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Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

WR Sterling Shepard Addresses Bucs Deal

June 7th, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Adam La Rose

Sterling Shepard will not be with the Giants in 2024, but he will attempt to continue his career with the Buccaneers. The veteran wideout agreed to a Tampa Bay deal on Thursday which came together in relatively short order.

While in conversation with veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, Shepard explained that quarterback Baker Mayfield reached out earlier this week to see if he was prepared to play another season in the NFL. The two were teammates at Oklahoma, and a reunion was one of the scenarios Shepard was willing to consider in the event he committed to suiting up for the 2024 campaign.

The 31-year-old noted that he “turned done other opportunities” before a potential Bucs deal came on his radar. Mayfield informed Shepard that his name was being floated by Tampa Bay with respect to interest, which paved the way for the latter’s agent to reach out. A tryout was arranged, and Shepard’s performance earned him a contract and the opportunity to carve out a role on Tampa’s receiver depth chart.

Mike Evans – who signed a two-year deal including $29MM fully guaranteed this offseason – remains the Buccaneers’ top option in the passing game. Fellow Pro Bowler Chris Godwin is under contract for one more year, although his future is less certain at the moment. Tampa Bay also has a pair of recent draft investments (2023 sixth-rounder Trey Palmer and 2024 third-rounder Jalen McMillan) set to play a role on offense this year.

Shepard will look to earn playing time as part of that group. The former second-rounder had a consistent New York tenure from 2016-20, but injuries limited him to 10 games across the next two campaigns. Last season, he occupied a minor role on a Giants team transitioning to younger options at the receiver spot. Shepard will now have an unexpected opportunity to re-build his value to an extent while playing with Mayfield for the first time since 2015.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Shepard said (via Jared and Paul Schwartz of the New York Post).“I can’t say I wanted to experience that, I always wanted to be a Giant but I’m not mad at it, man. It’s a really good situation, they have a really good football team, really talented football team and I get to be reunited with my boy and get to play with him a little bit. I’m excited about it.”

Bucs, WR Sterling Shepard Agree To Deal

June 6th, 2024 at 10:26am CST by Adam La Rose

After eight years in New York, Sterling Shepard is set to join a new team for the first time in his career. The veteran wideout has an agreement in place with the Buccaneers, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

To little surprise, Garafolo notes this will be a one-year pact. Many free agents still on the market this deep into the offseason take on deals of that length as they attempt to use the summer as a means of carving out a roster spot. In Shepard’s case, doing so would give Tampa Bay an experienced pass-catching option. He will receive $1.21MM on the veteran salary benefit, Greg Auman of Fox Sports adds.

The 31-year-old has played 90 games, including 74 starts. Shepard proved to be a consistent producer with the Giants, recording between 586 and 872 yards each year from 2016-20. He was a favorite of both Eli Manning and Daniel Jones, drawing at least 83 targets every season during that span. Injuries have proven to be a hindrance since then, however.

Shepard suffered an Achilles tear in December 2021, limiting him to seven games. That was followed by a torn ACL early in the 2022 campaign, which led to further missed time and minimal production. The Giants’ longest-tenured player entered last offseason on the roster bubble after signing another pact for the veteran’s minimum. Shepard played 15 games in 2023, but he made just 10 catches; New York elected to go in a different direction this year at the WR spot.

Now, a reunion with quarterback Baker Mayfield is in store. He and Shepard were teammates at Oklahoma, and strong play with a familiar face during training camp could allow the latter to secure a spot on the depth chart. Tampa Bay has Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in place for at least one more season, and the team also rosters Trey Palmer along with third-round rookie Jalen McMillan.

Shortly after moving on from returner Deven Thompkins, the Bucs added Cody Thompson to the receiver mix. Shepard will be competing with the latter for reps during the summer as he attempts to rebound from the missed time and underwhelming totals of the past three years. Remaining healthy in 2024 would go a long way to meeting both goals while also helping his free agent stock.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/5/24

June 5th, 2024 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Ilm Manning

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Waived/injured: WR David White

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

White suffered a torn ACL during one of the Jaguars’ practices last week, Doug Pederson said recently. The Jags signed White as a UDFA following a career at Western Carolina. White will revert to the Jags’ IR list if unclaimed, with this process generally leading to an injury settlement that moves the player off the team’s roster. White was among five UDFAs receivers the Jags signed this year.

