One of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first orders of business at the start of free agency was to ink one of their own, tight end Cade Otton, to a three-year contract extension. It was a move that fit right in with the Buccaneers' emphasis on the draft-development-re-sign pipeline, as noted here by Fox Sports' Greg Auman.

Included in that story linked above about Otton's new deal are a few notes you will often see about the fifth-year tight end regarding his very high snap counts. Over four seasons in Tampa, the former Washington standout has emerged as a player who rarely comes off the field, a true two-way tight end and an iron man who is always a coach's favorite because he is always where he's supposed to be and doing what he's supposed to do.

Otton wasn't an immediate starter after arriving in Tampa as a fourth-round pick in 2022, though he did take over the job eventually and opened 11 games as a rookie. In the next three years, he was the unquestioned starter and in that period he was on the field for 2,913 snaps, the most by any tight end in the league from 2023-25. Next on the list was Arizona's prolific Trey McBride, with 2,753. To greater emphasize the point, Otton got his snap count in 47 games while McBride played in 50.

Looking over those numbers again, I started to wonder who the iron men of the last three season were at other positions. Who played the most offensive snaps among, say, wide receivers? How about the most defensive snaps among cornerbacks? We'll, I've gathered all those numbers, so let's take a look.

Here's the top two players at each position by either offensive or defensive snaps played over the last three seasons (the number in parentheses is how many regular season games they played from 2023-25):

Quarterback: Jared Goff, Detroit: 3,371 (51), Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay: 3,322 (51)

Another Buccaneer pops up right away! The key here is the number of games played. The only three quarterbacks to play in all 51 games over the last three years are Goff, Mayfield and Buffalo's Josh Allen, and a couple of Allen's games were starts he made to keep his streak alive before quickly exiting. Still, in Mayfield's case at least, that total represents his toughness, as he gutted his way through a variety of injuries in 2025.

Running Back: Bijan Robinson, Atlanta: 2,492 (51), Kyren Williams, L.A. Rams: 2,338 (45)

Williams gets pretty close to Robinson for the top spot despite playing in six fewer games. This is a reflection of the tendency of Rams Head Coach Sean McVay to ride the top horse in his backfield stable, and that has been Williams in recent years.

Wide Receiver: D.J. Moore, Chicago: 3,074 (51), Amon-Ra St. Brown: 2,959 (50)

This adds another perspective to the Bears' recent decision to trade Moore (and a fifth-round pick) to Buffalo for a second-round pick. The Bears are banking on the young trio of Rome Odunze, Luther Burden and tight end Colston Loveland to carry the passing game, but that's still a lot of snaps to replace. The numbers at this position are a good reminder of the injury misfortune the Buccaneers have endured in recent seasons, as there isn't a Tampa Bay receiver in the top 40 of the play count list. Mike Evans comes in at number 47.

Offensive Line: Terence Steele, Dallas: 3,510 (51), Joe Thuney, Kansas City/Chicago: 3,363 (51)

Starting offensive linemen typically play every offensive snap in a game, so this list starts with availability. Steele and Thuney have started every game the past three years, and generally on good offenses that were on the field a lot.

Defensive End: Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas: 2,784 (44), Zach Allen, Denver: 2,672 (50)

If you heard during the Crosby Ravens trade/no trade saga that he is a maniac (in a good way) about always being on the field, it's no joke. Crosby tops this list by a healthy margin despite playing six fewer games than Allen in second place. Allen signed with Denver from Arizona in 2023 and saw his snap share rise significantly.

Defensive Tackle: Leonard Williams, Seattle: 2,446 (51), Zach Sieler, Miami: 2,384 (49)

Williams was a great addition by the Seahawks in 2023. Not only has he since delivered 22.0 sacks from the interior line but he has been a picture of durability, playing in every game. Sieler has two fewer games but 3.5 more sacks during that same span and may be one of the league's more unheralded stars.

Linebacker: Bobby Wagner, Seattle/Washington: 3,374 (51), Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis: 3,357 (50)

Like the Bucs' Lavonte David, Wagner just kept chugging along the past three years, even after a move to Washington. He's only missed one game in the last seven years.

