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Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 30th, 2024 at 10:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of changes took place regarding the projected draft order on Sunday. Most notably, the Giants’ first home win of the year took them out of the top spot and greatly lowered their chances of securing the No. 1 pick.

Instead, the Patriots are now in pole position to select first in April. New England already has Drake Maye in place, so adding another Day 1 passer would be out of the picture. With Travis Hunter being seen as the top overall prospect in the class, the Heisman winner could be a suitable target as a key figure in New England’s rebuilding process.

Meanwhile, a number of teams which could be in the market for a first-round passer are near the top of the order. That includes the Browns and Raiders, teams which each face uncertainty under center for 2025 despite already having a number of quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Bringing in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would provide another short-term option for next year along with a potential long-term answer at the position. Plenty could still change in the order over Week 18, though, and the evaluation process of both of the top signal-callers in the class obviously has a long way to go.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

  1. New England Patriots (3-13)
  2. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
  3. Cleveland Browns (3-13)
  4. New York Giants (3-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
  6. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
  7. New York Jets (4-12)
  8. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
  9. Chicago Bears (4-12)
  10. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
  12. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
  13. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
  14. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
  15. Miami Dolphins (8-8)
  16. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
  17. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
  19. Houston Texans (9-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (9-7)
  21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
  23. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
  24. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
  25. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
  26. Washington Commanders (11-5)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
  28. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
  30. Detroit Lions (13-2)
  31. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/24

December 28th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves, including gameday elevations for Week 17:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

It was already known Lamb would be out for the remainder of the year, but the same will now be true of Oruwariye. The latter made seven appearances in 2024, his debut Cowboys season. That included four starts and a defensive snap share of 62%, making him a notable contributor on a Dallas defense which has dealt with a number of injuries. Oruwariye, 28, is a pending free agent.

McCoy and Patrick suffered injuries during the Saints’ Week 16 loss, and today’s move confirms they will both miss the remainder of the season. New Orleans’ offensive line has been dealt a number of blows in 2024, and that will continue through the final two games of the season. McCoy appeared in just seven games this year, but plenty of term remains on his pact. Patrick, by contrast, is set to hit the open market this spring.

Whitehead returned to practice earlier this week, so it comes as no surprise he will be available to the Buccaneers tomorrow. He will be expected to reprise his role as a defensive starter as Tampa Bay looks to seal the NFC South over the final two games of the campaign. Bringing back Whitehead and Johnson will leave the team with two IR activations.

Buccaneers To Reunite With OLB Shaquil Barrett

December 27th, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

32-year-old veteran pass rusher Shaquil Barrett is making a return to Tampa Bay after a short time away. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Barrett has cleared waivers after being cut by Miami and will sign with the Buccaneers. Auman’s initial report claimed it was a practice squad signing, but he later clarified Barrett would sign to the active roster. The deal is predicted to be made official tomorrow.

A two-time Pro Bowler during his five-year stint with the Buccaneers, Barrett was predictably released by Tampa Bay as a cap casualty following the 2023 regular season. Deciding to continue his playing career, Barrett signed with the nearby Dolphins, moving about three hours south. Four months later, though, Barrett changed his mind and announced his retirement from the NFL.

At the time of his announcement, the Dolphins left the door open for a potential return for Barrett, and after losing Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb for parts of the 2024 season, it seemed like Barrett returning to the fold could be a big development for Miami. When Barrett applied for reinstatement in late-November, though, the team opted not to accept his application, keeping him on the reserve/retired list and ensuring he would be ineligible to return for the Dolphins in 2024.

Ultimately, with Barrett making it clear that he had desires to return this season, the Dolphins made the move to waive him from the reserve/retired list. This transaction left two possibilities: either Barrett would get claimed by a team forcing him to remain on the reserve/retired list for the remainder of the 2024 season or Barrett would clear waivers and have the ability to sign wherever he prefers. There were fears that teams may claim Barrett simply in an attempt to block rival competitors from enlisting Barrett’s services for the final stretch of the season, but ultimately, Barrett went unclaimed.

