Alex Cappa Deal Could Foreshadow Ben Bredeson Contract
March 5th, 2025
Former Bucs guard Alex Cappa lands a new team, contract.
Intriguing news this afternoon on a few fronts.
Tom Brady underboss John Spytek, the Raiders general manager and former Bucs assistant GM, seems to be chasing familiar talent. Per ProFootballTalk.com, the Raiders have agreed to a deal in principle with recently-released Bengals guard Alex Cappa.
The former Buccaneer (2018-2021) was courted by Brady to stay in Tampa but shunned The Goat.
Now, he’ll ink a two-year, $11 million deal when free agency opens next week, per PFT.
Cappa, 30, is very good, not great, and one could put Bucs pending free agent left guard Ben Bredeson in that boat, though he only turned 27 last month.
Might Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht be dangling two-years, $15 million in front of Bredeson with, say, $10 million guaranteed?
That would be a solid price that Joe would consider team-friendly, especially considering Bredeson can play center if needed like he did with the Giants.
The free agency alarm rings (with no snooze button) at noon on Monday.
March 5th, 2025 at 2:07 pm
I’m guessing he can agree to a deal since he was just cut??
March 5th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
I’m not sure about $15mil for Bredeson
March 5th, 2025 at 2:17 pm
I’m not sure Bredeson is worth it. Elijah Klein could be ready to go and he doesn’t cost 7.5 per year. I’d take Bredeson back for 4-5 mil per season. It’s not that he’s a bad player, it’s just that he’s replaceable. Don’t spend money on replaceable guys if you have cheaper solutions staring you in the face. Sua Opeta is also available at a cheap price and he was thought to be about the same as Bredeson when they signed him last year.
Would Hainsey return to compete at LG and be primary backup at center if they offered him the 15 you’re suggesting they pay Bredeson?
March 5th, 2025 at 2:18 pm
Get Ben Bredeson done. Be best option
March 5th, 2025 at 2:19 pm
Am I reading this right, Joe?
Cappa is signing 2 years for $11M
You’re proposing 2 years and $15M for Bredeson? $4M more than Cappa?
PFF Grades
Cappa – 71
Bredeson – 41
I’m not a big PFF guy but Bredeson is a dime a dozen OG. No way he makes more than Cappa.
March 5th, 2025 at 2:26 pm
Cappa, 30, wasn’t good last year (which he why he was released and cleared waivers).
Bredeson, 27, started on one of the best lines in the league. People in the league (including Tristan Wirfs) always preach about consistency with personnel on the offensive line. So … 🤷♂️
March 5th, 2025 at 2:26 pm
Some of you commenters sound like the Bucs had one of the best running attacks and a 40 Passing TD QB in 2024 while Bredeson was laying on his back behind the line of scrimmage.
Former All American and 2x All-Big10 guard at Michigan under Harbaugh and is only 27 years old. Let the kid develop another year or 2 with this current line and you might find him getting a 3rd contract.
March 5th, 2025 at 2:40 pm
Why not draft Greg Zabel he is versatile and would shine right away in this line. This would then be an all- Licht drafted O- line.
March 5th, 2025 at 2:46 pm
@SlyPirate
Sly, take a look at Cappa’s numbers since he went to Cinci, you will be surprised, seems like a fomer player, he can’t block nobody
March 5th, 2025 at 3:01 pm
Keep Bredeson. He is reliable and consistent. He is young and has upside. Don’t mess with what’s working.
March 5th, 2025 at 3:05 pm
Sign Bredeson and Skule.
March 5th, 2025 at 3:18 pm
Don’t get me wrong. I love critical evaluations, especially those with merit.
But some criticisms here are just outright funny.
Brady had Cappa mere feet away from him on every offensive snap on a team that won the Super Bowl. He practiced with Cappa everyday.
Three years later Brady courted Cappa to come to his Raiders. Looks like he succeeded.
So Brady thinks highly of Cappa and you say he sucks.
Tough choice here …
Who are you gonna believe?
