed to land the free agent, and they now have a tight end who can somewhat replace the production of Rob Gronkowski, who announced his retirement earlier this offseason.

It’s been a bit since Rudolph has come close to even matching Gronk’s 2021 numbers, but at the very least, he’ll provide Brady with another reliable option at the position. Rudolph will likely compete with Cameron Brate for offensive reps, with rookies Cade Otton and Ko Kieft now competing for the third TE spot on Tampa Bay’s roster.

The Giants inked Rudolph to a two-year, $12MM deal in March of 2021, but following a season where the tight end finished with only 26 catches for 357 yards and one touchdown, he received his walking papers. Prior to his brief stint in New York, Rudolph spent the first 10 seasons of his career in Minnesota, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods. He ranks sixth in Vikings history in receptions (453) and receiving touchdowns (48), and he’s 10th in receiving yards (4,488). Rudolph saw reduced targets during his final seasons with the organization, but he was still relatively consistent in the yards-per-catch category (including a career-high 11.9-yards per reception in 2020).

Latest On Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette

July 18th, 2022 at 10:01pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Leonard Fournette has some work to do to get into game shape. A Buccaneers coach told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times that the RB showed up to camp weighing more than 250 pounds (Twitter link), a significant jump from his standard playing weight of around 230 pounds.

“Coaches were not happy, and that’s an understatement, when [Fournette] didn’t participate in the OTAs, but then he shows up at the mandatory minicamp weighing damn near 260 [pounds],” Stroud said during an appearance on the Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast (h/t to Luke Easterling of USA Today). “And that’s not a good sign for a guy that you’ve just spent a three-year contract on.”

Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times noted during minicamp that Fournette appeared to be out of shape, as the RB was clearly struggling during drills. At the time, Fournette admitted to being overweight, but he sounded optimistic that he’s be back to his standard weight in time for training camp.

“Obviously I need to get my weight down, which has always been [a thing] during the summer,” Fournette said. “It’s going to come back down though.”

“I don’t think anybody’s where they need to be right now,” Bowles said at the time. “It’s training camp where you need to be where you’ve got to be, so right now there are guys that are in shape that could afford to lose a few pounds, and there’s guys that are out of shape that are really under weight. So we’re trying to take care of that right now. We’ll worry about it in training camp.”

Fournette took over the starting role from Ronald Jones in 2021 and seized the opportunity. The former fourth-overall pick averaged a career-high 4.5 yards per carry, and he ranked sixth in the NFL among RBs with 1,266 yards from scrimmage. After hitting free agency, he ended up re-signing with Tampa Bay on a three-year, $21MM deal. If the 27-year-old is limited to start training camp, that would mean extra reps for rookie third-round pick Rachaad White, 2020 third-round pick Ke’Shawn Vaughn, and veterans Giovani Bernard and Kenjon Barner.

Latest On Tampa Bay’s Cornerbacks Room

July 17th, 2022 at 9:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The Buccaneers allowed depth players Richard Sherman and Pierre Desir to walk in free agency this offseason, but held onto their most important free agent cornerback when they re-signed Carlton Davis to a three-year, $45MM contract. Besides the departures of Sherman and Desir, and the rookie depth additions that counteract them, the room looks quite the same as it did last season. If the position group can stay healthy, how does the depth chart play out with most of last year’s contributors returning? Let’s take a look.

Davis is the only for sure starter at cornerback for Tampa Bay. He’s been a consistent starter since getting drafted in the second round in 2018, but really broke out in his second year of NFL football. After a rookie season that saw him break up only 4 passes, Davis exploded in coverage recording 19, 18, and 11 passes defensed in each year after. Davis has six interceptions in his first four seasons (four in 2020, alone), but his 52 total passes defensed says plenty about his ability to make plays on the ball. He’ll enter the season as the team’s No. 1 cornerback, with questions surrounding who will be No. 2.

