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Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

Buccaneers To Sign K Chase McLaughlin

March 28th, 2023 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Days after cutting Ryan Succop, the Buccaneers have settled on a new kicker. They are signing Chase McLaughlin, according to JoeBucsFan.com. It is a one-year agreement.

McLaughlin will head to Tampa after being replaced in Indianapolis. The Colts, who used McLaughlin as their Adam Vinatieri injury replacement in 2019 and as Rodrigo Blankenship‘s fill-in last season, signed Matt Gay to the league’s second-most lucrative kicker deal early in free agency.

The Bucs released Succop last week, doing so despite having already cleared the cap room necessary to retain Jamel Dean and Lavonte David. The Succop release saved the team $3.75MM, and McLaughlin will be positioned to replace him. Succop, however, represented the only kicking constant over the past decade. The team will see if McLaughlin can effectively replace the veteran.

McLaughlin, 27 in April, has been a primary kicking option for two teams — the Browns and Colts — since 2021. He struggled in Cleveland, making only 71% of his field goal tries, and the Browns then drafted Cade York last year. The Colts brought McLaughlin in after Blankenship played the lead role in a Week 1 tie with the Texans. McLaughlin fared better in 2022, making 83% of his field goal tries — including 9 of the 12 attempts from beyond 50 yards. McLaughlin also made 9 of 11 tries from 40-49 yards, representing a significant improvement on his 2021 work (4-for-10).

Although McLaughlin only began his run as an NFL kicker in 2019, he is already on team No. 7. He will come cheaper than Succop, whom the Bucs had signed to a three-year, $12MM extension shortly after Super Bowl LV.

Buccaneers Release K Ryan Succop

March 23rd, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Buccaneers have been forced to make a number of cost-cutting moves this offseason, and another one took place on Thursday. Per a team announcement, kicker Ryan Succop has been released.

The move comes as little surprise given Succop’s contractual situation. No guaranteed money remained on the final season of his deal, a three-year, $12MM pact which proved to be a worthwhile investment for Tampa Bay. Releasing Succop will result in $3.75MM in cap savings – a figure which, while relatively small, is still highly significant given the team’s financial constraints – while incurring a dead money charge of $750K.

The 36-year-old joined the Buccaneers in 2020 after five seasons with the Chiefs and six with the Titans. He won out an internal competition with Matt Gay to become the team’s full-time kicker that season, and played a key role in their regular season and playoff success. Succop made 28 of 31 field goals during the year, eclipsing the 90% accuracy mark for the second time in his career. He then missed only one kick during the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl run.

The South Carolina product followed that up with another consistent performance, and led the league in extra points made and attempted. In 2022, however, his overall accuracy dropped slightly, in large part due to his struggles from long range. Succop made 81.6% of his field goals, but went only 2-for-7 from beyond 50 yards. Despite those struggles, he holds the record for best field goal percentage (84.8%) in franchise history.

That should allow Succop to find a new home somewhat quickly, especially on a team whose offense won’t require many long-range attempts. The Buccaneers have Jake Verity on their roster after signing him to a reserve/futures contract, and he will head into training camp with at least a chance to win the full-time job for the 2023 season.

DT Greg Gaines Signing With Buccaneers

March 23rd, 2023 at 11:04am CST by Ely Allen

MARCH 23: Gaines agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $3.5MM, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The veteran defensive tackle’s contract can max out at $4MM.

MARCH 18: The Buccaneers have found a player that they can attempt to use to replace the lost production of Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who signed with the Giants earlier this week. According to Tom Pelissero, Tampa Bay has agreed to terms with former Rams defensive tackle Greg Gaines.

A former 2019 fourth-round pick out of Washington, Gaines spent his first two years in Los Angeles as a reserve behind Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, and Sebastian Joseph-Day. When Brockers was traded to the Lions, that opened the door for Gaines to step up.

Gaines spent the next two years as a starter next to Donald. Gaines was impressive in increased time. Over his two years as a starter, Gaines totaled 8.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 19 quarterback hits.

