Buccaneers add Randy Gregory on unbeatable value contract

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are scraping the bottom of the barrel in free agency. That is not necessarily a bad thing, though. Sometimes the best deals are found after the first wave of free agency passes. That is the case for Jason Licht and the Bucs front office right now.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Randy Gregory has landed with Tampa Bay on a one-year deal worth $3 million, with the potential to reach $5 million based on incentives. The talented linebacker split last season between the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers.

In 16 total appearances (three starts), Gregory registered 20 tackles, 10 QB hits, and 3.5 sacks. He managed six tackles for a loss. While Gregory didn't start once he arrived in San Francisco, he was still a useful cog in the NFC's most potent defense.

Now, he addresses a position of need for the Bucs, who could still reinforce the outside linebacker position through the NFL Draft in a few weeks.

Buccaneers land Randy Gregory on affordable one-year contract

The Bucs are essentially replacing Pro Bowl OLB Shaquil Barrett, who was released earlier in the offseason to cut costs. Barrett ended up right down the coast with the Miami Dolphins on a one-year, $9 million contract. He was due roughly $17 million annually from Tampa Bay.

Gregory's career arc has been rather complicated, with multiple suspensions and several lulls in productivity. He missed all of the 2017 and 2019 seasons. In 2023, Gregory reached 16 games played for the first time in his career. Establishing some measure of consistency in terms of both production and availability would go a long way for Gregory as he enters his age-31 season.

Odds are Gregory will start his season with the second unit, backing up second-year OLB YaYa Diaby. The latter appeared in 17 games (seven starts) for the Bucs last season, tallying 38 tackles, eight QB hits, and 7.5 sacks. He also forced one fumble. Diaby's fresh legs and clear upside should give the 2023 third-round pick a leg up in training camp.

That said, the Bucs will rely on Gregory's experience plenty. He's still productive, and an important cog in Tampa Bay's reworked pass-rush corps. The Bucs were 29th against the pass last season, so all help is needed. Tampa made up for it with strong run defense, but Gregory will be tasked with helping the Bucs' defense keep pace after several offseason changes.

Given the lack of risk tied to his contract, the Bucs should be thrilled about the potential Gregory supplies. When he's operating at his apex, the 6-foot-5, 242-pound linebacker can still create havoc for opposing offenses.