Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Bruce Arians Tried Recruiting WR Larry Fitzgerald

April 6th, 2022 at 10:03pm CST by Ben Levine

With the Buccaneers facing a number of absences from their receivers last season, Bruce Arians reached out to one of his former players. The former Buccaneers head coach told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke that he tried recruiting Larry Fitzgerald to Tampa Bay last season.

“I did [try to recruit him],” Arians said (h/t ArizonaSports.com). “When we lost our guys, especially when Chris Godwin got hurt, I called Fitz…He said, ‘Coach, I can only run two plays right now but thanks. I said, ‘I just had to check brother.’”

The receiver remained unsigned for the entire 2021 campaign, although he still hasn’t officially retired. He started showing his age during the 2020 campaign, finishing with career-lows in receptions (54), receiving yards (409), and receiving touchdowns (one). Of course, during the previous decade-plus, Fitzgerald was one of the most dominating offensive weapons in the NFL. He made four Pro Bowl appearances during Arians’ five seasons coaching the Cardinals. Based on the wideout’s comments to Arians, it sounds like the player has essentially called it a career.

Tom Brady and the Buccaneers dealt with an inconsistent receivers grouping for much of the 2021 season. None of the QB’s top weapons joined him in appearing in all 17 games, and by the time the playoffs came around, Godwin was out with an injury and Antonio Brown had been let go. While Fitzgerald wouldn’t have come close to replicating his previous success, he could have at least provided Brady with a dependable, savvy target.

Buccaneers Bring Back Blaine Gabbert

April 6th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers will ensure complete quarterback continuity by re-signing Blaine Gabbert. The team announced its backup’s return Wednesday.

A month ago, Tampa Bay was in market to replace Tom Brady. Bruce Arians having been Gabbert’s biggest backer also seemed to cloud the former first-rounder’s return prospects following the coach’s surprise exit. But Brady’s backup will return.

Gabbert has been with the Bucs since Arians’ Tampa arrival in 2019, initially backing up Jameis Winston. His return gives the Bucs a proven backup while also offering up questions about second-rounder Kyle Trask‘s status. The Bucs have Trask and longtime reserve Ryan Griffin, who recently re-signed, on their roster.

Given Brady’s return, it makes sense the Bucs wanting to backstop him with an experienced QB2. This will be Gabbert’s 12th NFL season. His run as the Jaguars’ starter did not last into a fourth season, and after three years with the 49ers, Gabbert found his way into Arians’ system. The ex-Missouri prospect made five starts with the 2017 Cardinals, impressing Arians to the point he not only brought the quarterback to Tampa but had talked him up as a possible Brady successor. GM Jason Licht has done the same.

The Bucs have not needed to start Gabbert, with Winston and Brady not missing any time over the past three seasons. This coming season will be his fourth with Byron Leftwich as an offensive coordinator.

Buccaneers To Sign S Keanu Neal

April 6th, 2022 at 3:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a year back in Dan Quinn‘s system, Keanu Neal will return to the NFC South. The veteran defender is signing with the Buccaneers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Neal moved to linebacker during his year with the Cowboys, but the longtime Falcons safety has switched back to his initial NFL position. That appears to be where Todd Bowles sees him. Despite being a seventh-year veteran, Neal is 26. He stands to give the Bucs another veteran presence in a safety group that added Logan Ryan this offseason.

Although Neal was on a Cowboys team that housed Micah Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith entering last season, he played 61% of Dallas’ defensive snaps. The Cowboys cut Smith and used Parsons as a pass rusher frequently, helping lead to Neal’s snap rate despite just five starts. Neal registered 72 tackles (four for loss) in 14 games last season. The Cowboys re-signed Vander Esch last month.

A central Florida native and former Florida Gator, Neal spent five years with the Falcons after coming into the NFL as a top-20 pick. He has been more valuable as a tackler than a cover man, but the ex-Super Bowl starter has a Pro Bowl on his resume (2017). Neal has also bounced back from two injury-nullified seasons, having played just four games from 2018-19. He made at least 100 tackles in his other three Falcons seasons.

The Bucs lost starter Jordan Whitehead in free agency but now have two veterans joining Antoine Winfield Jr. at safety. Both Ryan and Neal have notable histories at other positions, with the former being a cornerback for years to start his career. It will be interesting to see how the Bucs deploy their new arrivals next season.

Latest On TE Rob Gronkowski

April 5th, 2022 at 9:04pm CST by Ben Levine

While Tom Brady will be back for another season with the Buccaneers, it’s uncertain if his tight end will stick around. Speaking to TMZ Sports, Rob Gronkowski said he was unsure if he’ll play in 2022.

