Alex Cappa Could Hit Jackpot
March 7th, 2022
Potential winner if Bucs lose.
Next week could be really ugly for the Bucs.
Unless Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht is able to get several guys’ John Hancock’s on a contract before the free agency dinner bell rings a week from Wednesday, the Bucs could be losing a lot of very solid if not excellent starters.
Take Ryan Jensen, for example. Various reports have all sorts of teams ready to make it rain for Jensen. And if that happens it is bad for the Bucs having lost both Ali Marpet to retirement and Jensen potentially to free agency.
Is there is a winner in all of this? Yes, types Nick Shook of NFL.com, there is. He’s pending free agent right guard Alex Cappa. Shook explains quite simply why if Jensen gets paid by another team, Cappa will become a very wealthy young man.
Ali Marpet unexpectedly retired short of 30 years old, and it seems as if Ryan Jensen might be headed elsewhere. The Buccaneers can’t afford to let the entire interior of their offensive line leave in one offseason. Keeping Cappa is a no-brainer, even if there might not be a lot of spice in retaining a solid young guard.
That is a heckuva point by Shook. Surely the Bucs won’t want to lose all three of their interior starters. So Cappa will lock up the lottery if Jensen leaves.
Mark it down: If the Bucs lose Jensen on top of Ali Marpet, you can kiss any hope of Tom Brady returning goodbye.
March 7th, 2022 at 9:04 am
I would make Jensen a priority & Cappa & Lenny next.
March 7th, 2022 at 9:08 am
Of course we went all-in returning all 22 starters last year…..it kept us from negotiating contracts with Cappa, Davis, Whitehead who were in their fourth years……Giving them a nice raise in the last year of their rookie contract allowing them to sign longer term contracts more favorable with the Bucs.
This is also why we are struggling with Godwin…..could have taken care of business with him earlier…
But, we did win a SB & made a run at one last year…..but we paid the price.
March 7th, 2022 at 9:11 am
Let’s hope we don’t lose Jensen!
March 7th, 2022 at 9:13 am
I’d rather go with a backup or draft another guard rather than overpay for Cappa. Honestly, unless you have a transcendent player at a certain position, qb and pass rusher are the only positions that I would overpay for. Licht is as good as it gets at finding offensive line talent in the draft, so I say let him do his thing there and we sign a good free agent corner to hopefully replace Carlton.
March 7th, 2022 at 9:19 am
TBBF … EXCELLENT point. There’s a price to be paid for everything, and we’re now paying it for actions we took in 2020 & 2021. Was it worth it? Of course; we won a Super Bowl & were a contender last season despite a rash of injuries.
Folks can talk about ‘reloading’ versus ‘rebuilding’ til the cows come home, but if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck. Bucs have some MAJOR ‘restructuring’ to do, and when the dust clears this team will look radically different I have a feeling. Whether that’s good or bad is anybody’s guess at this point in the process because there are a thousand variables to contend with.
BUT … JL can’t say that’s he’s having to do it all by himself. He’s got BA AND all of us JBFers to guide him. Poor JL.
March 7th, 2022 at 9:27 am
It’s so weird how guys like cappa come in and play as rookies but people are so fearful for that trend to repeat. The line won’t fall apart if he chases a payday. Same goes for Carlton Davis.
I just don’t understand the fear of roster turnover except quarterback. BA told you the roster will look very different after the season ended.
March 7th, 2022 at 9:28 am
What?
By escaping the Bucs!
The Glazer’s bought the first Super Bowl
and
Rented the second Super Bowl
There is a story here that is not yet known or a story here that can’t be told.
I will however tell you as a Buc fan from the first ever preseason game
That next year will be comfortably back where it has been for most of it’s life.
Rebuilding and unable to rebuild
March 7th, 2022 at 9:38 am
We may be rapidly coming to the point where we will draft the best player available at 27…..
OG, CB, DT, RB, WR, TE, OLB…..all possibilities…..we’ll certainly have a better feel for it after FA.
As far as Cappa…..remember, he rode the bench his first year behind Caleb Benenoch…..
So, we drafted him, developed him, got him a ring and helped make him a valuable commodity……seems like he would like to stay with us….hope so.
March 7th, 2022 at 9:47 am
Cappa isn’t that great.
I get that we are now thin on the OL and it’s tempting to try to keep who you have but there are lots of quality OL in the draft.
Reset the interior OL, find 2 Guards in rounds 1-3, find a CB somewhere in
there and start Hainsey at Center.
DL was the priority until Ali retired.
Still try to get a DT but prioritize the OL.
The DL can be addressed in FA and next years draft and hopefully we’ll have a young OL in place and only be looking at replacing Durable Donnie.
If you’re still worried about luring Brady back you’re just not being realistic.
March 7th, 2022 at 9:56 am
After all this hoopla about players like Davis & Cappa, I’ve decided that NFL teams are dumber than dirt. Bucs drafted them; Bucs trained them; Bucs played them … for 4 measly years. And at the end of it all we get is …
“ImLeavingWithABankrollIfThisWorkRight.”
When I finished Air Force pilot training, my commitment was 5 years. It’s now up to 10 years. Why? Simple economics; it costs an arm and a leg to train pilots to fly fighter aircraft & other types. Some might call it ‘return on investment’. And percentage-wise, most fighter pilots in particular don’t get to fly much after they’ve been in for 10 years. Put another way, it’s a ‘young man’s game’. (Hardly a game however)
Why is it so different with NFL players? That’s a ‘young man’s game’ too. Teams pay them VERY well, even during their first contract years. But teams also pay an arm & a leg for training facilities, coaching staffs & numerous other expenses to train these guys in their chosen profession. The ‘return on investment’ sucks IMO, especially considering that the majority of players don’t really get to start in Year 1.
Could personally see a modification to today’s commitments where a 1st Rounder has a 6-year commitment, a 2nd & 3rd Rounder has a 5 year commitment, and players drafted below that retain the 4-year commitment. All with options to be retained for an additional year at a negotiated value. Just a thought …
March 7th, 2022 at 10:01 am
Need more picks. Lots of depth in rounds 2 and 3. So unless there is someone we absolutely love at #27, maybe JL is considering trading back with Jets, Broncos or Falcons for its two 2nd round picks. Broncos may be looking to move up to get the QB it wants and maybe the Jets would be interested in a third 1st rounder.
March 7th, 2022 at 10:02 am
DooshLaRue … ‘Reset the interior OL, find 2 Guards in rounds 1-3, find a CB somewhere in there and start Hainsey at Center.’
So if I understand this right, this year we’d start Durable Donnie at LT, Wirfs at RT (3rd year), Hainsey at Center (2nd year with minimal snaps), PLUS 2 rookies. And potentially with a pocket passer behind them who’s never taken a live snap either, supported by undetermined RBs & TEs. For some reason I’m skeptical, but I’m having trouble putting my finger on why.
March 7th, 2022 at 10:10 am
Need DE, DT, C/G, CB, TE, RB and WR. RB can wait for day 3. I would like to get a TE in rd 3, but reality is this will get pushed to rd 4/5. That leaves 5 positions for rds 1-5. Need more picks by trading down out of the first rd, resigning our own guys, starting back ups or picking up a less expensive FA.
March 7th, 2022 at 10:15 am
Cappa’s a keeper!….his best days are ahead of him. Pay em.
March 7th, 2022 at 10:16 am
@ DR
You make a very interesting point. I agree – ROI in the NFL is too low…
If you want to get something like this passed through the NFLPA there needs to be a little more juice for the players.
Perhaps – if a team picks up a 5th year option on a player drafted after round 1 – the player is paid equal to the top ten players in that same position. Similar to the franchise tag but not as expensive…
March 7th, 2022 at 10:24 am
Assuming we re-sign Whitehead, Suh or Gholston, Cappa, Stinnie, Bernard and of course Godwin. That means we lose Jensen, Fournette, Gronk, Davis III, McClenden, Suh or Gholston and JPP.
March 7th, 2022 at 10:42 am
Does Marpet affect our ’22 cap?
March 7th, 2022 at 11:04 am
@DR: I’d like to see something put into the CBA where resigning a player a team drafted, or signed as a rook FA, has a different cap impact when resigning him than a different team signing him as a FA.
Kind of a development discount, maybe a 15% cap reduction for the next contract.
March 7th, 2022 at 11:05 am
IMO, Cappa is as solid an interior lineman as anyone in the NFL that is not a Pro Bowler.
Bucs should get him back.
March 7th, 2022 at 11:11 am
This is a reset for the Bucs. I am a big believer in Jason Licht, but this is going to be a two to three year rebuild.
March 7th, 2022 at 11:23 am
Cobraboy … I like it. Accomplishes pretty much the same thing, but would probably be a LOT easier to sell to the NFLPA.
March 7th, 2022 at 1:27 pm
DR,
I think so. Of course I hope we keep Stinnie and only have to start 1 rookie. Guards are easier to replace than Tackles.
March 7th, 2022 at 1:29 pm
It’s a rebuild, you pay the younger guys. Not the guys in their 30s you will be having to turn around and replace again soon. Resign Stinnie and Cappa. Hainsley at center. Suh has gas in the tank if he wants to stick around at a reasonable price as a stop gap cause we cant fill every spot over night but he may be the most reasonably priced with gas still in the tank. JPP is done.
March 7th, 2022 at 5:22 pm
Out of 22 starters, HOW many do you think we have to replace to call it a “rebuild”? Brady, probably Davis and Jensen. JPP may retire, Suh is fading. That’s not even 25%. What’s the average turnover per year?
March 8th, 2022 at 7:05 am
I doubt Cappa get’s top 10 money for a guard in free agency. While he is good, there are too many teams with cap money problems. He’ll settle in around the middle of the road for a starting guard. Bucs should be able to work him in.
As for Jensen, he might be the highest paid center this year, but most likely will be top 5 paid for a center.