Donovan Smith making a compelling case to return in 2021

Does the upside outweigh the price tag?

In short, the Buccaneers have to ask themselves the following question before the next season, does Donovan Smith’s potential to replicate games like the one against Washington outweigh $14,250,000 in a single season?

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If Smith can show that same level of play against the rest of the teams during the Buccaneers’ time in the playoffs, that answer is yes.

A price tag like the one above is nothing to brush off, especially when considering the inconsistent level of play during Smith’s current contract. Improvements have been made, but they haven’t been as quick as they should be for a player of this price.

Unfortunately for those who are ready for the Buccaneers to move on, a performance like the one against the Washington Football Team is as good as any left tackle in the league could’ve given. Smith has been one of the highest-paid left tackles in the NFL for quite some time now, and it’s about time that he starts to play up to that level.

These may be many “ifs,” but the Bucs need to have the best offensive line possible to protect Brady, and Smith could easily outperform any of the future rookies at his current pace. The next few games will be extremely telling as to what the Buccaneers may do, but the future for Donovan Smith may not be as set in stone as some would choose to believe.

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