March 5th, 2025 at 3:22 pm
SlyPirate Says
“You’re proposing 2 years and $15M for Bredeson? $4M more than Cappa?”
He’s as good or better than Cappa, and he just turned the corner. Age even makes him worth it.
March 5th, 2025 at 3:24 pm
Allbuccedup Says
“Why not draft Greg Zabel he is versatile and would shine right away in this line. This would then be an all- Licht drafted O- line.”
Does it have to be one or the other? Ben, at the very least, can be a good bridge player if we draft a replacement.
March 5th, 2025 at 3:32 pm
@ Sly
I just looked Cappa up on PFF and he was ranked #110 out of 135 OGs graded in 2024 with a 50.5 overall grade.
Ben Bredeson was ranked #93 out of 135 OGs graded in 2024 with a 56.2 overall grade.
So according to PFF – Bredeson > Alex Cappa…
March 5th, 2025 at 3:36 pm
Agree Bredeson 2 year deal you need depth Zabel can play all 5 spots on the o- line.
March 5th, 2025 at 3:42 pm
I wouldn’t mind 3 years for $15 mil. $10 mil guaranteed. From what I’d read about Cappa last year I’m thinking he was overpaid. The Raiders aren’t my idea of a well run team since Al Davis died. Tom has only just got there. He probably remembers Cappa the way he was before he got paid.
March 5th, 2025 at 3:45 pm
Bredeson played more consistently than Goedeke did his first year at G, although to Luke’s defense, he was a T posing as a G. G is definitely not plug and play is the point. This line has chemistry, I can bet you Jason Licht is not looking to re-establishing chemistry and fixing what ain’t broke. Draft depth later in the draft, focus on the D. Sign Bredeson ASAP.
March 5th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
If we can keep what we got on the offensive line I believe it would be nice. Look at what they really went through to get where they were at the end. Good combination of guys in front of Baker and even the best gets put on the ground from time to time, and I think Baker doesn’t mind getting a little dirty lol. Just gotta ask for another couple seconds here and there, but they did pretty good!! Let’s Go Bucs!!!!
March 5th, 2025 at 3:56 pm
Brederson will not be re-signed.
Neither will Hainsey
Neither will Sua.
We will keep Klein and draft an elite guard in round 2.
In the 1st, I hope we get a run stuffing badass to replace Logan Hall.
March 5th, 2025 at 4:08 pm
I would like to see how Alex Cappa’s contract is structured before I make any judgments.
We all know the only thing that really matters is the guaranteed money…
Is it $11M with only $2-3M of guaranteed money?
If so – that is basically a one year deal.
March 5th, 2025 at 4:12 pm
Newman!
March 5th, 2025 at 4:19 pm
Allbuccedup Says:
March 5th, 2025 at 2:40 pm
Why not?
Have you heard that we have a desperate need for defensive help?
That’s why not.
March 5th, 2025 at 4:24 pm
That sounds like too much. I thought he would be signed for a 2 year 8 million 5 guaranteed. At least that’s what I heard on another site’s contract ‘expert’.
March 5th, 2025 at 4:31 pm
This is way too low IMO.
Bredeson’s market might not be so robust, which would benefit Tampa Bay. He ranked 93rd out of 135 eligible guards in 2024 with a 56.2 overall rating from PFF and Spotrac’s market value has him projected to take a pay cut and receive a 1-year, $1.1 million contract in 2025.
March 5th, 2025 at 5:39 pm
For my friends who want a guard in the second round: he would have to be one hell of a guard to make a difference this year. If we don’t shore up our crappy pass defense we won’t win in the playoffs. Some of us are screaming corner. Some OLB. A few say DT. I’m hoping for a beastly ILB. I kinda like the idea of Jihad Campbell. No, I’m not a draftnic. He just sounds right for this basic defensive scheme to me. Even sans him, we need an inside linebacker if we can get a worthy one at 19.
March 5th, 2025 at 5:49 pm
Save the cash for re-signing Luke Goedecke.
