Bucs’ best remaining free agent fits

With the initial wave of free agency coming to an end, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have addressed many of their potential roster holes. Still, there is work to be done throughout the Bucs’ depth chart, work that can be completed with the remaining vestiges of free agency.

The Bucs are still limited by the weight of nearly $75 million in dead money on their salary cap. Any deals to be done this offseason will have to be bargains, particularly veteran minimum deals.

At this point of free agency, the Bucs are not likely to find starting-caliber players. At best, they will be able to sign bridge starters or rotational pieces.

Tampa still needs starters at safety and left tackle and could use depth at wide receiver and cornerback. While the Bucs are likely to address some of these needs in the draft, adding some veteran help will give Tampa more flexibility to take the best available draft prospects.

Here are some of the best remaining free agent fits for Tampa Bay:

George Fant

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Cutting Donovan Smith left the Bucs without a starting left tackle. While they are in a position to draft Smith’s replacement with a high pick, the Bucs could use the skill set of George Fant to insure their choices during the draft.

Fant is not the best offensive tackle available, but he does have a particular skill set that would make him valuable for what the Bucs might have planned at the position. The Bucs may be planning to move All-Pro Tristan Wirfs from right to left tackle. Fant has played both positions across his career.

Having Fant as a starting swing tackle would give the Bucs the flexibility to test a change of position for Wirfs while potentially working in a rookie on the opposite side.

Justin Evans

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A former Buccaneer, Justin Evans’ career nearly ended due to a persistent ankle injury before he got a new start in New Orleans. With the Bucs in need of a lot of safety help, the Bucs might consider a reunion with their former second-round pick.

Before his injuries piled up, Evans showed considerable promise as a deep safety. With the Saints, Evans played a mix of safety and nickel corner, both positions of need in Tampa right now.

Losing Mike Edwards and potentially Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal has stripped the Bucs’ safety group down to just Antoine Winfield Jr. Justin Evans may not be an impact signing, but the Bucs need to fill out their safety rotation top to bottom.

Byron Pringle

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Though the Bucs have a top-end group of receivers in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage, the depth is practically nonexistent. All three receivers missed multiple games or played at less than 100% last season. Adding Byron Pringle would help prevent a significant loss of offensive potency should injuries pile up again.

Pringle is generally underrated as a receiver, mostly due to his modest stats. However, he is more versatile than his numbers suggest, working as a slot receiver in Kansas City to an intermediate threat in Chicago.

Pringle’s lack of production in Chicago should make him affordable for the cap-strapped Bucs. In a new offensive system, he could revive his career and prove to be high-value asset at a low cost.

Bryce Callahan

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The Bucs were able to keep their starting cornerback tandem together when they re-signed Jamel Dean, but a good NFL defense requires three or even four quality cornerbacks. With Sean Murphy-Bunting still a free agent, the Bucs need to secure a solid third option. Veteran Bryce Callahan could be that option.

Callahan is a natural slot corner with decent ball skills, recording three interceptions in 2022. While he is on the downslide of his career, he brings veteran savvy and reliability.

Though the Bucs are sure to add defensive backs in the draft, the cornerback group would benefit from Callahan’s experience.

Story originally appeared on Buccaneers Wire