2026 NFL free agency begins at noon on Monday, at which time the legal tampering period begins and teams can begin work on finding difference makers for next season.

After going 8-9 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019, this offseason is particularly critical for Tampa Bay, and Bucs general manager and his staff certainly have their work cut out for them this offseason.

They already have notable in house free agents that they have to decide whether to pursue or let walk, including Mike Evans, Jamel Dean, Lavonte David, Rachaad White, Sean Tucker, Cade Otton, and Logan Hall. And beyond that, pushing the right buttons with some new outside veterans and draft picks will be crucial to getting back on track.

Fortunately, there are a number of standouts who could serve as difference makers. And the Bucs will likely not break the bank on a number of players, particularly at the start of free agency, but they could take a shot at one or more of the following. Here are five free agents who could be difference makers for the Bucs in 2026.

1) EDGE Boye Mafe

Pass rush is expensive in the NFL. Very expensive. And teams aren’t willing to let sacks walk out the door without receiving due compensation via trade, with the new team signing them for big bucks.

That’s why trying to find a potential breakout candidate — who won’t break the bank in return — is a risky but worthwhile strategy in free agency.

Mafe could be that next year. The Super Bowl champion had a career-best nine sacks in 2023 with Seattle. While that number dropped to two in 2025, his win rate was still a healthy 17.4% with an eighth best pass rush win rate in 2025 per ESPN.

Those could be some numbers worth banking on without going crazy numbers wise.

2) LB Alex Anzalone

The Bucs simply have to get better at linebacker, and quickly. With Lavonte David on his last legs — or opting for retirement — and Deion Jones a free agent, the Bucs have got to find some options this offseason who can make a quick impact, particularly in coverage.

Enter Anzalone. Since arriving in Detroit, he’s helped the Lions’ defense slowly turn from an afterthought into a playoff unit with his steady and physical play in the middle. He’s also solid in coverage, ranking 40th out of 177 linebackers in 2025 in coverage grade per Pro Football Focus.

The question, with sustained, proven production, is money. Anzalone will have a strong market, but it very likely won’t be at the level of Devin Lloyd’s eventual contract. But if Tampa Bay is going to spend this offseason, it might as well be at their two most brutally underwhelming roster spots on their underwhelming defense – off-ball linebacker and edge rusher.

3) LB Devin Bush

This is a bit of a risk, given the sample size, but over the last two years in Cleveland, Bush has been very strong. In 2025, he was excellent for the Browns, compiling 125 total tackles with three interceptions and two touchdowns. His 80.4 coverage mark was the fourth highest in the NFL among all linebackers with at least 200 snaps.

But Bush doesn’t have a resume of consistent production across his seven-year career through Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Cleveland. He had a strong rookie season for the Steelers in 2019, but there was a drop off until he re-surged with the Browns in 2024.

Is that worth gambling on? Some team will likely say yes, and then the Bucs have to weigh how well that recent production could translate over to Todd Bowles’ defense. But his recent production makes him impossible to ignore.

4) TE Dallas Goedert

The Bucs are about to be down to a tight end room that includes Payne Durham and Devin Culp if Otton leaves town. And if Mike Evans signs elsewhere in free agency, which is a distinct possibility, the need for a big, bodied target in the passing game would become magnified.

Goedert is about as good as it gets in the NFL as far as a big target who can move well. A second-round pick by the Eagles in the 2018 NFL Draft, he’s spent his entire career in Philadelphia. In 108 games, he’s totaled 409 catches for 4676 yards and 35 touchdowns. He’s also been a mostly consistent and strong in-line run blocker across his eight-year career.

He would check a lot of boxes in both Tampa Bay’s depleted tight end room and their overall passing attack.

5) RB Tyler Allgeier

Who else?

Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is certainly well acquainted with his former running back from their time together in Atlanta and knows how to use him.

Allgeier started off his career in 2022 as a rookie with a 1000-yard season as the primary ballcarrier before being phased out by Bijan Robinson, the Falcons’ 2023 first-round pick. But he retained a key role as a physical, short yardage factor in Atlanta’s offense.

Allgeier could similarly pair with Bucky Irving in Tampa to provide a true thunder and lighting duo.

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