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Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

NFC Rumors: Bucs, Lions, Panthers, Packers

August 25th, 2023 at 11:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The Buccaneers may be considered as a rebuilding squad, but that doesn’t matter much to the players fighting for roster spots in the late preseason. As the regular season inches nearer and nearer, two starting positions are starting to come into focus, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

On offense, center Ryan Jensen has not returned to practice as he continues to recover from three knee ligament tears that he opted not to have surgery on. In his absence, Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett have been competing for the starting job. Hainsey likely has a bit of an edge after playing the position in college and starting all 17 games last season for Tampa Bay, but Leverett has meshed well in new offensive coordinator Dave Canales‘ new zone-blocking scheme. Even if Hainsey can’t hold onto the job, Leverett may keep the position competitive.

On defense, Dee Delaney has really stepped up at nickelback after the team opted to move Antoine Winfield Jr. back to free safety full-time. Delaney, who spent four years at The Citadel before transferring to Miami (FL) and going undrafted, has stuck in Tampa Bay, playing 32 games over the past two seasons while starting three of them. Delaney has had a great camp as reflected in a stellar performance in last week’s preseason game against the Jets. Undrafted rookie Christian Izien has also impressed with physical play throughout the preseason, while rookie sixth-round pick Josh Hayes has fallen a bit behind in the position battle.

Here are a few more roster battles to watch heading into the final weekend of preseason games this season:

  • Nate Sudfeld was viewed as a solid backup option at quarterback for the Lions last season. Coming into 2023, though, he may be struggling to retain a roster spot, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. Obviously, Jared Goff has the starting job locked up, but recently signed veteran Teddy Bridgewater has made a strong case for the QB2 role behind him. Sudfeld still has value to the team, but head coach Dan Campbell made it clear that his roster status depends on if he adds more value to the team than depth at other positions on the roster. If CB5 or CB6 end up adding more value than Sudfeld as QB3, he may find himself missing out on the initial 53-man roster.
  • As starting guard Austin Corbett waits to be cleared following ACL surgery, the Panthers‘ situation at guard is feeling a bit precarious. A tweet from Joseph Person of The Athletic tells that a decision on the starting right guard job in Corbett’s absence has been delayed until the returns from injury of rookie fourth-round pick Chandler Zavala and undrafted rookie Nash Jensen. Head coach Frank Reich wanted both rookies to have a chance for the spot before making the decision. Zavala was recently activated from the physically unable to perform list and hasn’t seen much action. Jensen was impressing early in the offseason before a back injury slowed his progress. They’ll compete with Cade Mays and Justin McCray for the position, but Person believes that Carolina may pursue some added competition at roster cutdowns.
  • Last week, the Packers‘ seventh-round pick from last year, Rasheed Walker, got the starting call at left tackle ahead of usual backup Yosh Nijman, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Nijman has been the usual go-to at tackle when starter David Bakhtiari isn’t available, but Schneidman thinks that Walker may have worked his way past Nijman on the depth chart as of late.

Bucs Name Baker Mayfield Starting QB

August 22nd, 2023 at 10:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tampa Bay’s quarterback competition has officially ended. Baker Mayfield was named the Buccaneers’ starter on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

During the offseason, Mayfield has appeared to be the favorite to win out over 2021 second-rounder Kyle Trask. The competition between the two has been close, however, and both signal-callers split first-team reps during training camp. Neither passer did enough to stand out above the other for the first preseason contest to be sufficient to determine a winner.

Trask drew praise for his arm strength and improved ball security during the summer, but the fact that Mayfield did not play in Tampa’s second preseason contest seemed to put the latter in pole position. Head coach Todd Bowles said after that game that both Trask and Mayfield would play in the preseason finale, something which appeared to leave the competition yet to be won by either passer. Instead, a firm decision has now been made, with the far more experienced quarterback getting the nod.

Mayfield, 28, signed a one-year, $4MM deal in free agency with the hopes of serving as Tom Brady‘s successor. The former No. 1 pick’s starting days in Cleveland were over once Deshaun Watson was acquired via trade, a move which eventually saw Mayfield dealt to the Panthers. A fresh start was needed, but it did not go as planned. Mayfield went 1-5 in Carolina and his performance led to his release in December.

