The Buccaneers selected Georgia State WR Ted Hurst in Round 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Hurst spent two years at Division II Valdosta State before jumping to FBS-level Georgia State. He set a school record for TD receptions in his first season while averaging 17.2 yards per catch. He followed that with a first-team all-conference season in 2025. The numbers pop: 71 catches, 999 yards, and 6 scores. Primarily an outside player, Hurst posted a nice 14.1 yards per catch and 2.42 yards per route run. At 6’4 and 206 pounds, Hurst looks like an NFL boundary receiver. He pairs size and catch radius with vertical speed. His 34 receptions of 20+ yards across 2024-2025 led all FBS receivers. He’ll need to improve his hands, though, with drop rates of 9.0% and 9.7% over the past two seasons.

The Buccaneers spent a second-round pick on Missouri LB Josiah Trotter. The son of former NFL LB Jeremiah Trotter drew starting duty the past two years, first at West Virginia and then with the Tigers. He racked up 13 tackles for loss among 84 total tackles in his final college season, before entering the draft early.

The Buccaneers spent the 15th pick of the draft on Miami Edge Rueben Bain Jr. Bain delivered right away, tallying 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss as a freshman. He totaled 20.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss for his career.

According to Oliver Connolly of The Read Optional, University of Miami DE Rueben Bain was involved in a fatal traffic accident in March 2024. The report says Bain was driving when he collided with another vehicle. Two passengers in that vehicle were hospitalized, including 22-year-old Destiny Betts, who died of her injuries on June 13, 2024.

Longtime Buccaneers LB Lavonte David announced his retirement Tuesday. He arrived back in 2012 as a second-round pick, and immediately stepped into a full-time role. David started every game in which he appeared from 2012 through 2025 and missed just 14 total games across his 14-year run. David's retirement marks the biggest change to the Tampa Bay LB corps, arguably since he entered the league. But the team already started addressing the situation before David made it official.

The Buccaneers have placed the restricted free agent tender on RB Sean Tucker, according to The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last week that the Bucs would not use the tender on Tucker, which would have sent him to the open market. But Tampa is now set to pay Tucker $3.52 million on a one-year deal. Tucker can still negotiate with other teams, but the Bucs would have the right to match any offer.

Tampa Bay has agreed to a two-year deal with RB Kenneth Gainwell that will pay $14 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Gainwell spent 2025 with the Steelers after arriving on a mere one-year, $1.79 million pact. That followed four seasons with the Eagles, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2021.

The Buccaneers and TE Cade Otton agreed to a new deal just after free agency opened on Monday. No word yet on details of the fresh contract. Otton was considered one of the top TEs on the market, although that's more because of his well-rounded game than his dynamism as a pass catcher.

The Buccaneers will not place the restricted tender on RB Sean Tucker, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. That'll make Tucker a free agent when the new year league starts next week. It's a slightly surprising move considering the tender would have paid Tucker a reasonable $3.52 million on a one-year deal. But the Buccaneers have never seemed to like him as much as many in the fantasy community.

Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving underwent offseason shoulder surgery, according to multiple reports. We don't have any other details on the procedure, but JoeBucsFan.com reports that rehab is not expected to "significantly impact" Irving's offseason. Pewter Report hears that he should be ready to get back on the field by May.

The Buccaneers are hiring Zac Robinson as their new OC, "with a big push" from QB Baker Mayfield, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Mayfield worked with Robinson during his six-week stint with the Rams in 2022. Robinson spent five seasons working under Sean McVay in Los Angeles before serving as Falcons OC for the last two. Atlanta ranked sixth in yards and 13th in points in Robinson's debut, before falling to 14th in yards and 24th in points this past year. Both of Robinson's Falcons offenses ranked higher in rush attempts than pass attempts. Expect him to bring a balanced attack to Tampa Bay. Considering Mayfield's hand in the hiring, though, consider the move good news for the QB's chances of a bounce-back 2026.

The Buccaneers have fired OC Josh Grizzard, according to multiple reports. Grizzard spent just one season piloting the Tampa Bay offense after joining the team as pass-game coordinator in 2024. He spent seven years on the Dolphins offensive staff before that, working under head coaches Adam Gase, Brian Flores, and Mike McDaniel. Next season will mark the fifth time in five years under HC Todd Bowles that the Bucs have sported a different OC.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin racked up 7 catches, 108 yards, and 1 TD in Sunday's loss vs. Miami. The veteran ranked second on the team in targets (8) beyond only Jalen McMillan.

The Steelers backfield has been a question mark all season with RB Jaylen Warren starting and having the primary rushing role but Kenneth Gainwell’s pass catching and blocking getting him plenty of work. Both paid off for fantasy managers this week. Warren went 14-143-2 on the ground and 2-8-0 through the air on 2 targets. Gainwell went 9-50-0 on the ground and 5-78-1 through the air on 7 targets. Gainwell’s TD came on an incredible catch at the end of the first half.

Buccaneers TE Cade Otton (knee) practiced all week and will play vs. the Panthers on Sunday. He’s off the fantasy radar, though, with Tampa Bay’s WR corps back to full strength.

Steelers RB Kenneth Gainwell led Pittsburgh’s backfield in Week 15, totaling 126 yards on 20 touches vs. Miami. Jaylen Warren -- who carried a questionable (illness) designation -- managed only 48 yards on 15 attempts.

Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka didn't kill you if you used him in fantasy lineups vs. the Falcons on Thursday night, finishing with four catches for 64 yards. Both those marks -- and Egbuka's seven targets -- ranked second on the team behind only WR Mike Evans. But a deeper dive into Tampa Bay's WR usage in this one reveals a major concern for Egbuka going forward.

Buccaneers TE Cade Otton (knee) is doubtful for Thursday night's game against the Falcons. He's averaged 5.1 targets per game this season, although that's sunk to 3.0 over the last two games with WR Chris Godwin ramping up. Otton will be replaced by some combination of TEs Payne Durham and Devin Culp, but neither is a fantasy option. Expect more targets to be funneled to the WRs and RBs.

Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka posted 2-15-0 in the loss to the Saints. Egbuka led the team with 10 targets with Chris Godwin coming in second with 7 targets. Godwin now has led the team in receiving for the second straight week going 5-55-0. QB Baker Mayfield’s inaccurate passes toward Egbuka didn’t help with the output. With WRs Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan set to return soon, targets may be spread even thinner.

Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin caught three balls for a team-high 78 yards in Sunday's win over the Cardinals. He saw just five targets on a modest passing day, accounting for 19.2% of QB Baker Mayfield's targeted throws. Godwin tied for second on the team in receptions (trailing Emeka Egbuka by one) and played a larger role than in his Week 12 return from injury.