Jamel Dean is likely the top prospect to start opposite Davis in base formations. He or his competition for that second spot, Sean Murphy-Bunting, would still see plenty of the field as the third cornerback, as the Buccaneers primarily utilize a nickel defense, but, when utilizing only four defensive backs, Dean is currently the favorite to be on the field. Not only are they competing for a spot atop the depth chart, but, considering both were members of Tampa Bay’s 2019 draft class, they will also be striving to earn a new payday like Davis’ in their contract years.

Dean didn’t enter the 2021 NFL season as a starter, but, after an elbow injury sent Murphy-Bunting to injured reserve, Dean took over and made the most of his opportunity. Dean has consistently missed at least two games every season with injury, but, considering the extended time Davis and Murphy-Bunting missed last season, two games doesn’t seem so bad. With 33 passes defensed, Dean has shown the ability in coverage to stay close and make plays on the ball. The biggest downside to his game is that Dean hasn’t quite been able to convert those plays into turnovers, only totaling five interceptions over three seasons. Dean possesses ideal size and speed for the position and was even graded one slot above Davis last season according to Pro Football Focus’ position rankings (subscription required).

Murphy-Bunting was drafted one round earlier than Dean and, so far, his opportunities have reflected that. Last year was the first that saw Murphy-Bunting miss time due to injury, but that doesn’t make Dean’s impressive showing in his absence any less inimical to Murphy-Bunting’s starting role. The injury last season really limited Murphy-Bunting, as PFF graded him out as the 90th cornerback in the NFL, compared to Dean and Davis’s 20th and 21st, respectively. Murphy-Bunting has shown the player he can be when healthy, though, and if that version of him shows up for competition, he may find his way back into a solidified starting role. As a rookie, Murphy-Bunting showed off his ball skills with three interceptions. While he only has one pick in the next two regular seasons, he was able to reel in an interception in three-straight playoff games in 2020. Which version of Murphy-Bunting the Buccaneers get this season will largely affect the starting roles, but, as mentioned above, Tampa Bay’s nickel defense should allow plenty of snaps for both Dean and Murphy-Bunting.

Now Tampa Bay does have another option. If either Dean or Murphy-Bunting struggle coming into the season, the Buccaneers could move Logan Ryan, whom they signed in the offseason to fill in the free safety role left vacant by Jordan White head‘s departure, back to his natural position of cornerback. Ryan hasn’t played cornerback since 2019, but he serves as a more-than-qualified “break glass in case of emergency” option.

Behind the top three corners, Tampa Bay returns Ross Cockrell, Dee Delaney, and Rashard Robinson. Cockrell is a journeyman cornerback with plenty of starting experience with his past teams. He and Delaney filled in a bit as starters when Davis and Murphy-Bunting were out last year, but, over the course of the season, Cockrell proved the most effective backup cornerback. Delaney made the most of his defensive opportunities getting an interception and two passes defensed in five games of extended action on defense. Delaney is a core special teamer, though, and really only serves as a depth piece on defense. Similarly, though Robinson has starting experience from his time in San Francisco, he mainly served as a reserve cornerback last year in Tampa Bay.

Rookie fifth-round pick Zyon McCollum and undrafted rookies Kyler McMichael and Don Gardner round out the roster for Tampa Bay at cornerback. They may be able to fight their way onto the 53-man roster by proving their worth on special teams, but McCollum is probably the only rookie here who may find his way into the cornerback rotation as a depth piece.

Tampa Bay’s nickel look should field, essentially, four cornerbacks, with Davis, Dean, Murphy-Bunting, and Ryan all surrounding starting strong safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Dean and Murphy-Bunting will compete throughout the preseason to determine who stays on the field in base formations. Cockrell and Delaney will likely continue their role as key backups. Robinson may find himself competing with McCollum for a roster spot, with McMichael and Gardner attempting to beat the odds. The Buccaneers know they can achieve success with this roster of cornerbacks, based on its similarities to last season, but just how they choose to employ their corners will determine how much success they can achieve.

