Bucs target seasoned veterans, not splashy names, to bolster defense. Proven experience and familiar faces headline their quiet but strategic free-agency approach.
While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven't made headlines with their free agency signings, they have filled holes with veteran players, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Tampa now has 17 players on a gap-riddled in-between-seasons roster who are age 29 or older. Among the team's recent free-agent signings, 10 are or are nearing 30-something.
In fact, five of the eight oldest players on the team so far this offseason are all new faces, with defensive end Rakeem Nunez-Roches, safety Miles Killebrew, A'Shawn Robinson, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Alex Anzalone joining the ranks.
This season provides a big opportunity to produce a bounce back performance and reclaim the NFC South title, but the pressure is on for head coach Todd Bowles.
General manager Jason Licht and Bowles, who has been listed among NFL coaches on the hot seat for 2026, have so far brought in veteran free agents, several of whom have already played in Tampa under Bowles.
Following legendary linebacker Lavonte David's retirement, the Bucs added to their linebacking depth chart by signing Anzalone to a two-year, $17 million contract and Christian Rozeboom to a one-year, $1.55 million deal.
Anzalone spent the past five years in Detroit, joining the Lions in head coach Dan Campbell's inaugural season. He returns to his home state with 613 tackles, 13 sacks and four interceptions recorded over his nine-year NFL tenure.
Rozeboom remains in the NFC South, as the 29-year old led the Carolina Panthers with 122 tackles in 15 starts last season. He reunites with former Panthers defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Bucs early in free agency.
Robinson and Rozeboom are the second duo to reunify in Tampa, joining Anzalone and Muhammad, who spent the past two seasons together in Detroit.
Muhammad, an eight-year NFL veteran, is one of the more intriguing additions to Tampa's front line as he had 11 sacks while not starting a single game last season for the Lions -- that's four more sacks than any Bucs defender tallied.
Nunez-Roches also returns to Tampa on a one-year deal after a three-year stint with the New York Giants. A 2015 sixth-round draft pick out of Southern Mississippi, Nunez-Roches returns to Tampa Bay, where he played from 2018-2023.
Tampa has emphasized bringing in ready contributors with multiple years of experience. As the team looks for a big bounce back, especially on the defensive side of the ball, these veteran additions should provide reliability and toughness.
The Bucs also have opportunities to add young defensive talent in the upcoming draft, as the board is stocked full of playmakers on the defensive line and secondary.
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