“Right now, I’m not ready to get back out on that field,” Gronkowski said (via ESPN.com). “I’m not ready to commit to the game of football right now.”

“Even in your 30s, I mean, you just can’t just slack it and just be 50% all-in, then you’re going to get caught off with the game and it’s going to just spit you right out. You’ve got to be fully dedicated. I’m not ready to do that yet, I’m not going to sign a contract if I’m not fully ready.”

Gronk has obviously flirted with retirement in the past, sitting out the entire 2019 season. He reunited with Brady in Tampa Bay for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but the tight end has refused to commit to a 2022 campaign. Brady’s retirement and unretirement has fueled talks that Gronkowski could give it one last go, but it also wouldn’t be surprising if the player just decides to hang up his cleats.

Despite only appearing in only 12 games, Gronkowski managed to top his 2020 numbers this past year, finishing with 55 receptions for 802 yards and six touchdowns. With O.J. Howard heading to Buffalo, Cameron Brate currently leads the depth chart at tight end.

While the 32-year-old didn’t want to discuss his own future, he was more than eager to speak about Brady’s offseason. The tight end admitted that he wasn’t surprised when Brady announced that he was in fact returning for another season in 2022.

“I knew he was going to come back, but I didn’t think he was going to come back this year, to tell you the truth,” he said. “I thought he was going to come back in a year, spend some time with his family.”

Bucs To Host WR Treylon Burks

April 5th, 2022 at 4:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Also ranked as a first-round prospect, Arkansas’ Treylon Burks is meeting with a few teams this week. The Cowboys hosted the 225-pound playmaker Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, adding that the Buccaneers will meet with Burks later this week. The Saints are also hosted the 6-foot-2 target last week, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. It would surprise if the Bucs (No. 27) went wideout in Round 1, given their Mike Evans–Chris Godwin–Russell Gage setup, but the team could use a cheap building block due to employing three eight-figure-per-year wideouts. The Saints (Nos. 16, 19) are rather desperate for receiving help, with Michael Thomas having run into significant injury trouble over the past two years. New Orleans now has two first-round picks, putting wideout squarely in play.

Rob Gronkowski Leaning Towards Returning?

April 1st, 2022 at 8:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

With Tom Brady and most of the 2021 Buccaneers roster returning for at least one more season, one of the few remaining questions concerns the future of Rob Gronkowski. According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, there are signs pointing towards the tight end continuing his career (video link).

“I don’t see him anywhere else but Tampa if he plays”, La Canfora said. “He’s given some indications that he does expect to play… The band is essentially back.”

Given that, the insider posits that he expects the soon-to-be 33-year-old to ultimately re-sign in Tampa “at his own pace”. While the veteran may not be present for the totality of the Buccaneers’ offseason workouts, he already has a career’s worth of familiarity with Brady and a consistent track record of production.

After un-retiring to reunite with Brady in Tampa, the 2010s All-Decade member has played 28 games with their new team. Over that span, he has made 100 catches for 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s added another three scores in six playoff contests.

It was reported last week, however, that Gronkowski remained undecided on his football future. He heaped praise on Joe Burrow and the AFC champion Bengals, leading to speculation that could be his next destination. Brady has since un-retired himself, though, so it is expected to be Bucs-or-bust at this time.

Given Tampa Bay’s current cap situation, the team wouldn’t be able to afford to bring Gronkowski back at the $9.25MM he averaged over his two years with the team. Should he choose to continue playing, though, Tampa would surely welcome him back.

Buccaneers To Re-Sign Giovani Bernard

April 1st, 2022 at 1:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Another member of the 2021 Buccaneers’ roster is set to remain on the squad. The team is re-signing running back Giovani Bernard on a one-year contract, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). Greg Auman of the Athletic adds (on Twitter) that it is a veteran salary benefit deal valued at $1.12MM.

Bernard, 30, spent last year in Tampa Bay after eight seasons with the Bengals. Slotted in behind Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones on the depth chart, he only received eight carries in 12 games. He did, on the other hand, chip in via his usage in the passing game; he made 23 catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns. In the team’s pair of playoff contests, he added 83 total yards and another score.

A second round pick in 2013, Bernard has always been known as a change-of-pace back more so than an every-down workhorse. His pass-catching ability garnered interest after he was released by the Bengals last offseason. Ultimately, he was recruited to Tampa by Tom Brady and Bruce Arians. While he played a small role in the team’s offense, he was able to win a playoff game with them for the first time in his career.

As was the case one year ago, Bernard had “multiple offers”, Pelissero notes. Instead of heading to a new NFL home for the second straight year, though, he will stay in Tampa with an offense that has remained almost entirely intact from 2021.