Brederson is the poster boy for the TV game show “The Weakest Link”. Sua or Klein may be an upgrade.
Last year and this year are very different situations.
Last year Bucs had to integrate a new rookie Center (who was new to the position) and a Left Guard into a long with two tackles and a right guard with only 1 year experience at their positions into the line. No 👎 one knew the playbook as Bucs had a brand new offensive coordinator and a new rookie RB in Bucky Irving.
This year, our Center has learned the position and the tackles and right guard have 2 years experience at their positions. The playbook is going to be basically the same with a few new tweaks from the Grizz and both Sua and Klein should know the playbook from having a year experience with the team. Granted Sua was in injured so he only got mental reps but if you will recall he was leading Brederson in the left card competition when he got injured last year.
With the salary cap, not every position can be paid like a premium position and Brederson is by far The place where the bucks can upgrade either with Klein, the less expensive FA Sua and/or a mid round draft pick.
Use the money where it is needed. Letting Cappa walk was the right move and letting Brederson walk is also the right move.
March 5th, 2025 at 5:55 pm
Yanno…I wouldn’t mind a receiver at 19.
March 5th, 2025 at 5:58 pm
@Allbuccedup
Why not draft Greg Zabel he is versatile and would shine right away in this line. This would then be an all- Licht drafted O- line.
Draft Buzz has not only their own ranking on Zabel but actually 9 other services rankings for him. 8 of those other 9 rankings have him between rank 27 and rank 44. That would suggest that it is more likely than not that we would have to draft him in the 1st round.
Are you sure you want that as our draft plan?
March 5th, 2025 at 6:05 pm
Todd Bowls: (sic) is Klein ready? Joe gave him a rave writeup in the early offseason. He kinda panned him as not strong enough one late season post. That’s all I’ve got on the guy.
March 5th, 2025 at 6:07 pm
Cappa allowed EIGHT sacks last year, Bredeson, two. Does seem like $7.5 mil/year is a bit high, but what do I know. League has serious math to come to those numbers
March 5th, 2025 at 6:07 pm
Yeah, Joe, I listen. Don’t always agree, but I listen.
March 5th, 2025 at 9:10 pm
Not really panned him but he sure looked little, at least, little compared to the rest of the Bucs’ offensive line.
Yeah, Joe knows what he’s listed. But Joe is going by what he saw in the locker room several times. Doesn’t mean he couldn’t have bulked since January. Cody Mauch did last year.
March 5th, 2025 at 10:09 pm
Big Bred was very solid and he is a grinder. I’m not opposed to an average to above average contract for the man
March 5th, 2025 at 10:57 pm
7.5 per for bredeson? Nah, im out on that. At that point id rather throw Klein into the fire and see what he’s got. 4-5.5 per is the sweet spot for him.
March 5th, 2025 at 11:06 pm
Jere we go again with “Draft Zabel” as a solution.
31 other teams know he can play all 5 positions too.
This is not a gum ball machine.
Drafting an OL would be dumb in the 1st 3 rounds unless we sign about 8 FAs.
March 5th, 2025 at 11:21 pm
Probably the same price. He’s not quite as good as Cappa, but he’s a little bit younger. Definitely an advantage to keeping the starting five together.
March 5th, 2025 at 11:59 pm
I do understand a little about how this stuff works but it sometimes irks me a bit when JAG Cappa who is quite a bit older by NFL standards and frankly not the guy he was, can dictate what we pay our guy Bredeson. Do not overpay Bredeson. We have options I think. Klien, Opeta, even Hainsey if you are tempted to overpay. At least he is a legit backup center.
Go Bucs!
March 6th, 2025 at 10:43 am
They overpaid for Cappa, given his age and recent performance, but that’s the nature of free agency, you usually pay a small premium for getting someone new in the building. Paying Bredeson 15 over two would also be over-paying and given the contracts for Wirfs and Goedeke’s coming contracts, I don’t think they can afford that. I think he’d take something closer to 5 per year if you give him a third year.