A sixth-round Titans draftee back in 2021, Breeze was most recently with the Texans. He spent the second half of last season on Houston’s practice squad, staying on the AFC South champions’ 16-man unit until season’s end. No reserve/futures contract emerged for the Oregon alum, however. Breeze has played in 11 career games, splitting his career in Tennessee and Detroit.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/4/24

June 4th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): OL Andrew Stueber
  • Waived: WR JaQuae Jackson

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: LB Shayne Simon
  • Waived/injured: OL Tommy Doyle

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

After missing most of the past two seasons due to a knee injury, Ryan Jensen announced back in February that he was going to retire. The Buccaneers made the move official today, although that won’t be the end of their cap commitment to the offensive lineman. As Greg Auman of FOX Sports notes, since Jensen’s contract was pro-rated, the Buccaneers will be hit with a combined $16.6MM in dead cap over the next two seasons.

The Browns cleared up their depth chart a bit by cutting kicker Lucas Havrisik, leaving the organization with Dustin Hopkins and Cade York to compete for the starting job. Havrisik got into nine games with the Rams last season, connecting on 15 of his 20 field goal tries and 19 of his 22 extra points. In other kicker moves, the Commanders have added Ramiz Ahmed in the wake of the Brandon McManus release.

11 Teams Gain Cap Space From Post-June 1 Cuts

June 2nd, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Early June no longer means a mid-offseason update to the free agent market, as teams can designate players as post-June 1 cuts months in advance of that date. But June 2 does bring an annually important date in terms of finances. This year, 11 teams will see their cap-space figures expand thanks to post-June 1 release designations. One other club — the Broncos — used a post-June 1 designation, but they will not save any money from the historic Russell Wilson release.

Teams are permitted to designate two players as post-June 1 cuts ahead of that date. This designation spreads a player’s dead money hit over two years as opposed to a 2024-only blow. Courtesy of Spotrac, here are the savings this year’s teams to make post-June 1 designations will receive:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Broncos’ overall Wilson cap hit, even with the quarterback’s $1.21MM Steelers salary factoring into the equation, will more than double any other single-player dead money number in NFL history. The now-Sean Payton-led Broncos, after a failed effort to move Wilson’s guarantee vesting date beyond 2024, will take their medicine for bailing 18 months after authorizing a five-year, $245MM extension. Denver will absorb the lion’s share of the dead money this year, taking on $53MM. The team will not receive the cap credit from Wilson’s Steelers deal until 2025, per Spotrac.

Annually making exhaustive efforts to move under the cap, the Saints will be hit with more than $30MM in total dead cap from the Thomas and Winston contracts. Redesigning both in 2023, the Saints will take on $8.9MM in 2024 dead money on Thomas and $3.4MM on the Winston pact. Mickey Loomis‘ operation is once again at the bottom of the NFL in future cap space, being projected to come in more than $84MM over the 2025 cap.

Baltimore structured Beckham’s one-year, $15MM contract to void, and the team will take on more than $10MM in total dead money on it. The bulk of that will come in 2025; the post-June 1 cut will produce $2.8MM in 2024 dead cap this year.

NFL Front Office Updates: Pats, Bills, Bucs

June 2nd, 2024 at 5:40pm CST by Ely Allen

Teams around the league continue to make adjustments here and there to their front office and scouting staffs. One such team is the Patriots, who are operating under new leadership at the top of the front office with Bill Belichick departed.

New England is reportedly parting ways with pro scout Joe Anile, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Anile joined the Patriots after five years in the Jaguars’ front office. He only spent one year as a pro scout in Jacksonville before leaving for the same role in New England.

Anile is the nephew of longtime NFL scout and front office executive Dom Anile, who rose to the rank of assistant general manager of the Colts back in the mid-2000’s.

