The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been very busy throughout the 2024 offseason, but they haven't actually made any major additions to their roster (aside from the NFL Draft). Instead, they have been occupied with re-signing their own free agents, and they did a tremendous job doing so.
The Buccaneers retained quarterback Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Mike Evans, plus numerous other important pieces such as safety Antoine Winfield Jr. As a result, they seem more than ready to defend their NFC South title and potentially make another playoff run.
But beyond Mayfield and Evans, there are other players on Tampa Bay's roster who will need to play a pivotal role if the Bucs want to have a stronger campaign this coming season.
Here are a couple of hidden gems on the Buccaneers that you may want to familiarize yourself with before the 2024 NFL season begins.
Trey Palmer, WR
Tampa Bay selected Trey Palmer in the sixth round of the NFL Draft last year, so the club was not expecting much from him in his debut season.
Not only did Palmer make the roster, but he hauled in 39 receptions for 385 yards and three touchdowns while playing every game. Not only that, but he logged three catches for 88 yards and a score in the Bucs' two playoff games.
Palmer ended up being the Buccaneers' No. 3 receiver behind Evans and Chris Godwin, and he will re-assume that role in 2024.
This time, however, he may end up getting more targets.
Palmer has blazing speed and can really stretch the field, and with Evans and Godwin capturing the attention of opposing secondaries, the 23-year-old could ultimately break out for some big plays next season.
Mayfield definitely seems to trust him, and he seemed to gain more of Mayfield's confidence as the season progressed. After not logging a single game of four catches over the first 10 weeks of the season, Palmer posted four of them over Tampa Bay's final seven games.
Look for Palmer to post even bigger numbers and have a much more significant impact come the fall.
Yaya Diaby, EDGE
The Buccaneers took defensive end Calijah Kancey in the first round of the NFL Draft last spring and were expecting him to be their most impactful defensive rookie in 2023.
Kancey was definitely solid and displayed a lot of promise, but he actually wasn't Tampa Bay's best rookie on the defensive side of the ball. That title belongs to edge rusher Yaya Diaby, who racked up 38 tackles, 7.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a couple of fumble recoveries.
The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Diaby demonstrated freakish athleticism and improved dramatically as the season progressed. He didn't register a single sack over the first six weeks of the campaign, but came on strong in the back half of the year. He recorded 5.5 sacks over the last eight games and was vital in the Bucs' playoff push.
Amazingly enough, Diaby was a third-round pick. Given his physical tools and his production at Louisville (he rattled off 37 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and nine sacks in his last collegiate season), it's mind boggling that he fell that far.
The Buccaneers accumulated 48 sacks as a team last year, which is pretty impressive. With Diaby and Kancey getting set to enter their sophomore campaigns, a jump in that number could very well be expected for 2024.
Tampa Bay also allowed just 19.1 points per game in 2023, which was good for seventh in the league. Look for the Bucs' defense to be even better this coming season.