NFC South Rumors: Mayfield, Henderson, Jones, Buccaneers

July 15th, 2022 at 10:01pm CST by Ely Allen

After months of anticipation and speculation, the Panthers finally made the move to acquire Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield via trade. In the 27-year-old’s first press conference for Carolina, the new passer announced that he has “tweaked his throwing mechanics,” according to Anthony Rizzuti of USA Today.

The change in throwing motion is a direct result of the time Mayfield had to miss last year due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

“When it comes to my shoulder…my throwing motion was extremely violent,” Mayfield explained. “I’ve made some small changes and worked with a great QB coach, Jeff Christensen. He’s helped me get back to a form that…I haven’t thrown the ball this well in a long time. And throwing motion looks a little different and I’m thankful for that.”

Here’s a few other rumors from the NFC South, starting with another note out of the Tar Heel state:

The Panthers’ cornerback situation was a bit chaotic last year. After drafting Jaycee Horn in the first round of last year’s draft, and subsequently losing him to a right foot injury, Carolina was forced to acquire both C.J. Henderson and Stephon Gilmore via trades. Henderson spent most of his first season with the Panthers adjusting to his second NFL defensive system in as many years in the league. This offseason, though, he’s reportedly begun to show the talent that got him drafted in the first round in 2020, according to ESPN’s David Newton. If Henderson can develop into a consistent starting talent, this would allow defensive coordinator Phil Snow and secondary coach Steve Wilks to have Horn move inside to play more nickel in passing situations, trusting Henderson and starting cornerback Donte Jackson on the outside.
Falcons’ defensive mainstay over the past few years, linebacker Deion Jones, will have a bit more than an injury recovery to battle with this offseason, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta experienced an influx of inside linebacker talent this offseason, bringing in veterans Rashaan Evans and Nick Kwiatkoski in free agency and drafting rookie Troy Andersen in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Jones will be coming off shoulder surgery and head coach Arthur Smith told Ledbetter that “everybody is going to have to earn a spot” at the position.
The Buccaneers will have a lot to figure out in their secondary this offseason, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic. The team was able to return starting cornerback Carlton Davis on a three-year deal back in March but has two options battling to start opposite him. Both being in contract years, Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting will both be working to try and earn a similar new deal to Davis’. Tampa Bay will operate primarily in a nickel-look defense, meaning all three can be on the field, but when they revert to a base formation either Dean or Murphy-Bunting will have to earn that time. Not to mention, in the off case that one or both struggle at any point, veteran safety Logan Ryan is ready and waiting with his years of cornerback experience in his back pocket.

Vikings, Buccaneers Interested In TE Kyle Rudolph

July 14th, 2022 at 7:03pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Kyle Rudolph‘s market is starting to heat up. The veteran tight end has drawn interest from “multiple teams,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. His known suitors include the Buccaneers and the Vikings. Fowler expects Rudolph to land somewhere before the start of training camp.

The Giants inked Rudolph to a two-year, $12MM deal in March of 2021, but following a season where the tight end finished with only 26 catches for 357 yards and one touchdown, the earned his walking papers. Since becoming a free agent, Rudolph received some interest from George Paton and the Broncos, but a deal never materialized.

Minnesota would obviously be a homecoming for Rudolph. The 2011 second-round pick spent the first 10 seasons of his career in Minnesota, where he hauled in 48 touchdowns in 140 games. Rudolph earned Pro Bowl nods in both 2012 and 2017, although his best offensive season came in 2016 when he finished with 83 receptions for 840 yards and seven touchdowns. Irv Smith Jr. sits atop the depth chart in Minnesota, but Rudolph could provide some veteran experience over the likes of Ben Ellefson, Johnny Mundt, Zach Davidson, and rookie Nick Muse.

Rob Gronkowski doesn’t sound like he’ll be returning to Tampa Bay, and you can bet Tom Brady and the Buccaneers would appreciate another veteran to pair with Cameron Brate at tight end. Otherwise, the Buccaneers are currently hoping rookies Cade Otton and/or Ko Kieft will provide depth at the position.

