The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are doing their best to build a winning roster for the next two years, and these free agents are unlikely to return in 2021.
The free-agent market is always a fickle thing in the NFL. It’s easy to want to keep a roster intact after moments of greatness at various points during a season. Still, the Buccaneers are going to have to make some difficult decisions during the upcoming period.
Tampa Bay has some great individual pieces on their roster, but the end goal is to have the best team for the lowest price, and the Bucs will have to make some cuts to achieve this goal.
LeSean McCoy is the first free agent that has almost no chance of remaining in Tampa Bay. His production has been abysmal during the season, and the Buccaneers do not need a veteran who can’t produce in a limited role.
Shady was an exciting option at the start of the season, but he has consistently been one of the offense’s weakest performers. The veteran running back’s plays are lackluster, the pass-catching is below average, and McCoy has become a liability in some areas at this point in his career.
Even if the Buccaneers don’t keep players like Leonard Fournette, signing McCoy back to another deal when it is clear that there is no chemistry with Tom Brady would make very little sense.