A brief audition with the Matthew Stafford-less Rams ensued, and the Oklahoma product started four games in Los Angeles (including a win in his debut which came days after his arrival). It still came as no surprise that Mayfield was only able to land a low-cost, one-year deal on the open market. The former Heisman winner could very well be entering a make-or-break season with respect to his future as an NFL starter.

Trask, meanwhile, will begin his third straight Tampa Bay campaign on the bench. As Brady’s understudy, the Florida product only made one regular season appearance and he has just nine pass attempts to his name. The 2023 offseason represented his best opportunity to earn the No. 1 role – something which would have provided much-needed information for the team regarding how they would approach his long-term future in the organization.

A report from earlier this month indicated Mayfield would have a short leash if named the starter, given Trask’s showings in the offseason. It will be interesting to see if that holds true as all attention will now turn to the former’s ability to rebound from his 2022 performance and, potentially, secure a multi-year future in his new home.

NFC South Notes: Saints, Panthers, Edmonds

August 22nd, 2023 at 5:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints made a key tweak to their front office Tuesday, announcing Khai Harley will move into the assistant GM role. Harley has been with the Saints for 16 years, most recently serving as the team’s VP of football administration. Mickey Loomis has credited Harley as being one of the chief architects behind the franchise’s aggressive strategy with regards to the salary cap. Omar Khan used this background to become the Steelers’ GM, and Harley rising to this post may put him on the radar for interviews.

New Orleans also Scott Kuhn as director of football administration, Zach Stuart as director of analytics and Rishi Desai as a scouting assistant. Gaining extensive experience on the analytics front, Kuhn spent 16 years with the Vikings. Stuart spent the past three years as the Jets’ analytics coordinator. Additionally, former safety Matt Giordano is now an assistant on Dennis Allen‘s staff. Giordano, 40, spent one season with the Saints (2010); the 30-game starter also played for the Colts, Packers, Raiders and Rams from 2005-13. Giordano had spent six seasons as head coach of Buchanan High School in his native Fresno, concluding that tenure after the 2021 season.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Although Payton Turner carries a first-round pedigree, he is unlikely to beat out Carl Granderson for the starting role Marcus Davenport vacated this offseason. The Saints are more likely to turn to Granderson — a former UDFA — than Turner opposite Cameron Jordan, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes. Granderson, 26, has stood out in training camp and has two five-plus-sack seasons over the past three years. Turner entered camp after two iffy years, and while the Saints are likely to give the 2021 first-rounder another shot, a rotational role looks to be how this will play out.
  • Jordan’s two-year, $27.5MM Saints extension is fully guaranteed, and it will also include sack incentives. Jordan can pick up an extra $500K with a 10-sack season this year, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. The 34-year-old defensive end can add $250K by reaching $250K in 2024 and 2025. Sitting 23rd on the official sack list (115.5), Jordan has six double-digit sack slates on his resume — including a 12.5-sack showing in 2021.
  • Frank Reich is in place as the Panthers‘ play-caller to start his HC tenure, but OC Thomas Brown continues to loom as a future option for the post. The first-year Carolina HC said the long-term goal remains to make Brown the play-caller, Darin Gantt of Panthers.com tweets. This is Brown’s first OC post, but he has already booked HC interviews and received interest from other teams regarding their respective OC jobs. A former Rams assistant, Brown earning play-calling responsibilities this year would enhance his case for a top coaching job.
  • Deion Jones‘ one-year Panthers agreement is worth $1.17MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That doubles as the veteran minimum, though Wilson adds the former Falcons mainstay will receive a $75K bonus for making the Panthers’ 53-man roster. The Falcons gave Jones a four-year, $57MM extension before the 2019 season, but the team cut bait on that deal before the 2022 trade deadline. The Browns also removed a year from Jones’ contract, and scant interest came his way this offseason. This will be a key year for the 29-year-old linebacker.
  • The Panthers included four void years in Justin Houston‘s contract, dropping his cap hit to $2.13MM, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Houston signed a fully guaranteed one-year, $6MM deal earlier this month. The contract will include sack incentives, with Wilson adding Houston will receive $500K by reaching 11 sacks and could earn another $500K by hitting 12 (Twitter link). These are classified as not likely to be earned; Houston has one 11-sack season since 2015.
  • As the Buccaneers prepare to use Rachaad White as their starting running back, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times notes offseason addition Chase Edmonds is locked into the third-down role. Edmonds, who received just $153K guaranteed on a one-year Bucs deal, operated as a solid pass catcher for the Cardinals but is coming off a down year. The Dolphins included him as salary filler in the Bradley Chubb trade, and the Broncos made him a cap casualty in March.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/23

