Gholston re-signed with the Buccaneers on Monday, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
Gholston will remain in Tampa Bay in 2024 for what will be his 12th season in the league. The 32-year-old played a career-low 234 snaps on defense last season, recording zero sacks for the second consecutive year, although he did log his first career interception. He'll likely remain a depth option on the edge for the Buccaneers in 2024.
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Eagles' Devin White: Lands in Philadelphia
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The Eagles agreed to terms with White on a one-year contract worth up to $7.5 million on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The 26-year-old was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Bucs and spent the first five seasons of his career in Tampa Bay, winning a Super Bowl and being named to one Pro Bowl. White played in 14 regular-season games in 2023, finishing with 83 tackles (49 solo), six pass breakups, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. He brings much-needed playmaking ability to Philly's linebacker corps.
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Buccaneers' Jordan Whitehead: Reunites with Bucs
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Whitehead (calf) has agreed to a two-year, $9 million contract with the Buccaneers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Whitehead spent his first four seasons in Tampa Bay before a two-year stint with the Jets. He didn't miss a game in New York, compiling 186 tackles in 34 appearances. Whitehead exited the 2023 season finale with a calf injury, but he's expected to be healthy once the Buccaneers resume team activities and can be tentatively penciled in as their starting strong safety for 2024.
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Buccaneers' Lavonte David: Remaining with Bucs
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David has agreed to terms on a one-year, $9 million contract with the Buccaneers to remain in Tampa Bay, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
David is one of several players Tampa Bay is bringing back for the 2024 campaign. He led the team last year with 134 tackles (86 solo), including 4.5 sacks, to go along with five passes defensed and a forced fumble. The 34-year-old also accumulated 17 tackles for loss, which are the second-most in a single season by a player age 33 or older. A second-round draft pick in 2012, the veteran projects to continue starting at inside linebacker for the Bucs' defense.
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Dolphins' Shaquil Barrett: Finds new home
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Barrett signed a one-year contract, which could be worth up to $9 million, with the Dolphins on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Barrett was released by the Buccaneers on Feb. 27, but he'll have the opportunity to continue his career at a different Florida residence. The 31-year-old bounced back from an Achilles tear suffered in 2022 to have a solid 2023 campaign, appearing in 16 regular-season games, recording 52 tackles (33 solo), including 4.5 sacks, a pick-six and three forced fumbles along the way. He should be a regular in the Dolphins' linebacker corps in 2024.
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Buccaneers' Greg Gaines: Staying in Tampa Bay
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Gaines and the Buccaneers agreed on a one-year contract Monday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Gaines spent the 2023 campaign with Tampa Bay, compiling 24 tackles, including 1.0 sacks, while also recovering a fumble over 17 contests. He'll provide the team with a veteran reserve option behind Vita Vea at nose tackle again in 2024.
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Lions' Carlton Davis: Traded to Detroit
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The Buccaneers are trading Davis to the Lions, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Detroit gets an experienced starter to address the obvious weak point of an otherwise stellar roster. The Bucs probably won't get much in return; for them, the appeal largely comes from avoiding more than $14 million in non-guaranteed payments scheduled for Davis in 2024 (after the recent re-signings of QB Baker Mayfield and WR Mike Evans). The 27-year-old Davis has played between 10 and 14 games each season since the Bucs took him in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, starting 75 of his 76 regular-season appearances while averaging 54 tackles, 12.2 pass defenses, 1.5 interceptions, 0.5 forced fumbles and 0.7 fumble recoveries per season.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Officially franchise tagged
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The Buccaneers placed their franchise tag on Winfield on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Winfield's franchise tag positions him to earn $17.1 million to play for Tampa Bay on a one-year deal for the 2024 season, but he and the Buccaneers are reportedly using it as a bridge to come to terms on a true long-term extension, negotiations which both sides have until mid-July to complete. Across 17 regular-season games in 2023, the All-Pro safety recorded 122 tackles (76 solo), six sacks, three interceptions, 12 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
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Buccaneers' Shaquil Barrett: On way out of Tampa
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Barrett is expected to be released by the Buccaneers before his $15 million option bonus is due next month, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Barrett appeared in 16 regular-season games during the 2023 campaign, after missing much of the 2022 season due to an Achilles tear. The veteran linebacker recorded 52 tackles (33 solo), including 4.5 sacks, a pick-six, a pass defended and three forced fumbles last season, and showed he could still be a contributor, even if his Pro Bowl days may be behind him.
