Every team has to make difficult decisions because of the salary cap, even a team like the Buccaneers.
Over the past season, it has felt like the Buccaneers have limitless money. Some of the roster moves by this front office to keep money on hand have been nothing short of astounding, but there always comes a time where teams have to make the difficult decisions.
The salary cap is expanding in 2022, but that doesn’t mean Tampa has enough money on hand to keep everyone. There are several free agents that should get a major payday from the Bucs, and the team may have no choice but to break the bank to keep such pivotal pieces in place.
There shouldn’t be too much turnover this offseason, but there could still be several players that walk in free agency because the Bucs can’t afford to pay up again.
Casualty #1: Alex Cappa, Guard
Cappa has emerged as one of the better guards in the NFL this season. Cappa has specifically shone in pass blocking sets, and his presence and development on the interior of this line has played a huge role in keeping Tom Brady’s jersey clean this season.
The young guard has all of the talent on the planet, but he is likely going to become very pricey at the end of this season. With the Bucs already paying Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet well and with Ryan Jensen set to get a large contract, Cappa looks like the easiest to replace.
With a ring in hand and a great resume, Cappa should be able to get a great offer from someone else.
Casualty #2: O.J. Howard, TE
Howard was already going to be a long shot to return before the season started, and there likely isn’t a price at this point that would make Howard worth it for the Buccaneers.
Some other team is much more likely to offer Howard a better contract on the hope that he finally lives up to the hype, but there is no way the Buccaneers pay him after his most recent season.
Casualty #3: Jason Pierre-Paul, OLB
At some point, the veterans are going to start getting the axe, and while JPP can hopefully make it through at least a few more seasons, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s presence on the roster makes JPP a more likely casualty than someone like Ndamukong Suh.
One way or another, this loss would hurt, but JTS has been playing well. It would just hurt to lose a player that has done so much for the recent run to the Super Bowl, but JPP does still deserve the money, it just remains to be seen if the Bucs can afford him.
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