The Player The Bucs Must Re-Sign – Aside From Mike Evans

A new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts every Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Each week, the Pewter Reporters tackle another tough Bucs question. This week’s prompt: Which player do the Bucs need to re-sign aside from Mike Evans?

Scott Reynolds: Sean Tucker Needs To Team Up With Bucky Irving Again

Free agency is a two-way street, and as much as the Bucs would love to keep running back Rachaad White he’s all but said he’s leaving Tampa Bay this offseason. In fact, White seems so ready for a fresh start after playing second fiddle to Bucky Irving last year – and at times Sean Tucker, too – that he’s counting down the days towards becoming a free agent. White’s dream would be to reunite with his good friend and college teammate Jayden Daniels in Washington.

White’s looming departure creates a hole in the Bucs’ backfield, and that hole could turn into a crater if Sean Tucker, a restricted free agent this year, isn’t re-signed. As good as Irving is, we’ve already seen him miss nearly half a season due to injuries. Tampa Bay needs another starting-caliber back on the roster to not just split carries with, but also to take over in case Irving misses more time due to injuries in 2026. Tucker proved he could be that guy last year with 19 carries for 106 yards and three total touchdowns in 44-32 loss at Buffalo.

While Tucker’s rushing average plummeted from a gaudy 6.2 yards per carry in 2024 to just 3.7 yards per carry in 2025, the reason for that drop was him becoming Tampa Bay’s short yardage and goal line back for much of the season, which naturally led to smaller gains. Tucker led all Bucs backs with eight touchdowns last year, including seven on the ground. Irving and White each had four touchdowns, with all of White’s coming on the ground and Irving scoring three of his through the air.

Because Tucker was an undrafted free agent in 2023, he’s not eligible for an original round tender as an unrestricted free agent. The Bucs certainly won’t give him a tender offer that comes with first-round draft pick compensation if another team signs him to an offer sheet (no other team would) because that number is a projected $8.107 million. Nor will Tampa Bay give Tucker the second-round tender, projected at $5.811 million.

The Bucs probably aren’t keen on the projected $3.547 million tender, which would only give the team the first right of refusal if another team signed Tucker to an offer sheet. So look for Tampa Bay to not tender Tucker, but offer him a one-year or two-year contract somewhere between $2 million – $3 million per year. Tucker, who made $900,000 last year, showed that he improved in the area of pass protection to the point where he should replace White as the team’s No. 2 back behind Irving and must be re-signed this offseason.

Matt Matera: Bucs Should Make A Scene And Re-Sign Jamel Dean

There’s no question that Jamel Dean was the best cornerback for the Bucs last season. His three interceptions were the most he’s had in a season in his career and it also led the Bucs. Dean had pick-six in the home opener for Tampa Bay, sparking a great individual season for him. Plus, Dean playing in 14 of 17 games showed he was more durable than in years past.

It appears that the Bucs backed the wrong horse when they signed Zyon McCollum to an extension and reconfigured Dean’s contract where he made less money but was also given the chance to become a free agent this year. Dean essentially bet on himself and it paid off. McCollum struggled heavily and Dean arguably had the best season of his career.

While the durability issues will continue, Dean can be counted on as a top cornerback that can take on any opponent’s best receiver. Tampa Bay’s plans at the moment are to hope McCollum bounces back, hope Benjamin Morrison stays healthy and develops, and hope that Jacob Parrish continues to build off of a good rookie season. Having Dean back immediately bolsters the group with he and Parrish as the only corners that one would truly trust.

Is the relationship fractured with the Bucs due to how things went on last offseason? Only Dean can answer that. Maybe cooler heads prevail and Dean would be open to a return if the price is right due to a potentially shallow market for the 29-year old cornerback with an injury-riddled past. Dean has been wired differently, so hopefully it just takes some convincing to have him return to Tampa.

Adam Slivon: Christian Izien Is Worth Bringing Back

This week’s PR Roundtable comes at the perfect time. Recently on PewterReport.com I wrote about two Bucs free agents not being talked about enough – running back Sean Tucker and versatile defensive back Christian Izien. While Tucker is an underrated part of the offense, Izien is a name not mentioned much on defense despite being in the starting lineup for two the better part of two seasons and providing plenty of value.

