Steelers' Keanu Neal: Officially signs with Steelers
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The Steelers signed Neal (hip) to a two-year contract Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
As expected, Neal will join Pittsburgh in 2023 where he'll pursue his eighth year of professional ball. Across the last two seasons as a member of both the Cowboys and Buccaneers, the 2017 Pro-Bowler has more or less switched off between being a starter as well as a rotational secondary piece. Neal is now in line to compete with Damontae Kazee throughout the offseason for an opportunity to start next to fellow safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
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Keanu Neal: Likely moving to Pittsburgh
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Neal (hip) is expected to sign with the Steelers, Chris Halicke of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Neal, a 2016 first-round pick and Pro-Bowler, appears as if he'll pursue his eighth campaign in the NFL as a member of the Steelers. The 27-year-old spent the first five years of his career in Atlanta before suiting up for the Cowboys in 2021 and eventually for the Buccaneers in 2022. Across 17 appearances last season, Neal amassed 63 tackles, four passes defensed and one interception.
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Buccaneers' Deadrin Senat: Staying in Tampa Bay
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Senat re-signed with the Buccaneers on a one-year deal Tuesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Senat will stay in Tampa after logging 17 tackles (10 solo) and a sack in 12 games for them last season. The 2018 third-round pick is currently the only nose tackle on the roster other than Vita Vea, and Senat will look to provide solid depth behind the star defender next season.
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Titans' Sean Murphy-Bunting: Strikes deal with Tennessee
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Murphy-Bunting agreed Monday on a one-year contract with the Titans, Matt Moraitis of USA Today reports.
Murphy-Bunting can make up to $5 million next season with Tennessee, the second stop of his career following four seasons with the Buccaneers. The cornerback appeared in 12 games in 2022, recording a career-low 31 tackles while also producing seven pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble. Murphy-Bunting will step right into a prominent role in the Titans secondary and has a shot at earning himself a long-term contract with a "prove-it" deal in 2023.
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Buccaneers' Patrick O'Connor: Signed by Tampa Bay
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O'Connor agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Buccaneers on Saturday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
O'Connor will now return to the Buccaneers, where he's spent the entirety five-year career. While the 2017 seventh-round pick may not have seen a lot of playing time on defense, he's been a key special teams contributor throughout his career and will likely have a similar role for the upcoming season.
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Buccaneers' Cam Gill: Headed back to Tampa Bay
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Gill (foot) is re-signing with the Buccaneers, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Gill missed the entirety of last season after suffering a Lisfranc injury in August. Primarily a role player and special teamer in his first two seasons, the 25-year-old was slated for a bigger role this past season before suffering his injury, so it remains to be seen what his role with the team will be next season.
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Chiefs' Mike Edwards: Headed to Kansas City
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Edwards signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs on Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Edwards is coming off of the best season of his career, accumulating a career-high 82 tackles (52 solo) across 13 games with the Buccaneers. The 2019 third-round pick should be in line to start at safety alongside Justin Reid, and he will look to help improve the defending Super Bowl champions' secondary.
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Buccaneers' Anthony Nelson: Stays with Tampa
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Nelson re-signed with the Buccaneers on Thursday.
Nelson was a steady contributor on the Bucs' defense in 2022, setting career highs across the board in his fourth NFL season. He should remain a regular part of the team's linebacker corps next season.
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Buccaneers' Lavonte David: Staying with Tampa
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Davis agreed Wednesday with the Buccaneers on a one-year deal, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports.
The 33-year-old linebacker started all 17 games last season, finishing with his most tackles (124) since 2015 and his most sacks (three) since 2018. Pro Football Focus even graded David third among off-ball linebackers (85.1 score), though teammate Devin White had better IDP numbers while grading out 74th of 81 qualifiers (43.7). Both are viable candidates to lead the Bucs in tackles in 2013, but White's superior speed and pass rushing makes him the more attractive IDP option even if he's not quite as reliable from snap to snap as Tampa Bay's elder statesman in the linebacking corps.
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Buccaneers' Jamel Dean: Will stay in Tampa Bay
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The Buccaneers and Dean have agreed to a four-year, $52 million contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Dean was selected by the Buccaneers in the third round of the 2019 Draft and quickly carved out a sizable role in Tampa Bay's secondary. Across his first four NFL seasons, he's totaled 197 tackles, 41 pass defenses, seven interceptions and one defensive touchdown, but he's missed at least one game due to injury in each of those campaigns. With his new contract with the team, Dean figures to remain a prominent member of the Buccaneers' defense for years to come.
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Giants' Rakeem Nunez-Roches: Heading to New York
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Nunez-Roches is in line to ink a three-year deal with the Giants, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.
Nunez-Roches has been in the league eight years, including the last five with the Buccaneers. He posted 33 tackles and two sacks last season, which were career highs. The 29-year-old defensive tackle is expected to play rotational snaps behind Dexter Lawrence. Unless he's needed to fill in should Lawrence miss time, Nunez-Roches will be a low-ceiling IDP option.
