The Tampa Bay Buccaneers by most accounts have had an exemplary offseason in 2025. The team was able to keep all of their valued free agents as well as address many needs in the draft.
Just a year after ensuring the Buccaneers would reap the benefits of Baker Mayfield’s resurgence, Tampa Bay locked in 12 of their own free agents in early March, solidifying a roster that had already proven itself with an NFC South title and a narrow miss on a divisional round spot.
After keeping a dozen of their free agents in-house, the Buccaneers turned their attention to bolstering their pass rush by bringing in Haason Reddick. This deal is either feast or famine for the Pewter Pirates. This signing is also one of the favorite Bucs offseason moves of Between The Hashmarks’s Matt Lombardo.
Lombardo on the Reddick signing,
“Haason Reddick, quite clearly, had subzero interest in playing for the New York Jets last season after being traded by the Philadelphia Eagles and after ending his holdout after sitting out seven games auditioned for his next destination by posting one sack and 26 pressures in the final 10 games of the season, playing on a restructured financial apology of a contract.”
Lombardo continued,
“It is now Licht, head coach Todd Bowles, and the Buccaneers who stand to benefit the most from a player who posted 50.5 sacks over the prior four seasons. What has the chance to be a colossal windfall for the Buccaneers is the fact that Reddick’s deal is a one-year pact worth $14 million, setting the stage for the 30 year old to be wholly motivated to return to his double-digit sack form in hopes of securing his next log-term contract, from the Buccaneers or elsewhere. There’s a chance that Reddick is the missing piece in significantly elevating Bowles’ defense in 2025.”
Of course with good there’s always some bad. In this case, more of a concern.
The Buccaneers made what was a surprising move in the first-round of the draft in choosing to go with a wide receiver instead of addressing the defense as most thought they would.
This move registered as worrisome for our good friend and NFL Reporter Matt Lombardo.
“Selecting Emeka Egbuka with the No. 19 overall pick feels simultaneously like a luxury pick as well as an insurance policy on veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin’s health, availability, and remaining upside off a dislocated ankle that ended his 2024 campaign in a Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.”
Lombardo continued,
“There would be no issue taking Egbuka, and dropping him into a receiving corps that features an All-Pro like Evans and emerging star in Jalen McMillan, who averaged 12.5 yards per reception and caught eight touchdowns as a rookie. But, the Buccaneers committed $66 million over three years to Godwin in the opening hours of free agency.”
Reports are the Buccaneers weren’t satisfied with any of the defensive players on the board when their turn came in the first-round. But like some of us, Lombardo isn’t so sure about that decision.
“The Buccaneers are either hedging their massive bet on Godwin still being a difference-maker, or they’re banking on Egbuka being productive from the perimeter. The problem is, several executives I spoke to leading up to the draft suggested that he was both a product of the system at Ohio State and the best slot pass-catcher in this year’s class.”
Lombardo continued,
“For a franchise that is still relatively thin at linebacker and along the defensive line, taking Egbuka over the likes of Derrick Harmon or Jihaad Campbell, or Tyleik Williams is a bit of a questionable use of draft capital in an otherwise strong haul.”
We would tend to agree here. But, we also see the upside of drafting Emeka Egbuka. Hedging your bet that Chris Godwin can return to form following his injury, and that Godwin and Mike Evans aren’t exactly young when it comes to the wide receiver position.
If the Reddick signing, and the rest of the draft picks perform the way Jason Licht and company believes they will, this is an excellent offseason for the team.
Tampa Bay has established itself as a consistent hub for identifying, developing, and keeping its own talent. This spring, GM Jason Licht built on that strength with strategic free-agent signings and draft picks that could make a fifth consecutive NFC South title a realistic goal.
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