Bucs after Dark: Hey Tampa Bay Buccaneers, get the Jets on the phone
By Cory Kinnan
With voids left on their roster to fill and no money to lure players, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should get on the phone with the New York Jets.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still have holes to fill and are officially just about out of cap space, sitting at less than $1.25 million in spending flexibility. The solution is simple: get the New York Jets on the phone and strike a deal with the team that still has $26.5 million in cap space even after signing some of the richest contracts in free agency.
It appears that the Jets are going all in to take advantage of the window before they are forced to pay second-year quarterback. With that being said, the Buccaneers should dangle veteran defensive tackle Gerald McCoy in front of them in order for the Jets to add even more talented to their bolstered roster. The Jets would still have $13.5 million in cap space heading into the draft, and the Buccaneers would clear the $13 million owed to McCoy completely off of their books; a win-win for both teams.
Earlier this week, rumors circulated thanks to NFL Insider that the Buccaneers were interested in Jets 2016 first round pick and former player of current Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, linebacker Darron Lee. Lee has seen himself displaced after the Jets signed C.J. Mosley to the richest contract that a linebacker has ever seen.
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McCoy may not draw anything more than a fourth round pick on the trade block, and it has been rumored that the Jets want a third rounder in return for Lee. With this being the case, could the Buccaneers and Jets arrange a Lee for McCoy swap less than a month before the draft?
The Jets would lose about $11.15 million in cap space in this deal, while eating just $1.325 million in dead capital; a small hit for a rather rich team. On the other hand, the Buccaneers would take on just about $1.8 million, Lee’s base salary, giving them a total relief of $11.2 million on their books.
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If the Buccaneers are serious about pursuing Lee and trading McCoy, then this is a deal that they should pick up the phone and inquire with the Jets about. Even throwing in a late round pick to sweeten the pot and see over $10 million would be a good incentive for the Jets to take McCoy off of the books for Tampa Bay. Paging Jason Licht, get the Jets on the phone.