The Buccaneers can’t part ways with Ryan Jensen and Alex Cappa.
Ryan Jensen and Alex Cappa were two cornerstones on the Buccaneers offensive line last season en route to a Super Bowl win, and both are nearing the end of their current contracts. These are not replaceable players, and the Bucs can’t afford to treat them as such.
As mock drafts continue to pick up speed over the coming days with the 2021 NFL Draft starting this Thursday, Bucs fans will notice that there are plenty of these projections with their team targeting an interior offensive lineman in one of the early rounds. This would be a horrible mistake.
An interior offensive lineman would replace one of two players: Jensen or Cappa. The Bucs don’t need replacements for these players, even if they are cheaper on a rookie contract. They need to find a way to keep both in Tampa after this season ends.
Jensen and Cappa need to stay with the Buccaneers
Jensen is a no-brainer at this point in his career. As a clear All-Pro snub the past few seasons, Jensen and left guard Ali Marpet are in constant competition for the most underrated offensive linemen in the NFL. The Super Bowl win should help with recognition, but both players are indisputably at the top of their positions in the league. That is a player that you pay, especially when you are doing it to protect a 44-year old quarterback that is looking to continue his career.
Letting Jensen walk in free agency for a few million dollars would be a massive mistake by the front office, and Jason Licht needs to find a way to make the money work to keep him for certain.
Alex Cappa may not be as dominant as his teammate to the left, but his past few seasons show a player that is more than capable of starting at guard in the NFL. Along with Marpet and Jensen, Cappa played a prominent role in keeping the Buccaneer IOL one of the best in the NFL, and letting him walk too would also be a questionable decision.
The salary cap space is not infinite, and the Bucs will have to make some tough moves to keep everyone together, but the line is arguably the second most important part of the offense, and letting two great starters walk is not the way to keep the unit on track.
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