ESPN is reporting that Bucs Center Ryan Jensen will be generating a lot of interest among other teams when Free Agency opens on Wednesday, March 16. Dan Graziano reports that Jensen will see interest from the Jets, Bengals, Steelers, and Ravens. In the same article, Jeremy Fowler gives context on how involved Tampa Bay will be to keep Jensen in house.

Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds reported that the Bucs will make a strong run at keeping Jensen in Friday’s SR’s Fab 5. Fowler suggests that Jensen’s price tag may go as high as $15 million with the Bucs not balking at the number.

Jensen, who turns 31 in May, is fresh off his first Pro Bowl season. He’s been a stalwart on the Bucs offensive line since signing a four-year, $42 million contract in 2018. That contract made Jensen the highest-paid center in the league at the time. Since then, Jensen’s average cap value has since fallen to fifth in the league at $10.5 million.

If Fowler’s $15 million price tag is right, it would once again make Jensen the highest paid center. And it would be by more than $1.5 million per year. Detroit’s Frank Ragnow is the highest paid at $13.5 million per season.

Jensen is considered one of the best centers in the game. And it’s his attitude and physical play that sets him apart. He is seen as a someone who can transform the demeanor of an entire unit for the better. Jensen has shown himself to be quite the iron-man. He did not miss a single start over his four years in Tampa Bay.

Given his level of play, his locker room presence, and his track record for staying healthy, it’s easy to see why Jensen is generating so much interest. And why it will take a lot for the Bucs to keep him.