Tag: Antoine Winfield Jr.

Bucs have five players listed in PFF’s top 100 free agents

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had quite a few standouts in 2023, and the rest of the league will keep a close eye on their free agents come March.

Free agents for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to be highly rated across the NFL.

Pro Football Focus released their top 200 free agents on Monday, and five Tampa Bay Buccaneers players not only made the cut, but were featured in the top 75 players. Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was ranked the highest at No. 8, followed by wide receiver Mike Evans (No. 13), linebacker Lavonte David (No. 39), linebacker Devin White (No., 73) and quarterback Baker Mayfield (No. 75).

Here’s what they had to say about Winfield Jr., who is their sixth-highest defensive free agent on the list:

“Winfield can line up in the box, take on receivers in the slot and play as a roaming deep-third free safety, finding success in single-high and two-high coverage shells. The former second-round pick is a difference-maker on the backend, and his remarkable versatility carries value at a position that appreciates it more than perhaps any other.”

Winfield Jr. is a likely candidate for a franchise tag coming up, so it’s likely he remains with the Bucs. Mayfield, too, has strong links to Tampa Bay, and although he’ll likely test free agency, a stable team after his hectic 2022 and stability with new offensive coordinator Liam Coen are likely to woo him back to the Bucs. Unless a very small deal could be reached, White is the most likely of the group to leave, as he’s vastly underplayed his worth the past few years.

Evans and David are somewhat more complicated. While it’s hard to imagine David playing anywhere else if he does intend to play in 2024, he could still end up retiring. Evans will likely favor Tampa Bay in negotiations in free agency, but a team that could offer him above market value may be enough to lure him away if the Bucs don’t match of get in the ballpark of a big offer.

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Franchise tag period for NFL begins Tuesday

Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is a likely candidate to be put on the tag in the coming weeks.

The NFL’s franchise tag period is opening up on Tuesday, Feb. 20, and there’s a good chance the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will use it on one of their star players.

Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was named a First-Team All-Pro for the 2023 season and there’s no doubt that Tampa Bay wants him back — that’s where the franchise tag comes in. Because deals for quarterback Baker Mayfield and wideout Mike Evans are potentially on the way, Winfield Jr. may have to wait a year before a full extension and play on the tag for 2024.

The franchise tag is an option that every team in the NFL has to give out to one of their players during any given season. The tag ensures that a player hitting free agency will return to the team before free agency begins, giving them a one-year salary that isn’t less than either the average of the top-five salaries at that player’s position or a salary 120% larger than what that player made last year  — whichever of those numbers happens to be higher. CBS Sports projects this number to be $16,258,000 for the upcoming season.

Should Winfield Jr. be franchised tagged, he’d play with the Bucs for one more season in 2024 and then would have to delay his contract negotiations to 2025. While Winfield Jr. appears to enjoy his time in Tampa, some players don’t take kindly to the tag due to the insecurity it brings for coming seasons. Bucs fans will find out how he’ll take it if he is even tagged at all in the next few weeks — the deadline for tags ends on March 5.

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11 NFL players on franchise tag watch before 2024 free agency

Here’s a look at some of the NFL stars who could get a franchise tag before free agency starts.

The Super Bowl is in the rearview mirror, so it’s now time to start the second half of the (yes, very full) NFL calendar — the offseason!

(Trumpets blare, a triumphant bass provides a not-so-subtle underscore.)

First up, before we even have a chance to diagnose the chaos of next month’s free agency period, we have to examine the franchise tag status for a number of the league’s bigger names. No one wants to use a tag, per se — players who are ready for the open market, especially — but it is a backup tool to keep quality talent around for at least another year.

As a reminder, franchise tags are determined by the average of the top-five salaries at a player’s positional designation. Every NFL team also only gets one per offseason, and they are strictly on a one-year basis. Per Over The Cap’s current projections (they could always change), the current franchise tag salaries are as follows:

Offense:

  • Quarterbacks: $35.9 million
  • Offensive linemen: $21.7 million
  • Receivers: $21.6 million
  • Running backs: $12.4 million
  • Tight ends: $12.3 million

Defense:

  • Defensive ends: $23.3 million
  • Linebackers: $21.9 million
  • Defensive tackles: $19.7 million
  • Cornerbacks: $18.4 million
  • Safeties: $17.2 million

Let’s break down the most notable potential franchise tag situations around the league and determine which field tilters have a chance at actually hitting free agency. The deadline is March 5 at 4 p.m. Eastern time.

