Category: Latest Team News

Bucs select Duke OL Graham Barton in 1st round of 2024 NFL draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

A versatile blocker who can play all five spots along the offensive line, Barton spent most of his time at left tackle for the Blue Devils, but likely projects inside for the Bucs.

Tampa Bay needs upgrades at both center and left guard, so don’t be surprised if they try Barton out at both spots to see where he’ll fit best.

This pick is a huge win for the Bucs, who sit back and let the board come to them, landing a perfect fit and a fantastic value with Barton.

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Bucs waive DB ahead of 2024 NFL draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are parting ways with one of their defensive backs as they head into the 2024 NFL draft

Just one day before the 2024 NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making a roster move.

The Bucs waived safety Richard LeCounte III, the team announced Wednesday.

A fifth-round pick by the Cleveland Browns out of Georgia in the 2021 NFL draft, LeCounte spent time with the Los Angeles Rams after leaving Cleveland, eventually landing on Tampa Bay’s practice squad last season.

After bringing back veteran safety Jordan Whitehead in free agency, it looks like the Bucs felt they could move on from LeCounte as they head into this year’s draft with a chance to add more youth to their secondary.

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This 1st-round pick would make Bucs fans rage

If the first round of the 2024 NFL draft played out like this, Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans would be livid

At this point, Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans are used to seeing Penn State edge defender Chop Robinson slotted to them at the No. 26 pick in just about every 2024 NFL mock draft.

What they’re not used to seeing is the Bucs being projected to pick Robinson over Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse, Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton, and Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson.

But that’s what happens in the latest first-round projection from NFL.com’s Eric Edholm, who gave the following explanation for his selection:

There’s some buzz that Robinson could go off the board sooner than this. As for the Bucs, they don’t appear to be married to one position, but this pick would check off boxes in terms of both value and need. Adding one more athletic rusher to the mix might really make this pass-rush unit sing in time.

Yes, Robinson has rare explosiveness and athleticism for the position, which does give him tons of upside. But he’s still very much a work in progress, and the Bucs are a contending team that need instant-impact players more than developmental projects, especially in the first round.

Verse would be a much stronger fit for what Tampa Bay needs in an every-down edge defender, and either Barton or Powers-Johnson would give them an immediate upgrade at either left guard or center, both of which they desperately need.

Under the right circumstances, Bucs fans would probably be fine with Robinson being the pick. In this particular scenario, it would be a massive disappointment.

To check out the full first-round mock draft at NFL.com, click here.

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Bucs meet with top WR prospect ahead of 2024 NFL draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of many teams meeting with one of the fastest-rising receiver prospects in the 2024 NFL draft class

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers already have one of the NFL’s best wide receiver tandems in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but that’s not stopping them from doing their due diligence on some of the top prospects in this year’s loaded draft class at the position.

One of the hottest names in that group lately is South Carolina’s Xavier Legette, who could end up cracking the first round Thursday night.

More than 13 teams have met with Legette for predraft visits in recent weeks, and the Bucs are among them, he told NFL insider Justin Melo.

The Bucs obviously have bigger needs to fill with their early picks in this year’s draft, but Legette brings a rare blend of size and speed to the table that could be enticing if their top targets at other positions are off the board.

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Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby honored by Senior Bowl after stellar rookie season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Yaya Diaby is still reaping rewards after his impressive rookie season in 2023

Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Yaya Diaby was honored Wednesday by the Senior Bowl, the premier all-star game for top NFL prospects, following his stellar rookie season in 2023.

Diaby was named the Senior Bowl’s 2023 Co-Rookie of the Year, along with Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Byron Young.

A third-round pick out of Louisville in last year’s NFL draft, Diaby made an instant impact for the Bucs, leading the team with 7.5 sacks.

Congrats to Diaby on a well-earned award as he prepares to build on last year’s success in 2024.

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Bucs meet with rising safety prospect ahead of 2024 NFL draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are visiting with Georgia safety Tykee Smith ahead of the 2024 NFL draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still hard at work in the final days before the 2024 NFL draft, meeting with top prospects as they put the finishing touches on their draft board.