In addition to Nunez-Roches, the Buccaneers are set to lose Deadrin Senat this offseason, as well. They return Vita Vea and Logan Hall as their top options on the interior defensive line. Adding Gaines provides them with a new starter next to Vea, allowing Hall, last year’s second-round pick, to continue to develop as a rotation piece.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/18/23

March 18th, 2023 at 9:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Armstrong saw by far the largest workload of his career in 2022, his first season with the Falcons. Starting four of the nine games he appeared in, he logged a 57% snap share on defense. The 27-year-old had offers from other teams, per his agent (on Twitter), but he will instead remain in Atlanta on a one-year contract (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2).

Moore is one of several core special teamers earning new deals in recent days. His new Lions pact is two years in length, and has a base value of $4.5MM, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Moore will earn $3MM guaranteed, and could add a further $1.25MM in incentives.

RB Chase Edmonds To Join Buccaneers

March 16th, 2023 at 10:03am CST by Sam Robinson

The running back market continues to move, and a recently released ball-carrier now has a new home. Chase Edmonds is heading back to Florida, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com noting the Buccaneers are signing him.

Edmonds, whom the Broncos cut months after acquiring him from the Dolphins, agreed to terms on a one-year Bucs deal Thursday morning (Twitter link). Following Leonard Fournette‘s release, Edmonds is now in line to pair with second-year back Rachaad White in Tampa.

This will be a fit-based signing, as Fox Sports’ Greg Auman tweets Edmonds is joining the Bucs on a league-minimum deal. This comes a year after the Dolphins signed him to a two-year, $12MM contract. The Broncos saved nearly $6MM in cap space by cutting Edmonds, adding to Denver’s funds ahead of a busy free agency week. They acquired him in the Bradley Chubb trade, picking up the running back’s salary after the Dolphins needed to shed it from their payroll to clear space for the edge rusher’s fifth-year option money.

Edmonds will turn 27 in May but is coming off a low-workload season; he logged just 84 touches in 2022. The Dolphins did not end up receiving much in the way of production from the ex-Cardinals starter; Edmonds averaged 2.9 yards per carry with Miami. The Fordham product fared better in Denver, sporting a 4.8-yard average for a team that by that point was starting a few backups along the offensive line.

The Cardinals started Edmonds over James Conner for most of the 2021 season, when the former fourth-round pick totaled a career-high 903 yards from scrimmage. Edmonds teamed with transition-tagged Kenyan Drake in 2020 and reached 850 scrimmage yards, scoring a career-most five touchdowns. Twice averaging 5.1 yards per carry in a season — the second such instance (2021) coming on 116 totes — Edmonds should still have some tread on his tires. He has only taken 401 handoffs in five pro seasons.

The Bucs ranked last on the ground in 2022, so White and Edmonds may face an uphill battle. Tampa Bay has not made any significant augmentations up front just yet, though it did re-sign guard Aaron Stinnie, who was lost for the 2022 season. The team cut eight-year left tackle Donovan Smith, viewing Tristan Wirfs as a candidate to switch sides. Ryan Jensen staying healthy also stands to improve the Bucs’ rushing attack.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/23

March 15th, 2023 at 9:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Buccaneers Interested In Signing Ezekiel Elliott

March 15th, 2023 at 2:26pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ezekiel Elliott is set to hit the open market, putting the future of his Cowboys tenure very much in doubt. One of the teams which would be interested in adding the veteran running back is the Buccaneers, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Dallas has, as expected, informed the two-time rushing champ that he will be released in a cost-cutting move. Given his decline in production in recent years, and the availability of numerous other free agent backs, Elliott could be hard-pressed to find himself at the heart of a considerable bidding war. Tampa will at least kick the tires on adding him to their backfield, though.

The Buccaneers hired Skip Peete as their running backs coach, after he served in the same capacity in Dallas. That would give Elliott, 27, a familiar face to work with should he find himself unable to work out a new, smaller, deal with the Cowboys and interested in heading to Tampa. In the event he were to do so, the former top-five pick would have competition for snaps.