Latest On Tom Brady’s Retirement Decision, NFL Future

July 14th, 2022 at 1:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2022 offseason has seen a plethora of headline-grabbing moves, from record-breaking contracts to future Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball changing teams. Well before free agency had begun, though, Tom Brady had caused quite the stir by announcing his retirement. That decision was reversed 40 days later, something the quarterback recently spoke about.

As detailed by Kevin Patra of NFL.com, Brady confirmed that, despite coming back for 2022, he is “very close to the end” of his illustrious career. “I would say it’s year to year,” he added. “Could this be my last year? Absolutely. Could I change my mind? Absolutely. I’ve realized I don’t have five years left. I want to do it my way. I want to give it everything I got and see where I’m at. My body feels really good.”

Brady’s initial decision to end his career left the Buccaneers with an unenviable QB situation, something former head coach Bruce Arians touched on when detailing his own retirement. The lack of realistic replacement options at the position spurred Brady to change course earlier than he otherwise would have wanted.

“I would have preferred to un-retire in July if I wanted to play,” he said. “But I couldn’t. If I said I’m not playing, they’d make plans. So I felt there was a lot of pressure to make a decision quickly.” A second straight restructure of his contract keeps Brady on track for free agency in 2023, allowing him to take a year-to-year approach regarding his playing future.

Once he hangs up his cleats for good, it is already known that Brady will join Fox Sports as a broadcaster – though he confirmed that his booth debut won’t take place immediately after Tampa’s season ends in 2022. Ultimately, the seven-time Super Bowl winner isn’t making a firm commitment on how many more years he sees himself playing.

“Obviously, there’s a chance,” he said, when asked if he would continue his career for multiple more years. “But I’m very close to the end.”

Rob Gronkowski: Second Unretirement Will Not Happen

July 13th, 2022 at 12:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

When Rob Gronkowski retired for a second time, even his agent suspected there could be a chance at another return if Tom Brady made a midseason pitch. Gronk attempted to shoot down Drew Rosenhaus’ speculation.

The future Hall of Fame tight end, who ended his first retirement to reunite with Brady in Tampa in 2020, said he would not unretire for a second time.

“I would answer, obviously, the greatest quarterback of all time, ask him how he’s doing, tell him I’m doing good. But I wouldn’t go back to football; no,” Gronkowski said (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss; video link), when asked how he would respond to a Brady request for a second unretirement.

“I’m done with football. Love the game. Definitely blessed with all the opportunities the game of football has given me, and relationships — obviously here in New England for nine seasons and down in Tampa for two. But done with football and stepping my feet into the business world, business ventures, and just seeing what’s out there and where I can find my place.”

Gronkowski initially unretired in April 2020, with the Bucs acquiring his rights for a fourth-round pick. The All-Decade performer became instrumental to Tampa Bay’s 2020 Super Bowl LV run and re-signed with the team on a one-year, $8MM deal that included incentives — ones Brady helped him reach late in the season. Gronkowski’s 802 receiving yards last season — in just 12 games — were the most he had accumulated since his 2017 All-Pro campaign.

Gronk, 33, was never able to fully capitalize on his talents, being tied to a Patriots extension signed in 2012 all the way through his 2020 Bucs debut season. (Though, the popular ex-NFLer has found a few other income streams.) It is unclear what the Bucs offered this offseason, but it was not enough to delay another retirement. While Gronk cannot be completely moved off the NFL radar, especially after Brady put off his own retirement to play again, the Bucs are set to enter training camp with Cameron Brate and two Day 3 rookies at tight end.

WR Scotty Miller On Bucs’ Roster Bubble?

July 11th, 2022 at 6:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Two names immediately come to mind when it comes to wide receivers on the Buccaneers, and the position’s importance to their recent success. Beyond Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, however, there have of course been important secondary wideouts who have contributed to Tampa’s prolific passing attack.