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Buccaneers' Christian Izien: Stays busy as rookie
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Izien provided 65 tackles (47 solo), two interceptions and a forced fumble across 17 regular-season games in 2023. He added six tackles (five solo) in two postseason contests.
The undrafted rookie was busy right from the jump of his career, finishing the regular season with 690 snaps on defense and then logging another 58 plays during the Buccaneers' two postseason games. Izien frequently was deployed in the slot and held his own, allowing just a 51.3 completion percentage, 4.1 yards per attempt and zero touchdowns in primary coverage during the regular season. The Rutgers product is under contract for two additional years and could well see a similar workload in 2024.
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Buccaneers' Calijah Kancey: Four sacks as rookie
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Kancey posted 26 tackles (19 solo), including 4.0 sacks, and one pass defensed across 14 regular-season games in 2023. He added six tackles (four solo), including 1.5 sacks, and a pass defensed in two postseason contests.
The active rookie 19th overall pick got his career off to a modest start thanks to a training camp calf injury he aggravated in the season-opening clash against the Vikings after just 11 snaps, leading to absences in Weeks 2-4. However, Kancey settled in upon returning, not missing a game the rest of the way and delivering fairly consistent production. Kancey began to display his knack for disrupting offensive backfields as the campaign unfolded, although he did hit a lull down the stretch by not recording a regular-season sack after Week 14. Nevertheless, the Pittsburgh product enjoyed a resurgence in two playoff contests with 1.5 sacks, and expectations will undoubtedly be much higher for him in Year 2 now that he has a full year of experience under his belt.
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Buccaneers' Zyon McCollum: Strong second season
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McCollum recorded 68 tackles (49 solo), nine passes defensed and two forced fumbles across 17 regular-season games in 2023. He added nine tackles (eight solo) in two postseason contests.
McCollum, a 2022 fifth-round pick, saw a major boost across the board in his second season, including a near 500-snap increase in plays from scrimmage (268 to 748). The Sam Houston State product filled a rotational role at cornerback, but he had plenty of opportunities to run with the first-team defense with both Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean missing time with various injuries. Davis is slated for a $20 million-plus cap hit in 2024, so there may be a scenario where McCollum can slot into a starting cornerback role on a full-time basis next season.
Diaby totaled 38 tackles (25 solo), 7.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble across 17 regular-season games. He added four tackles (three solo) in two postseason contests.
The rookie third-round pick opened the season in a rotational role, but he eventually took over the starting weak-side linebacker job from Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Diaby displayed a knack for getting to the quarterback, and 4.5 of his sacks came from Week 11 onward. Diaby is likely to enter training camp as the favorite to continue in the starting role, and if he succeeds in retaining the top spot in the depth chart, he could enjoy a true IDP breakout season in 2024.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Thrives in contract year
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Winfield finished the 2023 regular season with 122 tackles (76 solo), six sacks, three interceptions, 12 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries across 17 regular-season games. He added five tackles (four solo) and a pass defensed in two postseason contests.
The fourth-year safety's tackle, interception, passes defensed, forced fumbles and fumble recovery totals all qualified as career highs. Winfield certainly picked an opportune time for a breakout campaign, considering he's set to hit free agency at the start of the new league year in March. However, given his importance to the Buccaneers defense, it would appear likely the team makes a serious attempt to retain him before he enters the open market.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Another productive season in books
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Vea recorded 43 tackles (28 solo), including 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles across 15 regular-season games in 2023. He added three stops (two solo), including a half-sack, in two postseason contests.
