If the response to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers bringing back defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches on Friday is any indication of what’s coming, it should be a pretty good year for the Belize-born, former 6th-round pick.
“Bucs agreed to a one-year deal with DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches,” Tampa Bay Times NFL reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account. “Nacho returns to Tampa Bay after several seasons with the Giants.
Nunez-Roches — “Nacho” — previously played for the Buccaneers from 2018 to 2022 and was part of the team’s historic run to winning the Super Bowl following the 2020 season.
“BREAKING NEWS: He’s back! The Buccaneers have agreed to a one year deal with DL Rakeem Nunez–Roches,” Sleeper Bucs wrote on its official X account on Friday. “Nacho returns to the Bucs after last playing in Tampa Bay in 2022.”
Nunez-Roches is the 1st player from Belize to be selected in the NFL draf.t
“Nacho is back in Tampa Bay,” Pewter Report wrote on its official X account. “Bucs have now added 2 DTs this offseason — A’Shawn Robinson and Nacho to replace Logan Hall and Greg Gaines.”
Nunez-Roches Crafted Decade-Plus NFL career
Nunez-Roches starred at Southern Miss and was drafted in the 5th round (No. 217 overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2015 NFL draft. He played his 1st 3 seasons in Kansas City and spent the 2016 season as the full-time starter before landing with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018, but was released and signed with the Buccaneers, where he played until 2022.
He spent the last 3 seasons with the New York Giants and will turn 33 years old in July.
“None of these individual moves are a death knell or will be the undoing of the team or anything like that,” NFL reporter Jon Ledyard wrote on X. “But getting old and slow was not my idea of an ideal offseason at these positions for the Bucs. Pretty shocked by the approach.”
Nunez-Roches is also part of what’s becoming a large group of underwhelming talent who were signed as free agents this offseason.
“Todd Bowles said a goal was to get bigger and more physical along the defensive line,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote on her official X account. “They did that already with A’Shawn Robinson’s signing. This furthers that.”
“Rakeem Nunez-Roches returns to Tampa on a one-year deal after three seasons with the Giants,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account. “Joins Anzalone, Robinson, Rozeboom as veterans added in churn for new leadership presence for defensive front.”
“(Nunez-Roches) was never coming back to Giants after 3 years,” New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy wrote on X. “Both sides wanted to part. But highlights how few accomplished veteran DTs are around Dexter Lawrence.”
Bucs Wasted 1st Round Pick on Interior DL
Signing Robinson or Nunez-Roches or anyone else on the defensive front seems to indicate the Buccaneers have grown tired of playing the wait-and-see game with 2023 1st round pick Calijah Kancey.
Kancey, who is in a contract year in 2026, has spent the majority of his NFL career to this point unavailable due to injuries — that includes missing 14 games due to a torn pectoral muscle in 2025.
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