Free agency begins in earnest on Monday, March 11th at noon ET with the start of the public negotiation period, allowing prospective free agents to begin negotiations with teams. New free agent contracts can’t be signed and completed until Wednesday, March 13th at 4:00 PM ET, but the Bucks are getting their free agency off to a flying start, signing several players before hitting the open market. Re-signed key players.
Pewter Report will track additions and losses to Tampa Bay’s roster in the coming weeks with the Bucs 2024 Free Agent Tracker. This will be updated with news and rumors as they become available from team and league sources.
latest rumors
Updated March 12th, 12:05pm ET: The Bucks are bargain hunting as the first wave of free agency nears its end and most of the big deals were made within the first 24 hours. Hopefully general manager Jason Richt will be patient until free agency hits. He’s looking for potential players on cheaper one-year deals (think Baker Mayfield last year and Shaq Barrett in 2019).
Potential targets include former Rams center Brian Allen, Rams center Coleman Shelton, Patriots edge rusher Josh Uche, Chiefs edge rusher Mike Danna, who was with the Bucs from 2018 to 2021. That includes Jets safety Jordan Whitehead, who played. Tampa Bay could also pursue players like Dolphins center Connor Williams and 49ers edge rusher Chase Young, who are returning from season-ending knee surgery, if the market collapses and they get the right price for those players. may be interested.
Updated March 11th at 6:20pm ET: On Monday night, Tampa Bay traded cornerback Carlton Davis III, a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 sixth-round pick to Detroit for a 2024 third-round pick. The move will generate $6.448 million in cap room.
Carlton Davis III was scheduled to earn a base salary of $14 million heading into the final year of his contract with the team. #Bucksbut struggled to stay healthy (missed 16 games over the past three years) and get INTs.
Zion McCollum is expected to start opposite Jamel Dean at cornerback.
— Pewter Report 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) March 11, 2024
Bucs LB Labonte David – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Updated March 11th at 5:20pm ET: Bucs inside linebacker Lavonte David may prefer a two-year deal after seeing wide receiver Mike Evans get so much yardage in his recent contract extension, but the team might prefer a one-year contract. I’m sticking to my contract. Evans is 30 years old and will turn 31 in August, while David will turn 34 in January. That’s a big age difference, especially in soccer.
Assistant general manager Mike Greenberg had some success a few years ago when he re-signed legendary cornerback Ronde Barber to a series of one-year deals in his mid-30s. That’s where David and the team are in 2024.
This would be good for both parties, as David performed well on a one-year deal last season and will likely get a raise this year. For the Bucks, even if David’s play falls off a cliff this year like Derrick Brooks’ final season in 2008, the team won’t have to cut the legend in 2025, even if it’s the right thing to do. Even it’s always painful. to do. Just ask Mark Dominique, who did the same thing to Brooks in 2009.
Bucks re-sign
RB Chase Edmonds – 1 year contract, terms and conditions not disclosed
DT Greg Gaines – 1-year contract worth $3.5 million
K. Chase McLaughlin – 3-year contract worth $12 million
QB Baker Mayfield – 3-year contract worth at least $100 million, $50 million guaranteed
OT Brandon Walton – 1-year contract worth $985,000
WR Deven Tompkins – 1-year contract worth $985,000
FS Antwon Winfield Jr. – One-year contract worth $17,123,000 with franchise tag
WR Mike Evans – 2-year contract worth at least $41 million
New Bucks additions in free agency
Nothing to report yet.
Tampa Bay salary cap room
according to OverTheCap.com, After re-signing Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield, the Bucks have $10,349,611 in available cap space before re-signing Chase McLaughlin, Greg Gaines and Chase Edmonds, including Russell Gage’s Emissions are not included and will result in an additional $6.448 million. cap space.
BUCS Remaining Free Agents
Below is a list of the remaining Bucs free agents. Inside linebacker Devin White, strong safety Ryan Neal and left guard Matt Feiler are not expected to re-sign with Tampa Bay, and other players may not return as well.
Bucs ILB Lavonte David and Devin White – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
OLB Shaq Barrett – One-year contract worth $9 million with Miami
ILB Labonte David
ILB Devin White
DT Will Golston
LG Matt Feiler
LG Aaron Stinney
SS Ryan Neal
LS Zach Triner
WR David Moore
DT Pat O’Connor
OLB Cam Gil
QB John Wolford
CB Dee Delaney
GC Nick Leverett
OT Justin Scull
Contract Restructuring / Cap Casual / Trade
Bucks assistant GM Mike Greenberg – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Update: 3/11 – 6:20pm ET: In a predicted move, Tampa Bay traded cornerback Carlton Davis III, who turns 28, to Detroit in December. The injury-prone Davis has a base salary of $14 million and is in the final year of his contract. The Pewter Report had long predicted this move. Zion McCollum is currently expected to start at cornerback for Tampa Bay across from Jamel Dean.
