The Bucks were mostly busy re-signing homegrown players this offseason.So far, the team I brought it home Quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and John Wolford, receivers Mike Evans and Deven Tompkins, running back Chase Edmonds, offensive tackles Brandon Walton and Justin Skule, linebacker Lavonte David, defensive tackle Greg Gaines, kicker Chase McLaughlin and long snapper Zach Triner.
Additionally, they used the franchise tag on safety Antwon Winfield Jr. to keep him off the market where he would likely receive a record contract. The team is currently working on signing Winfield to a contract extension this offseason.
Tampa Bay has only five outside free agents: offensive linemen Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta, cornerbacks Bryce Hall and Tavierre Thomas, and strong safety Jordan Whitehead, who is headed home of some sort. He praised the re-signing of the 10 players.
We here at Pewter Report have been full of praise for the team’s moves so far. We went so far as to say this might be the best free agent offseason ever for them.
1/2 is for those who feel the Bucks haven’t done enough so far as most of their moves have been their own…@kaylede And I wrote up 105 contract predictions for this free agency period. @AtoZSports. The team has currently signed players No. 2, No. 5, No. 13, No. 52 and No. 57 on that list. More McLaughlin.
— Joshua Quaipo (@josh_queipo) March 13, 2024
Industry analysts like Bucks’ move
As it turns out, the Pewter Report wasn’t the only outlet that thought the Bucks were on the right track this offseason. Pro Football Focus salary cap analyst Brad Spielberger is also a fan of Tampa Bay’s move.
in recent articles Spielberger, who has graded the offseason of all 32 NFL teams so far, gave the Bucks an A-minus. He had only two teams earn a better grade than him (the Texans and Commanders both earned him an A). He said of the Bucks:
Bucks WR Mike Evans and GM Jason Licht – Photo by Scott Reynolds/PR
“This contract is a win for Baker Mayfield, the Buccaneers, and the entire NFL. A true mid-major market is developing at quarterback, which has long been a challenge. Tampa Bay gets outs every year, and Baker Get the big salary you deserve.
[Mike] Evans simply continued to roll along, strongly proving his worth in what was somewhat of a prove-it-all year after the two sides were unable to agree on an early extension. The “win” from his perspective is that this could equate to a one-year, $29 million contract. The total is kept down by Tampa Bay’s win.
This is such a great reunion for the Bucks. [Jordan] Drafted in 2018, Whitehead is a versatile player who has played over 900 snaps in each of the past five seasons. In his final two seasons with Tampa before joining the Jets, he played free safety and strong safety at roughly equal rates, but in New York he was used primarily as a free safety. Having him and Antwon Winfield Jr. on the back end would give Todd Bowles two versatile safeties who can play all over the field and wreak havoc on opposing offenses. . ”
Mr. Spielberger has experience in contract analysis, so his primary focus when analyzing moves is the value and structure of the contracts involved. Spielberger said Mayfield and Evans were part of Bucks assistant general manager Mike Greenberg’s plan to keep contract totals reasonable while easing the length of time the team would be tied to each player in the event of a suspension of play. He praised the ingenuity.
Bucks still have work to do
The team addressed several potential needs by returning a significant number of key members of the 2023 playoff team. And the additions of Tavierre Thomas, Bryce Hall, and Jordan Whitehead, along with Antoine Winfield Jr., give the team a strong starting safety and improve the overall depth of the secondary. It helped us in key areas where we were inconsistent last year.
Bucs G/C Ben Bredeson – Photo Credit: USA Today
Interior offensive linemen Sua Opeta and Ben Bredeson are working on depth at the position, but there remains a glaring hole for Interior on the roster. Neither Opeta nor Bredeson are likely to be the answer as starters.
The draft has some interesting options in the early rounds, and the Bucks have a solution there to complement 2023 second-round pick Cody Mauch, last year’s surprise breakout Luke Goedeke, and Pro Bowler Tristan Wirfs. There is a possibility of searching. There are still some starter-caliber options in free agency. Kevin Zeitler, Connor Williams, and Dalton Risner all have the potential to be players who improve beyond last year’s starters Aaron Stinney and Robert Hainsey.
And Tampa Bay still has some areas for improvement.
The Bucs lack a true difference-maker at outside linebacker. Joe Tryon-Soyinka and Anthony Nelson are both in contract years, but Yaya Diaby’s opponent is more of a reserve than a starter.
The team allowed last year’s starting linebacker Devin White to sign with the Eagles. As was the case late last year, backup KJ Britt could take White’s place. But teams may also give him a shot.
Depth at receiver is one place they could look to bring in a veteran to challenge Trey Palmer, who is in his second year in the league.
But one thing is for sure: the Bucks’ brass is off to a great start.