August 21st, 2023 at 8:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: LB Marvin Pierre
  • Placed on IR: TE Tyler Davis

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: WR Juwan Green
  • Waived/injured: WR Kekoa Crawford
  • Released from IR: DB Anthony Witherstone

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: QB James Blackman
  • Waived/injured: CB Tino Ellis

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

  • Released from IR: OL Scott Lashley

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: TE Sal Cannella

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Brian Hill comes to San Francisco with 48 career games under his belt. He had a career year for the Falcons back in 2020, compiling 664 yards from scrimmage in 16 games. The RB has bounced around the NFL a bit since, spending time with the Titans, Browns, and 49ers (two stints). Following stints in the CFL and XFL, the 27-year-old will now add some depth to a San Francisco running backs room that already includes Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Tyrion Davis-Price, and Jeremy McNichols.

Trevon Coley started 29 games for the Browns through his first two seasons in the NFL, but he’s struggled to stay on the field since. The defensive lineman got into seven games for the Colts in 2019 and (most recently) six games for the Cardinals in 2020. In total, the 29-year-old has 100 career tackles and 3.5 sacks on his resume.

Adrian Colbert won’t play for the Bears in 2023 after being placed on IR, although there’s a chance he’s cut loose and allowed to play for another squad. The veteran safety has played in 41 career games, starting 22. He’s been limited to only 14 games since the 2020 campaign, including a two-game stint with the Bears in 2022.

Buccaneers Waive K Rodrigo Blankenship

August 21st, 2023 at 7:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rodrigo Blankenship partook in a training camp rematch of sorts, being part of a kicking battle against Chase McLaughlin. That series is now tied at one apiece.

Three years after Blankenship unseated McLaughlin as the Colts’ kicker, the Buccaneers are going the other way. Tampa Bay waived Blankenship on Monday, leaving McLaughlin as the only kicker on the roster.

Blankenship went 1-for-3 on field goal tries against the Jets on Saturday; McLaughlin made his only attempt. Although Blankenship was 1-for-1 in Tampa Bay’s first preseason game, McLaughlin is the team’s kicker pick.

The Bucs added Blankenship after minicamp, bringing him in nearly three months after signing McLaughlin on a one-year deal with $100K guaranteed. The Bucs did not guarantee Blankenship anything. While this competition was not to succeed a Hall of Famer, as the 2020 Colts duel was after Adam Vinatieri‘s exit, McLaughlin now looks like he will go into the season as Ryan Succop‘s successor. Succop, who remains unsigned, spent the past three seasons in that role. Succop provided some continuity for a Bucs team that spent most of the 2010s changing kickers annually, but a cap-strapped Tampa Bay operation made the veteran a cap casualty this year.

Monday’s development continues the intertwined careers of McLaughlin and Blankenship. The latter, a former Groza award winner while at Georgia, kicked in all 16 Colts games in 2020. But he suffered an injury five games into the 2021 season. Blankenship struggled in Week 1 of last season, missing a 42-yard field goal in overtime and sending two kickoffs out of bounds. Indianapolis’ usual kickoff man, Rigoberto Sanchez, was out due to a season-ending injury sustained in training camp. The team then signed McLaughlin to replace Blankenship.

