The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to free agency in 2025. Which means they need to get as much value out of whatever they currently have on their roster — and hopefully at the current prices.
One of the most financially beneficial moves the Buccaneers might be able to make this offseason would be to bring back high value free agent offensive guard Ben Bredeson after he started all 17 games in 2024 while playing on a 1-year, $3 million contract.
From The Pewter Report: “Given the challenge of finding a suitable replacement, it would be wise for the Buccaneers to prioritize re-signing Ben Bredeson to a long-term contract, ensuring continuity and stability on their offensive line … the Buccaneers are already potentially losing a quality backup lineman in Robert Hainsey to free agency, so losing a starter as well would be a huge hit.”
Bredeson, 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, has started 33 games over the last 2 seasons for the New York Giants and Buccaneers after only starting 9 games over his first 3 seasons.
Bredeson’s market might not be so robust, which would benefit Tampa Bay. He ranked 93rd out of 135 eligible guards in 2024 with a 56.2 overall rating from PFF and Spotrac’s market value has him projected to take a pay cut and receive a 1-year, $1.1 million contract in 2025.
Bredeson Part of Retooled Offensive Line
One of the big turnarounds for the Buccaneers from 2023 to 2024 was the play of their revamped offensive line, which put the franchise in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season despite starting the season 4-6.
While the group is built around arguably the NFL’s very best offensive lineman in left offensive tackle in NFL All-Pro Tristan Wirfs, the players surrounding Wirfs and helping lift the NFL’s No. 3 offense have proven to be just as valuable to winning games — including Bredeson.
ESPN’s Benjamin Solak predicted Bredeson to land in the the NFC West with the Seattle Seahawks.
“With his seat getting hotter in the post Pete Carroll-era, general manager John Schneider will buck his career trends and start investing heavily in the offensive line,” Solak wrote. “The Seahawks will spend on Ben Bredeson and James Daniels to secure their guard spots and add Mekhi Becton to potentially kick back out to tackle. I’m not sure it will actually work, but they’ll start spending, for sure.”
While the Buccaneers did get a career year from quarterback Baker Mayfield, after spending the last 2 seasons as the NFL’s worst rushing offense the Buccaneers shot up to No. 4 in the NFL in 2024 with an average of 149.2 rushing yards per game. That included a career high 378 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns from Mayfield, who averaged a whopping 6.3 yards per carry.
From Big Ten Star to Full-Time NFL Starter
Bredeson was one of the nation’s top offensive line recruits coming out of powerhouse Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin, before becoming a 3-time All-Big Ten pick and All-American at the University of Michigan.
The Baltimore Ravens drafted Bredeson in the fourth round (No. 143 overall) in the 2020 NFL draft before trading him to the Giants after 1 season.
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