Tampa Bay is in a tough place with Tom Brady’s retirement. The Bucs are $55 million over the cap, but the team can free significant space by restructuring or extending several players, including wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, LB Shaquil Barrett, and DT Vita Vea.
The team needs as much space as it can get to make a splash in free agency and avoid a serious decline in 2023.
As much as the Bucs declined from 2021 to 2022, that descent might seem like a blip compared to the one Tampa Bay experiences if it leans on either Kyle Trask or Blaine Gabbert as its QB starter in 2023.
Restructuring or extending contracts would lay the groundwork for the Bucs to make a run at a free-agent QB. Here are potential cut candidates:
Cameron Brate, tight end
Brate was mentioned by Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti as a potential cap casualty, saving Tampa $2 million in cap space. The team drafted two tight ends in 2022 — Cade Otton (106th overall) and Ko Kieft (218th overall) — and may feel inclined to draft Notre Dame standout Michael Mayer this year.
Per Pro Football Focus, Mayer is the top-ranked tight end in the 2023 class and the 17th overall prospect. The website named Jason Witten, the former Cowboys star, as his closest NFL comp.
Tampa Bay has the 19th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Leonard Fournette, running back
Fournette was the Bucs’ leading rusher when they beat the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, but he’s a declining player. Tampa Bay would save $3.5 million in 2023 and $7.1 million for 2024 by designating Fournette a pre-June 1 cut.
The team already has a replacement on its roster in Rachaad White. He finished 2022 with 129 carries for 481 yards and was a reliable receiving target for Brady with 50 receptions for 290 yards. He played just as well as Fournette at a fraction of the cost.
White can carry an increased workload, and the Bucs can land a backup from an impressive running back draft class. Chase Brown (Illinois), Zach Charbonnet (UCLA) and Tyjae Spears (Tulane) will be available in the later rounds.
Donovan Smith, offensive tackle
Smith, one of the weakest links of an underwhelming offensive line, is set to count $17.9 million against the cap in 2023.
If the team cuts Smith, the best course would be to designate him as a post-June 1 cut. That would save the team $15.3 million while adding $2.7 million against the cap in 2025. If Smith’s downward trend continues, keeping him around could be costlier than losing savings in two years.
There are several more affordable options the team could look into via free agency, including Ravens left tackle Ja’Wuan James. A former starter in Miami, James, 30, only played 24 offensive snaps in 2022 after suffering a torn Achilles for a second time. While not a perfect option, it would be one of the only ones that fits Tampa’s budget.
