Every Wednesday morning I’ll cowl 4 areas as they apply to Tampa Bay: 1. a brief movie breakdown, 2. a finance angle, 3. a glance ahead at what’s to return, and 4. a little bit of enjoyable.
Movie: Monroe Freeling – Bucs’ New Divisional Foe
The Panthers chosen Georgia left deal with Monroe Freeling with the nineteenth decide of the 2026 NFL Draft. Their franchise left deal with, Ikem Ekwonu, went down with a knee harm early of their playoff loss to the Rams and is questionable to return to the NFL this 12 months. So Freeling ought to slide into the left deal with spot this season and the Bucs are set to face him twice this 12 months.
Freeling’s strengths and weaknesses can be scrutinized by Tampa Bay because the group seems to be to seek out a bonus in opposition to the Panthers of their quest to dethrone their divisional foes for NFC South supremacy. After watching a number of of Freeling’s video games from 2025, I consider the Bucs ought to be excited that he has entered the division. At the very least for 2026.
Panthers OT Monroe Freeling – Photograph by IMAGN Photographs by way of Reuters Join – Kirby Lee
Freeling’s traits are each extraordinarily evident and plentiful. He’s large, 6-foot-7, 315-pound athlete, who’s mild on his ft and powerful. Every part is on the desk with him. He can develop right into a weapon in any run scheme. For those who want him to get out to the sting in extensive zone, Freeling is your man. If you’d like him to roll across the line as a puller, he’s going to work properly in that position. He can double, climb, wall off, attain and angle.
As a move protector he has all the traits to match up in opposition to essentially the most premier edge rushers the NFL has to supply – in time.
However primarily based on his 2025 tape, the Bucs might have a bonus throughout his rookie 12 months. I’m going to color an image of the largest alternatives to make the most of Freeling. Inform me in case you can consider somebody tailored to take advantage of these alternatives who would possibly play to your favourite group.
Freeling is a fast mover with a repeatable move set. However he struggles to time that arrange with the snap. This results in him enjoying catch up and having to get better typically throughout the rep. Rushers who’ve fast get-offs are going to place him in a bind repeatedly.
As a result of Freeling has to play from behind, he’s pressured to hurry up with a purpose to defend the sting of the arc. This leaves him with a comfortable inside shoulder and leaves him inclined to inside counters.
Panthers QB Bryce Younger and Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
Whereas he has phenomenal play energy, it exhibits up most frequently on second effort as a re-anchor. Preliminary contact between him and energy rushers normally favors his opponents, and speed-to-power specialists give him suits early within the rep.
Yaya Diaby’s profile matches up completely to be an actual check for Freeling when the Bucs and Panthers first meet up in Week 7 in Carolina, after which once more in Week 12 in Tampa Bay. Diaby’s three finest traits as a move rusher are get-off, changing speed-to-power, and discovering an inside path to the pocket. That is exactly the place Freeling might want to enhance to show into the participant the Panthers hope he may be.
Finance: Chris Braswell’s Valuation
Many Bucs followers have written off Chris Braswell as a bust who might not make the roster this 12 months. However I additionally see him thrown out as a part of commerce packages to deliver again gamers followers need. For that purpose I feel it’s a good suggestion to dive into what – if any – worth Braswell has at this level in his profession. It’s additionally a superb marker of what he would possibly contribute to a commerce package deal since standalone commerce worth is unlikely.
Let’s begin with Braswell’s manufacturing final 12 months based on Professional Soccer Focus:
Video games – 17Sacks/sport – 0.06Pressures/sport – 0.88Pressure Fee – 10.9percentTackles for loss – 2
Additionally notable, Braswell can be simply shy of his twenty fifth birthday when the season begins and he’s a former second-round decide. These issues nonetheless matter in each contract and commerce valuations. My valuation mannequin places this profile at a $1.89 million APY projection.
Bucs OLB Chris Braswell and Saints QB Tyler Shough – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
It’s additionally necessary to seek out comparable contracts that characteristic related manufacturing. The related comps I discovered for Braswell’s 2025 are Josh Uche (2024), Zack Baun (2023), Boogie Basham (2024) and Tyus Bowser (2020).
