Bucs Offensive Lineman Signs With NFC Team

Former Bucs offensive lineman Royce Newman is signing with the Arizona Cardinals. This is according to Jason B. Hirschhorn of The Leap.

Newman played just three snaps on offense in 2024 as the team had incredible durability out of both starting guards Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson.

Bucs Took Flyer On Newman Last Season

Newman was a final cut in 2024 by the Green Bay Packers. The Bucs opted to claim him off of waivers as they were looking for a veteran backup to complement Robert Hainsey as a backup center and Justin Skule as a backup tackle.

Newman had 25 starts over the previous three seasons in Green Bay. This included him starting every game in 2021. The Packers eventually moved away from him and his snap counts decreased in each subsequent season.

Ultimately, the Packers decided to part ways with Newman and cut him during final cutdown in the lead up to the 2024 season. That’s when Tampa Bay decided Newman would be an upgrade on other more unproven internal option.

It’s a good bet that Tampa Bay had a draft crush on Newman in 2021. That season, they took Hainsey with the 95th overall pick. Newman was selected at pick 143. The next time the Bucs selected was at 176, when they selected linebacker K.J. Britt.

Tampa Bay kept tabs on Newman and given an opportunity to add him to the team for just $2,250,000, Jason Licht and his team decided they couldn’t pass it up.

Bucs Relying On Youth For Interior Offensive Line

This is the second interior offensive lineman that the Bucs have lost in free agency along with Robert Hainsey. They also lost tackle Justin Skule but replaced him with Charles Heck to be the swing tackle. The Bucs are high on 2024 sixth-round pick Elijah Klein, who may end up taking more of a prominent backup role on the interior with the other players departing. The team mentioned at the NFL Combine that Klein had began taking some snaps at the center position, banking on his versatility.

Newman has never graded out particularly well by Pro Football Focus’ grading metrics. In 2021, he had his high-water mark as pass blocker with a 60.2 grade and his best season, outside of the three snaps in 2024 with the Bucs, was 2022 when he posted a 57.6 grade. He has allowed 60 pressures and 11 sacks for his career with a pressure rate allowed of 5.7%.