Now a free agent, Barrett will move back home and sign with Tampa Bay. It’s been several years since we’ve seen the best versions of Barrett. His two Pro Bowl selections came along with the only two double-digit sack years of his career in 2019 (19.5) and 2021 (10.0). In 16 games last season, he only amassed 4.5 sacks. Still, his familiarity and veteran experience will be a strong addition to a middling Buccaneers’ pass rush as the team continues to battle with the Falcons for the NFC South title.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/27/24

December 27th, 2024 at 7:29pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Buccaneers Place DB Christian Izien On IR

December 26th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Sam Robinson

Christian Izien has provided good value for the Buccaneers, who have used the former UDFA in various capacities in their secondary. More Izien plans may well need to wait until next season, however.

The pectoral injury Izien sustained during Tampa Bay’s Week 16 loss in Dallas will lead the second-year defender to IR. The Bucs moved Izien off their 53-man roster Thursday, and the move will sideline him for at least four games. Only a run to the NFC championship game would allow Izien to play again this season, and it is also unclear if he would be ready to return by that point.

Even a partial pec tear would presumably rule out Izien for a return by that point; a full tear would stand to impact the young DB’s offseason program. The Bucs have used Izien in the slot, on the boundary and at safety this season. The versatile piece had most recently been tasked with helping Tampa Bay navigate injuries to safeties Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead.

Added out of Rutgers last year, Izien earned a season-opening role as Tampa Bay’s primary slot corner. The Bucs used him on 719 defensive snaps. He was on pace to eclipse that this season, logging 697 defensive plays in 14 games. The Bucs drafted Tykee Smith in Round 3 this year, changing their plans in the secondary. Izien has still played on 75% of Tampa Bay’s defensive snaps this year.

As Smith has played in the slot, Izien has shifted around the formation. He has logged more snaps at safety than corner this season, being used to help the team cover for the injuries to Winfield and Whitehead. Pro Football Focus has not viewed Izien as a productive safety, ranking him outside the top 70 at the position, but he has also seen slot time due to Smith health issues and would stand to be in the Bucs’ plans for 2025. Tampa Bay has Izien under contract for one more season.

The Bucs designated Whitehead for return from IR on Tuesday, opening the door to a Week 17 activation. Winfield has missed the past two Bucs games, with this being his second injury-driven hiatus this season. The high-priced DB is not on IR, however.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 24th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Two weeks remain in the regular season, and while a number of teams are jockeying for playoff spots several others are still in contention to land a coveted draft slot. It remains to be seen where the No. 1 selection will wind up.

The Giants and Raiders entered Sunday’s action with two wins apiece, and New York’s loss kept the team strongly in contention to kick off the draft in April. By virtue of winning against the Jaguars, though, the Raiders hurt their chances of finding themselves in that position. A top-two spot (or thereabouts) may be required to draft either of this year’s top passers, but a small move up the order positioning Vegas to add one could still be on the table.

Five teams currently sit a 3-12, and a head-to-head matchup between the Titans and Jaguars on Sunday will be key in deciding where each of them wind up. Another three squads own a 4-11 record, so plenty of potential exists in terms of changes being made to the order at the top of the board. Numerous expected suitors for a Day 1 quarterback (including teams like the Browns and Jets) may very well find themselves out of reach for Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders without a trade-up being necessary. The Panthers’ starting situation with Bryce Young is certainly not settled for 2025, but adding a passer on Day 1 would come as a surprise at this point.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

  1. New York Giants (2-13)
  2. New England Patriots (3-12)
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
  4. Tennessee Titans (3-12)
  5. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
  7. Carolina Panthers (4-11)
  8. New York Jets (4-11)
  9. Chicago Bears (4-11)
  10. New Orleans Saints (5-10)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
  12. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
  13. Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
  14. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
  15. Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
  17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
  19. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
  20. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
  21. Houston Texans (9-6)
  22. Denver Broncos (9-6)
  23. Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
  24. Washington Commanders (10-5)
  25. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
  26. Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
  27. Green Bay Packers (11-4)
  28. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (12-3)
  30. Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
  31. Detroit Lions (13-2)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)

Buccaneers Designate S Jordan Whitehead For Return

December 24th, 2024 at 12:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jordan Whitehead suffered a pectoral injury last month, and the Buccaneers initially feared a tear had occurred. That did not prove to be the case, though, leaving the door open to a return as early as Week 17.