The mammoth defensive tackle set a new career high in regular-season tackles and fell just one sack short of tying the career-best 6.5 he'd recorded in 2022. Vea's pair of forced fumbles also represented a new high-water mark, and although he's currently on the books for a cap hit of just under $21 million in 2024, there aren't any indications he won't be back in his usual role as the anchor of Tampa Bay's defensive line next season.
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Buccaneers' Joe Tryon-Shoyinka: Solid but unspectacular season
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Tryon-Shoyinka recorded 45 tackles (28 solo), including 5.0 sacks, a pass defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery across 17 regular-season games in 2023. He added four stops (two solo) in two postseason contests.
The 2021 first-round pick did set new personal bests in tackles and sacks while forcing and recording the first turnovers of his career. However, Tryon-Shoyinka still struggled with consistency in terms of getting to the quarterback, recording only two sacks after Week 6 despite remaining healthy throughout the campaign. Tryon-Shoyinka also posted four or fewer tackles in 18 of 19 total games, and he saw third-round rookie YaYa Diaby outperform him and eventually take over the starting left outside linebacker role. Tryon-Shoyinka has one year remaining on his rookie contract, and considering his experience in Todd Bowles' defensive system, he should play a solid rotational role, at minimum, in 2024.
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Buccaneers' Shaquil Barrett: Returns to health in '23
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Barrett recorded 52 tackles (33 solo), including 4.5 sacks, a pick-six, an additional pass defensed and three forced fumbles across 16 regular-season games in 2023. He did not record any stats over 88 snaps across two postseason contests.
Barrett's disappearing act in the playoffs notwithstanding, the veteran linebacker did enjoy an encouraging season after an Achilles tear limited him to eight games in 2022. Barrett's sack total was down compared to his other prior healthy seasons in Tampa Bay, but he continued to display a knack for forcing turnovers and once again delivered tackle numbers in line with his career standards. Barrett is now slated to play out the final season of the four-year, $68 million contract he signed prior to the 2021 campaign.
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Buccaneers' Carlton Davis: Fights through injuries in '23
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Davis tallied 52 tackles (40 solo), two interceptions and an additional seven defensed passes over 12 regular-season games in 2023, adding 11 tackles (10 solo) and two defensed passes in two postseason contests.
Davis was mostly effective when he was out there, but toe, hip and groin injuries, along with a concussion, limited him to the second-fewest games of his career. The veteran cornerback did allow a stingy 53.3 percent completion rate on the 60 attempts he faced in primary coverage, and his pair of picks actually qualified as the second most of his six-year career. Davis now heads into the final year of the three-year, $44.5 million contract he signed prior to the 2022 campaign, and it remains to be seen if the Buccaneers will be interested in discussing an extension this offseason.
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Buccaneers' Ryan Neal: Solid campaign in '23
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Neal compiled 76 tackles (52 solo) across 15 regular-season games in 2023, adding three tackles (one solo) in two postseason games.
The veteran enjoyed a solid statistical Bucs debut campaign, logging the second-most regular-season snaps from scrimmage of his career (563) and setting a career high in tackles. However, he failed to force any turnovers and also surrendered an 87.5 percent completion rate, four touchdowns and 19.9 yards per attempt on the 16 passes that went his way in primary coverage. Neal played on a one-year deal in 2023, and there's a chance the Buccaneers opt to go younger at strong safety next season.
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Buccaneers' Devin White: Disappointing finish to season
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White finished the 2023 regular season with 83 tackles (49 solo), including 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and an additional four defensed passes across 14 games. He added three assisted tackles in the Buccaneers' two postseason games.
White put together a highly disappointing contract season, one he finished with a whimper by recording three or fewer stops in six of the last eight games he appeared in, including the playoffs. That sample unfortunately seems destined to be the last of his Buccaneers tenure, as the 2019 first-round pick is slated to hit unrestricted free agency at the beginning of the new league year. White angled for an extension last offseason but reportedly had some exorbitant demands, and his lackluster season certainly didn't help his cause for a lucrative offer from Tampa Bay before he hits the open market.
