Why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Must Target Muhammad Wilkerson in Free Agency
Muhammad Wilkerson will be one of the big-ticket players available when free agency opens. The Buccaneers are in dire need of a pass rusher, and Wilkerson would be the perfect fit.
Muhammad Wilkerson has finished his rookie contract in New York, posting a career-high 12 sacks. He has improved every season, and is widely recognized as a top defensive end not named J.J. Watt. He was looking for a new contract prior to the 2015 season, and even held out of early OTA’s, but a deal was not to be had. Like a trooper, Wilkerson attended all mandatory practices and played out his contract.
Coincidentally, the Buccaneers will be in the market for an edge pass rusher. The Bucs’ top sack man in 2015 Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy with 8.5, followed by Jacquies Smith with seven. The last time Tampa boasted a double-digit sack performer was in 2005, when Simeon Rice posted 14. They need a guy that can consistently get to the quarterback.
They just may get their shot with Wilkerson, and they should absolutely take it.
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First of all, they are going to have the money to do it. According to Over the Cap, the Bucs will have over $50 million for Jason Licht to work with. The greatest element to the NFL is parity, and that every team can be competitive every year. The biggest reason for that is free agency. Salary cap room is of the utmost importance in the offseason, to have any chance to improve your team. Ask the Jets what it is like to get out from under salary cap problems. John Idzik had to take two years to dig them out, or they would have had no chance to improve the way they did in 2015.
6-10 is last year. With money, that can change very quickly.
With all of his production, there is a decent chance that Wilkerson will hit the market. The Jets did draft Leonard Williams, who performed brilliantly as a rookie. They do sport Damon Harrison and Sheldon Richardson along their defensive line to go with Williams. If they don’t open their checkbooks, the Jets have the talent on the roster to let Wilkerson walk.
They also didn’t resign him before the 2015 season. Wilkerson was open to it, and despite what he said publicly, was unhappy about it. Skipping OTA’s was a clear indication. It’s also atypical to allow a star player to run out his contract if the plan is to keep him on the team. The theory is that if the player hits the open market, another franchise will have the opportunity to blow him away with a lot of money.
Are the Jets planning to give him the franchise tag, keep him, trade him, or let him walk? All still remain possibilities.
They say players are not supposed to lose their jobs due to injuries, but that just might happen with Muhammad Wilkerson. Week 17 against the Bills, Wilkerson suffered a fairly serious broken leg. The word is that he will make a complete recovery, but it wouldn’t be the first time the Jets let a player walk after suffering an injury. Fan favorite Leon Washington suffered a broken leg during the 2009 season, and was allowed to leave following that season. So, although the regime is different, the precedent is still there.
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Finally, it wouldn’t be the first time that the Buccaneers have paid heavily to acquire a member of the New York Jets. Fans remember, and some are still upset by, the one and done season of Darrelle Revis. They mortgaged draft picks and a lot of money to bring him in. Before that, they took on the load of Keyshawn Johnson. So the Bucs have done business with New York before.
If Wilkerson does hit the open market, the Bucs would be well served to take a long hard look.