Cornerback: Brandon Stephens, Baltimore/N.Y. Jets: 3,174 (49), A.J. Terrell, Atlanta: 3,108 (49)

Only four cornerbacks (also Alontae Taylor and Byron Murphy) have played at least 3,000 defensive snaps over the past three seasons combined. It's a difficult position at which to make it through 17 games, year after year.

Safety: Jessie Bates, Atlanta: 3,320 (51), Cam Bynum, Minnesota/Indianapolis: 3,258 (51)

Another member of the Falcons' secondary shows up here. Bates hasn't missed a game since joining the Falcons in 2023 and he's only sat out three in his entire eight-year career so far. By the way, Antoine Winfield Jr. lands in 17th place on this list despite missing eight games from 2023-25.

So there you have it, the NFL's iron men at each position over the last three seasons, a list for which Cade Otton could be the poster boy. And now, on to your questions.

Hi, Scott! Hi, Casey! Which position is the biggest need on defense. OLB, DL or LB? - Nathan E. via app submission

My colleague Casey Phillips, the Buccaneers' Team Reporter, keeps getting love in these questions in recent weeks. I should make her guest write this mailbag at some point, give myself a break.

Anyway, I don't know what Casey's opinion is, but I would rank them 1) OLB, 2) LB and 3) DL. A couple weeks ago I probably would have listed OLB and LB as 1A and 1B, but the Bucs have since signed former Lion linebacker Alex Anzalone, and he will fill one of what could be two open starting jobs at the position. The Bucs made a quality addition at outside linebacker as well with another former lineman, Al-Quadin Muhammad but I think they still have more work to do for that edge rush rotation.

The Bucs need at off-ball linebacker was glaring to start the offseason, with only two players at the position actually under contract for 2026: SirVocea Dennis and 2025 undrafted rookie Nick Jackson. Now Anzalone is in the building, however, and it's still possible that franchise icon Lavonte David will choose to come back for one more season. Dennis will have to fight off competition to keep his starting job in 2026, but at least he is another option at the position. And even if the Bucs don't use the 15th overall pick on an off-ball linebacker in the upcoming draft, there is enough depth at the position that they should be able to find a potential starter on Day Two.

Meanwhile, the Bucs haven't had a double-digit sack artist since Shaquil Barrett in 2021. Muhammad had 11.0 for Detroit last season, so maybe he can break that streak, but he didn't start any games and played fewer than 50% of the defensive snaps in 2025, so it's not yet clear if he will be the starter opposite Yaya Diaby next season. The Buccaneers sorely need another impact player off the edge, and those are typically a lot harder to find outside the first round of the draft.

Along the interior defensive line, the Buccaneers still have multiple-time Pro Bowler Vita Vea and 2023 first-round pick Calijah Kancey. Yes, Kancey's injury misfortune has been an issue through his first three seasons, but he has shown when he's been on the field that he can get consistent pressure on the quarterback. If he can stay healthy, that's a pretty good duo to start with, and the Bucs responded to the departure of Logan Hall in free agency by signing A'Shawn Robinson. I think Jason Licht is always looking for quality depth at this position, but it's not a particularly deep group in the draft and I think it comes in as a lesser need than outside linebacker of off-ball linebacker.

What free agency move surprised you the most from across the league? Could be good or bad - Kevin F., via app submission

There are a few. I'm surely the 1,000th person in the media to point this out, but Tyler Linderbaum's contract with the Raiders is an eye-opener. Linderbaum is a great pickup for the Raiders at a position of need, but $27 million per year represents a larger jump at the center position than I think anyone expected. The previous high AAV for a center was $18 million for Kansas City's Creed Humphrey, so that's a 50% jump at the position, which is unprecedented for any position.