No pressure, everyone!

All cap and salary numbers are per Over The Cap. 

2024 NFL free agency: 30 potential targets for the Eagles

We’re looking at the top 30 potential NFL free agent targets for the Philadelphia Eagles

The 2024 NFL offseason is officially underway after the Chiefs’ 25-22 win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII from Las Vegas.

The league will take the next month to catch its breath, but the slowdown won’t last long, as potential free agents will face the franchise tag, and all 32 teams will head to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine at the end of February.

The 2024 cap is expected to exceed $240 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, and where things currently stand, Philadelphia is expected to have roughly $20,284,984 in cap space.

The Birds are set to have 20 pending free agents, and with another likely retool schedule on defense, the organization could conjure up a scheme for more flexibility.

According to Over the Cap’s potential transaction chart, the Eagles can easily create $35.4 million in cap space by making these five moves.

With the new league year fast approaching, we’re looking at 30 potential free-agent targets for Philadelphia.

10 safeties the Colts should target in free agency

Taking a look at some safety options for Indy in free agency.

There are plenty of question marks that surround the safety group for the Indianapolis Colts entering the 2024 offseason.

The first is whether Chris Ballard will re-sign Julian Blackmon. He’s the proven player of the group and if he does depart this offseason, then it would leave a glaring hole on the defense.

There is promise with Nick Cross but it’s a bet on his development this offseason while Rodney Thomas II has to rebound to how he performed his rookie season or he could be fighting for a roster spot.

With or without Blackmon on the roster, a veteran option should be considered by Ballard. The good news is that there is a quality group of safeties set to hit the market.

We should note that we understand a handful of these players won’t even hit the market, but we’re working under the hypothetical scenario that they become available, regardless of how slim the chances are.

If Chris Ballard decides to add to the position group via free agency, here are 10 players that the front office should target.

Multiple Bucs players listed in FOX’s top 50 free agents for 2024

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a successful season in 2023, but it’s going to take some effort to bring all of their key players back for next year.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have some serious accounting to do this offseason.

The Bucs massively surpassed preseason expectations in 2023, winning nine regular season games, the NFC South and one playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Multiple Bucs players both old and new contributed, but now, quite a few of those contributors could be hitting the open market.

FOX Sports rounded up their top 50 free agents for the 2024 offseason, and four Bucs players appeared on the list — furthermore, three of them were in the top 15. Tampa Bay’s Antoine Winfield Jr. came in at No. 8, wideout Mike Evans at No. 10, quarterback Baker Mayfield at No. 13 and linebacker Lavonte David at No. 43.

The free agency class for the Bucs remains a question mark. David could possibly retire at his age and Mayfield’s contract desires (and whether or not he’ll take less money to stay in Tampa Bay) is relatively unknown to the general public. Evans, too, could demand a lot of money and might get it from another team — the most certain free agent to return to the Bucs from this list is likely Winfield Jr., who could be easily franchise-tagged until the next season.

Tampa Bay could save money on the salary cap by signing either Evans or Mayfield to a long-term extension before the beginning of free agency on a deadline of Feb. 19.

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NFL Honors: Start time, how to watch and Bucs nominees

Here’s how you can tune into the NFL Honors to potentially catch Bucs players win some awards for the 2023 season:

The NFL Honors comes around every year right before the Super Bowl, and two Tampa Bay Buccaneers players are nominated for some awards.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield is up for the AP Comeback Player of the Year award. The criteria for this award isn’t set in stone, but it general involves a player overcoming something from the year before — in Mayfield’s case, it’s bouncing to two different teams through poor play. He’ll have some tough competition, but he already won FOX’s version of that award.

