TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' free agent signings have been fruitful since last week when the new league started, with cornerback Tavierre Thomas being the latest.
The Bucs could make a late addition or two at any time, but the majority of moves have happened, with focus now shifting to the draft.
In terms of wide receivers, they re-signed Mike Evans and tendered exclusive rights free agent Deven Thompkins. They also solidified the quarterback position by re-signing starter Baker Mayfield and John Wolford. They placed the franchise tag on free safety Antoine Winfield Jr., and they brought back strong safety Jordan Whitehead from the New York Jets to pair with him. They brought back the franchise' single-season record holder in kicker Chase McLaughlin, and they resigned inside linebacker Lavonte David.
Tampa Bay also addressed outside cornerback depth in Bryce Hall, who will compete with Zyon McCollum for the starting role in the absence of Carlton Davis III, while Thomas is expected to push Christian Izien for the starting nickelback role. The Buccaneers brought back defensive lineman Greg Gaines, who will continue to back up Vita Vea at the nose tackle position. And along the offensive line, they tendered offensive tackle Brandon Walton, and signed offensive linemen Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta. They also brought back Chase Edmonds to give depth to the running back room.
But there are still holes to fill, and here's a closer look at them:
Outside linebacker
In a cost-cutting move, the Bucs parted ways with outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, who signed with the Miami Dolphins. The Bucs found a starter this past year in 2023 third-round draft pick YaYa Diaby -- who led the Bucs with 7.5 sacks -- but who's going to line up opposite him? Pass rush was a key differentiator as the Bucs fell just short to the Detroit Lions in the NFC divisional playoff game. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, their 2021 first-round draft pick, has not shown the growth they'd hoped for, Anthony Nelson has mostly been a rotational player and Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez are largely unproven.
Center
While the Bucs do have Robert Hainsey, who started the last two seasons in place of now-retired Ryan Jensen, they could really use an upgrade. Although he's worked hard in the weight room, Hainsey doesn't have the natural lower body strength or body composition to be a dominant center in the league. Sure, the pass protection here is less of an issue than when Tom Brady was quarterback because the Bucs aren't really a 'drop-back and throw deep' team anymore, but from a run blocking standpoint, Hainsey produced a win rate of 59.6% -- 45th in the league among centers last year. Bredeson's run blocking win rate was actually worse at 56.3%. It's considered a stronger year for interior offensive linemen in this draft.
Guard
It's entirely possible Opeta could push for a starting job here. He produced a 90.9% pass block win rate from the guard position last year -- 44th in the league among guards with 500 or more snaps at that position. That's not a staggering number, but it's an upgrade over what they got out of Aaron Stinnie (88.9%) and Cody Mauch (84.8%) last year, but there's most certainly room for improvement. Opeta's far more developed as a run blocker though, with a 76.4% win rate there -- ninth in the league among guards with 500 or more snaps and just above Zack Martin -- whereas Mauch, who is expected to start on the right side again this next year, had a 72.5% run block win rate and Stinnie was 69.6%. Given that this is one of the better interior offensive classes in a while. Could the Bucs take two interior offensive linemen?
Wide receiver
The Bucs elected not to pick up Russell Gage's option, leaving a vacancy for a true No. 3 receiver. New offensive coordinator Liam Coen is moving Chris Godwin back inside and the team did draft Trey Palmer last year. The Bucs split Palmer and Thompkins in the slot, but Palmer is more of a vertical threat and had some inconsistent moments. And Thompkins does have some size limitations, despite playing much bigger than he actually is.
Inside linebacker
Devin White's departure didn't come as a surprise considering with former fifth-round draft pick K.J. Britt taking over for White down the stretch and in the playoffs. General manager Jason Licht said Britt did a "phenomenal" job and said he "waited for his opportunity and he took advantage of it and thrived." But coach Todd Bowles wouldn't commit to Britt being the starter for next year right after the season ended. Of course, there's also SirVocea Dennis, whom they drafted a year ago out of Pittsburgh, but he's more so the future replacement for David.