Buccaneers Re-Sign QB Ryan Griffin

March 31st, 2022 at 3:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Since coming into the NFL in 2013, Ryan Griffin has thrown four career passes. But he has impressed the Buccaneers for years. The veteran quarterback landed another deal with the team Thursday. Griffin signed for near the league minimum again, with The Athletic’s Greg Auman tweeting the sides agreed to a one-year, $1.1MM deal (Twitter link).

The Bucs announced they another Griffin contract. He joins a team that has seen its quarterback situation go from uncertain to stable in recent weeks, with Tom Brady coming back. Blaine Gabbert remains unsigned, however, and Griffin will rejoin Brady and Kyle Trask on Tampa Bay’s QB depth chart.

Griffin, 32, signed with the Bucs last year but did not make their 53-man roster, instead spending the season on the practice squad. Tampa Bay carried Gabbert and Trask as its Brady backups in 2021. Bruce Arians has consistently talked up Gabbert, who played under the Super Bowl-winning coach in Arizona and Tampa. But Arians stepped down as Bucs HC on Wednesday, leaving the former first-rounder’s path unclear. Trask, last year’s No. 64 overall pick, currently resides as Brady’s backup.

Griffin’s Bucs arrival predates Gabbert’s by a few years. He caught on with the team back in 2015, being claimed off waivers from the Saints. One of two Ryan Griffins who entered the NFL in 2013, the former Tulane quarterback saw his lone game action in 2019. But he has been with the team under Lovie Smith, Dirk Koetter, Arians and now Todd Bowles. The Bucs tendered Griffin as an RFA in 2018 and gave him a two-year deal in 2019; he collected a Super Bowl ring on the latter contract.

Latest On Buccaneers’ Defensive Staff

March 31st, 2022 at 3:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

During his first media availability since becoming the new head coach of the Buccaneers, Todd Bowles made a pair of notable, if unsurprising, announcements. Firstly, he will retain play-calling duties on the defensive side of the ball; secondly, defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers and outside linebackers coach Larry Foote will share the role of defensive coordinator (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network).

Bowles had called Tampa Bay’s defense since his arrival as DC in 2019. The fact that he will carry on in that capacity as the head coach shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, though it is rarer for defensive coaches to do so, compared to offensive ones. Seen through both traditional and advanced statistical lenses, the 58-year-old’s units have ranked amongst the best in the league during his tenure in Tampa.

For Rodgers, the promotion to co-DC will leave him in a familiar position with respect to Bowles. During the latter’s time as head coach of the Jets, Rodgers served as defensive coordinator. While their collective tenure there wasn’t nearly as successful as their time with the Buccaneers has been, that familiarity will go a long way to smoothing this transition. Rodgers followed Bowles to Tampa in 2019, having also coached the defensive line in Miami and Dallas.

Foote’s time working with the Buccaneers likewise dates back three years. With the 41-year-old on staff, the likes of Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul have enjoyed plenty of success. The former Steeler, Lion and Cardinal began his coaching career in Arizona in 2015; the co-DC title will be the highest he has held during his time on the sidelines.

While the teams’ defensive staff will take on a new look in 2022, Tampa Bay’s coaching unit is in line to feature a good deal of stability. If all goes according to plan, they should be well suited to continue their level of play on that side of the ball, and in doing so remain a Super Bowl contender.

Ndamukong Suh Eyeing Buccaneers Return?

March 31st, 2022 at 9:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Before the news of Bruce Arians stepping away from the sidelines, much of the Buccaneers’ core had already committed to remaining in Tampa Bay. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is one of a few big-name players who has yet to re-sign, but a tweet he sent out this morning indicates that he is still willing to do so.

“Congrats to Todd Bowles on becoming head coach of a great team that still feels one man light on talent”, Suh said. The 35-year-old has spent the past three seasons in Tampa Bay, playing on one-year contracts each time. In that stretch, he has demonstrated his continued effectiveness, totalling 112 tackles and 14.5 sacks; he also won his only Super Bowl with the team in the 2020 season.

Suh has been amenable to another deal with the Buccaneers, so his tweet doesn’t come as a surprise. The team already has Vita Vea under contract after his sizeable extension was signed, and brought back William Gholston as well. Nevertheless, the 2010s All-Decade member could be retained on, presumably, another one-year pact.

Suh averaged just over $9MM per season over the course of his tenure with Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers likely wouldn’t be able to afford him at that level of compensation on a fourth deal, but they should have room to re-sign him at a lower rate if there is sufficient desire from both sides. With the coordinator of a unit which raked fifth in scoring defense last season now the head coach, Suh could be in line for a return to Tampa sooner rather than later.

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