The Bucs had a untimely exit from the 2024 postseason as a result of a 23-20 loss to the Commanders within the Wild Card playoffs and are actually firmly within the offseason mode. Over the course of the following a number of months Tampa Bay might want to assess its present roster and see the place and the way it could make enhancements whereas limiting losses in an effort to bolster the workforce for a deeper run within the postseason in 2025.
Normal supervisor Jason Licht and assistant normal supervisor Mike Greenberg could have huge choices to make on some pending free brokers in addition to some potential wage cap casualties.
In a sequence of movies on the PewterReportTV YouTube channel, I plan that can assist you, the Bucs fan, perceive the workforce’s 2025 roster from begin to end. That can embrace a deep dive on the present roster full with roster locks, bubble gamers and pending free brokers.
I’ll stroll you thru attainable wage cap hits, restructures, extensions and re-signings. We’ll go in-depth in how a lot cap room the Bucs can create together with a extra possible situation of how a lot cap house they possible will create.
And ultimately we’ll take a look at potential free agent additions and even potential commerce eventualities that would assist Tampa Bay stage up in 2025.
We’ve already gone over the roster breakdown within the first video on this sequence, so be sure to verify that video out, too.
Video 2: Bucs Wage Cap Strikes
Within the second video on this sequence, we take a look at what wage cap strikes the Bucs could make to create further room to ultimately pursue exterior expertise. We break up these maneuvers into a number of classes.
Veteran Extensions
We go into depth on how re-signing Chris Godwin earlier than his expiring contract voids on February twentieth might assist the Bucs 2025 wage cap state of affairs. We discover what that extension would appear like. Moreover, I suggest that the Bucs assist their cap state of affairs by extending Mike Evans past 2025 with a one-year, $23 million deal.
Restructures
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
There are a number of veterans on the Bucs roster who the workforce might restructure in an effort to create extra room. Whereas the Bucs might save virtually $10 million by restructuring NT Vita Vea, I don’t current it as a chance. Tampa Bay didn’t restructure his deal final 12 months and he’s approaching 30. That indicators that the workforce doesn’t wish to create extra potential lifeless cap when his deal is up following the 2026 season.
We go in-depth on precisely how a lot the workforce might save in the event that they max restructure the next gamers:
Baker Mayfield
Tristan Wirfs
Antoine Winfield Jr.
Chase McLaughlin
Cuts
After a disappointing season from the Bucs’ secondary, two veterans from that group are on the roster bubble and will present the workforce with cap aid if the Bucs have been to chop them. I stroll by how a lot the workforce might save by releasing CB Jamel Dean and S Jordan Whitehead.
2022 Draft Class Restructures
Good drafting results in huge extensions. The Bucs might get monetary savings long-term by extending three proficient members of their 2022 draft class earlier than their contracts are up in 2026. I stroll by hypothetical restructures for CB Zyon McCollum, TE Cade Otton and OT Luke Goedeke. Whereas all three would characterize sizeable multi-year monetary commitments, I present how the fast wage cap influence is minimal.
Potential vs. Probably
Lastly, I take a stab at which strikes the Bucs are extra and fewer more likely to decide to. And I put collectively how a lot whole cap room the workforce can create based mostly on their possible strikes. After creating that room, I pull again within the pending free agent re-signings we mentioned within the first video within the sequence to return to a last exterior free agent cap house quantity.
You possibly can catch all the video, full with color-coded Google Sheets cells right here or by clicking the video beneath.