The veteran safety could indeed be back in the fold in time for Tampa Bay’s next game. Whitehead returned to practice on Tuesday, per a team announcement. His 21-day activation window is now open, and he must be activated within that span to avoid season-ending injured reserve. The fact Whitehead has returned to practice after missing the minimum four games is an encouraging sign.

Prior to going down, the 27-year-old had served as a full-time starter. Whitehead’s return to the Buccaneers (with whom he spent his first four seasons) has seen him play a key role on defense, recording 76 tackles and three pass deflections. His activation will be welcomed by a Tampa Bay team which has put up underwhelming numbers in several defensive categories (including 250 passing yards allowed per game, which ranks 30th). Whitehead’s coverage statistics have left plenty to be desired in 2024, but having him available will still be significant to the team’s playoff push.

Thanks to their upset loss against the Cowboys on Sunday, the Buccaneers are no longer in control of their fate regarding the NFC South. Tampa Bay sits in a tie with Atlanta at 8-7 on the year, so the final two weeks of the campaign will dictate which team earns a home postseason game during the wild-card round. Given the landscape of the NFC, it is all-but guaranteed only one team from that division will qualify for the playoffs.

Whitehead’s return could see him suit up against the Panthers and Saints to close out the year depending on when he is brought back into the fold. Once he is officially activated, the Buccaneers will have three IR return slots remaining for the regular season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/21/24

December 21st, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

After being activated from injured reserve in early November, Bates only played two games before suffering a concussion. The 27-year-old has not played since Week 11 and will now miss the remainder of the season on IR. Bates is under contract through 2025.

Buccaneers OC Liam Coen “Gaining Traction” For HC Gigs

December 21st, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Ben Levine

Liam Coen has helped elevate the Buccaneers offense into one of the top-scoring units in the NFL. The offensive coordinator may be able to parlay that performance into a promotion. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Coen has been “gaining traction” for head coaching gigs. At the very least, the coach is expected to be heavily involved in the interview circuit.

After spending a few years in the college ranks, Coen made a name for himself working alongside Sean McVay in Los Angeles. Coen first served as the Rams wide receivers coach, when he helped guide Cooper Kupp to his breakout season in 2019. Coen later worked closely with Matthew Stafford as the team’s assistant QBs coach.

Coen left for Kentucky in 2021 to become the school’s offensive coordinator, but he returned to the Rams in 2022 to replace Kevin O’Connell as OC. Coen went back to Kentucky for a second stint in 2023 before getting hired as Dave Canales‘ replacement in Tampa Bay ahead of the 2024 campaign.

While the Buccaneers already had a formidable offense, Coen has helped take the unit to another level. The offense is averaging more than 28 points per game despite Chris Godwin being lost for the season and Mike Evans missing a handful of games. Coen has also helped turn around the team’s running game; after ranking towards the bottom of the NFL in 2022 and 2023, the Buccaneers currently rank second in yards per carry (5.2) and fifth in rushing yards (2,021).

Considering Coen’s success in multiple stops, it’s not a huge surprise that he’ll be a hot name on the coaching carousel. The offensive coordinator will be relatively new to the HC interview cycle, and considering his limited track record, some longer-tenured coordinators will likely get the first crack at open jobs. Still, it’s a positive development for Coen’s career trajectory that he’s already being considered for these types of gigs.

As Fowler notes, Coen won’t be the only popular name in Tampa Bay. Assistant GM John Spytek will once again be considered for GM jobs, and fellow assistant GM Mike Greenberg could also be a popular name (with Fowler specifically pointing to the Jets gig). Fowler also points to vice president of football research Jacqueline Davidson and director of player personnel Rob McCartney as names to watch, even if they don’t get long looks this offseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/18/24

December 18th, 2024 at 7:32pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor NFL moves across the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mills, the former Eagles’ and Patriots’ starter had taken on a bigger role in New York as usual starter Tony Adams took fewer snaps due to a hamstring injury. He’ll miss the remainder of the season due to a broken collar bone.

Forsythe had taken over as the starting right tackle following an injury to George Fant in the season opener before ending up on injured reserve himself with a hand injury.

Watts’ 21-day practice window has come and gone without an activation. As a result, he’ll revert back to IR without the ability to be activated.

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