The typical of these gamers’ manufacturing:
Video games – 12.5Sacks/sport – 0.10Pressures/sport – 1.26Pressure Fee – 11.0percentTackles for loss – 2
Each a type of gamers was a former second-round decide, matching Braswell’s draft pedigree. That group did path him in a single necessary space. The typical age of these gamers initially of the season they signed their offers was 27.2. However given Braswell trails them in sacks and pressures per sport we will name the age benefit a wash with the manufacturing distinction.
The cap-adjusted common APY for that group is $3.90 million.
The midpoint of the comps and the projection is $2.9 million per 12 months, which feels proper for a 25 12 months outdated former second-rounder who hasn’t lived as much as his billing. Below contract for 2 extra seasons, that places Braswell’s on-field worth at $5.8 million. His contract requires him to earn $3,132,090 over the subsequent two seasons, giving him a small contractual surplus worth of about $2.7 million. That brings his complete worth to about $8.5 million.
An equal draft decide, based on my analysis on the topic, is about decide 200, which is usually a conditional sixth-round decide territory. Since groups can’t commerce conditional picks they haven’t been awarded but, Braswell’s true worth falls to a seventh-rounder.
That’s the proper worth for 2 cost-controlled years of a participant who has confirmed he can work on the again of a roster as a particular teamer with some move rush upside if he finds the sunshine change and turns it on.
Forecast: My Method Too Early 53-Man Roster Projection – Protection
DL (5) – Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, A’Shawn Robinson, Elijah Roberts, DeMonte CapehartOLB (5) – Yaya Diaby, Reuben Bain Jr., Al-Quadin Muhammad, Anthony Nelson, David Walker ILB (4) – Alex Anzalone, Josiah Trotter, SirVocea Dennis, Christian RozeboomCB (5) – Zyon McCollum, Benjamin Morrison, Jacob Parrish, Keionte Scott, Josh HayesS (4) – Antoine Winfield Jr., Tykee Smith, JJ Roberts, Miles Killebrew P (1) – Riley Dixon LS (1) – Evan Deckers
The defensive deal with competitors can be one to be careful for. The group has gone above and past to reward Rakeem Nunez-Roches for his contributions to the tradition and power of the squad throughout OTAs. However on the similar time he has not performed very properly since leaving Tampa Bay in 2022. My guess is the Bucs go together with Capehart’s upside over Nacho, and his versatility over Elijah Simmons and Jayson Jones.
After exhibiting that Chris Braswell’s worth isn’t very excessive earlier on this article, I’ve the Bucs transferring on from him and retaining David Walker as an alternative.
Bucs ILB Alex Anzalone – Photograph by: Brian Collera/PR
The linebacker room is fairly chalk. Anzalone and Trotter would be the starters with Dennis and Rozeboom relegated to backup standing with expertise in case of harm.
Josh Hayes stays! The Bucs have loved retaining the previous Kansas State product round as a core particular teamer. Till the group indicators a veteran I stay satisfied my name-buddy has one other path to a roster spot. The remainder of the cornerback room is easy when it comes to roster spots. It’s something however in relation to who can be beginning the place come week one.
Killebrew being the fourth security is in title solely. Ought to both Winfield or Smith go down the group would flip to Roberts as the primary man up and go to the apply squad for depth. Killebrew is right here for one purpose and one purpose solely – assist new particular groups coordinator Danny Smith flip round a traditionally inept Bucs particular groups.
Enjoyable Fourth Down: All-Time 53-Man Roster – Protection
IDL (6) – Warren Sapp, Vita Vea, Gerald McCoy, Brad Culpepper, Ndamukong Suh, Booger McFarlandEdge Rusher (6) – Lee Roy Selmon, Simeon Rice, Shaq Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, Chidi Ahanotu, Yaya Diaby ILB (4) – Derrick Brooks, Lavonte David, Hardy Nickerson, Shelton Quarles CB (5) – Ronde Barber, Donnie Abraham, Aqib Talib, Brian Kelly, Mike Washington S (4) – John Lynch, Antoine Winfield Jr., Dexter Jackson, Mark CotneyP (1) – Josh Bidwell LS (1) – Andrew Economos
The three deep at defensive position doesn’t solely work from a reputation model standpoint. Stylistically it really works properly additionally. Sapp/Vea because the group’s 3-technique and nostril deal with. McCoy/Culpepper match up the identical. Suh because the 3-technique to McFarland’s nostril.