McLaughlin kicked in 16 Browns games in 2021 and 16 Colts contests last year. The Bucs added him, in part, because of long-range success. McLaughlin made 9 of 12 50-plus-yard tries in 2022 and was 4-for-4 in 2021. Succop went just 2-for-7 last season. Blankenship, who finished last season with the Cardinals, is not a vested veteran and will head to the waiver wire.

Kickers frequently change cities around this point, with teams monitoring other rosters to fill this oft-unstable position. Blankenship could soon land another opportunity, though he has now been cut twice in 11 months.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/23

August 20th, 2023 at 8:03pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

It appears that, like Colby Wadman before him, Palardy is just a camp body. Incumbent punter Tress Way is dealing with a back ailment, and he will only work as the holder in the Commanders’ preseason contest against the Ravens tomorrow night (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). So Palardy, who has appeared in 80 games in his career (including eight with the Patriots in 2022), will have a chance to audition for other clubs that may be on the lookout for a punter at some point.

Washington is also in need of another player to rotate in on the defensive line, as Jonathan Allen (plantar fasciitis) and Phidarian Mathis are both banged up (Twitter link via ESPN’s John Keim). Mack, who has 25 appearances in his pro career, will at least help the team get through camp and the rest of the preseason slate.

Latest On Buccaneers’ QB Competition

August 20th, 2023 at 7:39am CST by Adam La Rose

AUGUST 20: It appears that this competition will indeed come down to the final preseason game. Mayfield did not dress for the Bucs’ second preseason contest last night, a victory over the Jets, and ESPN’s Jenna Laine understandably took that to mean that Mayfield was on the verge of being named the Week 1 starter (Twitter link). However, head coach Todd Bowles revealed after his club’s 13-6 victory that he expects both Mayfield and Trask to play in Tampa Bay’s preseason finale against the Ravens next week (Twitter link via Greg Auman of FOX Sports).

The third quarterback on the depth chart, John Wolford, suffered a neck injury during the second half of the Jets game and was carted off the field, as Laine detailed. Fortunately, Wolford has feeling in his extermities, and Bowles indicated that all will be well with the former Rams signal-caller.

Further underscoring the as-yet-unsettled status of the club’s QB1 comeptition, Bowles said that he was prepared to send Mayfield into the game in relief of Wolford. Bowles only called upon Trask because he was already warmed up after having played the entire first half (Twitter link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).

AUGUST 16: With Anthony Richardson having won the starting job for the Colts, the quarterback competition in Tampa Bay is the lone remaining one around the league where the winner cannot at least be comfortably assumed. Plenty is yet to be determined regarding where Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask emerge in the pecking order.

At the onset of training camp, the Buccaneers split first-team reps between the pair, something which came as little surprise. Mayfield came to Tampa Bay on a one-year, $4MM deal looking to avoid the disastrous end to his Panthers tenure from last season. The former No. 1 pick faces serious questions about his ability to retain a starting role in the NFL, and this Buccaneers opportunity may be his last if it does not go well. Trask, meanwhile, entered the league with relatively high expectations as a second-round pick, but he has yet to receive a starting opportunity.

Mayfield has long been considered the favorite to win the Week 1 starting gig, but his tenure in that role may not be permanent if things remain close between he and Trask. Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reports that Tampa is willing to quickly install Trask as the No. 1 in the event Mayfield is tapped as the starter early but struggles to begin the season.

A final decision has not yet been made, and that will likely remain the case until after the team’s three preseason contests have been played. Mayfield outperformed Trask in the Buccaneers’ Friday loss to the Steelers, but Pauline notes the latter’s arm strength and his general lack of turnovers in camp could give him the edge to win the Week 1 start. The Florida product has expressed confidence about his readiness for the role despite having just nine regular season attempts to his name.

Regardless of who wins the job, Tampa Bay will be shorthanded in the receiving corps with Russell Gage out for the season. Fellow wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will be leaned on heavily by whomever starts the campaign under center, but it remains to be seen who that will be and how long of a leash they will be given.

Buccaneers GM: We Want Mike Evans Here Long Term

August 17th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers have been discussing an extension with their longest-tenured starter since early this summer. While the team is transitioning from the Tom Brady period, agreements with pillars acquired before the legendary quarterback’s arrival took place this offseason.

