Gerald McCoy to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019
By Cory Kinnan
With the rumors swirling that Gerald McCoy parting from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the defensive tackle received a bode of confidence from about his future.
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times has published an article that would seem to point to the nine-year veteran Gerald McCoy returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his tenth season. In his article, Stroud writes that Bruce Arians and his staff have watched film on McCoy and think that the veteran defensive lineman will “be a good fit in the 3-4 scheme under defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.”
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This is big news for Buccaneers fans everywhere as rumors had been swirling that McCoy and his $13 million contract would become a casualty of the cap in order to give Jason Licht more spending freedom this offseason. The 31-year-old and former first round pick of the Bucs is a team captain and fan favorite, and despite his heavy cap weight, the six-time Pro Bowler is worth every penny with his contributions on the field as well as in the community.
Throughout his career with in Tampa Bay, McCoy has recorded 54.5 career sacks and 79 tackles for loss, and has seen a only a small dip in his production over the past two years since entering his 30s. In just 14 games last season, McCoy was still able to record six sacks, and recorded 21 quarterback hits, the second highest in his career; McCoy has proven that he still has much in the tank.
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This evident decision to keep McCoy likely means cuts elsewhere along the defensive line, so be on the lookout for Beau Allen and Mitch Unrein to pack their backs and move on from the Buccaneers this offseason. Offensive players Desean Jackson and Cameron Brate are also possible names that could be on the move in order to clear cap space as well. But good news in Tampa Bay as it appears that McCoy is not going anywhere.