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Tampa Bay Buccaneers DST

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Player Outlook
The Buccaneers DST is worth drafting with a late-round pick in the majority of leagues as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy option. Tampa Bay added pass rusher Haason Reddick this offseason, and the Buccaneers already have standout playmakers in Vita Vea, Lavonte David, and Antoine Winfield Jr. In 2024, Tampa Bay tied for second in the NFL in sacks (46) and was second in fumble recoveries (11). The Buccaneers also added seven interceptions and had two DST touchdowns. The Buccaneers DST is a great Fantasy option to wait for on draft day in all leagues.

Fantasy News

  • Buccaneers' Markees Watts: Taking part in OTAs

    Rotowire
    Watts (knee) has been participating in the Buccaneers' offseason training activities. Watts landed on IR due to a knee injury ahead of Week 6 last season, and though he was designated to return in late November, he was never activated. The third-year linebacker is seemingly back to full health given his participation in OTAs and will have a chance to compete for a spot on the Bucs' 53-man roster. Watts played almost exclusively on special teams when healthy last season, and he'd likely do the same in 2025 if he makes the team.
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  • Buccaneers' Jamel Dean: Taking part in OTAs

    Rotowire
    Dean (knee) has been participating in OTAs. Dean missed five games in the 2024 regular season while battling injuries to his knees and hamstring, then a knee injury led him to exit prematurely from Tampa Bay's season-ending loss to the Commanders in the NFC wild-card round. The starting cornerback has regained health heading into the 2025 season.
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  • Cardinals' J.J. Russell: Arriving in Arizona

    Rotowire
    Russell signed with the Cardinals on Wednesday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports. The Memphis product spent the first three years of his career with the Buccaneers but has now found a new home in Arizona. Russell appeared in 16 regular-season games for Tampa Bay in 2024, tallying 33 total tackles and one pass defended across 568 total snaps (236 defensive and 332 on special teams). With the Cardinals, the 26-year-old is expected to compete for a depth spot in the team's linebacker corps.
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  • Buccaneers' Benjamin Morrison: Back at practice

    Rotowire
    Head coach Todd Bowles told reporters that it was a great sign to see Morrison moving around at practice Friday following his hip surgery last season, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports. Smith also noted that the Buccaneers already believed Morrison would be ready for training camp, so any participation in OTAs would be a bonus. The Notre Dame product was considered one of the best corners in the 2025 NFL Draft but fell to the second round due to injury concerns. He started all 31 games he played over his three years in college, recording 18 passes defended, including nine interceptions. Now nearing full health again, Morrison is expected to compete for one of Tampa Bay's top outside cornerback spots this summer.
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  • Buccaneers' Elijah Roberts: Headed to Tampa Bay

    Rotowire
    The Buccaneers selected Roberts in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 157th overall. Roberts struggled to find a consistent role in Miami, but he found his footing when he transferred to SMU in 2023 and started in his final two collegiate seasons. He was named to the Second Team All-ACC roster in 2023, and over his final two years at SMU he logged 23.5 tackles for a loss, including 17.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. His 6-foot-4, 285-pound frame and long arms allowed him to bull rush offensive tackles in college, and his brute strength as a pass rusher should give him opportunities to log rotational snaps in his rookie season.
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  • Buccaneers' David Walker: Grabbed by Bucs in fourth round

    Rotowire
    The Buccaneers selected Walker in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 121st overall. Walker was a starter in all four years of his college career, and over his last three years in Central Arkansas he accumulated 184 tackles (108 solo), including 30.0 sacks, eight pass deflections and six forced fumbles in 34 games. A three-time consensus All-American, Walker was named to the First Team All-UAC in his last two years and earned the 2024 Buck Buchanan Award as the top FCS defensive player. Walker's strength and body quickness allows him to use different techniques to get past offensive linemen, which could help him overcome his lack of length against NFL-level talent.
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  • Chiefs' Mike Edwards: Returning to K.C.

    Rotowire
    Edwards is slated to sign a one-year deal with the Chiefs, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. After playing five games with Tampa Bay and three with Buffalo during the 2024 regular season, a span in which he recorded 12 tackles, Edwards returns to Kansas City, where spent the 2023 campaign and logged 51 tackles over the course of 17 regular-season outings. In his return to the Chiefs, Edwards -- a 2019 third-rounder -- will add depth and experience to a safety corps that will be minus Justin Reid, who signed with the Saints last month.
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  • Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Agrees to restructured deal

    Rotowire
    Winfield agreed to a restructured contract Wednesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports. Winfield converted the vast majority of his $21 million salary into a signing bonus, creating more than $15.8 million in cap space for the Bucs. Winfield appeared in just nine regular-season games last season due to injuries, finishing with 60 tackles (34 solo), including 2.0 sacks, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery, which he returned for a 58-yard touchdown. Winfield is under contract through 2027.
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  • Buccaneers' Tykee Smith: Could move to safety

    Rotowire
    Speaking Monday, Bucs GM Jason Licht said the team is considering moving Smith to safety full time next season, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports. Selected in the third round of the 2024 Draft, Smith played 672 defensive snaps as a rookie, 589 of which came as Tampa Bay's slot corner. Moving from the slot to safety wouldn't be a totally foreign challenge for the second-year defensive back. The Bucs released starting safety Jordan Whitehead (neck) at the start of free agency, opening up playing time at the position.
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  • Buccaneers' Bryce Hall: Staying in Tampa Bay