Tampa Bay re-signed Jamel Dean and Lavonte David, doing so despite sitting well above the salary cap entering the offseason. Brady’s $35.1MM dead-money charge, brought about from the void years the franchise tacked on for cap purposes, hamstrung the Bucs. But they have managed to retain key players. They want Mike Evans to join that list.

The contract Evans signed back in March 2018 has been passed over by many receivers over its duration. At the time, the $16.5MM AAV made Evans the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver. Illustrating this position’s importance in the modern game, that number now sits 17th among wideouts. Evans’ less accomplished teammate, Chris Godwin, passed him amid the 2022 receiver market boom. Godwin signed a three-year, $60MM extension after the Bucs franchise-tagged him for a second time.

Due to the increasingly void years-reliant Bucs tacking three such years onto Evans’ deal via restructures, the team would be hit with a $12.2MM dead-money charge if Evans is not re-signed by the start of the 2024 league year. Naturally, the Bucs want to avoid that scenario.

“I can’t see Mike playing anywhere else,” Licht said, via The Athletic’s Dan Pompei (subscription required). “I hope and think we can figure something out so he can retire a Buc. We want Mike to be here long term.”

Squarely on the Hall of Fame radar after becoming the first receiver to start his career with nine consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, Evans is going into his age-30 season. He should not be considered a candidate to eclipse Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM AAV — a number that will likely soon be surpassed, as Justin Jefferson aims for a Vikings extension — but the Bucs will likely need to authorize a raise for a player entering his 10th season.

Evans totaled 27 touchdown receptions from 2020-21, but as Brady and the offense regressed last year, he finished with just six scores — his fewest since 2017. But the 6-foot-5 target has remained durable, missing more than one game in a season on only two occasions (three absences in 2019, two last year). Suspensions have also brought on some of those misses for the Marshon Lattimore nemesis.

The Texas A&M alum will be a vital piece for the post-Brady Bucs, who are still deciding between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. With Antoine Winfield Jr. also a 2024 free agent (and an extension candidate), the Bucs will have some decisions to make soon. The Bucs have done well in letting players play out their contract years before re-signing them. Dean, David, Carlton Davis, Shaquil Barrett and Ryan Jensen are a number of recent examples of Licht and Co. retaining players despite those talents reaching the open market. The void-years component complicates the Bucs following suit with Evans, but a third contract for the greatest wideout in team history has been on the radar for a bit now.

Latest On Mekhi Becton, Jets’ Offensive Line

August 17th, 2023 at 11:06am CST by Sam Robinson

As the Jets’ months-long issue along the offensive line moves into the mainstream, via a brief Hard Knocks segment, the team still has not turned to Mekhi Becton as a first-stringer during training camp.

After showing promise as a rookie, Becton saw extensive injury troubles and weight issues sidetrack his career. The 2020 first-round pick has not played since Week 1 of the 2021 season, but he lost around 50 pounds this offseason. Becton criticized the Jets’ coaching staff for moving him to right tackle last year, a switch he believes led to his knee reinjury. But the talented blocker is now believed to be onboard with playing on the right side. The Jets are trying Becton at right tackle Thursday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets, marking the first time that has taken place during this year’s camp.

The Jets still have not used Becton as a first-stringer this year. Despite Duane Brown remaining on Gang Green’s active/PUP list, Becton has worked behind Billy Turner and Max Mitchell at tackle. Even as the team’s depleted front has struggled in joint practices with the Panthers and Buccaneers, Saleh is waiting on giving Becton extended run.

“The biggest thing for Mekhi is to show that he can play a game without having to be spelled out,” Robert Saleh said, via the New York Post’s Brian Costello. “It’s unfair to the team to prepare a guy to start if you are not sure he can make it through a game. He is moving in the right direction.”

While Becton brings a much higher ceiling compared to Turner and Mitchell, his injury baggage is among the most extensive in recent NFL history. Missing nearly two full seasons, Becton also missed practice time earlier in camp and asked out of the Jets’ Hall of Fame Game. He did return to play 27 snaps against the Panthers last weekend, marking a good sign. The Jets may soon have no choice but to bump Becton into their starting lineup, given the state of their line. But Saleh continues to proceed cautiously.