Here are a couple of other front office updates from around the league, starting with a rival of the Anile’s former team:

  • The Bills will see football analyst Evan Weiss depart, per ESPN’s Seth Walder. Weiss will be departing the NFL ranks of football analytics in favor of a job at FanDuel, presumably doing a bit of the same work. The Northwestern grad had been with Buffalo since joining the team as an intern in 2018.
  • Lastly, the Buccaneers are bringing on a new hire in Jeremiah Bogan, according to a post from Bogan’s account on X. Bogan’s announcement revealed that he will be hired on as a scouting assistant. He joins Tampa Bay’s scouting department after spending the last four months as director of player personnel and NFL liaison at UConn. Prior to that, he spent the 2023 season as assistant director of player personnel at LSU while also serving as a national scout for the East/West Shrine Bowl.

Buccaneers, WR Chris Godwin Have Not Discussed Extension

May 31st, 2024 at 7:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Mike Evans was one of several finical priorities for the Buccaneers this offseason, and he agreed to a two-year, $41MM deal prior to free agency. That leaves him in place to partner with fellow receiver Chris Godwin for at least one more season, although the latter is entering the final year of his deal.

[RELATED: Tristan Wirfs Skipping Bucs’ OTAs, Not Close To Extension]

Godwin is attached to a three-year, $60MM pact and he will aim to cash in on the upward trend seen in the receiver market over recent years. A new agreement keeping him in Tampa Bay beyond 2024 should not be expected for the time being, though. ESPN’s Jenna Laine reports extension negotiations have not begun in Godwin’s case.

As Laine notes, Tampa Bay is waiting to see how the 28-year-old adapts to the offense installed by new OC Liam Coen before making a renewed commitment. The Buccaneers had more success than expected during Baker Mayfield‘s first season at quarterback with Dave Canales overseeing the offense. The latter took the Panthers’ head coaching position, though, leading to Coen’s hire.

The resultant change in scheme will see Godwin play in the slot. The former Pro Bowler played primarily on the outside last season, and his production fell short of expectations before moving back inside. Godwin has shown to be at his best when used in the slot, so he could be in position for a strong outing in 2024. Success would either lead to urgency on the team’s part to pursue a third contract (fourth total agreement, when including his 2021 franchise tag) or help his free agent stock ahead of next offseason.

Godwin managed to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the third straight season and fourth time overall in 2023, although his two touchdowns were the lowest total since his rookie campaign. Having drawn at least 121 targets four times since 2019, the former third-rounder should once again be a focal point in Tampa’s passing game despite the switch to Coen as OC. Godwin and Evans will provide Mayfield with a familiar top pairing at the receiver spot.

The Buccaneers did draft Jalen McMillan in the third round, and he joins 2023 sixth-rounder Trey Palmer as a young receiver who could serve as a Godwin successor down the road. Tampa Bay will have a new returner this season given the decision to move on from Deven Thompkins, but Godwin does not have experience in that capacity. His performance on offense (and how the team reacts to it from a contractual standpoint) will be worth watching this year.

Buccaneers Waive/Injured WR Deven Thompkins

May 30th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers will have a new primary returner in 2024. The team has waived Deven Thompkins with an injury designation, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine.

Thompkins joined Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent out of Utah State in 2022. After playing sparingly on offense as a rookie, the wideout got into close to one fourth of his team’s offensive snaps in 2023. He ultimately finished the campaign with 17 catches for 83 yards and one touchdown.

The 24-year-old really showed out on special teams this past season. He finished the year with 16 kick returns for 327 yards (20.4 yards per return) and 25 punt returns for 234 yards (9.4 yards per return). He was especially active in the postseason, returning another three punts and one kickoff in two games.

As Greg Auman of FOX Sports points out, the NFL’s new kickoff rules should result in more returns and more contact. This means the league may be shifting away from the “smaller, shifty receivers” as their primary kick and punt returners. Thompkins is listed at 5-foot-8 and 155 pounds; Auman suggests Tampa Bay’s new options could be fourth-round RB Bucky Irving (5-foot-9, 192 pounds) and third-round WR Jalen McMillan (6-foot-1, 197 pounds).

