Fansided

NFL free agency 2019: Grades for every team

By Kevin Parvizi

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 25: Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants yells prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 25, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 25: Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants yells prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 25, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 13: Shaquil Barrett #48 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a sack during the second half of a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 13, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 13: Shaquil Barrett #48 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a sack during the second half of a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 13, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Key Additions: OLB Shaquil Barrett, LB/DB Deone Bucannon, WR Breshad Perriman

Key Departures: WR DeSean Jackson, WR Adam Humphries, LB Kwon Alexander, EDGE Vinny Curry

Grade: C

Though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost several big names on both sides of the ball, none of them qualify as huge or surprising losses. For example, even though DeSean Jackson and Adam Humphries have left for the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans, respectively, that just clears up more targets for future superstar Chris Godwin to soak up across from Mike Evans. Plus, former first-round pick Breshad Perriman actually looked good for the Cleveland Browns last season, and he’s a potential breakout candidate as the No. 3 wide receiver in a high-powered, Bruce Arians-coached passing attack.

Kwon Alexander stands out as the biggest loss for the Buccaneers in free agency, but the team may not have felt that Alexander was worth the price. For as talented as he is – and he’s also just 25 – Alexander is inconsistent and is also coming off of a torn ACL.

The Buccaneers never quite made the most of Vinny Curry either, and the move back to the Philadelphia Eagles should help him just as much as a change of scenery should help Alexander, now a member of the San Francisco 49ers. But the Buccaneers more than replaced Curry by signing former Denver Broncos edge defender Shaquil Barrett. A legitimate star talent, Barrett needs to be a critical component of Tampa Bay’s defense, and he may have been the biggest steal of free agency on a one-year, $5 million deal. Of course, Barrett is betting on himself with that prove-it contract, and that’s a bet that could pay off handsomely for him.

Last in the NFC South with a 5-11 record, the Buccaneers did little this offseason to make it seem like they’ll get out of the basement, but they did add three quality contributors, perhaps Deone Bucannon just needed to meet up with Arians and Todd Bowles again, and were always focused on the draft in Arians’ first offseason with the team anyway.

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