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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed quite a few veteran gamers to one-year offers in 2020, and most of them labored out fairly effectively. That is a great factor, as a result of these gamers contributions helped the Buccaneers win Tremendous Bowl LV final month. Alternatively, meaning the Buccaneers have a championship-caliber roster that’s going to wish some work to maintain it collectively.
Every of the final 4 gamers in our Free Agent Focus sequence basically fall into that group. Rob Gronkowski arrived in a commerce with only one yr left on his final deal in New England, whereas Shaquil Barrett performed on the one-year tender supply that got here along with his franchise tag. Ndamukong Suh returned on a second-straight single-year contract. After which we have now at present’s topic, who did not even be a part of the group till October.
The Buccaneers presently have 24 players who may grow to be unrestricted free brokers at 4:00 p.m. on March 17. A few of them are positive to be greater priorities than others however the Bucs will not directly or one other be trying to fill out a complete 53-man depth chart, together with some reserves they are going to be assured calling upon for key roles if mandatory. As free company approaches, we’re taking a look at 10 of these 24 potential free brokers, all of whom performed vital roles in 2020 or fill roles that is perhaps troublesome to duplicate:
February 16: ILB Lavonte David
February 19: WR Chris Godwin
February 23: RB Leonard Fournette
February 26: K Ryan Succop
March 2: DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches
March 5: QB Blaine Gabbert
March 9: WR Antonio Brown
March 12: TE Rob Gronkowski
March 15: OLB Shaquil Barrett
March 16: DL Ndamukong Suh
This record is topic to alter primarily based on potential roster strikes within the coming weeks. At present we look at a midseason addition who made a big effect on an offense that steadily bought higher and higher in 2020:
Participant: Antonio Brown
Expertise: Getting into eleventh NFL season
How Acquired: Signed as a free agent to a prorated one-year deal on October 27.
Earlier Contract(s): A sixth-round draft decide in 2010, Brown initially began his profession on a three-year rookie deal, one yr earlier than a brand new CBA made four-year contracts normal for draftees. Nevertheless, he signed a renegotiated deal in 2012, the primary of a string of such renegotiations, the final of which got here in 2018. Brown was traded to the Raiders in 2019 and, after being launched earlier than the season, signed a brand new one-year take care of New England.
Rank in Professional Soccer Focus Top 200 NFL Free Agents for 2021: thirtieth. PFF Remark: “With Mike Evans and Scotty Miller taking extra of the deep targets, Brown produced another way than he is accustomed to however nonetheless fairly effectively. He compelled eight missed tackles on 45 receptions, with that 17.8% price the best since his rookie season in 2010. Brown continues to be one of many NFL’s finest large receivers.”
2020 Efficiency: After formally signing with the Bucs in Week Eight, Brown was first eligible to play in opposition to the Saints in Week 9. He would find yourself seeing motion within the final eight regular-season video games, ending fourth on the group with 45 receptions for 483 yards and 4 touchdowns. His manufacturing grew as he rounded again into kind after a 14-month absence from the sport, and he had 20 catches for 266 yards and 4 scores within the final three video games of the common season. Signed partly to supply insurance coverage in case the Bucs’ damage points at receiver from the season’s first half resurfaced, he as a substitute turned the first working mate to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin within the group’s three-receiver units.
Within the playoffs, Brown missed the NFC Championship Recreation in Inexperienced Bay with a knee damage suffered the week earlier than at New Orleans, however nonetheless caught two extra landing passes. He completed the postseason with eight catches for 81 yards, together with a one-yard landing catch simply earlier than halftime in Tremendous Bowl LV.
Profession Accomplishments: Throughout his 9 seasons in Pittsburgh after he was drafted in 2010, Brown was probably the most prolific pass-catcher within the NFL. In that span, he led all NFL gamers in receptions (837) and receiving yards (11,207) and his 74 landing catches had been second solely to the 79 of his 2020 teammate, Rob Gronkowski. Brown led the NFL in receptions in 2014 (129) and 2015 (136), in receiving yards in 2014 (1,698) and 2017 (1,533) and in landing catches in 2018 (15). He has been voted into seven Professional Bowls, together with six straight from 2013-18 and was a first-team All-Professional each season from 2014-17.
After enjoying sparingly as a rookie, topping 1,000 yards as a second-year participant and being restricted by accidents in 2012, Brown produced probably the most prolific stretches in NFL historical past from 2013-18. Throughout that six-year span he topped 100 catches each season, by no means completed with fewer than 1,284 yards and averaged 11 landing catches a yr. He additionally has 5 profession touchdowns as a return man, 4 on punts and one on kickoffs.
Different Potential Free Agent Broad Receivers: Nelson Agholor (Las Vegas), Danny Amendola (Detroit), Antonio Brown (Tampa Bay), Keelan Cole (Jacksonville), Corey Davis (Tennessee), Will Fuller (Houston), Kenny Golladay (Detroit), WR A.J. Inexperienced (Cincinnati), T.Y. Hilton (Indianapolis), Marvin Jones (Detroit), Allen Robinson (Chicago), Curtis Samuel (Carolina), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Pittsburgh), Sammy Watkins (Kansas Metropolis)
Prime Broad Receiver Prospects in 2021 NFL Draft: Rashod Bateman (Minnesota), Ja’Marr Chase (LSU), Terrance Marshall (LSU), Rondale Moore (Purdue), Chris Olave (Ohio State), DeVonta Smith (Alabama), Amon-Ra St. Brown (USC), Kadarius Toney (Florida), Jaylen Waddle (Alabama), Tylan Wallace (Oklahoma State)
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