Home | Josh Queipo’s Bucs Battle Plan For 2026
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- Explaining The Bucs Battle Plans For 2026
- Josh Queipo’s Bucs Battle Plan For The 2026 Offseason
- Queipo’s “Way Too Early” Bucs 53-Man Roster Projection
- Josh Queipo’s Favorite Rugged Pirate Beard Co. Scent
Explaining The Bucs Battle Plans For 2026
PewterReport.com writers Scott Reynolds, Matt Matera, Adam Slivon, Bailey Adams and Josh Queipo have devised their own Bucs Plans for the 2026 offseason. These come complete with their individualized free agent signings, trades, roster moves and draft picks to hopefully help Tampa Bay get back to winning the NFC South and returning to the playoffs.
Remember, these Bucs Battle Plans are how the PewterReport.com staff members would reshape the team this offseason – not necessarily what we think Tampa Bay will do in free agency and the draft, although there could be some overlap with certain players the team may be targeting.
With the Bucs budgeting about $50 million in cash to spend – not salary cap room – that’s how much each Pewter Reporter is allowed to spend in free agency targeting new players and re-signing some current players. The $50 million does not include the money already allocated for the 2026 rookie salary pool and the practice squad.
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Josh Queipo’s Bucs Battle Plan For The 2026 Offseason
I received feedback that my 2025 Bucs Battle Plan wasn’t realistic enough. This year I am shooting for a plan that is a blend of creative while still being in the realm of possible. My goal is to upgrade the talent on defense – specifically in the front seven – while maintaining the potential of the offense as best as I can.
I considered potential trades looking for potential targets to specifically boost the team’s pass rush, scouring the rosters of teams that are trying to rebuild and could be looking to offload talent that isn’t in their winning window. But the truth is, due to parity in the NFL most teams feel like they are a few moves away from being competitive. I would have been in on Maxx Crosby, but that ship has sailed since I went last for the Battle Plans. The early bird gets the worm and I was late. So, no trades for me this year.
TE Cade Otton – 3 Years, $32 Million
You knew this was coming. I knew this was coming. Your grandmother knew this was coming. Otton is a rare breed of good, all-around “Y” tight end. It’s a hard position to fill with someone who can keep everything on the table in terms of scheme. He’s not someone you run your offense through, but with all of the other weapons on offense that isn’t what the Bucs need at tight end. Oh, and his effort as a blocker are criminally underrated.
Bucs TE Cade Otton – Photo by: USA Today
WR Sterling Shepard – 1 year, $1.7 million
Shepard is a quarterback favorite who does all the little things right. He’s the perfect veteran depth piece to step in when injuries inevitably happen. And he’s a great mentor for the younger players in the room including Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson, Kam Johnson and Emeka Egbuka.
ILB Lavonte David WR Mike Evans OLB Haason Reddick CB Jamel Dean DT Logan Hall TE Cade Otton RB Rachaad White DT Greg Gaines OT Charlie Heck CB Kindle Vildor TE Ko Kieft OL Mike Jordan OL Dan Feeney ILB Deion Jones ILB Anthony Walker Jr. QB Teddy Bridgewater S Christian Izien S J.T. Gray OLB Markees Watts (ERFA) OT Tyler McLellan (ERFA)
I want to make note of Lavonte David and Mike Evans. David’s play fell off quite a bit last year and I can only assume that will continue in 2026 at age 36. I know David played most of the year on a knee that needed surgery after the year concluded and so theoretically, he could be better in 2026. But the reality is injury rates increase with age. If I re-signed David, it wouldn’t be as a starter, and he wouldn’t go for a backup role. It’s best to move on.
As for Evans, I would love to have him back. But with it feeling more and more like he will really assess his external options, he should have offers at two years for $50 million. Allowing for the fact that he’s absolutely still worth that much, I just don’t have the cash to make that move and still help the defense as much as I want.
RB Sean Tucker – 1 year, $2.25 million
This running back free agent class is really good. With that said, few of those options offer the home run ability Tucker does at anywhere close to his price tag. Over the past three years Tucker’s explosive run rate is just 0.8% behind Kenneth Walker III. And he will cost between 1/5 and 1/6 of the price of Walker. Sign me up!
Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today
QB Connor Bazelak – 1 year, $840,000
Bazelak impressed in training camp and preseason last year and I am comfortable giving him the same opportunity as a young developmental project as he had last year.
Nelson has been a steady fixture for the Bucs over the past seven years, but he’s due $4.5 million this year. That’s an almost 10% boost to our free agent spending limit.
DT John Franklin-Myers – 3 Years, $45 million
I want to upgrade the pass rush. That’s hard to do at edge. But Franklin-Myers provides juice up the middle. With Calijah Kancey’s injury history, finding someone who can get after the passer to compliment him and Vea as well as hedge against the possibility of losing one or the other. JFM gives the Bucs a strong top three rotation to collapse the pocket and flush quarterbacks to the edge. He finished last year with 43 pressures, a pressure rate north of 10% and 7.5 sacks.
ILB Devin Bush – 2 Years, $25 million
Bush played at an All-Pro level last year, recording 125 tackles, seven TFLs, two sacks, eight PBUs, three INTs and two forced fumbles. Bush is explosive in his movements, confident in his decisions and a sure tackler. Plus, he has experience working next to a rookie, as he and Carson Schwesinger formed one of the best linebacker units in the NFL last year. I hope that sentence is foreboding.
LB Devin Bush – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Junfu Han
CB James Pierre – 2 Years, $10 million
Pierre played really well down the stretch for the Steelers last year. He will probably be looking for a chance to start, so this is a legit stretch. But he provides really good depth on the outside. He’s not fast, but he has good length and showed better technique last year. He’s also a strong special teamer with familiarity with new special teams coach Danny Smith.
OT Justin Skule – 1 Year, $1.5 million
Skule is coming off of a down year where he disappointed in Minnesota. He’s going to be fighting for a roster spot. Having previous success with offensive line coach Kevin Carberry makes him a perfect fit for a return to the Bucs on a near-league minimum deal.
OL Daniel Brunskill – 1 Year, $1.3 million
Brunskill has experience at all five offensive line positions and provides veteran depth the team clearly covets. He can swing across all three of the interior offensive line positions.
QB Kyle Trask – 1 Year, $1.3 million
Wasn’t it now retired Bucs coach Tom Moore who famously said, “If we lose our starting quarterback, we are f*cked.” I’m just not interested in investing too much in a backup quarterback. Trask has familiarity with the organization and spent last year in Atlanta with Robinson. That means there is a familiarity with the new offensive system as well. That’s valuable (especially at this price) to me. Also, Trask looked pretty good over the last two preseasons.
Bucs QB Kyle Trask – Photo by: USA Today
S Jason Pinnock – 1 Year, $1.25 million
