The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to overhaul their defensive line, cutting defensive end Robert Ayers and signing former Eagles defensive end Vinny Curry.
The moves keep coming for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Field Yates of ESPN announced that defensive end Robert Ayers was informed of his release two years after joining the Buccaneers;
Source: the Bucs have released veteran DE Robert Ayers.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 17, 2018
The Buccaneers save $6 million dollars by releasing Ayers today before his $1 million dollar bonus kicked in tomorrow. Given how thin the Bucs were at defensive end, it seemed puzzling. That is until Jenna Laine dropped this news just moments later;
Source tells me Vinny Curry is heading to the Bucs on a three-year deal for up to $27 million with $11.5 million injury guarantee. https://t.co/urIDc8kzra
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) March 17, 2018
Vinny Curry was a target for the Buccaneers to help boost their pass rush from the minute he was released by the Philadelphia Eagles. Curry has 22 career sacks, but only had three last season. His career high was nine back in 2014.
Although fans are excited for the move, it seems like a lot of money to allocate for someone who averages 3.67 sacks per season. We aren’t sure how much of the $27 million dollar deal is guaranteed outside of the $11.5 injury guarantee. More details will be posted once they become known.
As Adam Caplann pointed out, Curry’s best season as far as sack production was when he was lining up in a 3-4 scheme, but like the signings of Beau Allen and Mitch Unrein, Curry is a top tier run stopper – keeping with the theme of the off-season thus far.
The Buccaneers can still free up a little more money and add to the secondary if they feel like there is a good fit out there. E.J. Gaines is a long shot given how much he will likely make, but the Buccaneers could swoop in and give Bashaud Breeland a one or two year deal, stealing away the Panthers’ top off-season target after he failed a physical with them.
Next: Buccaneers 2018 Free Agency Tracker
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