Welcome to SR’s Fab 5 – my weekly insider column on the Bucs that features five things that are on my mind. SR’s Fab 5 is now a quicker read, but still packs a punch. Enjoy!

FAB 1. Bucs’ Draft Success Leads To A Reasonable Roster From A Cap Standpoint

As Bucs general manager Jason Licht once told me “It pays to draft well – because if you don’t, you’ll be overpaying in free agency to fill the holes on the players you miss on in the draft.”

He’s right. And drafting the right rookies is quite beneficial for salary cap reasons.

Yes, the Bucs won Super Bowl LV with a $25 million quarterback Tom Brady and multi-millionaire players like Shaq Barrett, Mike Evans, Ali Marpet, Ryan Jensen and Lavonte David. But Tampa Bay also won a championship with rookies like Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tristan Wirfs in 2020, and had a slew of contributing Buccaneers who were still on their rookie contracts like Vita Vea, Jordan Whitehead, Chris Godwin, Carlton Davis III, Jamel Dean and Devin White, among others.

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield, Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

With more continuity in Licht’s personnel and scouting staff, the better the Bucs seem to draft. After a lackluster 2021 draft following the Super Bowl, Tampa Bay has really had what appears to be three super drafts in a row from 2022-24.

The Bucs have five players from the 2022 draft class slated to start this year in right tackle Luke Goedeke, running back Rachaad White, tight end Cade Otton, punter Jake Camarda and cornerback Zyon McCollum. That number is six when defensive tackle Logan Hall is on the field in Todd Bowles’ 3-4 defense. Last year’s draft class produced defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, right guard Cody Mauch, outside linebacker YaYa Diaby along with Trey Palmer, who was last year’s WR3.

That’s 10 starting-caliber players out of two draft classes. Graham Barton will certainly start this year at either center or guard, and there’s a good chance that outside linebacker Chris Braswell could emerge as a starting outside linebacker and Tykee Smith could claim the nickeback job as a rookie. So there’s three more potential starters from this year’s draft class.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and assistant GM Mike Greenberg – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

For head coach Todd Bowles and Licht, this is cheap, quality talent to work with and develop and win with for several years. For assistant general manager Mike Greenberg, the team’s capologist, it’s not having to worry about some potential pricy contract extensions for a few years.

With free agency, teams have to typically pay top dollar for talent immediately, and sometimes it doesn’t work out because the players aren’t homegrown and fit in the offensive or defensive systems the way they were projected to.

Even though Licht and Greenberg have done a really good job of finding some one-year prove-it deal bargains in the past like outside linebacker Shaq Barrett and quarterback Baker Mayfield, after those players proved their worth the price tag went sky high the next year. Rookie deals afford the team four years of relatively cheap labor before the big-money extensions come around.

So let’s take a look at some of the Bucs’ best bargains right now – players who are really outperforming their rookie deals right now.

FAB 2. The Bucs’ Best Bargains In 2024

This year’s Bucs draft class has yet to prove itself or even suit up for the first preseason game. So we’ll exclude them from this list of Bucs’ Best Bargains.

OLB YaYa Diaby

Bucs OLB YaYa Diaby and 49ers QB Brock Purdy – Photo by: USA Today

Diaby, the team’s third-round pick last year, will have a base salary of $998,428 this year and an extremely favorable salary cap hit of $1,242,139. The team’s leading sacker last year with 7.5, Diaby ranks No. 27 in terms of the highest-paid Bucs on the team – just behind reserve offensive tackle Justin Skule.

Just based on last year, Diaby could command $12 million or more if he were to hit free agency. If Diaby becomes a double-digit sacker and eventually reaches a Pro Bowl level, that number could shoot up to $20 million pretty quickly.

RT Luke Goedeke

There are 15 right tackles in the league who make $10 million or more per year. So Goedeke, who could be among the Top 15 right tackles in the league, is a steal making $1,266,726 in base salary with a $1,685,178 salary cap value in 2024.

Goedeke won’t truly cash in the way Tristan Wirfs will in free agency unless he reaches a Pro Bowl level. But Demar Dotson was a steady right tackle in Tampa Bay for 10 years and he never sniffed a Pro Bowl. If Goedeke can just become that caliber of a player for the Bucs, the franchise should be happy when it comes time to negotiate his next contract. If he becomes more, even better.

CB Zyon McCollum

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III and DB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: USA Today

Although he was CB3 on the depth chart last year, McCollum actually logged more playing time than either Carlton Davis III or Jamel Dean last year because he was constantly filling in for one of those oft-injured starters. McCollum is the best athlete on the team and one of the fastest cornerbacks in the league. One of the reasons why the Bucs moved on from Davis was to create a starting opportunity for McCollum, who was arguably the best cover cornerback in Tampa Bay last year.