On offense, Thompkins’ exit shouldn’t shake up the depth chart. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will continue to soak up the majority of the targets, with McMillan and Trey Palmer sliding in behind that duo. The Buccaneers are also rostering a long list of former UDFAs (including Rakim Jarrett) and current UDFAs (including Tanner Knue, Latreal Jones, and Kameron Johnson).

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/29/24

May 29th, 2024 at 7:36pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s only draft pick signing:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

McMillan may have failed to reach the team-leading reception and touchdown numbers of his redshirt sophomore season in 2023, but he made a big enough impression to solidify himself as a third-round pick even after missing four games as a redshirt junior. McMillan broke out in 2022 with 79 receptions for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns. Last year, he watched top-10 pick Rome Odunze and second-round selection Ja’Lynn Polk take the lead on the Huskies’ road to a berth in the College Football Playoff Championship. Now will get the opportunity in Tampa Bay to compete for a WR3 spot behind usual suspects Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Buccaneers’ K.J. Britt In Lead For Three-Down LB Role

May 29th, 2024 at 9:25am CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Buccaneers’ extensive offseason retention effort makes receiving contributions from rookie-contract players pivotal this year, it would not have cost the team too much to authorize a second Devin White deal. The former first-round pick fetched a one-year, $4MM accord from the Eagles.

For base value, White’s contract matches Baker Mayfield‘s 2023 Bucs agreement. The 2023 offseason brought a trade request from the former top-five pick, who sought an extension near the top of the market. Like Mayfield, White did not build momentum in a fifth-year option season. The inconsistent linebacker will attempt to bounce back in Philadelphia, as the Bucs aim to give his job to the player who pushed him late last season.

K.J. Britt is the lead candidate to play alongside Lavonte David this season, Buccaneers.com’s Scott Smith writes. Todd Bowles views the 2021 fifth-round pick as a clear option to fill the role White held for much of his first five seasons. As Britt (four career starts) enters a contract year, he will have the chance to establish himself as a dependable starter.

“Obviously, he can play all three downs but we have so many packages and guys to move around,” Bowles said. “It’s a little early to determine who will be on what [package]. In one week he could be, in one week he may not be. It depends on who we’re playing and what we have available. But he’s ready to play all three downs.

“I love the maturity. He’s grasping the mental part of the game and becoming a leader of that defense along with Lavonte and [Antoine Winfield Jr.] and Vita [Vea]. We’re kind of happy where he’s progressing right now.”

Britt logged his first career starts last season, and while he saw extended time down the stretch and began to cut into White’s playing time, the Auburn alum played just 252 defensive snaps in 2023 (after logging a combined 73 from 2021-22). Britt’s third NFL season included 29 tackles, though he closed the campaign with a 12-tackle performance in Tampa Bay’s divisional-round loss to Detroit. The Bucs used Britt as a starter in both playoff games, and he out-snapped White by a considerable margin (59-14) in the team’s Lions rematch.

The Bucs re-signed Mayfield, David and Mike Evans and extended Winfield at a DB-record number. They have Tristan Wirfs in position to command an NFL-record tackle contract as well. With Mayfield no longer tied to that “prove it” deal, the team will need low-cost starters to step up. Britt, whose starter starter stretch began as a White foot injury — which became a talking point due to an injury reporting storyline — shut him down for three weeks. Rumors about White losing his job to Britt, however, emerged. And the former Pro Bowler entered free agency to little fanfare in March.

SirVocea Dennis, a 2023 fifth-rounder, logged the fourth-most snaps among Bucs LBs last season (104). He would profile as the top challenger, with the team not adding a veteran or a replacement via the draft. With the Bucs cutting the cord on the first player they drafted in Bowles’ tenure with the team, they will first see if Britt proves capable of being David’s latest ILB sidekick. Britt proving worthy of that role in 2024 will set him up for an extended look come 2025 — should the Bucs let him reach free agency.

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