Starters Jamel Dean and Mike Evans left Tampa Bay as free agents. However, Christian Izien's departure could prove costly for the Buccaneers.
Two of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' best players from 2025 won't be with the team in 2026. They are the two free-agent losses that have gotten the most coverage so far.
On the first day of free agency, Tampa lost Jamel Dean, who had been with the Bucs for seven seasons, to a three-year, $36.75 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Shortly thereafter, franchise legend Mike Evans agreed to terms with the San Francisco 49ers.
Both deals became official two days later once the new league year started,
Evans might not be the only Bucs great leaving Tampa Bay. Linebacker Lavonte David is 36 and contemplating retirement after 14 seasons.
Of all of the Bucs exiting the franchise (Dean, Evans, possibly David), and those that are entering (running back Kenneth Gainwell, LB Alex Anzalone, defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson, quarterback Jake Browning), defensive back Christian Izien hasn't gotten much attention.
Izien was only with the Bucs for three seasons and only played in nine games last year. Of those nine games, in five of them, he combined for just eight snaps.
Izien won't be with the Bucs next season, having signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions worth $2 million.
It's not the type of deal that will generate many headlines, but for some, letting Izien walk is something the Bucs will ultimately regret.
NFL Insider Greg Auman of Fox Sports described Izien as "invaluable" for his ability to play in multiple areas of the secondary.
To Auman's point, Izien spent time in the box (45 snaps per Pro Football Focus), at slot corner (45) and free safety (63).
Izien was also valuable to the Tampa Bay special teams unit, playing 179 total special teams snaps.
Auman wrote that the Izien left Tampa because the team saw him as a "backup and special teams guy" and he was "going to want a larger role somewhere else."
"Minimum deal says he didn’t have a huge market, but he’s overcome that before," Auman wrote.
Additionally, Pewter Report wrote that Izien would be difficult to replace, not just because of his ability to play defensive back in general, but because he could play in multiple areas and understood Todd Bowles' complex defense.
"Young players can develop into that," the article read, "but development takes time, and mistakes in the secondary are costly (see Morrison during his rookie year). Veterans who offer that same flexibility do not come at bargain prices."
Indeed, the Bucs do have a young secondary, with the most promising member being Jacob Parrish, who just turned 22 years old.
Parrish went to Tampa in the third round of last year's draft ended up playing the second-most snaps of any Tampa corner, ending the year with 76 tackles (50 solo), seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two picks, seven pass deflections, and a recovered fumble.
Although the Bucs lost Izien to the Lions, they also got one of Detroit's veterans in Anzalone.
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