As injuries mounted last season, the Jets shifted emerging guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to right tackle. The 2021 first-rounder suffered a season-ending triceps injury while at that position, but the team returned him to guard this offseason. The team is again considering Vera-Tucker at tackle, Saleh said (via Costello), though the third-year HC reminded that the team loves the USC alum at guard. Vera-Tucker has also missed recent time due to injury, along with the Jets’ other guard starter — Laken Tomlinson. Neither practiced against the Bucs on Wednesday.

Should the Jets try a “best five” scenario in Week 1, Cimini offers that Wes Schweitzer — who is competing with Connor McGovern at center — could be shifted to guard as Vera-Tucker slides back to right tackle. Although Schweitzer is competing at center, the ex-Atlanta and Washington starter has extensive guard experience. He started at right guard against Carolina last weekend. The Jets also have second-round rookie Joe Tippmann in the mix, rounding out a deep O-line interior on a team that has faced tackle questions for months.

While Saleh has said Vera-Tucker has All-Pro potential at guard, urgency to place a competent line in front of Aaron Rodgers may supersede the team’s long-term plan for the third-year blocker. As for Brown, Saleh said the team’s preferred left tackle option is moving closer to a return from offseason shoulder surgery.

Buccaneers WR Russell Gage Out For Season

August 17th, 2023 at 8:31am CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 17: Gage did not suffer an ACL tear, but Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times indicates the veteran wideout ruptured his right patellar tendon (Twitter link). Gage will undergo season-ending surgery this week.

AUGUST 16, 12:21pm: The injury will end up sidelining Gage for the season, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. While it is not known if Gage suffered a torn ACL, that would stand to be the expected prognosis here. Either way, the Bucs will be down one of their top pass catchers for the 2023 slate.

10:53am: As the Buccaneers’ offense sputtered, Russell Gage‘s first Tampa Bay season did not go quite as planned. The sixth-year wide receiver may not step on the field for a second Bucs campaign.

Gage suffered a non-contact knee injury during a joint practice with the Jets on Wednesday, and Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report the belief is this malady will end the veteran pass catcher’s season (Twitter link). A cart transported Gage off the practice field.

Ahead of Tom Brady‘s third and final season with the team, the Bucs gave Gage a three-year, $30MM deal to join Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. After improving over the course of his Falcons rookie contract, Gage generated interest on the open market. But he did not take off with the Bucs. The LSU alum totaled 51 catches for 426 yards — numbers well off his 2020 and ’21 outputs — as the Bucs’ offense fell off a cliff in 2022. Gage’s first Bucs season also ended with a concussion sustained in the team’s wild-card loss. He soon accepted a pay cut — in exchange for additional 2023 guarantees — to stay with the team.

Tampa Bay still rosters its long-running Evans-Godwin tandem, but Scotty Miller is now with the Falcons after signing a low-cost free agency pact. A Gage injury will would this year’s team more as well, with Julio Jones also no longer on the roster. The Bucs drafted Trey Palmer in Round 6, but their offense — to be quarterbacked by Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask — will be down its expected WR3 if this report turns out to be accurate.

Gage, 27, topped 700 receiving yards in both the 2020 and ’21 seasons in Atlanta, helping then-Matt Ryan-quarterbacked teams compensate for absences at the position. Gage broke through as an auxiliary option initially due to Jones’ hamstring injury in 2020 and then stepped up as Ryan’s top wideout in 2021 after Calvin Ridley left the team midway through that season. Those two showings catapulted Gage into free agency, and the Bucs — despite having Evans signed to an $18MM-per-year deal and franchise-tagging Godwin — authorized a third eight-figure-per-year wideout accord.

Losing Gage would represent familiar territory for the Bucs, who saw Ryan Jensen go down with a regular-season-ending knee malady during training camp last year. While Jensen returned in time for the wild-card loss to the Cowboys, he may not be a lock to start this season on time.

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