At edge rusher, the primary 5 names are unsurprising. However I guess Yaya Diaby exhibiting up already regardless that he’s coming into simply his fourth 12 months within the NFL might have you ever going, “There is definitely at least one more edge in franchise history who was better than Yaya has been.”
Names like Greg Spires, Marcus Jones and Stylez G. White might pop into your head. The reality is that each one three are presently forward of Diaby on the franchise all-time sacks listing. However Diaby is poised to move all three whereas enjoying fewer seasons by the top of 2026. I’ll take Diaby.
The linebacker depth chart is a transparent delineation between two of the largest franchise icons enjoying subsequent to one another – however who performs Mike?! Humorous sufficient, the 2 backups have been each Mikes bearing the query, “Who plays the Will?” It feels bizarre to consider one in every of Nickerson and Quarles beginning over one in every of Brooks and David. But when push got here to shove and we wished to maintain true positional markers, I might go Nickerson with Brooks and Quarles with David.
Former Bucs LBs Hardy Nickerson and Derrick Brooks – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
My beginning corners can be Talib and Abraham on the skin with Barber because the nickelback. In doing this train, I’m reminded of how good Barber was for thus lengthy. He clearly performed alongside Abraham from 1997 to 2001. But additionally have in mind he performed alongside Talib for Talib’s complete Bucs profession as properly. Brian Kelly and Mike Washington off the bench is a humiliation of riches.
Lynch and Winfield are apparent decisions. Behind them are much less so.
Cotney is one half of a dynamic duo. He and Cedric Brown patrolled the Bucs’ defensive backfield collectively from 1976 to 1984. Brown had practically double the variety of interceptions over that timeframe.
To be sincere I nonetheless went with Cotney for one large purpose. He performed sturdy security to Brown’s free security and there was no method I used to be leaving Dexter Jackson – Tremendous Bowl XXXVII MVP – off my listing. With Jackson a free security, and me being an ardent positional snob for this train, Cotney acquired the nod.
This train closes with two names that even essentially the most ardent Bucs followers ought to discover themselves telling their grandkids sooner or later, “I remember when some weirdo made the claim that a punter and Andrew flippin’ Economos made their All-Time Bucs roster over guys like Carlton Davis III, Will Gholston and Broderick Thomas.”
However c’est la vie.
P.S. Two weeks in the past, Cowl 4 put out a Bucs’ version Jeopardy! sport. Listed below are the solutions to these questions.
Draft Day Choices – $100
This defensive deal with was the fifth defensive deal with taken in his draft class, and the second taken by the Bucs that 12 months.
ANSWER: UCLA defensive deal with Brian Worth, who was drafted within the second spherical of the 2010 draft class, following the first-round decide of Gerald McCoy the day prior to this.
Canton – $200
From 1993 to 1997 the Bucs drafted this many gamers who would finally go on to be enshrined within the NFL Corridor of Fame.
ANSWER: 4 gamers – John Lynch (1993), Warren Sapp (1995), Derrick Brooks (1995) and Ronde Barber (1997).
Jersey Numbers – $300
Solely three gamers have had their jerseys formally retired by the Buccaneers, and these are their three numbers.
ANSWER: These jersey numbers are 63 (Lee Roy Selmon), 55 (Derrick Brooks) and 99 (Warren Sapp).
Don’t Do That – $400
Raiders head coach Invoice Callahan opted for simplicity over technique when he made this grave mistake in Tremendous Bowl XXXVII. Bucs head coach Jon Gruden took full benefit.
ANSWER: Callahan didn’t change the Raiders play/audible terminology – regardless that Gruden knew the Raiders playbook and all the audibles and checks and communicated that to the Bucs protection within the practices main as much as the Tremendous Bowl.
Bowles Says – $500
Within the midst of his fourth midseason swoon in as many seasons, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles violated George Carlin’s 1972 standup routine by uttering two of the “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” this many occasions throughout a postgame media availability.
ANSWER: Bowles blurted out a complete of 10 profanities (seven of 1 phrase that begins with an ‘F’ and three of one other phrase that begins with an ‘S’) following the Bucs’ 29-28 loss to the Falcons on Thursday Night time Soccer.
