Despite Patriots' Interest, Rakeem Nunez-Roches Re-Signs with Buccaneers

The veteran defensive tackle started in 11 of 16 games for the Bucs this past season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are continuing to keep together its 2020 Super Bowl championship roster and the latest signing comes from veteran defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches.

Despite reported interest from the New England Patriots, Nunez-Roches is re-signing with the Bucs on a two-year, $5 million contract, according to NFL insider Adam Caplan. The contract is worth up to $6.5 million with $2.25 million of guaranteed money, according to the report.

Nunez-Roches started in 11 of 16 games this past season for the Bucs stepping up big time on the defensive line following the ankle injury of Vita Vea. He recorded 20 total tackles, seven of which were solo tackles, to go along with three quarterback hits.

The Patriots had shown interest in Nunez-Roches, according to a report from The Providence Journal on Wednesday. New England almost drafted him in 2015 having worked him out back then.

Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs drafted the Southern Miss product in the sixth round of the draft that year. After spending the first three years of his career with the Chiefs, Nunez-Roches signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent in 2018.

Last year, Nunez-Roches signed a one-year deal to stay with the Bucs for the 2020 season. In 2019, he played in all 16 games and was on the field for a little more than a quarter of the team's defensive snaps. That same season, he recorded nine tackles, one tackle for a loss, and a fumble recovery.

Nunez-Roches had served as the primary backup playing behind Vea at nose tackle. After Vea's injury, he saw an increase in snaps starting each of the Bucs' last 15 games, including all four in the playoffs.

Nunez-Roches had played three straight seasons on a one-year deal for the Bucs, but will now be locked in for at least two more years in Tampa Bay.