Buccaneers free agents: Who does the team need to keep?
By Ian O'Reilly
The Buccaneers have players left to sign, and free agency kicks off next week. Most of the players left were essential to the dominating win over a loaded, if weakened, Kansas City team. Who has to stay?
Free agent Shaquil Barrett had Mahomes on the run, playoff Lenny was running hard, and Rob Gronkowski had two touchdowns in the Super Bowl for the Buccaneers.. Lavonte David and Chris Godwin are locked up (although there is always a very small possibility Godwin is tagged and traded). So with that in mind, who do we need, and who is replaceable?
First up is the most important free agent on the team. Not much to say other than that he was the leading scorer on the team. Succop was a 90% field goal kicker, which is about as good as you can ask for. The Bucs have had heartbreakingly bad kicking since Martin Gramatica well over a decade ago.
Unlikely to be replaceable in free agency, and proved he’s worth keeping around next season.
Need: 9/10
Gronk is slower, less comfortable with the system, and just doesn’t have the same power and flair he did in his younger days. This of course makes him about the 3rd to 4th best TE in the league at this point. The man is a monster. He’s a lineman that inexplicably can route run and catch at an extremely high level. He’s complete in a way only George Kittle currently surpasses. With OJ Howard back next year, look for the nastiest 2 tight end sets in the league.
Absolutely irreplaceable in free agency or the draft. He won’t play without Brady, so he’ll probably be willing to play laughably lower than his true value.
Need: 9/10
There’s no doubt that he isn’t the player he once was, (that’s probably for the best in some ways) but Suh can still get it done. He, Gholston, and Vea are 900 plus pounds of immovable defensive line. He has been a big part of the run defense and flashed in obvious passing downs.
The reality is, Suh being on the Bucs next year will have more to do with what he’s willing to take than anything else. If he’s willing to take a pay cut, probably in the order of 4 to 5 million, the staff will bring him back. Gerald McCoy on a cheaper deal might be breathing down his neck too.
Need: 6/10
Shaquil Barrett
Barrett is by far the hardest to make a decision on. He’s been one of the better pass rushers in the league statistically over the last 2 seasons, and by the eye test, he is clearly a great player. The question boils down to two things. 1: How much of his success came against backup and low-end tackles? 2: How much of his success can be attributed to players around him?
Barrett feasted against the tackles of the Chiefs and Packers, but against even slightly above average tackles, he tends to disappear for long stretches in games.
With a massive contract coming, it’s a question of if he is replaceable. There will be a lot of top-end pass rushers hitting the market because of the cap hell teams are about to be in. Players like Von Miller, Bud Dupree, Carl Lawson, and others could be options.
Another direction would be adding a higher-end 3-4/ 4-3 defensive end. The Bucs would be losing some of the versatility, but honestly probably gain strength in the four down lineman packages. The Bucs could have Anthony Nelson, Cam Gill, and possibly a high draft pick fight for that OLB style edge in our 5 down lineman packages.
Hard to replace in the draft, but possible in free agency.
Need: 7.5/10
Players the Buccaneers need less
Playoff Lenny ran hard and was a large portion of our offense in the postseason. The man had 448 all-purpose yards in the postseason, that’s gotta be someone we bring back right? The argument to the contrary would be that when Fournette ran well, it had much more to do with the men up front.
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The Bucs dominated the trenches in the second half of the season and it showed. The biggest issue is Fournette’s hands. The number of drops and bobbles (see the called back pick in the Superbowl) were painful to watch out of what was often the Bucs third-down back.
Running backs have also been a dime a dozen. Almost every major running back contract has come back to haunt the teams that gave them out. Players like Najee Harris, Travis Etienne early in the draft, and Demetric Felton or Kenneth Gainwell who are great receivers later in it make it extremely easy to move on. Add in James White, who Brady loves, in free agency, and it seems unlikely Fournette would be willing to take the honestly insultingly-low deal the Bucs would send him.
Need: 2/10
He’s not a likable player and has an extremely checkered past. That’s not a fair way to judge his usefulness to the team though. The man is an absurd talent, and with a full off-season under his belt, will probably be closer to the level he was at in his last years in Pittsburgh. Brady likes him, and he’s been a good soldier.
If Brown is willing to take a deal in the 3-6 million dollar range, it makes sense to re-sign him. He’s just that good. Tampa isn’t going to find someone with his talent in the draft or on the market. With Godwin back, Miller and Johnson in the wings, and likely two top-10 tight ends, it isn’t a NEED as much as a little cherry on top.
Need: 3/10
All in all, if the Bucs can keep 3 of the 5 players and can find similar value for the others, this team is ready to try and defend the title. Fire those cannons baby!
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