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Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Restructures contract
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Tampa Bay restructured Vea's contract Friday, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Vea, who signed a four-year, $73 million extension in January of 2022, will have a large portion of his 2023 salary converted into a signing bonus. The veteran defensive tackle was expected to make $12.5 million in 2023, but his new deal will save Tampa Bay nearly $9 million in cap space.
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Buccaneers' Akiem Hicks: Modest numbers across 11 games
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Hicks recorded 22 tackles (13 solo) and one sack across 11 games during the 2022 regular season.
The veteran defensive tackle also totaled three solo stops and a pass breakup during the wild-card loss to the Cowboys. Hicks was signed on a one-year deal to serve as a veteran stopgap that could help along the front line of the Buccaneers' 3-4 defense, but a foot injury cost him six games of action between Weeks 3 and 8. Slated to be a free agent at the start of the new league year and with his best days behind him at age 33, it's likely Tampa Bay turns to younger alternatives for the 2023 campaign.
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Buccaneers' Sean Murphy-Bunting: Solid season in 2022
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Murphy-Bunting finished the 2022 regular season with 31 tackles (19 solo), two interceptions, five additional pass breakups and one forced fumble across 12 games.
The fourth-year defensive back added six tackles (four solo) during the wild-card loss to the Cowboys. Murphy-Bunting missed five games overall due to quadriceps injuries, but by the numbers, he turned in his most effective season in coverage yet. Murphy-Bunting surrendered a paltry 37.5 percent completion rate and 3.9 yards per attempt as a primary defender across 411 defensive snaps, and both his interception and total pass-breakups tallies ranked as the second-highest marks of his career. An unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year, Murphy-Bunting could garner an high-priced deal on the open market as an up-and-coming cornerback.
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Buccaneers' Joe Tryon-Shoyinka: Ups production in second season
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Tryon-Shoyinka posted 40 tackles (23 solo), including four sacks, and defensed two passes across 17 games during the 2022 regular season.
The 2021 first-round pick also tallied two tackles (one solo) in 41 snaps during the wild-card loss to the Cowboys. Tryon-Shoyinka played a career-high 806 snaps on defense during the regular season, which led to him boosting his rookie-season tackle total by 11 stops and matching his 2021 sack tally as well. Tryon-Shoyinka could be in line for an even larger role next season if Lavonte David departs via free agency.
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Buccaneers' Anthony Nelson: Career-best season in '22
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Nelson totaled 46 tackles (26 solo), including 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery across 17 games during the 2022 regular season.
Nelson added three solo stops across 60 snaps in the wild-card loss to the Cowboys. The fourth-year linebacker turned in career-best tackle, sack and forced fumble totals while playing a career-high 604 snaps on defense. While Nelson is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year in mid-March, the 2019 fourth-round pick could certainly prove to be a more cost-effective alternative for the Buccaneers than fellow free agent Lavonte David.
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Buccaneers' Jamel Dean: Another multi-interception season
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Dean finished the 2022 regular season with 57 tackles (45 solo), two interceptions and six additional defensed passes across 15 games.
Dean recorded multiple interceptions for the third time in his first four seasons. while his tackle tally was the second highest of his career. Dean also conceded a sub-50.0 percent completion rate in primary coverage (45.0) for the second straight season, and his overall body of work should be solid enough to serve him well as he potentially heads to the open market at the start of the new league year.
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Buccaneers' Devin White: Another productive season
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White finished the 2022 regular season with 124 tackles (74 solo), including 5.5 sacks, five defensed passes, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles across 17 games.
White followed up that impressive line with a modest five tackles (two solo) in the wild-card loss to the Cowboys. However, his regular-season body of work was as impressive as ever, with his pass breakups a career high. White's sack total was also the second highest of his career, and the soon-to-be 25-year-old could be in for an even more prominent role next season if fellow linebacker Lavonte David leaves via free agency.
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Buccaneers' Mike Edwards: Double-digit stops in loss
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Edwards totaled 10 tackles (six solo) and one pass defensed in the Buccaneers' 31-14 wild-card loss to the Cowboys on Monday night. He finished the 2022 regular season with 82 tackles (52 solo), one sack, two interceptions -- including a pick-six -- and three defensed passes overall across 13 games.
Edwards checked in second in tackles on the night for the Buccaneers in his return from a one-game absence due to a hip issue, putting a strong cap on what was a productive 2022 campaign overall. The fourth-year safety set a new career high in tackles while recording multiple interceptions for the third straight season, and factoring in Monday's production, he posted four double-digit tackle tallies overall. Edwards is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year in mid-March, and it remains to be seen if he'll be deemed a priority re-signing by the Buccaneers.
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Buccaneers' Lavonte David: Stellar showing in wild-card loss
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David recorded 14 tackles (nine solo) in the Buccaneers' 31-14 wild-card loss to the Cowboys on Monday night. He finished the 2022 regular season with 123 tackles (80 solo), three sacks, five defensed passes, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble across 17 games.
David topped the Buccaneers in what could have been his final game for the team after 11 seasons in Tampa Bay. The veteran linebacker also tied his highest tackle tally since 2015 during the regular season, and his well-rounded stat line certainly appears to corroborate he can still be a prolific contributor as he potentially heads into unrestricted free agency at age 33.
