Buccaneers: Making the right decision on Ndamukong Suh

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to make an important decision on Ndamukong Suh. What should the organization do with the DT?

Ndamukong Suh had a productive and successful season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but his one-year contract has come to a close and the organization must decide what to do with him.

Suh will be one of the biggest names at the defensive tackle position during free-agency, but the Buccaneers have other priorities and issues with the roster that need to be addressed that could leave them with no choice but to part ways with Suh.

At this point, the ‘right decision’ for the Buccaneers when it comes to Suh lies, at least partially, in his court.

To Pay or Not To Pay?

The real question here is whether or not the Buccaneers should pay Suh or part ways. The truth is, this should depend on Suh.

Suh’s one-year contract with the Buccaneers in 2019 was for $9.25 million plus incentives, but the truth is that the franchise is not likely to want to give him the same ‘per year’ money this time around. That’s all just speculation, of course, but when you look at the other free agents and holes in the roster, Suh’s production doesn’t necessarily justify a contract of nearly $10 million per year.

However, if he were to take a pay cut of some kind (as he has every year since signing these one-year contracts), the Buccaneers may oblige and keep him on the roster for a longer length of time.

As we said earlier, though, all of that has to do with Suh. If he’s wanting the money, there may be some organizations in position to offer him $9 million for another year. On the other hand, his market value may have dwindled a bit since last offseason with him being a year older and advanced metrics showing a decline in his production.

There’s no question that the Buccaneers would love to keep Suh, but the organization has to be wise when it comes to the cost.

The front-office needs to look at that salary cap space and make decisions based on needs this year and for the future. Perhaps with the $92 million in cap space, the organization could afford to bring Suh back for another season on a one-year deal, but that also remains to be seen depending on how much shopping Tampa Bay does in free agency.

No matter what the decision needs to be- and there’s certainly arguments for both sides- Tampa Bay has to make the right choice when it comes time. If Ndamukong Suh outprices what they feel is a reasonable offer, they have to be willing to move on. That’s the key to making smart front-office moves and winning during the free agency period.