Admittedly, in a perfect world, Izien serves as a top backup. He checks a lot of boxes for what Todd Bowles wants from a defensive back, mainly his versatility. He can play in the nickel, at either safety spot, and has shown in the past the ability to play outside cornerback in a pinch.

Being a restricted free agent, Tampa Bay has the option to offer him a tender, although that is unlikely as it’s projected to be $3.547 million for undrafted free agents with a first right of refusal. A more realistic option is not giving him the tender and offering him a one-year deal worth $2-3 million and keeping him around for depth.

If Izien leaves, that only means replacing him with another free agent or draft pick. No other option out there has his kind of experience playing in Bowles’ system. The fourth-year defensive back helps stabilize the secondary and does the dirty work.

His role is unclear at this point of the offseason, but it is only a matter of time that Izien finds a way to see the field when his name is called upon. Expect Bowles to campaign for him to be re-signed, and don’t be surprised if it happens.

Bailey Adams: At The Right Price, Logan Hall May Be Worth Betting On

Both my heart and my head make me want to pick Rachaad White here, but it’s clear that the running back has turned the page and will be looking for a new opportunity elsewhere in 2026. So, with White not making sense as a pick here and some of my other top choices off the board, I’ll have to pivot and go with defensive lineman Logan Hall.

Now, full disclosure: I’m stretching the definition of the word “must” here as it relates to this week’s PR Roundtable prompt, as I think the Bucs would be fine if they don’t opt to re-sign their 2022 second-round pick. But if the market is right, keeping Hall in the fold for one more year isn’t the worst idea. Allow me to explain.

I know what you’re thinking: As the No. 33 overall pick in 2022, Logan Hall has been a bust. The former Houston Cougar has drawn the ire of the Tampa Bay fan base over the years, so everyone is just about ready to move on. However, Hall quietly began to put it all together down the stretch in 2025. It’s a bit frustrating that it took until the back half of the final year of his rookie deal, but he started to play some of his best football.

In fact, 2025 as a whole wound up being a career year for Hall in some ways despite his sack total dropping from 5.5 in 2024 to 1.5 this past season. His 32 pressures were a career high, a full 10 ahead of the 22 he totaled in 2024, and his Pro Football Focus marks were largely the best of his four-year career thus far. He earned a 66.8 overall grade with a 66 run defense grade and a 66.5 pass rush grade.

Hall really didn’t come close to those numbers in any of his previous three seasons. And when you look at his game-by-game performances from Week 13 on, he consistently played at a high level (even while the defense as a whole didn’t). So, here’s the case for giving Hall a second contract in Tampa Bay. For one, the market has to be right, which is a given. But beyond that, you’re betting on him continuing to play the way he did in 2025, only he finishes more frequently and turns those 32 pressures into more than 1.5 sacks.

If he does that, he’ll be a pretty solid all-around contributor. He’s only going to be 26 this season, and with the needs to upgrade at outside linebacker and inside linebacker (among other positions), I’d be willing to gamble on Hall’s traits and trajectory for another contract – as long as it’s relatively cheap.

Josh Queipo: Bucs Need Do-It-All TE Cade Otton Back In 2026

The strength of the Bucs roster is the offense. So keeping the continuity of the offense should be a top priority. The tight end position is an unsung role requiring multiple skillsets. There are flashier names in free agency, but most of those players can’t wear all of the hats Cade Otton, a four-year starter as a former fourth-round pick, can.

Otton’s value doesn’t come from being able to do any one thing great. It comes from being average-to-good at all of the things tight ends are responsible for. He can play in line or split to the slot. Otton is a plus blocker as a puller, running split flow, or double-teaming in duo.

Otton can grab receptions underneath working as a check-down option in a passing attack where he is option No. 5 for Baker Mayfield. And as he showed in 2024 when the Bucs lacked any other receiving threat, Otton can be the focal point of the offense when needed. While it took him all season to score his first touchdown, Otton’s touchdown, as part of his seven-catch, 94-yard receiving day against Carolina in the team’s 16-14 Week 18 win was crucial.

The Buccaneers don’t need a high-volume move tight end who can’t block. Nor do they need a rookie who will struggle to adapt to the NFL game in year one. They need a solid, versatile player who keeps every possible scheme and design on the table. And guess who that is? Cade Otton.