There are 17 cornerbacks making at least $10 million per year, with three at $20 million or more. Dean is among those at $13 million per year, and Davis was too at $14.833 million last year. Teams like the Bucs that have good starting cornerbacks still on their rookie deals are fortunate. McCollum has a $985,000 base salary and a very modest $1,065,433 cap hit in 2024.

RB Rachaad White

White became a real weapon in his first season as a starter in Tampa Bay last year. He came heartbreakingly close to hitting 1,000 yards rushing last year, finishing the year with 990 yards and six rushing touchdowns. But he added immense value as a receiver out of the backfield, catching 64 passes for 549 yards and three touchdowns.

There has been a resurgence in the running back market, which could help White when it comes time to negotiate his next deal if he can maintain being a 1,500-yard all-purpose back. But with a $1,171,364 base salary and a $1,399,091 cap value this year, he’s incredibly affordable for the next two seasons.

RG Cody Mauch

Bucs RG Cody Mauch RT Luke Goedeke and Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

NFL guards have seen a huge uptick in salary when it comes to getting paid in free agency. There are now 18 guards making $10 million or more per season, including four making $20 million or more. Carolina just signed two guards in free agency – Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis – and paid them a king’s ransom. Hunt makes an average of $20 million per year, while Lewis makes an average of $13.25 million per year.

That makes Mauch’s $1,090,249 salary extremely affordable. His cap hit of $1,701,243 is a sliver of what Carolina’s guards make and there’s plenty of upside to Tampa Bay’s athletic guard, who should make a huge leap between his rookie season and his second year in the NFL.

TE Cade Otton

There is some debate as to whether Otton is truly a starting-caliber tight end or ideally a No. 2 tight end. But he raised some eyebrows in the postseason as he led Tampa Bay with 13 catches for 154 yards (11.8 avg.) and one touchdown. He had a career-high eight receptions for 89 yards against Philadelphia and scored his TD the next week at Detroit, showing he could finally be emerging as a real receiving threat.

With the Bucs only adding a tight end in the seventh round this offseason, Otton will be the starter once again. And with a $985,000 base salary, he’ll be one of the cheapest starters at the position in the league. Otton’s cap hit in 2024 is only $1,193,485 and he is the 77th highest-paid tight end in the league.

DT Calijah Kancey

No market has exploded the way the defensive tackle market has over the last couple of seasons. Chiefs Pro Bowler Chris Jones just signed a deal that pays him an average of $31.75 million, which was slightly more than Aaron Donald was making. There are currently 12 defensive tackles that make $20 million or more.

That makes Calijah Kancey, last year’s first-round pick, an absolute bargain at $3,293,971. The Bucs will have Kancey on this contract for the next three years – possibly four if Tampa Bay uses the fifth-year option on him. The athletic pass rusher has the ability to become a double-digit sacker and ultimately a Pro Bowler after a rookie year in which he had four sacks during the season and 1.5 sacks in the playoffs.

FAB 3. Although Higher Paid, Bucs Have Bargains In Lavonte David And Vita Vea

It’s possible for a team to have some bargains on its roster who aren’t on their rookie deals. The Bucs have a pair in linebacker Lavonte David and defensive tackle Vita Vea.

Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

David turned 34 in January and is still going strong as one of Tampa Bay’s best defenders and one of the league’s best linebackers. He has a $4 million base salary and an $8.5 million cap hit this year. That makes David the 14th highest-paid linebacker in the league, which is still quite a bargain considering that he had a much better season than some of his overpaid counterparts in 2023.

Bears LB Tremaine Edmunds – 56.6 PFF grade – $18 million
Bills LB Matt Milano – 70.9 PFF grade – $14.165 million
Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair – 64.7 PFF grade – $11.333 million
Colts LB Zaire Franklin – 60.9 PFF grade – $10.42 million
Bengals LB Logan Wilson – 62.6 PFF grade – $9 million
Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks – 57.3 PFF grade – $8.75 million

While David’s Pro Football Focus grade might have dipped from 85.1 in 2022 to 72.3 last year, he still had a better grade than several linebackers who have higher cap values in 2024.

When it comes to Vea, how in the world is one of the most expensive Buccaneers also one of the best values? Because Vea is the league’s 15th highest-paid defensive tackle in the league with an average of $17.75 million. And the 29-year old Vea has three more years left on his deal. He’s signed through the 2026 season, when he’ll be 31. It was a stroke of genius from Jason Licht and Mike Greenberg to extend Vea’s contract when they did – which was a year prior to his fifth-year option.

