Believe it or not, but the NFL offseason has been moving along at a steady pace. In a league where momentum never really stops, the next few weeks are where things begin to take shape.
Once the 2026 NFL Draft comes and goes, each team will be ramping up with all the players they acquired – not just rookies, but free agents and returning players adjusting to new schemes. Each roster looks different and will move at various paces to get everyone up to speed, especially for teams like Tampa Bay that are looking to build on continuity while integrating plenty of fresh pieces.
Bucs GM Jason Licht and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
For the Bucs, they will be beginning the first day of offseason workouts on April 20th. That will bring even more players into the facility, particularly veterans who want to get ahead of the curve and younger players looking to establish early impressions with a revamped coaching staff.
That date is also just days before the NFL Draft, which goes from April 23rd to April 25th. That overlap creates an interesting dynamic, as front office personnel finalize draft boards while coaches simultaneously begin laying the groundwork for offseason installation. It also means rookies will be stepping into a building that is already buzzing.
There will be a little bit of downtime until the next phase of the offseason, which are OTAs (Organized Team Activities). Tampa Bay will hold their OTAs May 26th to May 28th, June 2nd to June 4th, and June 9th to June 11th. These sessions, while still non-contact, represent the first real opportunity for coaches to evaluate how pieces fit together on the field. It is also where early standouts can begin to emerge and where position battles quietly take shape.
Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
It will then be a quick transition into mandatory mini-camp, which the Bucs will have from June 16th to June 18th. Unlike earlier phases, attendance is required, making it the closest thing to a full-team checkpoint before training camp. It serves as a valuable measuring stick to assess progress and identify what still needs tightening before the extended recess from on-field activities.
That downtime is critical before training camp begins, both for physical recovery and mental reset. Then the dog days of summer will commence before the preseason gets underway in August. The dates for training camp are not known yet, but the 2026 Bucs season is rapidly approaching, with expectations, roles, and depth chart battles gradually coming into focus.
For the complete timeline of dates to know in the coming months, Pewter Report’s Bailey Adams broke it all down back in January.