4 players who already look like total bargains for the Buccaneers this offseason

In the NFL, getting production from the quarterback position is one of the key ways to become one of the top teams in the NFL.

Oftentimes, having a top-tier quarterback comes with a large price tag, as shown by last season. In 2023, seven of the top 12 highest-paid quarterbacks led their team to the playoffs, including Detroit's Jared Goff, Baltimore's Lamar Jackson, Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts, and Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes.

That said, teams are just as capable of winning with a young and cheaper option at quarterback. Take Houston's CJ Stroud, who led the Texans to a 10-7 record, the AFC South divisional title, and to the AFC Divisional round, all while making just $9.0 million, the 24th most in the NFL.

The same can be said for several other teams, like the Packers, Jaguars, and the Dolphins who still had quarterbacks on their rookie deals. Such an occurrence offers that team a major advantage in building a well-rounded roster.

Over the past two seasons, Licht has acted out this philosophy, adding ten starting-caliber players in their two recent draft classes. This past draft, Tampa Bay added Graham Barton, Chris Braswell, Tykee Smith, and Jalen McMillan, all of whom will play key roles at their respective positions this year.

For Licht and head coach Todd Bowles, players like Barton, Braswell, Smith, and McMillan on their rookie deals are cheap, quality talent to work with and develop and win with for several years. In addition, it allows the Bucs to use their money to re-sign their top players in free agency and not have to overpay for an aging veteran to fill a position.

While Barton, Braswell, Smith, and McMillan would be considered "bargains" because of their cheap contracts, none of them have played a single snap in the NFL, so it would be a little premature to make that claim. Instead, these four players fit the mold as a true bargain player that has been great and is still relatively cheap for Tampa Bay in terms of other players leaguewide.

Yaya Diaby, OLB
In the third round of the 2023 draft, the Buccaneers took a flier on Diaby, an explosive pass rusher from Louisville. Even with the pass-rushing ability of incumbent linebackers Shaq Barrett and Devin White, Diaby enjoyed a steady rookie season with 38 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, eight QB hits, 7.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries in 515 defensive snaps and 17 games.

Among all rookies, Diaby's 7.5 sacks was third-most, and even tied Adrian Clayborn for the second-most sacks by a rookie in Tampa Bay franchise history, trailing Santana Dotson's 10.0 in 1992. Now with Barrett and White having left Tampa Bay in free agency, Diaby projects to have an even greater role for the Bucs this season, and at a significantly cheaper price.

Per Spotrac, Diaby will have a base salary of $998,428 this season and an extremely favorable salary cap hit of $1,242,139. In addition, Diaby is No. 27 in terms of the highest-paid Bucs on the team, and even trails reserve offensive tackle Justin Skule.

If Diaby continues to ascend and hits double-digit sacks soon, then his price tag will increase tremendously. Even so, Diaby is only set to make $4.4 million over the next three seasons, giving the Buccaneers a cheap and young source of production to pair with interior defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.

Lavonte David, LB
In most cases, bargain players are often those who have exceeded expectations amid their cheap rookie contracts. Similarly, David's play has clearly outweighed the financial deals of his contract, even at 34 years old.

David, who just finished his 14th season as a Buc, has continued to be the centerpiece of Tampa Bay's defense. In 15 starts, David recorded 134 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, five pass breakups, and five quarterback hits. In addition, David posted a 6.8% missed tackle rate, the lowest mark of his career, and a career-high four quarterback pressures.

That comes just one season removed after David posted 124 tackles, ten tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, and five pass breakups in 17 starts in 2022. It's worth noting that David earned an 84.1 grade from PFF, the highest of any Buccaneer that year, along with a phenomenal 88.5 coverage grade, a 73.5 run defense grade, and a 72.4 pass rush grade.

While David has continued to play at a high level for several seasons, his contract does not reflect the same. After the 2022 season, David signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract to return to Tampa Bay in 2023. This past offseason, David and the Bucs agreed on a one-year, $8.5 million deal, both of which are significantly cheaper than the two-year $25 million, and the five-year, $50.2 million deals he signed earlier in his career.

Of course, age, availability, and supply and demand play a major role in that. Still, David is only the 14th highest-paid linebacker in the league, behind several linebackers who underperformed in 2023.

For David to still take a pay cut even after outperforming the likes of Edmunds, Milano, and Al-Shaair, the third, fourth, and sixth-highest-paid linebackers in the league, speaks volumes to how much of a bargain signing he was for Tampa Bay.

Age and a sharp decline in play are legitimate concerns, but David still gives the Bucs more spending room in other areas of their roster.

Luke Goedeke, RT
Earlier this week, Pro Football Focus released its annual ranking of the top 32 tackles in the NFL. To no surprise, Bucs' superstar left tackle Tristan Wirfs made the list as the No. 2 tackle in the league, only trailing 49ers' Trent Williams. Wirfs wasn't the only Buc to make the list, as Goedeke made his debut on the list at No. 25.

Following a rough rookie season at left guard, Goedeke moved outside to right tackle and was excellent. Starting in all 17 games, Goedeke allowed 12 penalties and five sacks in 1102 snaps for a 72.5 PFF grade, the eighth-highest mark of all tackles. Entering year three in the league and his second at right tackle, Goedeke projects to only get better next season.

Similar to Diaby, Goedeke is playing well on a cheap contract. As a former second-round in 2022, Goedeke is only set to make $1.2 million in base salary with a $1.6 million salary cap value in 2024. Coupled with the fact that 15 right tackles in the league make $10 million or more per year, and Goedeke is another productive player for Tampa Bay that doesn't cost a lot.

Zyon McCollum, CB
With the trade of Carlton Davis III to Detroit, the Buccaneers lost one of the starting boundary corners without adding a true replacement in free agency or the draft. Between free agent signings Bryce Hall and Tavierre Thomas, and third-round pick Tykee Smith, none of those corners will likely fill the void left by Davis III.

The most likely replacement for Davis III is McCollum, who played a key role while Davis III and Jamel Dean missed time due to injury. In all 17 games, nine of which were starts, McCollum recorded 68 tackles, nine pass breakups, and two forced fumbles, all career-highs.

From an advanced statistic standpoint, McCollum was arguably the best corner in Tampa Bay last season. Per Sports Reference, McCollum allowed just 11.3 yards per completion, 6.8 yards per target, and a 91.0 passer rating when targeted. For reference, Davis III posted marks of 14.4 yards per completion, 8.8 yards per target, and a 96.1 passer rating when targeted.

McCollum, the Buccaneers' fifth-round pick in 2022, will be one of the cheapest starting cornerbacks in 2024. According to Spotrac, McCollum has a $985,000 base salary and a very modest $1,065,433 cap hit in 2024. 17 cornerbacks are making at least $10 million per year, with three at $20 million or more, with Davis at $14.833 million last year.