Bucs NT Vita Vea and Eagles C Jason Kelce – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The defensive tackle market has exploded over the last two years in free agency, so the Bucs signed Vea to a lucrative extension at the right time before that happened. Kansas City’s Chris Jones is the highest paid defensive tackle, averaging $31.75 million per season with $95 million in total guaranteed money. By comparison, Vea was given just $40,596,440 in guaranteed money years ago.

Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who is coming off an 8.5-sack season, just signed a four-year extension worth $84 million that will pay him an average of $21 million per season. Barmore becomes the 13th highest-paid defensive tackle – two spots ahead of Vea.

In the NFC South, Carolina gave Derrick Brown a four-year extension this offseason worth $96 million. Brown is now the fifth-highest paid defensive tackle, averaging $24 million per season with $63.165 million in guaranteed money.

While Brown is a tremendous run-stuffer, he has just eight career sacks in four seasons, including just two last year. By comparison, Vea is a much better value because he can stuff the run and he has proven to be a better pass rusher. Vea also comes about $6 million cheaper, too.

FAB 4. Baker Mayfield Is Also A Relative Bargain

The Bucs gave Baker Mayfield a one-year, $4 million prove-it deal last year in free agency, and man, did he prove it. After leading the Bucs to a third-straight NFC South title and a playoff win over the Eagles, the Bucs re-signed Mayfield to a three-year deal worth $100 million, including $50 million in guaranteed money.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield at the Pro Bowl – Photo by: USA Today

Mayfield is the 16th-highest paid quarterback in the league, which seems fair given the ups and downs of his six-year NFL career. But if the former No. 1 overall pick in 2018 has arrived as a Pro Bowl-level passer, as he was last season with over 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns, his contract will be a steal for the Bucs over the next three years.

Mayfield makes an average of $33.333 million, which is a bargain considering that Giants quarterback Daniel Jones makes $40 million per year, and Browns QB Deshaun Watson is grossly overpaid at $46 million per year. It’s also worth noting that despite winning the division and not only making the Pro Bowl, but coming away with Pro Bowl MVP honors, Mayfield is only the third-highest paid QB in the NFC South.

Saints quarterback Derek Carr is the 15th highest-paid signal caller in the league, making $37.5 million per year. That’s just $4.1 million more than Mayfield despite the fact that Carr has yet to win a playoff game in his career. Meanwhile, Mayfield has a pair of postseason victories.

Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins, who turns 36 this year and is coming off a torn Achilles tendon, makes an average of $45 million per year as the highest-paid QB in the NFC South. Cousins signed a $180 million deal with $90 million in fully guaranteed money. That’s a little rich for a guy with a 1-3 record in the playoffs.

Mayfield and Carr split their series last year, and it will be interesting to see how Mayfield fares against Cousins in a pair of early season games this season.

FAB 5. Is Antoine Winfield Jr. Worth The Money?

The Bucs made Antoine Winfield Jr. not only the highest-paid safety in the NFL this offseason, but also the highest-paid defensive back in the league. Next week, Winfield will sign a four-year, $84.1 million contract that averages out to $21.025 million per season.

Bucs FS Antoine WInfield Jr. and Falcons QB Desmond Ridder – Photo by: USA Today

That eclipses the contract of Green Bay cornerback Jaire Alexander, who makes an average of $21 million per year. And it pays Winfield more than Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James, who makes $19 million per year.

Is a safety really worth over $21 million per year? Atlanta’s Pro Bowl free safety Jessie Bates makes just over $16 million per year, which is far cheaper than Winfield, and Bates is a damn good player.

But Winfield isn’t just a safety.

He’s a playmaker – and $21.025 million is playmaker money. So that’s why he’s worth being the highest-paid defensive back in league history.

Nobody filled out the stat sheet like Winfield did last year with 122 tackles, six tackles for loss, 12 pass breakups, three interceptions, six sacks, four fumble recoveries and an NFL-high six forced fumbles. There wasn’t a single defensive player in the league last year – at any position – who put up the numbers across multiple stat columns the way Winfield did. The only things Winfield didn’t do last year was score a defensive touchdown or a safety.

Matching that type of production in 2024 will be a Herculean feat. Winfield has shown what he’s capable of, but even a less spectacular season that includes just 100 tackles, six pass breakups, a pair of interceptions, three sacks, three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries would be Pro Bowl-worthy.

Winfield certainly isn’t a bargain for the Bucs.

Actually, his level of production is priceless.