On Friday the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were gifted the first big win of the offseason when the NFL announced that this year’s salary cap would be set at $255.4 million. It’s a historic increase from last year and created millions of dollars in space for teams ahead of free agency opening in a few weeks.
For the Bucs it means massaging an already stressful situation in which the team needs to find a way to bring back three key free agents as well as making meaningful additions to other areas of the roster.
Antoine Winfield Jr., Baker Mayfield, and Mike Evans are all free agents this March and each of them need to be brought back. They represent the top priorities for Tampa Bay this offseason but not the only ones, as the new space means potentially bringing back Lavonte David and other veterans a lot easier.
5 moves Buccaneers need to make after salary cap increase
Match any free agent offer for Mike Evans
It goes without saying that the Bucs need to find a way to re-sign Mike Evans, but the plot is going to be a little thicker than that. All signs are pointing to Evans hitting the open market and testing free agency, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing for Tampa Bay.
Evans has made it clear he wants to retire with the Buccaneers, but he’s not going to settle for less to do it. Testing free agency will help establish a price range, which could increase the likelihood that he returns next season. Both sides were described as being ‘far apart’ but once Evans hits the market and his value is firmly established the Bucs can work toward matching any offers he gets — which, within reason, should be the outcome.
Tampa Bay had over $10 million in cap space created by the historic league-wide bump, which gives them even more wiggle room to find a way to fit Evans on the books. An increased salary cap will also potentially mean higher offers, but the Bucs are playing on an even playing field even if it’s elevated.
If anything, the Bucs are in a better position than they were last week to pay Evans the big contract he wants, and there are almost no excuses for letting him get away.
Sign a top offensive lineman
If there’s one undeniable area the Buccaneers need to spend significant resources on this offseason, it’s the offensive line.
The unit was once again underwhelming, and it’s clear that improvements will be needed if the offense wants to take things to the next level. For as great as Rachaad White was, his emergence as duel-threat weapon was rooted in how he was unable to get anything going in the run game. That wasn’t exclusive to White, as the lack of offensive line production as cited in arguments concerning bringing in guys like Saquon Barkley or Ezekiel Elliott in the offseason.
Everything outside of Tristan Wirfs should be up for discussion when talking about rebuilding the offensive line, and the increased salary cap gives the Bucs room to shop for some upgrades. Specifically, Tampa Bay could look at interior lineman like Kevin Dotson, Robert Hunt, and Kevin Zeitler as potential free agent targets to go along with anyone who might be drafted or shifted around.
Cody Mauch still deserves a shot, as he showed flashes during his rookie season despite having plenty to work on. That might be where the line is drawn, as the Bucs absolutely need to assess ways to improve upfront especially with the type of money that will be invested in Baker Mayfield.
A perfect combo could be Jason Licht working his draft magic and flexing some free agency muscles to rebuild the offensive line and finally out the offense in a position to carry its weight.
Pay Baker Mayfield
It’s not really a matter of whether or not the Bucs pay Baker Mayfield, it’s how much will bringing him back cost?
With the increased salary cap, Tampa Bay can have some flexibility when it comes to paying him what he’s due after the season he had. The $6 million the team ended up paying for him was arguably the best value in the league and it’s a blueprint that other teams are starting to follow. Denver, for example, is trying to get out from under Russell Wilson’s contract and its willingness to eat tons of dead money and not feel like it will force the team to take a step back is rooted in what Jason Licht pulled off last year with Baker.
Now comes the part where the trial version needs to be properly paid for.
Early speculation had Baker’s contract in the $100 million range, which feels about right even if it doesn’t initially reach that level. Something in the neighborhood of three-years, $75 million feels like a perfect meeting in the middle as Baker will get paid a fat new contract while the Bucs don’t handcuff themselves and prevent other moves from being made.
Baker has already insinuated that he might take less money if it means getting Mike Evans back, but the extra cap space might mean he doesn’t have to comprise as much as before. The bottom line is, much like Evans, the Bucs have zero excuse for not paying Baker fair value but have a little extra wiggle room to make it happen.
Sign a cornerback to challenge Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean
Just because the salary cap went up by $30 million doesn’t mean the Bucs should abandon their careful approach to offseason spending. It does mean the team has room to make at least one big move to try and give the roster a boost, and one area that could happen is at cornerback.
Carlton Davis has already been tabbed as a potential trade candidate, but even if the Bucs keep him they need to find a way to upgrade that position this offseason. Neither Davis or Jamel Dean played like the top corners they’re supposed to be, which means Tampa Bay could look at the free agent market to make a splash and land a big fish.
It’s not that Davis or Dean need to be replaced, as they’re top corners when playing up to expectations. Bringing someone in could help challenge them to recapture their magic and build the room out even better.
L’Jarius Snead is probably out of the question and Jaylon Johnson is probably getting franchise tagged by Chicago, but the Bucs could find some great value in the middle of the cornerback pack. Kendall Fuller would be a nice addition to the room and could challenge both David and Dean as the top cornerback on the team next year. Chidobe Awuzie is also another No. 1 cornerback option the Bucs could chase to spice things up, but the competition for a young impact player will be pretty thick.
Another option could be to find a veteran to be an adult in the room, something that Stephon Gilmore or Steven Nelson could be. This could also be something the Bucs don’t need to overthink, as the mid-tier is full of guys like Adoree’ Jackson, Kenny Moore II, and Keisean Nixon as well a potential reunion with Sean Murphy-Bunting on the table too.
Make Antoine Winfield Jr the highest paid safety in NFL
This one goes without saying, as somehow letting Antoine Winfield get away should result in jobs being lost. He deserves to be paid like the best safety in football because he is the best safety in football, full stop.
Winfield was far and away the most valuable player for the Bucs last year, as he single-handedly changed the outcome of games on more than one occasion. His season started with a huge forced fumble on Kirk Cousins and from there he made plays like stripping Desmond Ridder at the goal line to prevent a touchdown and did the same thing in Week 18 against Carolina.
That last one arguably saved the Bucs season, as it came at a time when the offense was incapable of scoring and a loss would have bounced Tampa Bay out of the playoff picture. Instead the team got in and established momentum that it’s riding into this offseason.
He’s a candidate to get the franchise tag but it shouldn’t come to that thanks to the increased salary cap space. Tagging Winfield would simply be a measure to extend the amount of time the Bucs have to work out a long term deal, but with $45.5 million in cap space Jason Licht has room to work his salary magic and make an already no-brainer deal an even easier decision for all involved.