Tampa Bay is moving on from veteran Leonard Fournette, something which he asked for given the uncertainty surrounding the team. The Buccaneers will have a very new look on offense with someone not named Tom Brady under center, and Dave Canales in place as the new offensive coordinator. The team ranked last in the league on the ground in 2022, so upgrading in that department is likely to be an offseason priority.

Elliott produced career-lows in rushing yards (876) and yards per carry (3.8) in 2022, as his role in the Cowboys’ offense shifted to that of a short-yardage specialist. A similar role would likely await him in Tampa Bay if the two parties were to agree to a deal, given the presence of former third-rounders Rachaad White and Ke’Shawn Vaughn. The Bucs are high on the latter deal, Stroud notes, but a high-profile addition could still be in the cards.

Buccaneers To Bring Back Lavonte David

March 15th, 2023 at 1:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Lavonte David intends to sign another Buccaneers contract. The 10-year Tampa Bay starter is coming back on a one-year deal, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson (on Twitter).

This will be David’s fourth Bucs contract. He stayed with the team in 2021, as part of the defending champions’ historic talent-retention effort, and will join Jamel Dean and Anthony Nelson in returning to the squad for the 2023 season. Despite the Bucs coming into March nearly $60MM over the cap, they have done well to retain some core defenders. They have also agreed to bring in Baker Mayfield.

David wanted to stay with the Bucs and test the market; he has now accomplished both offseason goals.The 12th-year defender will be back for $7MM, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (on Twitter). The deal is guaranteed.

David joined Bobby Wagner as linebacker stalwarts going into age-33 seasons. While David’s All-Pro count does not approach Wagner’s historic number, he has been one of the greatest defenders in Bucs history. David’s 166 starts are top five in franchise history, trailing only Hall of Famers Ronde Barber Brooks and Derrick Brooks and longtime left tackle Paul Gruber.

The void years included on David’s previous Bucs contract would have led to the team carrying nearly $7MM on its 2023 cap sheet even if he was on another team. Reaching this deal before the 2023 league year begins will help the Bucs, who will now have David on their cap sheet to play. Considering David’s production to this point, the Bucs will be counting on him to deliver another season for a team that still houses a number of starters from Super Bowl LV.

Tampa Bay received an 18-game season from David, who tallied 124 tackles — his most since 2015 — and three sacks. The former second-round pick has been one of this era’s best linebackers, despite lacking in Pro Bowl nods. The Pro Bowl formula has worked against David for much of his career, with 4-3 outside linebackers — David’s official position until the Bucs switched to a 3-4 look under Todd Bowles in 2019 — grouped together with 3-4 pass rushers. Pro Football Focus has rated David as a top-five off-ball ‘backer in three of the past four seasons, slotting him third overall in 2022.

While Tom Brady‘s retirement figures to lower the Bucs’ profile in 2023, they are still bringing back six starters from Super Bowl LV on defense. Their offense still carries four first-stringers from that game, with Mayfield potentially stepping into Brady’s role in piloting it. That will do the most in defining how the Bucs respond after a 2022 letdown, but David continuing his partnership with Devin White — who is likely on the verge of a top-market extension — will go a long way toward giving the Bucs’ offense a sturdy safety net.

Buccaneers Finalizing Baker Mayfield Deal

March 15th, 2023 at 10:51am CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield interest will lead to a free agency agreement. The former No. 1 overall pick is wrapping up a deal with Tampa Bay, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Mayfield loomed as an option for the Bucs, who were not linked to being big spenders at quarterback this offseason. The sides are set to agree on a one-year deal worth $8.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That looks to be the max value here, with Albert Breer of SI.com adding the base value will come in at $4MM (Twitter link).

This will provide Mayfield with another bounce-back opportunity and give the Bucs a veteran option to potentially succeed Tom Brady. While the Bucs are planning to give former second-round pick Kyle Trask a chance to win the starting job, Mayfield (69 starts) obviously laps the third-year passer in experience. Though, Mayfield has seen his stock dip dramatically since he was connected to a lucrative Browns extension in 2021.

