Tampa Bay has been active on the coaching front early this offseason, but free agency remains the next major hurdle. With the team coming off a missed playoffs in 2025, adding impactful talent is essential if the Buccaneers want to compete in a retooling NFC South.
Nakobe Dean was Philadelphia’s third-round pick in 2022, but his career has been marred by injuries, missing 21 games over the past three seasons. His brightest season came in 2024, when he started 15 of 17 games and produced 128 tackles, three sacks, one interception, four pass deflections, and two forced fumbles. In 2025, his role diminished due to a knee injury and the emergence of Jihaad Campbell.
For Tampa Bay, Dean would address a notable need at inside linebacker, especially with Lavonte David entering the later stages of his career and SirVocea Dennis still developing alongside him. Dean’s tackling machine profile would be appealing, though teams will weigh the injury risks and consider a shorter-term contract as a hedge.
The market for Dean is likely to be diverse, with multiple teams in the mix as he seeks a chance to prove his durability over a full season. Fox Sports’ Greg Auman recently suggested that the Buccaneers could land Dean on roughly an $8 million-per-year deal, noting the Eagles’ occupancy of Jihaad Campbell and the need for Tampa Bay to upgrade the inside linebacker position.
If the bidding doesn’t escalate, a short-term agreement with Dean could make sense for the Buccaneers. The move would give Tampa Bay a proven tackler who can contribute immediately while providing flexibility as the club continues to rebuild its roster around a shifting NFC landscape.
