The Bucs have some interesting decisions to make this offseason
With NFL free agency right around the corner, the Buccaneers don’t have many unrestricted free agents to worry about, but there are a few who played key roles for the team in 2024 and some have been main stays for a long time.
Let’s take a look and rank who the Bucs should prioritize re-signing.
5. Defensive Lineman, Greg Gaines
Gaines just wrapped up his second season with Tampa Bay after signing as a free agent in the 2023 offseason. Gaines appeared in 15 games this past season and started three of them, totaling 17 combined tackles and a sack. Gaines is solid depth and that is something you can never have enough of.
The soon to be 29 year old also has familiarity with the system. As long as the cost is right, which it likely won’t be very high, Gaines should get some consideration to be brought back.
4. Outside Linebacker, Anthony Nelson
A former fourth round pick by Tampa Bay in 2019, Nelson has been a solid role player for the team ever since. The Bucs even re-signed him once before in 2023. Now Nelson is scheduled to be a free agent once again and the Bucs have a decision to make.
Nelson started six games this past season for the Bucs and had four sacks. He has been a rotational pass rusher for Tampa Bay and has had 40 combined tackles in each of the last two seasons. It wouldn’t be a shock if Nelson were brought back, but it could also be time for both sides to move on. Regardless, he’s a solid player who has made plays in the past for the Bucs.
3. Guard, Ben Bredeson
Tampa Bay went bargain shopping in free agency in 2024 and ended up finding their starting left guard for the season. After signing with the Bucs on a one year deal coming over from the New York Giants, Bredeson won the starting guard job out of training camp and never looked back.
Was he perfect? No, but he was a overall good addition to the team and a nice find by the front office. Bredeson may end up getting a bit of a raise on the market and it will be interesting to see if the Bucs can bring him back. May ultimately depend on the price and length of the deal, but I think the Bucs make a legit effort to bring Bredeson back into the fold.
2. Inside Linebacker, Lavonte David
Now we get to the first of the two big ones, but this particular one has another question as well. First off, will Lavonte David even return to play football in 2025? The 35 year old could very well hang it up after 13 seasons. David still played at a high level in 2024, but did show some signs of slowing down, particularly in pass coverage. That being said, David is the heart of soul of not just the defense, but the entire team. Him retiring would be a huge blow to the Bucs and their defense.
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However if he does decide to continue playing in 2025, it sure seems like it will be Tampa or retirement. Not that he won’t have a market, but David feels like a Buccaneer for life. Regardless, the Bucs should make him a priority even if he makes it clear he wants to return to Tampa and Tampa only. A legendary player deserves the right to finish his career where it started all with the same team.
1. Wide Receiver, Chris Godwin
Here is the other big one and probably the biggest one the Bucs have. Godwin was having a fantastic 2024 season before going down mid-season. While that injury was awful for Godwin and for Tampa Bay, it may actually help the Bucs chances of retaining him. Godwin has had two major injuries in two of the past four seasons and while he is a productive player, those two injuries will raise some red flags for teams in free agency.
However, Tampa Bay and Godwin are a great match, and Godwin has been ultra productive since he was drafted. It would be pretty surprising if the two sides did not reach an agreement on a contract extension. The Bucs need to make Godwin their top priority and I’m pretty confident that gets done.