Tampa will be Mayfield’s fourth home since July 2022. The Browns traded their four-year starter, after a drawn-out negotiation, to the Panthers last July. Proving a bad fit in Carolina, Mayfield ended up with the Rams to close out his fifth-year option season. Following an injury-plagued 2021 and an uneven Charlotte stay, Mayfield showed signs of life in Los Angeles. The Bucs will provide another opportunity for the 2017 Heisman winner.

Even as he did provide a spark to a depleted Rams offense down the stretch, Mayfield still finished last season with a league-worst 24.5 QBR figure. In Carolina, the 6-foot quarterback completed just 57.8% of his passes — at 6.4 yards per toss — and ended up benched for a Panthers team that started three QBs last year. Sam Darnold, who has since committed to the 49ers, ended up outplaying Mayfield in Carolina, despite the latter having won the training camp competition.

The Panthers waived Mayfield in December, and the Rams turned to the 27-year-old passer immediately after acquiring him. Two days after making the waiver claim, the Rams threw Mayfield into action early during a Thursday-night Raiders matchup. Mayfield struggled with his new team early in that game but reeled off one of the most shocking comebacks in recent NFL history, guiding his new team on a 98-yard game-winning drive — despite the Rams playing with a patchwork offensive line and without Cooper Kupp or Allen Robinson. Mayfield finished his Rams run, which also included a 24-for-28 showing against an upper-echelon Broncos defense, with a 63.6% completion rate and a passer rating well north of his Panthers sample.

Trask has made one career appearance — a Week 18 cameo in Atlanta — but has drawn praise from some Bucs players. He will be thrust into a competition with Mayfield, who is taking a steep pay cut from a fifth-year option salary he already reduced (to $15.4MM) to facilitate a trade out of Cleveland. The outspoken QB led the Browns to their first playoff berth in 18 years two seasons ago, coming back from a disastrous sophomore season under Freddie Kitchens. Mayfield ranked 10th in QBR in 2020 under Kevin Stefanski, throwing 26 TD passes compared to eight INTs, but he is far removed from that productive campaign.

The Bucs will see if new OC Dave Canales can harness some of what Stefanski did three seasons ago. The sixth-year veteran would seem to match up better with a Bucs team still housing several starters from Super Bowl LV. But after Mayfield’s struggles in his 2022 platform season led to a mediocre market, another uninspiring slate will likely take him off the QB1 radar for the foreseeable future.

Buccaneers To Re-Sign OLB Anthony Nelson

March 15th, 2023 at 9:43am CST by Sam Robinson

Anthony Nelson will sign a second Buccaneers contract. The young edge rusher is staying in Tampa on a two-year deal, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

The former fourth-round pick has become a solid complementary rusher for the team, racking up 10.5 sacks over the past two seasons. He will stick around alongside Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

Barrett is coming off an Achilles tear, leading to Nelson’s first extended run in Tampa Bay’s starting lineup. The veteran sack artist’s injury made retaining Nelson more important for a Bucs team that, despite a Saints-level cap situation entering March, has found room to retain both Nelson and cornerback Jamel Dean.

A number of other veteran defenders’ futures are currently in doubt in Tampa Bay, a team which is due to see a substantial overhaul in spite of their success in keeping a key member of their pass rush in Nelson. The 26-year-old put up similar numbers to the 2021 season in terms of pressures and QB hits this season, in spite of the substantial increase in playing time.

That could mean his statistical ceiling has essentially been met, but his success in a rotational role, coupled with his age, makes a short-term deal a logical priority for the NFC South champions. Barrett is on the books for another two seasons, while Tryon-Shoyinka is likewise set to have his rookie contract expire after the 2024 season. They, along with Nelson, will now be linked financially as the mainstays of the Bucs’ edge group.

Tampa Bay still sits in a worse financial situation than most teams at the moment, after their numerous cost-cutting moves leading up to this week. Their success in retaining both Dean and Nelson is noteworthy, however, and will give the team some continuity on defense regardless of what happens in the coming days.

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