At times during his career, Scotty Miller has been one such ancillary player. Part of the Bucs’ highly-rated 2019 draft class, he showcased his ability as a deep threat during his rookie season. He made only 13 catches, but averaged an impressive 15.4 yards per reception, setting him up for a more productive second campaign. With Tom Brady at QB, and despite Evans, Godwin and Antonio Brown serving as competition for targets, he took a significant step forward.

The former sixth-rounder recorded five starts in 2020, and added more volume to his production while maintaining the high yards-per-catch element of his game (33 receptions, 501 yards). His play carried over into the team’s Super Bowl run, including a touchdown catch in the NFC title game. Especially after Brown’s midseason departure, expectations were raised for Miller in 2021, but he wasn’t able to live up to them.

The Bowling Green alum made a total of just 10 catches between the regular season and playoffs. That disappointing figure, coupled in part with the extension given to Godwin, could leave Miller’s roster spot in jeopardy. Greg Auman of The Athletic writes that Miller’s future is currently “all over the map” (subscription required). He could find himself handling the No. 4 role (while also contributing on special teams), but could also wind up on the wrong side of Tampa’s roster crunch at the end of training camp. As Auman notes, Miller could find himself battling 2021 fourth-rounder Jaelon Darden and undrafted rookie Deven Thomkins for as little as one spot on the final squad.

To a far greater extent than many would have anticipated after his 2020 performance, Miller figures to be a key player to watch this summer.

Jimmy Garoppolo Expected To Be Traded In July?

July 11th, 2022 at 9:36am CST by Sam Robinson

With Baker Mayfield finally being moved to the Panthers, the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo domino looms. Carolina completing its long-rumored deal with Cleveland removes a Garoppolo destination from the equation, giving San Francisco an interesting task in the weeks to come.

This process could well end with the 49ers releasing Garoppolo, but Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes the expectation around the league is for a trade to be completed by the end of July. Garoppolo remains on schedule to resume throwing soon, according to his agent, who became the latest to refute a weekend connection between the ninth-year quarterback and the Buccaneers (Twitter links).

Facing the prospect of carrying a $26.95MM Garoppolo cap hit (the NFL’s seventh-highest 2022 cap figure), the 49ers will need to have that number off their books before it translates to a vested-veteran guarantee in Week 1. Any Garoppolo trade talks will involve lowering that number, as teams can use Garoppolo’s upcoming guarantee date against the 49ers. San Francisco will let Garoppolo negotiate his contract with other teams to facilitate a trade. Garoppolo making it to free agency would give the veteran more options, but the longer this goes, the more difficult it will be for the 30-year-old QB to maximize his opportunity with a team.

The end-of-July date is interesting. A better deal may emerge in August, with the prospect of teams’ QB depth charts being affected by injuries being more likely then than it will be in July. Garoppolo’s right shoulder surgery has delayed San Francisco’s goal of unloading its former starter. Waiting on a potential injury to change a team’s QB outlook would seemingly benefit the 49ers, as it did the Eagles six years ago. Teddy Bridgewater‘s severe knee injury prompted the Vikings to trade first- and fourth-round picks for Sam Bradford, whose Philadelphia exit cleared the way for Carson Wentz. Garoppolo’s Bay Area departure will begin the latest North Dakota State-produced prospect’s QB1 run.

Bradford’s contract was easier for the Vikings to absorb, with the Eagles having already paid their 2015 trade acquisition an $11MM offseason roster bonus. The Vikings were only responsible for $7MM of Bradford’s salary in 2016. While a team seeing its starter go down during camp could create desperation, the 49ers likely will still be asked to pay some of Garoppolo’s salary. Absent an injury, the Garoppolo market is cold.

Trey Lance is on track to take the reins for the 49ers. The Division I-FCS product cannot be viewed as a sure thing, after an atypical college career and some rookie-year scuffling, but the price the 49ers paid to acquire him points to a starter ascent. Lance struggling in camp could lead to the 49ers keeping the Garoppolo door open, on a price tag that is not $26.95MM, but the team remains hopeful it will find a way to move Garoppolo off its roster ahead of that point.

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