The Tampa Bay Buccaneers should feel a sense of urgency to improve the roster during the 2026 offseason. Tampa lost the NFC South title to Carolina after putting up a miserable 8-9 record during the regular season. Baker Mayfield turns 31 years old this offseason and is not getting any younger. Tampa needs to make some aggressive moves to capitalize on having Mayfield at quarterback before his play regresses.
Fortunately, the Buccaneers have already made some solid moves during the first few days of NFL free agency.
The Buccaneers agreed to sign running back Kenneth Gainwell to a two-year contract worth $14 million on Monday. Gainwell should play the Rachaad White role behind Bucky Irving after White left for the Commanders in free agency.
Tampa also retained tight end Cade Otton and scooped up A'Shawn Robinson after Carolina released him.
But the Buccaneers should not get complacent just yet. They have a few more positions that need to be addressed before the 2026 NFL Draft.
One players stands out as the next move Tampa should make during NFL free agency.
Buccaneers should consider signing Falcons edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Arnold Ebiketie (17) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Buccaneers fans should know Ebiketie well after his four season with the Falcons.
The former second-round pick played some great football in Atlanta, logging six sacks in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. However, his production dipped in 2025 after Atlanta invested in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.
Ebiketie has some of the most important skills an edge rusher needs in the modern NFL. He has a quick first step and excels at converting speed into power. That helps him generate pressure in addition to his solid sack production.
Spotrac estimates that Ebiketie has a market value of $9 million per season on a new deal. If that is really what he demands, then a three-year contract worth $27 million could make sense for the Buccaneers.
A contract like that should be doable for Tampa as long as they structure it to reduce the cap hit in 2026.
This may seem like an overly aggressive move for the Buccaneers. But they don't have much much choice.
Tampa's options are slim if they cannot land Ebiketie during NFL free agency
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The Buccaneers could find themselves in a desperate situation if they cannot land Ebiketie.
Tampa needs at least one more edge rusher alongside Yaya Diaby, Anthony Nelson, and Chris Braswell. The team has invested in Mohamed Kamara and David Walker over the past few years, but neither player has proven much just yet.
It is easy to imagine a world where neither player offers much value in 2026. If that happens, it would leave the Buccaneers incredibly vulnerable to injury.
Meanwhile, top free agents like Jaelan Phillips, Boye Mafe, Odafe Oweh, and Dre'Mont Jones have already signed with other teams. Simply put, the free agency market is drying up.
The Buccaneers do hold the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, that puts them in a tricky situation if they want to land an edge rushing linebacker who would fit well in their 3-4 defense.
Elite prospects like David Bailey, Arvell Reese, and Rueben Bain Jr. could check that box. However, there's no guarantee that one of those players is still there in the middle of the first round.
Tampa could always target someone like Cashius Howell from Texas A&M, or go for Illinois' Gabe Jacas in the second round. After all, he told Pewter Report that he wants the Buccaneers to “come and get me“.
Regardless, entering the draft with an obvious is extremely risky. All of the best organizations in the NFL avoid this at all costs.
Signing Ebiketie would give the Buccaneers some freedom to grab the best players available during the draft. That freedom could make or break Tampa's ability to build a sustainable contender with Baker Mayfield at quarterback.
Hopefully GM Jason Licht has a plan for adding another edge rusher this offseason.