I was also not expecting the Saints to land former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, particularly given what appeared to be some significant cap restraints. I guess I shouldn't really be surprised, since New Orleans seems to prove year after year that the salary cap is a myth. Still, I thought New Orleans was a prime landing spot for Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love in the draft; perhaps the Saints' preemptive move for Etienne is an indication that league insiders expect Love to be off the board by the eighth pick. Now the Saints can use that premium pick on another receiver to pair with Chris Olave and make life even better for young(ish) quarterback Tyler Shough.

The Raiders had a lot of cap space to burn (though the implosion of the Maxx Crosby trade eventually meant they had less than expected) and a need at linebacker but I didn't think they would sign both Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. There was a surprisingly large number of intriguing linebackers hitting free agency this year, which was a good thing for the Buccaneers as they were still able to land Alex Anzalone despite the Raiders' bit of hoarding at the position.

I also expected wide receiver Alec Pierce to get his bag somewhere else after the Colts chose to use their transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones. I'm not surprised that Pierce got an AAV of $28.5 million, as pre-free agency predictions had him breaking the bank after he led the NFL in yards per catch for two straight seasons, but I thought it would come from another team. Instead, the Colts shelled out big bucks to keep both Jones and Pierce in an apparent effort to duplicate what their offense did for the first half of last season before Jones' injury.

Any new rules coming up for the 2026 season? What were your thoughts on the rules implemented in 2025? - AJ M., via app submission

Actually, this is supposed to be an uncharacteristically quiet offseason for rule-change debates. Even the hubbub surrounding the "Tush Push" appears to have died down and there may not be another vote this year after the league declined to outlaw it last year. Rich McKay, co-chair of the NFL's Competition Committee, noted at the recent Scouting Combine that he doesn't expect this to be a big year for rule changes. If there are any, they will probably be of the minor procedural variety.

As for last year's rule changes, well, there's at least one that made me pretty salty. The three most prominent rule changes for 2025 were: 1) Tweaking the "dynamic kickoff" that was introduced in 2024; 2) Adopting the playoff overtime rules for the regular season, which meant that both teams were guaranteed a position in the extra period; and, 3) Expanding the scope of instant replay assist.

The one I didn't like – and I'm on record saying this well before the start of the season – was moving the kickoff touchback line from the 30 to the 35. My worry when that rule change was passed was that this more favorable position coupled with the emergence of so many kickers who could routinely hit field goals from 55 or 60 yards would make it a little too easy to mount a scoring drive. And that's exactly what happened! In one way, the rule worked exactly as the NFL intended, as it significantly increased the number of kicks that were returned. In 2024, only 32.8 percent of kickoffs leaguewide were returned; in 2025, that number jumped all the way to 74.5%. That's all fine and dandy, but I don't think the NFL teams should be able to score routinely on drives that may only need one or two first downs. I'm sorry, but I have no plans to step down off this soapbox anytime soon.

The new playoff rules make sense to me and were particularly welcome after a 2024 season in which the Buccaneers lost several games in overtime without Baker Mayfield even getting to touch the ball in the extra period. As for the expansion of replay assist, I don't really know if I'm for or against it because I still find it hard to understand exactly when and how it is being used. Maybe we'll get some more clarity in 2025. I do agree with the spirit of the move, which is to prioritize getting as many calls right as possible.

How realistic is it that the Bucs trade down? I don't think a player that is worthy of trading up will fall to 15 - Robert W., via app submission

It's an attractive idea, in my opinion, especially if the Buccaneers feel like there won't be much of a difference in the edge rusher or linebacker (the two positions I'd like to see them target in Round One) at pick number 15 or, say, pick number 25 or 30. But you make the salient point here, Robert. It takes two to tango in a draft-day trade, and the Bucs would only be able to find a partner for such a deal if there is a player some team covets very highly still on the board at pick number 15. The lack of highly-regarded quarterback prospects after Fernando Mendoza is the biggest shortcoming in this regard, as teams are often more motivated to give up draft capital to get their man at that most crucial of positions.