Antoine Winfield Jr. is up for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The award goes to one NFL player per year for their exemplary behavior and community service off the field and the work they do for their community.

Here’s how you can watch the ceremony to see if the Bucs get represented at the awards show:

Three Bucs players named top free agents for 2024 by ESPN

It could be a tough task to get the band back together in Tampa Bay for 2024.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a successful year in 2023, but it could be hard to replicate that success in 2024 with how many producers from the team are hitting free agency.

ESPN’s Matt Bowen compiled a ranking of the top 50 free agents in the NFL heading into 2024, and three Bucs players found themselves at the upper echelon of the rankings. There were five total Bucs players on the list, with linebacker Devin White coming in at No. 44 and LB Lavonte David at No. 48.

Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr., a first-team All-Pro, was named No. 10 on the list, with second-team All-Pro wide receiver Mike Evans coming in at No. 12 and quarterback Baker Mayfield at No. 13.

Bowen was particularly impressed with Winfield Jr.’s ability to be a jack of all trades, citing his multifaceted skillset on defense:

Winfield is an impact defender with the multidimensional traits to match in coverage, create pressure and show range to the ball. Entering his peak years, he already has 15 sacks, 11 forced fumbles and 7 interceptions over his career.

He noted that Mike Evans, despite his age, remains productive in the receiving game and that his particular skillset in the vertical game still holds up:

Evans has the frame to isolate as the boundary X receiver, creating matchup potential outside the numbers. The vertical ability is still there — Evans’ 11 catches on passes thrown 20 or more yards downfield tied for 10th this season — and he has the route traits to uncover. With 1,255 receiving yards (ninth) and 13 touchdowns (tied for first) this season, Evans should be viewed as a priority target in free agency.

Finally, Bowen also gave props to Mayfield’s ability to pass in a vertical offense as he did in 2023 and mentioned his playoff prowess as a reason why teams may be looking to acquire him for next season:

Mayfield topped the 4,000-yard mark and threw 28 touchdown passes this season, leading the Buccaneers to a playoff win. He’s at his best when throwing in rhythm from the pocket, and he uses his quick release and arm talent to decisively target multiple levels of the field. A good fit for an offense with a lot of play-action and schemed verticals, Mayfield moves up our free agent board given his production over the second half of the season, including two 300-yard playoff games.

As it stands, it will be challenging to bring back these three players — but not impossible. According to Over the Cap, the Bucs have around $37 million in cap space for 2024 and can certainly increase that in a number of ways with cuts and restructures. That number is 10th in the league, and while it is certainly possible to bring everyone back, the Bucs will need to decide who is worth bringing back and who is worth letting go to build a competitive roster not only for 2024, but the near future as well.

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Studs and Duds from Tampa Bay’s 2023 season

We’ve done it game by game, but now, we’re taking a broader look at Tampa Bay’s studs and duds for the whole year:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ season didn’t end up where the team wanted it to, but given preseason expectations and the rocky nature of its regular season, Tampa Bay’s 2023 campaign could be considered a rousing success.

The Bucs won the NFC South for the third year in a row and even won a playoff game in the Wild Card Round against a team they were betting underdogs against in the Philadelphia Eagles. And while it wasn’t perfect all the way through, there were quite a few stars that propelled the team forward — and, as it wasn’t perfect all the way through, there were a few players that may have contributed to that.

Bucs Wire has done its Studs and Duds for every game of the 2023 season, and now, we’re taking a broader look at the year as a whole. Here are our studs and duds for Tampa Bay’s latest campaign:

BucsWire’s 2023 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team Awards

The season is over for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and there are plenty of commendations to give. See how we doled out our 2023 team awards:

The curtains have closed, the conference championship is set, and after falling 31-23 to the Detroit Lions in the divisional round, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers flip the page and turn their focus to the offseason.

Each season of football is full of ups and downs, but the Bucs’ 2023 season in particular felt more dramatic as each week went by. Several players rose to the occasion when they were called upon, but a select few stood out amongst the crowd.

BucsWire staff has made picks for each game all year, and now that the season is over, we got together to choose our team awards for the 2023 season. See who we picked for each category below: