Early Cuts Coming For The Bucs?
February 12th, 2023
Defensive lineman Will Gholston.
Buccaneers veterans like Lavonte David, Will Gholston, Blaine Gabbert, Logan Ryan and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches, among others, are set to become free agents when the next NFL league year begins on March 15.
However, the Bucs could decide to let those guys know early that they’re done in Tampa. Sometimes clubs will do that to help a beloved veteran get a jump on the free agent market and encourage his agent to work behind the scenes.
Longtime veteran players are not part of the waivers process in the same way. And letting them test the market sooner can be a good thing, and possibly having them wanting to come back on the cheap.
Also, free agents getting deals elsewhere can help a team’s odds of racking up compensatory draft picks. Comp picks are assigned using a very complicated formula, but the more of your teams’ guys sign with a new team — and the more money they command — the better your shot of getting free draft picks.
In theory, Gholston getting the boot soon might help him land a job in a hurry if more than one team is interested, for example.
Joe wonders if the Bucs will clean house early.
February 12th, 2023 at 12:22 am
First pick in 24 and 25 draft
February 12th, 2023 at 12:50 am
I think Will would come back to the Buc’s at a discount. To play one year somewhere else usually isn’t attractive to veterans with tenure. Especially when they have spent their whole career with one team. Gholston has proven to be an important asset to this team, the Buc’s should find him a contract to allow him to retire in Tampa.
February 12th, 2023 at 1:05 am
Always the optimist Destinjohnny. You know that you will be wrong as even if the Bucs are bad they will do something like Houston and Lovey did this season, win a meaningless game which cost them the number one and gave it to the Bears. Kind of like Winston beatting the Saints on the last game of the season on the last play and moving from 5 to 7 in the draft and lost the chance to get Nelson. Bucs ended up with semi bust Vea.
February 12th, 2023 at 3:29 am
I’m proud of you Joe. A whole article about rebuilding this team for 2023 without once mentioning the name Tom Brady. Now that the salary CAP deficit has gotten out of control & we’ve become a #31 NFL power, perhaps there’s hope that we’ll start focusing on solving our problems.
Those problems START with figuring out a way to clear a BUNCH of CAP space. As of this moment, we sit at MINUS $55.7 mil with 49 players under contract PLUS 5 FAs (Brady, LVD, Hicks, Julio & Gholston) whose ‘voided years’ will cost us $52.7 mil in 2023. Of those 49 players however, only 35 by my count were on the team (to include IR) at the end of 2022. Thus the amount we’re currently ‘behind’ ($55.7 mil) is pretty close to the amount we ‘owe’ for voided contracts to FAs ($52.7 mil).
There are a couple of ways that we can substantially reduce that $52.7 mil 2023 impact WITHOUT screwing the 2024 pooch too badly. First, we can slide a lot of Brady’s 2023 cost of $35.1 mil to 2024 because he filed his retirement papers early (before 1 June). Apparently the salary CAP gods allow the Bucs to move some of that forward … pay $10.8 mil in 2023 then the remaining $24.3 mil in 2024. Not great, but it gains us SOME breathing room right now.
Second, we can re-sign any of those other 4 FAs with voided contract years (LVD, Hicks, Julio, Gholston) & rework those voided years. Given our woeful starting point AND their 2022 performance on the field, I wouldn’t have a problem with re-signing LVD, Hicks or Gholston … ASSUMING very team-friendly contracts (like half of what they earned in 2022). Their call at that point.
We’d STILL need to cut more $$$ to ‘balance’ our existing salary CAP but there are a couple of prime candidates under contract to help us do that. One is Ryan Succop. His 2023 CAP hit is $4.5 mil, but his Dead CAP cost if we release him is only $0.8 mil (a savings of $3.7 mil). A second is Cam Brate. His 2023 CAP hit is $5.0 mil, but his Dead CAP if we release him is $3.0 mil (a savings of $2.0 mil). There are a number of other ‘candidates’ to release, but their 2023 CAP hits versus their Dead CAP impact are very close, meaning that we’d save very little by releasing them.
Just those actions right there COULD save us most if not all of that initial $55.7 mil that we need to ‘clear’ just to get to a reasonable starting point for signing FAs & a draft class. We have several high $$$ players who we COULD restructure if we choose to, although that just slides the CAP problems further down the road. Guys like Chris Godwin ($23.8 mil CAP hit) & yes Mike Evans ($23.7 mil CAP hit) are prime candidates for contract restructuring IMO. Hopefully JL doesn’t push any more to the future than we absolutely have to.
Point being: with can clean up this awful 2023 salary CAP mess, but it’ll require some hard decisions. Starting with the 35 players currently under contract who were on the 2022 team, minus 2 (Succop & Brate), plus 3 (LVD, Hicks, Gholston), we’d have 36 players to build around. We’ll probably retain at least 6 from our draft class, bringing us up to 42 under contract. That means adding 11 FAs to get us to a 53-man roster (to hopefully include some of the better FAs from our 2022 team). THAT’S ALL DOABLE, at least as a starting point.
February 12th, 2023 at 4:12 am
OK, I’m officially confused. One article I read yesterday said that we could push a large part of Brady’s $35.1 mil forward to 2024 now that he’s retired. But just read another that says exactly the opposite, that we now have to take the full CAP hit in 2023.
Any idea which one is right Joe?
February 12th, 2023 at 5:28 am
Defense Rules – There’s a simple answer. Many people don’t know/understand the intricacies of the salary cap rules. I’m not the expert, but as I understand it, the Bucs can push some of his salary to next year only if Brady agrees to the restructure.
February 12th, 2023 at 6:15 am
If Brady signs his retirement papers, can his contract still be restructured?
February 12th, 2023 at 7:20 am
Why push his salary down the road we are going to have a bad year anyway take the hit now start fresh in 2024.
February 12th, 2023 at 7:42 am
Allbuccedup … Since we’re $55.7 mil IN THE HOLE as of today, we’ve got to do SOMETHING just to create a reasonable amount of salary CAP space so that we can sign free agents & our draft class.
When we get to the start of the season, supposedly we can’t be in that MINUS status, based on the Top-51 most highly-paid players on our 53-man roster (plus any IRs that we happen to have). We’ve got a huge hole to dig out from, and only so many ways to shovel. I really dislike the thought of shuffling ANY MORE of our salary CAP hits to 2024 or 2025 (or beyond), but the alternative looks like it’d require totally gutting our existing roster. Then we could really kiss team-building goodbye.
February 12th, 2023 at 7:50 am
Yard sale time!
There is not a single player I would not consider trading.
Think NASCAR and getting 4 new tires at a pit spot with 10 laps to go
February 12th, 2023 at 7:55 am
I hate it, hate it, hate it…..but we have to move on from our older players…..we need to let LVD & Gholston walk and let them go early…..and that includes Brate, Bernard, Julio, Hicks & perhaps Ryan.
The only player in this group that will likely get us a comp pick is LVD.
Now if we are unable to sign Dean…..that should certainly qualify us for a pick.
February 12th, 2023 at 7:58 am
Its time for a reset no getting around it
February 12th, 2023 at 8:07 am
I am NOT a communist. I DO support the blend of capitalism and socialism currently employed in the USA.
I concede it’s everybody’s “right” to make as much as they can. I concede that an NFL players career is short. But I also reserve the right to point out “greed”.
One example of that from google…”mercenaries who had allowed greed to overtake their principles”
Gholston has already made 20 MILLION, LVD 30 MILLION if they never play another snap. THEY ARE SET FOR LIFE. At just 3% return those amounts represent 1,000,000 per year in return again if they never suited up for another game.
I get that DW45 will be looking to cash in big time after this season and I respect that. He’s on a rookie deal and the next deal is what will get him SET FOR LIFE! I mean he’s only earned a paltry 7 million.
Bottom line is $$$ should not be as important for these guys as WHERE they play, chances to win etc.
IMHO anybody who walks away from a lowball offer from the Bucs…good effing riddance. “mercenaries who had allowed greed to overtake their principles”
February 12th, 2023 at 8:24 am
We NEED Nacho, he’s not very expensive, and he gets near as many snaps as Vita. Gholston made $4.5 mil, cap hit of 3.5, is COMPETENT, but no sacks. I’m not aware of anyone we’ve got in the pipeline there? We’re already gonna lose Hicks as the other DE. What is an average price for a starting DE? Would be nice if Logan Hall improved heap much in the off-season
February 12th, 2023 at 8:49 am
Hey Joe, I think if a player is cut/released you do not get any supplement draft picks for that player.
February 12th, 2023 at 9:40 am
Why release Gholston?? He is adorable and a solid starter, so we are going to let Hicks, Gholston and David leave and half the secondary?? I don’t buy it
February 12th, 2023 at 9:40 am
Affordable ***** SOB auto correct
February 12th, 2023 at 9:51 am
Brady signing his retirement papers has no effect on the Bucs moving 24 million to 2024 according to profootball talk. However, he would have to sign a 1 year contract with the Bucs for league minimum 1 million in order for the Bucs to do this. No way he signs that contract if he is even thinking about playing next year for anybody but the Bucs. Brees did this for the Saints when he retired.
February 12th, 2023 at 10:25 am
Jason Licht will have to be a miracle worker to get us under the cap without doing any hard to next year, but if I have my way, I prefer just that. Take the heavy cap hits this year in order to make us able to compete next year.
The truth is, we may have to cut or trade some top players in order to do that.
Brady cannot be restructured now…he has signed and turned in his retirement papers. It is now official. Just as well, because restructuring would have placed next year in jeopardy.
Jensen should be hands off. We need him to help the new QB (whoever it is).
Smith still has gas in the tank. I realize he is not popular among some of you, but he protects the QBs blindside…and in 2022 had to do that plus help the inexperienced LG do his job. So his duties were split.
However, with these cap numbers, we may have no choice.
Lavante David is a UFA, and there’s no saving money on his $6,855,000 cap hit…unless we re-sign him and restructure…but that would cause issues down the road. Re-signing him would mean adding to that cap hit. So I’m afraid we might have to let him go…though I suspect Licht is working out a way to re-sign him.
Chris Godwin already carries a $35m Dead cap hit if released. That number goes down to $11.2m IF we do not restructure his contract. If we do restructure, that will push some of it down the road His last 2 years are under $12m total, so there is room to kick the can there. And it wouldn’t hurt 2024 too badly if we do it. Props to Licht on the way that contract is structured.
Mike Evans comes with a $23,698,500 cap hit this year. We could kick the can on him and reduce some of that. He’s got the same sort of contract, and he’s under contract until 2026. His last 2 years are less than $8m, so there is room to shift his salary.
That said, Mike Evans will have no more trade value than he does right now. We could get a first rounder for him, and trading him would remove that $23m from our cap. I have suggested we trade him recently, but I could live with keeping him. I had not realized his contract numbers went down so far in his last 2 years. That said, kicking the can on him is getting pricey.
Shaquil Barrett. I love the guy, and would prefer to keep him. I do not see Bowels agreeing to get rid of him. His dead cap exceeds his cap hit, so releasing him isn’t really an option (thank god), but trading him is. His $21,650,000 cap hit would be saved by trading him. But again, I do not see that happening at all.
Carlton Davis. UFA in 2025. If released in 2023, we save less than $3m. I don’t see that happening. If anything, I see a restructuring, as next year’s (2024) Dead Cap would be less than $4m. So unless they add more years, his $17,833,334 cap hit in 2024 might mean he gets released then.
Donovan Smith. Yes, we can save be releasing him. But really…is it the smart thing to do? The blind side of the QB is him vulnerable side, and Smith may not be at his prime, but he’s better than anyone else at his price range. Unfortunately, I suspect the Smith haters might get their way in 2023, as releasing him saves nearly $10m.
Then again, if restructured, his numbers next year would still be very manageable.
Vea and Jensen are untouchable.
The truth is that Jason Licht cannot nickle-dime the Bucs out of their cap issues. We may have to take a penalty for being over the cap this year, or watch our top players get traded.
February 12th, 2023 at 10:27 am
@Bucs since 76
I don’t think he signs the contract, but I also do not think he will play. I think he’ll want to retire as a Patriot…and maybe, just maybe, the Bucs will let him.
February 12th, 2023 at 11:06 am
Will Gholston is a free agent – so we won’t be cutting him. We just won’t re-sign him…
However – if he comes cheap I would give him one more season. He actually paid pretty well last season and we need D-lineman badly.
February 12th, 2023 at 11:07 am
When you release a player, they don’t count towards your comp picks.
February 12th, 2023 at 11:19 am
@ Bonzai
#1 – Evans is only under contract until after 2023. The last three years of his contract are all “VOID” years. Which means he will be a free agent in 2024 and we still owe him the dead cap space left.
#2 – Same with Godwin. The last 2 years of his deal are both “VOID” years. So he will be a free agent after 2024. 2025 and 2026 are both VOID years.
#3 – Donny Smith – This is a tough decision. Replacing him will be difficult. Keeping him may be worse. I would like to know the extent of his injuries and how badly he was affected by them last year… Only the trainers and coaches really know. If he can heal up and stay healthy he will probably be at least an average LT. I wouldn’t mind seeing if Wirfs can transition to LT and take a look at Goedeke at RT or find a quick fix via free agency.
I agree with the rest of your take
February 12th, 2023 at 12:44 pm
It was clear that this time would come. Pay for the past sins.
This roster will be younger and less experienced. I don’t think that’s bad. The vets did not get the job done last year. That’s a fact.
Untouchables: Jensen. Evans. Godwin. Wirfs. Any other vet, if it’s not favorable, let him go or trade him. David should be willing to stay on a mutually friendly contract. Evans should be willing to restructure. Godwin should be willing to sign a longer deal. Succop, see ya. Hicks, can’t have part timers at full time pay. I think they should keep Gholston. But it has to be team friendly.
A couple years and they can make another run with the cap being better.
February 12th, 2023 at 12:51 pm
Bonzai … It is soooo refreshing to see someone actually seek SOLUTIONS rather than just bitch, bitch, bitch about everything Bucs, especially Todd Bowles. THIS is the hand that he has to play in 2023. It stinks, but THIS is what he inherited. Some extremely tough (and unpopular) decisions ahead, but this is what happens when you paint yourself into a corner.
I agree with Marine Buc that IF we can re-sign Gholston for a significantly lesser salary than what he made in the past, then we should do it. Right NOW our DLine consists of half-time Vea & no-show Hall. That’s it; everyone else is a FA (Hicks, Gholston, RNR, even Senat (who I hope we don’t re-sign).
Do we REALLY want to rebuild our DLine starting with next to nothing? (Only Vea & Hall under contract). And especially at the same time that we’ll be rebuilding our Secondary with next to nothing? (We only have Davis, McCollum & Winfield under contract there). And oh ya, at the same time that we’ll be rebuilding our ILB group from next to nothing? (Only White & Britt under contract there).
This is what ‘screwed the pooch’ looks like. We have to re-sign some of those vets (hopefully for a lot less than they were making) or else we’ll be fielding a whole new defense filled with players who represent a BIG step-down in talent over guys like LVD, Hicks, Gholston, RNR, Nelson, Dean, SMB, Edwards, Ryan & Neal. And those aren’t the kind of players (FAs who we get REAL CHEAP because you can’t afford anyone better) that you BUILD a defense around.
February 12th, 2023 at 1:56 pm
“Comp picks are assinged by a very complicated formula” which involves using the New England Patriots as an exponent.
February 13th, 2023 at 12:15 am
Some of y’all writing novels in these comments
February 14th, 2023 at 12:58 pm
#1-..DON’T SIGN A VETERAN QUARTERBACK , TRADE UP IN 1ST ROUND OF DRAFT & PICK ANTHONY RICHARDSON WITH OUR 1ST PICK..HIRE ERIC BEIENEMY AS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR WHO’S USED TO COACHING A RUNNING QB..KYLE TRASK DESERVES TO START THE REGULAR SEASON UNLESS RICHARDSON EARNS THE JOB IN TRAINING CAMP & PRE-SEASON GAMES..POSSIBLY BRING IN BAKER MAYFIELD ON A CHEAP DEAL( IF YOU MUST HAVE A VETERAN ON THE ROSTER) CUT OR TRADE BLAINE GABBERT, GET LAVANTE DAVID TO TAKE A PAY CUT,OTHERWISE HE’S TRADE-BAIT..I HATE TO LOSE KEY VETERAN PLAYERS BUT WE ARE FINANCIALLY STRAPPED & NEED A YOUTH MOVEMENT ANYWAY..JUST MAKE SURE YOU GET FAIR COMPENSATION FOR THESE VETERAN PLAYERS..MIKE EVANS & CHRIS GODWIN SHOULD REMAIN OUR STARTING RECIEVERS, ANTOINE WINFIELD JR & CARLTON DAVIS III SHOULD REMAIN OUR STARTERS,TRISTEN WIRFS,CADE OTTEN,KO KEIFT,RYAN JENSON, SHAQ MASON,SHAQ BENNETT, LEONARD FORNETTE & HIS ROOKIE BACKUP FROM LAST YEAR SHOULD ALL REMAIN ON THE TEAM..DONOVAN SMITH IS TRADE-BAIT..VEA,NUNEZ-ROCHES,ANTHONY NELSON & CARL NASSAB SHOULD BE KEPT..OTHERWISE MANY OTHERS ON OFFENSE & DEFENSE CAN BE REPLACED..RYAN GRIFFIN CAN BE THE VETERAN 3RD STRING WITHOUT PURSUING BAKER MAYFIELD OR ANY OTHER VETERAN WHO WOULD EXPECT TO START AS FAR AS THAT GOES..QB’S ARE TOO EXPENSIVE…