In the frenzy leading up to the NFL draft on April 24 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers almost certainly taking a defensive player with the No. 19 overall pick in the first round, it’s worth taking a look at a relatively tame offseason for the franchise.
In 2024, the Buccaneers made one headline-grabbing move after another, including approximately record-setting contracts for a pair of NFL All-Pro players in offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (5 years, $140.6 million) and free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (4 years, $84.1 million) and a 3-year, $100 million contract for 2-time Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The Buccaneers made one massive move in 2025, bringing back Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin back on a 3-year, $66 million contract, but that was more notable for Godwin turning down what an offer reportedly worth up to $90 million from the New England Patriots.
The Buccaneers solidified the defense with a 1-year, $14 million contract for edge rusher Haason Reddick — a no-brainer considering their weakness at the position.
Tampa Bay did, however, manage to squeeze in one ridiculous move that went mostly under the radar, signing offensive guard Ben Bredeson to a 3-year, $22 million contract that is hard to reconcile on paper or in real life.
The deal for Bredeson comes after he played in 2024 on a 1-year, $3 million contract. While the former fourth round pick started all 17 games, he was one of the NFL’s worst players at his position with a PFF overall grade of 56.2, putting him 93rd out of 135 eligible players at his position.
From ESPN: “The Bucs signed Bredeson to a one-year deal last year worth $3 million. A fourth-round draft pick out of Michigan in 2020, Bredeson became the starter at left guard by default because Sua Opeta, whom they signed to compete with him, suffered a torn ACL in training camp.”
Buccaneers May Have Massively Overpaid for Bredeson
In relative terms, Bredeson’s massive payday was a shocker because it appeared as if the Buccaneers massively overpaid.
Headed into the 2025 free agency cycle, Bredeson’s projected market value in the free agent market was a 1-year, $1.1 million contract — meaning the Buccaneers paid almost 8 times what the rest of the NFL would have paid.
“The #Buccaneers have agreed to terms on a three-year, $22 million deal with G Ben Bredeson, sources tell me and (Sara Walsh),” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo wrote on his official X account on March 10. “Bredeson started 17 games for Tampa last season. Gets $12.5m guaranteed now in a deal done by Joe Panos and Justin Schulman of (Athletes First).”
Bredeson, 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, has started 33 games over the last 2 seasons for the New York Giants and Buccaneers after only starting 9 games over his first 3 seasons.
Buccaneers Solidified Offensive Line in 2024 NFL Draft
Having arguably the NFL’s best overall offensive lineman with Wirfs at left offensive tackle puts the Buccaneers ahead of the curve, and they’ve been brilliant at building around the likely future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
A large piece of building around Wirfs came in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, where the franchise selected Duke’s Graham Barton at No. 26 overall and watched him start 16 out of 17 games at center as a rookie.
