Robert Hainsey, a third-round pick in 2021, demonstrated his value to the team during two years as the starting center, then became a trusted reserve in 2024 who filled in very well when called upon

Scott Smith

Over the last decade, Jason Licht and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a number of draft-day success stories of a very specific variety: Selecting prospects who played offensive tackle at the collegiate level and converting them to guards and/or centers. It started with Ali Marpet in 2015 and has continued on through Alex Cappa, Cody Mauch and, most recently, Graham Barton. Luke Goedeke has been a different kind of success story, original switching from tackle to guard, then going back to his original college position and thriving at right tackle.

Robert Hainsey belongs in this group, as well, even if he wasn't a starter for the Buccaneers in 2024.

The Bucs used a third-round pick on the Notre Dame standout in 2021 and believed at the time that, at the very least, he could be a versatile and valuable depth piece who could help out at multiple positions along the line, then eventually compete for a starting job. With the training camp injury sustained by Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen in training camp in 2022, Hainsey's time in the lineup came sooner than expected. Over the next two seasons he helped ease the pain of the loss of Jensen, whose knee injury that August would eventually lead to the end of his career.

Hainsey transitioned back into a reserve role in 2024 after the drafting of Barton, but center proved to be one position that the Buccaneers had far more than adequate depth to fall back on. Hainsey was only called upon to start one game this past season, but he performed quite well when needed. Now he's headed for free agency in an interesting situation. Does he want to return to the Buccaneers and their very tight-knit offensive line group, and possibly compete for a starting job again if Ben Bredeson leaves in free agency? Will he find other suitors who are lacking in O-Line depth and may have very real starting opportunities for him?

Hainsey surely has quite a few years left in his NFL career, and we'll find out within a couple weeks or months if any of them will be in Tampa. He is one of 22 players from Tampa Bay's season-ending 2024 roster who are due to become unrestricted free agents in March. Prior to the opening of the market we are taking a look at 10 of them what they've accomplished, where they are in their careers, what the market and the draft look like at their positions, and so on.

Some of the players we'll examine between now and March 12 could get a new deal to stay in Tampa before that date. It's likely some of them will not be back, or will at least test the free agent waters. This is the full schedule of our 2025 Free Agent Focus rundown:

February 12:WR Chris Godwin

February 14:QB Kyle Trask

February 19:OLB Anthony Nelson

February 26: C Robert Hainsey

February 28: WR Sterling Shepard

March 3: OLB Shaquil Barrett

March 4: LB Lavonte David

March 5: G Ben Bredeson

March 6: OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

March 7: LB Lavonte David

This list is subject to change based on potential roster moves in the coming weeks. Today we look at one of five Bucs offensive linemen (also Bredeson, Royce Newman, Sua Opeta and Justin Skule) who could become free agents in mid-March.

Player:Robert Hainsey

Position:Center/Guard

Age at the Start of the 2024 Season:27

Experience:Entering fifth NFL season

How Acquired:Selected in the third round (95th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame.

Previous Contract(s):After being drafted in 2021, Hainsey signed the standard four-year contract that each player selected in Rounds Two through Seven gets. He completed the last season of that deal in 2024.

Rank in Pro Football Focus**Top 100 NFL Free Agents**for 2025:Not ranked.

2024 Performance:As noted, Hainsey moved into a reserve role when rookie first-rounder Graham Barton won the starting center job in training camp. The Buccaneers enjoyed good health among their starting five up front and Barton, specifically, missed just one game. That one game was a doozy, though, and Hainsey stepped in and made sure the Buccaneers' rapidly improving rushing attack didn't miss a beat.

The game in question was Week Six at New Orleans. The Buccaneers were playing without not only Barton but starting (at the time) running back Rachaad White. That didn't stop Tampa Bay's ground game, and offense overall, from going ballistic in one of the most productive outings in franchise history. In a 51-27 blowout win, the Buccaneers set an all-time single-game franchise record with 594 yards of offense, of which 277 came on the ground, the third-highest mark in team annals. Quarterback Baker Mayfield was sacked only one time and the offense generated 31 first downs, tied for the third most in a game in team history.

Hainsey played in all 17 games and logged a total of 95 offensive snaps. Seventy-seven of those came in New Orleans, but he also briefly saw action in Week Three against Denver, Week 14 against the L.A. Chargers and Week 16 against Carolina. He also played 88 snaps on special teams.

Career Accomplishments:Hainsey played in just nine games as a rookie, with 31 snaps on special teams. As noted, however, he stepped in as the starting center for the 2022 and 2023 seasons after the injury to Jensen. He played 97% of the snaps in 2022 and 100% of them in 2023.

In 2022, while blocking for Tom Brady, Hainsey contributed to an offense that had the lowest sacks-per-pass-attempt percentage in the NFL, at 2.93%. In 2023, with Baker Mayfield now at the helm of the offense, he helped Mayfield enough time to throw for career highs in both yards (4,044) and touchdowns (28). (Mayfield subsequently surpassed those numbers in 2024.)

Other Potential Free Agent Interior Offensive Lineman:G Trey Smith (Chiefs), G Will Fries (Colts), G Teven Jenkins (Bears), G Kevin Zeitler (Lions), G James Daniels (Steelers), G Mekhi Becton (Eagles), G Brandon Scherff (Jaguars), G Zack Martin (Cowboys), G Patrick Mekari (Ravens), G Aaron Banks (49ers), G Will Hernandez (Cardinals), C Coleman Shelton (Bears)

Top Interior Offensive Line Prospects in 2025 NFL Draft:Tyler Booker (Alabama), Tate Ratledge (Georgia), Jared Wilson (Georgia), Dylan Fairchild (Georgia), Jake Majors (Texas), Jonah Manheim (USC), Luke Kandra (Cincinnati), Jackson Slater (Sacramento State), Tyler Cooper (Minnesota), Joshua Gray (Oregon State), Willie Lampkin (North Carolina), Connor Colby (Iowa), Addison West (Western Michigan), Hayden Connor (Texas), Seth McLaughlin (Ohio State), Cooper Mays (Tennessee)