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Jenna Laine, ESPN Staff Writer
TAMPA, Fla. — With the dust settling on the 2023 season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — largely considered a success by ownership — the team will turn its focus to the offseason.
The Bucs have several high-profile free agents up for new deals this offseason and roughly $35 million in salary cap space, according to ESPN’s Roster Management System.
Priorities include re-signing Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans, who tied with Tyreek Hill for a league-leading 13 touchdowns, and All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who had 122 combined tackles, 6 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions.
Evans could command around $25 million annually. Hill is averaging $30 million, and Davante Adams, who was in the same draft class as Evans in 2014, is averaging $28 million, while Cooper Kupp is making $26.7 million per year. Kupp’s deal was initially what Evans and his agent, Deryk Gilmore, were striving to match prior to the start of the regular season. Evans and general manager Jason Licht both indicated they’d like the receiver to stay in Tampa.
“It would mean everything for the franchise, ownership, all of us,” Licht told ESPN of Evans spending his entire career with the Bucs. “Mike and I — our relationship is still the same and has never changed. And we’ve got a mutual understanding of when we’re going to begin talking.”
The season ended for the Bucs in the divisional round of the playoffs Sunday, when Tampa Bay lost 31-23 at the Detroit Lions.
“I’ve been on record saying how much I love this place and how much I want to be here,” Evans said after the game. “Not a lot of guys finish with one team, so that’ll be amazing if I get to do that. But we’ll see. I’m still trying to get over this loss.”
Looking at recent safety deals, Derwin James Jr. is averaging $19 million with the Los Angeles Chargers, Minkah Fitzpatrick $18.25 million with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jessie Bates III $16 million with the Atlanta Falcons. Those are steep prices, but the Bucs’ recent practice of tacking on void years can help spread the cap charge out more. Winfield would be a strong candidate for a franchise tag, which would be $17.22 million for 2024, but that negates the luxury of void years to alleviate the cap burden.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield had a career revival, leading the Bucs (9-8) to an NFC South title and a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round, the second playoff win of his career. While many point to the contract Geno Smith signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2023 as a template for Mayfield, Smith signed that deal at age 32. Mayfield would sign his new deal at 28. Smith’s deal puts him at $25 million per year for three years, but there’s room to command far more at the position for Mayfield, and Smith also has escalators that can push his $75 million deal to $105 million.
Mayfield has said numerous times that he values the Bucs’ organizational stability, and that could be in Tampa Bay’s favor. Bowles has also been on record saying he wants to keep his quarterback in Tampa.
“To get everybody back, there has to be sacrifices made, and this team’s about winning,” Mayfield said. “We have a group full of guys that they were all about that. It’s not about individual guys. It’s not about that. So, that’s what’s made it special.”
And then there’s inside linebacker Lavonte David, the longest-tenured player on the current roster at 12 seasons. There’s a strong desire within the organization to keep him a Buccaneer for life. Despite just turning 34, David registered 86 solo tackles during the regular season — 10th most in the league despite missing two games with a groin injury. He played on a one-year deal worth $4.5 million this season, which is significantly lower than his last contract of two years and $25 million — indicating his willingness to work with the team.
“I’d love to have him back,” Bowles said of David. “He’s one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached. I don’t even look at his age — he plays timeless. He plays timeless football, he plays it the right way, he prepares the right way. He’s the ultimate professional.”
Inside linebacker Devin White, who requested a trade last offseason and instead played under the fifth-year option, saw his value drop considerably with a foot injury and losing his starting job to backup K.J. Britt. Britt doesn’t have White’s speed, but he has shown more discipline to play within the scheme. Though Bowles has a particular fondness for White, the feeling around the team is that a fresh start is needed.
Still, Bowles wasn’t ready to commit to calling Britt a starter for next season.
“It’s too early for that,” Bowles said. “I think he played well. There’s definitely a place for him next year. We’ll probably get into that as we get into the spring, but we like him.”
Kicker Chase McLaughlin will also need to be re-signed. McLaughlin’s 93.3 field goal percentage set a single-season franchise record, topping Connor Barth’s 92.9% mark in 2011. Although McLaughlin had a miss in the divisional playoff game, he went 7 of 8 on kicks from 50 or more yards this season, and those seven makes tied for fifth best in the league. McLaughlin was on a one-year deal worth $1.13 million, which ranked 26th among kickers.
The Bucs will also look to free up salary cap space to account for not only re-signings but also their 2024 draft picks.
Outside linebacker Shaq Barrett acknowledged that despite being under contract through 2024 and restructuring his deal in August, he could be a salary cap casualty. Barrett’s cap number in 2024 will be $14.19 million, and in 2025 it’s $29.43 million, although that is a void year, as are 2026-28.
“It’s a possibility. Like, I’ve been around for a minute, and I know my contract and my production and got some promising young guys — all that can play a factor into it,” Barrett said. “But I would still love to be here. [Our] second home — we love it. My daughter, kids love it down here. So I mean, I understand it’s a business, but after everything happened this year, we’re a family now too and I appreciate them for everything they did. And just riding with me, sticking with me through everything. And I hope it’s not, but I know it is a real possibility, but I hope it’s not.”
Barrett has a $15.04 million option bonus due between the first (March 13) and fifth days of the new league year, and the team would not execute the option bonus if he’s released. The Bucs would need to designate him a post-June 1 release, which would allow them to count only the prorated amount, which would total $9.27 million, against their cap in 2024. They would have a net savings of $4.97 million, but they would also have a dead money cap charge of $17.4 million for 2025.
Among other possible moves, the Bucs could release wide receiver Russell Gage and center Ryan Jensen might retire. Gage, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee prior to the start of the regular season, will count $13.35 million against the cap in 2024.
If the Bucs cut Gage, they’ll incur $6.9 million in dead money, but it would result in a cap savings of $6.45 million. If they declare him a post-June 1 cut, that will save them $10 million, but they also will incur $3.35 in dead money charges. Gage is due a roster bonus on March 18. He already took a pay cut last offseason to remain with the team and his contract automatically voids from 2025 to ’27.
Jensen, who missed the past two seasons with a knee injury, had his deal restructured in August. He is due a roster bonus March 18. The 2025 to ’27 seasons are void years. His cap number is $5.98 million for the upcoming season, and if he were to retire, the Bucs would ultimately have to account for $16.57 million of proration from prior bonuses and restructures.
If he were to retire post-June 1, the Bucs would account for $4.77 million this year instead, and then would have to account for $11.8 million next season.
Source: www.espn.com