    Rotowire
    The Buccaneers signed Hall to a one-year deal Tuesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports. Hall will return to Tampa Bay, where he appeared in one game last season before landing on injured reserve due to an ankle injury. Now healthy again, he will look to contribute both as a reserve defender and a special teamer.
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  • Dolphins' K.J. Britt: Lands in Miami

    Rotowire
    Britt signed a one-year contract with the Dolphins on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Britt is coming off a career year in Tampa Bay, having racked up 72tackles (40 solo) including 0.5 sacks, plus one pass defensed. With Anthony Walker having departed as a free agent and signed a one-year contract with the Buccaneers, Britt has a clear path to a starting role at interior linebacker with Miami, a role that could provide him with modest fantasy value in IDP formats.
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  • Buccaneers' Kindle Vildor: Gets one-year deal in Tampa Bay

    Rotowire
    Vildor signed a one-year contract with the Buccaneers on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Vildor started two of his 17 regular-season appearances with Detroit in 2024, and he now figures to handle a similar key depth role at cornerback for Tampa Bay. The 2020 fifth-round pick also has the ability to work as a reliable contributor on special teams.
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  • Vikings' Tavierre Thomas: Inks deal with Minnesota

    Rotowire
    The Vikings agreed to terms with Thomas on Wednesday. The 29-year-old appeared in all 17 regular-season games for the Bucs last season and recorded 14 tackles (eight solo) as a key member of Tampa Bay's special-teams units. He logged 388 snaps in kick coverage and just 45 on defense. He'll fill a similar role with the Vikings.
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  • Buccaneers' Greg Gaines: Sticking in Tampa

    Rotowire
    Tampa Bay will sign Gaines to a one-year, $3.5 million contract, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports. Gaines was about as productive on a per-snap basis in 2024 as he was in his first season with the Bucs in 2023, and his role didn't truly shrink, but his numbers were slightly deflated because he missed two games in the middle of the season with a calf injury. He figures to play a moderate, nonstarting role on the interior of Tampa Bay's defensive line again in 2025.
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  • Buccaneers' Anthony Nelson: Sticking with Tampa Bay

    Rotowire
    Nelson is in line to re-sign with the Buccaneers on a two-year, $10 million contract, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. Nelson, a 2019 fourth-round pick, has played his entire NFL career in Tampa Bay and now gets an opportunity to stick in familiar surroundings. The rotational linebacker has put together three consecutive seasons with at least 40 total tackles, and he logged the second-highest defensive snap count of his career (538) in 2024.
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  • Browns' Joe Tryon-Shoyinka: Landing in Cleveland

    Rotowire
    Tryon-Shoyinka is in line to sign with the Browns on a one-year, $4.75 million contract, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports. A 2021 first-round pick of the Buccaneers, Tryon-Shoyinka saw his snap count reduce in each of his final two seasons with Tampa Bay, culminating in a career-low 24 tackles (15 solo), including 2.0 sacks, across 15 regular-season appearances in 2024. He also had two passes defensed and one forced fumble. Now, a one-year deal with Cleveland will provide Tryon-Shoyinka a chance to prove himself and potentially rebound before hitting free agency again in 2026.
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  • Buccaneers' Lavonte David: Sticking around Tampa Bay

    Rotowire
    David and the Buccaneers agreed on a one-year, $10 million contract with $9 million guaranteed Friday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. David will return to Tampa Bay for a 14th season with the team in 2025. The linebacker is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he compiled 122 total tackles (76 solo), including 5.5 sacks, while also adding six passes defensed, one of which was an interception, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery over 17 regular-season games. Since entering the NFL in 2012, David leads all players with 1,111 total tackles, and he'll now look to help lead the Bucs to the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.
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  • Buccaneers' Mike Edwards: Sparse role in Bucs return

    Rotowire
    Edwards finished the 2024 regular season with 11 tackles (six solo) and one defensed pass across five games. Edwards returned to the team that invested a 2019 third-round pick in him after opening the season with the Bills and then joining the Titans for a week following his release by Buffalo. Edwards then suffered a hamstring injury two games into his Buccaneers tenure, leading to a pair of absences before a Week 16 return. Edwards' best showing actually came during the wild-card loss to the Commanders, when he recorded five tackles across 57 snaps. Edwards will once again be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins, and it remains to be seen if Tampa Bay will be interested in a reunion.
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  • Buccaneers' Kaevon Merriweather: Modest numbers in '24 season

    Rotowire
    Merriweather posted 17 tackles (11 solo), including 1.0 sacks, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery across 14 regular-season games in 2024. The second-year safety's 244 snaps on defense were 95 more than he logged during his rookie 2023 campaign, and he also maintained a robust role on special-teams coverage and return units. Merriweather took on a bigger role down the stretch after he was brought back following his mid-November release, posting a career-best seven tackles across 53 snaps in Week 14 against the Raiders and also playing 63 snaps against the Saints in Week 18 while posting three tackles and a pass defensed. Merriweather is an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason, meaning the Buccaneers will retain control as long as they make him a qualifying offer.
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  • Buccaneers' Greg Gaines: Modest numbers in '24

    Rotowire
    Gaines provided 17 tackles (seven solo), including 1.0 sacks, across 15 regular-season games in 2024. The veteran played his fewest snaps (374) since the 2020 season, with that total also representing an 81-play downturn from his 2023 Buccaneers debut campaign. Gaines primarily served in a rotational role on the defensive front, and he went into the offseason on the heels of his most productive game of 2024 by recording six tackles over 26 snaps in the wild-card loss to the Commanders. Given Gaines' minor role and the fact he'll be 29 by the time next season begins, it's likely Tampa Bay lets him explore his options when he hits the open market at the start of the new league year.
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