Updated 3/11 – 6:05 PM ET: Movement as expected, Bucs part ways with wide receiver Russell Gage on monday. Gage’s 2024 option will not be picked up and he will become a free agent. The move creates a cap hit of $6.448 million.
Players with high base salaries in 2024, such as defensive tackle Vita Vea ($15.5 million) and cornerback Jamel Dean ($12 million), are expected to have their contracts restructured this week.
Tampa Bay will also increase cap room this offseason by signing Pro Bowl left tackle Tristan Wirfs and All-Pro safety Antwon Winfield Jr. to long-term contract extensions and lowering each player’s first-year base salary. You can also do that.
The team picked up Wirfs’ fifth-year option in 2024, so he is currently under contract with a base salary of $18,244,000 and a current cap hit of $18,606,582, which includes 2020. Includes the daily amount from the signing bonus. In Winfield’s case, he will make $17.123 million in 2024.
Tampa Bay’s 2024 workforce needs
With quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans, safety Antwon Winfield Jr., and kicker Chase McLaughlin returning in 2024, the team still has things to do this offseason. There are people who are urgently needed. Free agency begins now, followed by the 2024 NFL Draft, and Tampa Bay’s needs happen to align perfectly with strength and depth at certain positions in free agency.
outside linebacker
Patriots Edge Josh Uche – Photo Credit: USA Today
The Bucks are moving on from aging veteran Shaq Barrett and could use another better pass rusher to replace Yahya Diaby, who had a promising rookie year and led the team with 7.5 sacks. Tampa Bay isn’t expected to embark on a big hunt for a top edge rusher in free agency, but could instead target a value-type player like New England’s Josh Uche. Alternatively, the team could always draft another outside linebacker next month.
In-house options to replace Barrett include former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Soyinka, who is entering a contract year, veteran reserve Anthony Nelson, and second-year players Marquise Watts and Jose Ramirez is included, and the team is excited about their potential.
left guard
Tampa Bay will not re-sign Matt Feiler and will be looking to upgrade Aaron Stinney, making left guard a priority this offseason. The Bucks invest more than $30 million annually in Mayfield and need to do a better job of protecting him in 2024. There are several free agent options, but the 2024 NFL Draft is being closely watched. Duke’s Graham Burton is currently being selected by Tampa Bay in Pewter Report’s latest Bucs mock draft.
center
The Bucks could use an upgrade in Robert Hainsey, who has been average at best as the team’s starting center the past two seasons. His talent is significantly diminished from Ryan Jensen and Hainsey, who suffered a career-ending knee injury in 2022 training camp.
The position happens to be open to free agents, with former Rams center Brian Allen and Titans center Aaron Brewer potentially available. There are several talented centers in the 2024 NFL Draft, including Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson and Duke’s Graham Burton, who can play center and guard at the next level.
strong safety
Former Bucks S Jordan Whitehead – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Ryan Neal is a failure and the Bucks will be moving on from him this offseason. Tampa Bay will need to find someone to fill in for Antwon Winfield Jr., either in free agency or in the draft, and both are available at that position. The Bucs wouldn’t mind reuniting with Jordan Whitehead if the price is right, but Winfield would have to take a significant pay cut to return to Tampa Bay.
The Bucs have two in-house prospects in Kayvon Merriweather and Christian Isien, who started all 17 games at nickelback last year but played as a strong safety at Rutgers. He has a similar build to Winfield and Whitehead.
inside linebacker
The Bucks will not re-sign former first-round pick Devin White after two very inconsistent and disappointing seasons. This position will be a super priority if free agent Lavonte David does not return. Losing one starting inside linebacker is one thing, but Todd Bowles can’t fathom losing two starting pitchers in the same offseason. David needs to return, but the Bucks could sign a value free agent like Buffalo’s Tyrell Dodson or Houston’s Blake Cashman.
Tampa Bay has several candidates in-house to replace White, including KJ Britt, who is entering his contract year. In fact, Britt knocked White out of the starter’s spot last year. JJ Russell is another option, and he started in place of White against Carolina last year and did well. Sarvosia Dennis would also be a candidate, but he would be better suited to eventually play Moe’s linebacker in David’s place than Mike’s linebacker.
run back
Chase Edmonds was scheduled to become a free agent, but the Bucks re-signed him to a one-year deal. But Tampa Bay needs more personnel in the backfield in case Rashard White gets injured. The Bucks were fortunate that White was healthy for all 17 games, as they had a significant reduction in depth.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn was waived last year, but the Bucs could sign a new running back in free agency and draft him in April. Sean Tucker will be back for another season, but he was barely used as a rookie and is not a key player for the team.