One prospect currently on their radar is Georgia safety Tykee Smith, who is spending time at One Buc Place on an official visit this week, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

An undersized but instinctive defender who packs a punch despite his smaller frame, Smith has the athleticism and versatility to be a strong fit in Todd Bowles’ defense, and his competitiveness is sure to win over any NFL coaching staff.

The Bucs brought back Jordan Whitehead to line up alongside first-team All-Pro Antoine Winfield Jr. at safety, but they could still use more depth at the position, and Smith could be a potential target in the middle rounds.

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Bucs meet with top OL prospect ahead of 2024 NFL draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently met with Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu ahead of the 2024 NFL draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need help at multiple spots along their offensive line, and the 2024 NFL draft is loaded with talented prospects across the board, which should give them plenty of options for filling those needs.

One of the top blockers in this year’s class is Washington’s Troy Fautanu, who recently had a Zoom meeting with the Bucs, per NFL insider Justin Melo.

Fautanu played left tackle for the Huskies, and could easily stay there at the next level. The Bucs are set at both tackle spots, though, and would benefit from sliding Fautanu inside to guard, where they desperately need an upgrade on the left side.

If the Bucs want to land Fautanu, though, they’ll likely have to trade up from their current slot in the first round at No. 26 overall.

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Bucs HC Todd Bowles sends clear message as offseason workouts begin

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are aiming for consistency as they chase a fourth straight NFC South title

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked off their 2024 offseason program Monday with the first round of voluntary workouts, as they prepare to chase a fourth straight NFC South title and fifth consecutive trip to the playoffs.

Despite being picked by most national outlets to be among the NFL’s worst teams last season, the Bucs not only won the division yet again, but enjoyed a dominant playoff win at home over the Philadelphia Eagles, and fell just eight points shy of making a trip to the NFC title game.

As they head into the 2024 campaign, head coach Todd Bowles has a clear and simple message for his team.

“Really, it’s just consistency and showing up every day and doing something, [and] not being good, but being great,” cornerback Zyon McCollum said Monday about Bowles’ message to the team. “What he means by that is just if we’re doing everything that we’re going to need to do in training camp right now, by the time we get to training camp, we’re going to be that much further ahead. It not just watching film just to watch film, it’s watching film and still treating it like you’re in season. It wasn’t that long ago that we were in this building in the season fighting for a playoff spot, fighting to get to the Super Bowl, so we can’t lose that fire, that intensity. We can stack these years instead of starting over every year.”

Tampa Bay was able to retain their most important in-house free agents this offseason, and made a handful of solid veteran additions to improve their depth on both sides of the ball. They’re also about to add another rookie class during next week’s 2024 NFL draft, which should bolster the roster even further.

If consistency is the message, the Bucs have been consistently the best team in their division over the past five seasons. If the message resonates, they should be able to keep that streak going.

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Bucs sign international player to bolster offensive line depth

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are signing Lorenz Metz as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have added yet another offensive lineman to their roster, signing Lorenz Metz, the team announced Monday as they began their offseason program.

Originally from Germany, Metz comes to the Bucs as a member of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, and therefore will not count against the team’s 90-man roster.

Metz played his college football at the University of Cincinnati, but didn’t play American football at all until he was 18 years old, per Bucs senior writer Scott Smith.

Listed at 6-9 and 310 pounds, Metz signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears last year, and also received a tryout with the New York Giants, per Smith.

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Bucs re-sign DL William Gholston

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing back veteran defensive lineman William Gholston for another season

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing back yet another familiar face, re-signing veteran defensive lineman William Gholston.

Gholston, a fifth-round pick out of Michigan State in the 2013 NFL draft, is one of the longest-tenured players on the Bucs’ current roster. He’s played more games than any other defensive lineman in franchise history, and now returns for his 12th NFL season, all of which have been in Tampa Bay.

A massive, versatile defender, Gholston’s return will bolster the Bucs’ depth along the defensive line, and keep a respected leader in the locker room as they chase a fourth straight NFC South title in 2024.

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