The good news is that you only need one team to fall in love with one prospect for an opportunity of a trade to arise. Here's one possible scenario: An early run on offensive tackles. There are a lot of teams that could be targeting tackles in the first round, but the Bucs probably aren't one of them, so a run at the position could be a positive development for Tampa Bay. It's a pretty good class of tackle prospects this year, but if mock draft trends are to be believed, several of them seem to be on the rise on draft boards, including Georgia's Monroe Freeling, Clemson's Blake Miller, Alabama's Kadyn Proctor and Utah's Caleb Lomu.

Miami's Francis Mauigoa and Utah's Spencer Fano (assuming he stays at tackle rather than being moved inside) have been top-10 staples in mock drafts, but it seemed like the depth at the position was going to create opportunities for tackle-needy teams in the back half of the first round. What if a team in the 20-30 pick range previously thought it had a shot at Freeling but now believes he goes in the top 15? Maybe that's enough of a motivation to give up some extra draft capital to climb up the board.

Bucs GM Jason Licht doesn't have huge history of trading down in the first round, but he has done it on occasion. In 2018, he moved down five spots from number 7 to number 12, trading with the Bills, who were moving up to get Josh Allen. That worked out well for Licht and the Buccaneers, who were still able to land Vita Vea with the 12th pick. In 2022, Licht moved from the 27th pick completely out of the first round, though not be far, as he picked up extra fourth and sixth-round picks from the Jaguars to land at the first pick of the second round, number 33. The pick at that spot was defensive lineman Logan Hall, who played four seasons in Tampa before recently moving on to Houston in free agency. That extra fourth picked up from the Jaguars was well spent on tight end Cade Otton.

How many yards from scrimmage can Gainwell get in our offense? - Christopher. V, via app submission

The Buccaneers moved quickly at the start of free agency to sign running back Kenneth Gainwell, most recently of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I'm pretty bullish on what he can bring to the offense. The fact that the Bucs targeted Gainwell immediately when there were still plenty of other running back options available – including Tyler Allgeier, with whom new Offensive Coordinator Zac Robinson is obviously very familiar – suggest to me that they have a clear idea of what specifically he can do in Robinson's system.

We have a pretty good blueprint for what Gainwell can do in a backfield committee based on the one-two punch he formed with Jaylen Warren in Pittsburgh last year. The two backs got an almost completely equal offensive snap share (517 for Gainwell, 489 for Warren), while Warren had more carries (211 to 114) and Gainwell had more passing targets (85 to 45). Even in that timeshare, Gainwell topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage (1,023) and was named the Steelers' team MVP.

Gainwell essentially replaces the since-departed Rachaad White on the Bucs' depth chart, between Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker, who has been extended a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent and therefore is likely to return for 2026. White had 571 offensive snaps, 132 carries and 45 targets last year, though we have to acknowledge that those numbers were up a bit because Irving missed a big chunk of time in the middle of the season due to injuries. Still, I think there is room here for Gainwell to get over 100 carries and 60 or 70 passing targets, at least. Robinson certainly doesn't mind throwing the ball to his running backs; Bijan Robinson had 103 targets in Atlanta last year. I wouldn't expect Irving or Gainwell to get anywhere close to that number, but they might combine to get close to the 119 targets that Robinson and Allgeier got last year. And if Gainwell proves to be the more trusted blocker in pass protection, he might end up on the high side of that target split, as he would be on the field on a lot of obvious passing downs.

I'm counting on better health for Irving in 2025, and if Tucker is in the mix he's definitely proved that he deserves to be part of the picture as well. So let's not predict that Gainwell gets the full 51% snap share that White did in 2025. I still think he gets close and if so it would be perfectly reasonable to expect him to approach 1,000 yards from scrimmage again. Even with Irving getting 1,514 yards from scrimmage during his 2024 rookie campaign, White still also complemented that with 1,006 yards of his own. The Bucs had the NFL's fourth-best rushing attack in 2024 but that slipped to 21st in 2025 amid a rash of offensive line injuries. But the team has all five starters from that dominant 2024 unit back for the start of the upcoming campaign so a rise back up the rankings is certainly possible. Let's be conservative and say they can improve to about 10th or 11th in the league. If that's the case, I could see Gainwell – again being conservative – getting at least 900 to 950 yards from scrimmage.