Over the past few weeks I’ve been asked about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ current salary cap situation, so as the Franchise Tag period begins, I figured it would be good to explain the reality of what some of the numbers that you’re reading really mean.

I’ll keep this one pretty simple, so let’s go into the big question: How much cap space do the Bucs have?

Base Salary Cap: $168,000,000

The math on the big number is pretty easy to figure out. To get cap space we start off with each team’s current salary cap, subtract it by the active cap spending, then also subtract the dead money. Before that, to get the team’s salary cap, we take the current base salary cap plus any carry over then plus or minus any kind of adjustments.

So, as it stands right now, the Buccaneers have the fourth-most cap space in the NFL at $61.9 million. That bodes pretty well for the team heading into free agency. If the team chooses to go after an offensive playmaker like wide receivers Alshon Jeffery, Kenny Britt or DeSean Jackson, Tampa Bay certainly has the money to do so.

But the team also has to keep in mind resigning their own guys first. Defensive end Williams Gholston will probably the biggest hit to the cap that the Bucs will realistically be resigning. For him, you’re looking at anywhere between $5 million – $6.5 million, depending on what kind of worth he can negotiate. Bucs reserve nose tackle Akeem Spence will likely cost between $1 million – $2 million per year to be re-signed, and fellow nose tackle Sealver Siliga would probably be in the $1 million per year range if he were to be re-signed.

Bucs S Bradley McDougald – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Though the Buccaneers technically have enough money to re-sign Mike Glennon, his worth to them at anything over $5 million dollars per year would not be worth that number. Expect them to pass there.

After that, the safeties will probably be the next in line to cash in, both Bradley McDougald and Chris Conte could make anywhere form $1 million – $3 million per year against the cap depending on the size of the contract. Running back Jacquizz Rodgers should be in that $2 million – $3 million per year range as well.

But after the guys they have now, the team also has to include within that $61.9 number their incoming rookies who have yet to be drafted. Rookie salaries are somewhat varied in detail in relation to where they’re picked, but not much overall when it comes to their cap number. The Buccaneers own all seven of their original draft picks in this upcoming draft, but don’t have any extras at the moment. With that number in mind and the same CBA in place, here’s a look at the cap hit from all 32 teams in 2016 to sign their rookies.

The Buccaneers had seven selections last year as well, and were even higher up in the draft, so you cam imagine their effective cap cost to be right around $4 million for their rookies this year.

Bucs CB Alterraun Verner – Photo by: Mark Lomoglio/PR

So for the sake of not wanting to go over budget, let’s aim high and say with the $61.9 million the Bucs have to spend now, they’ll spend $7 million on Gholston in 2017, $5 million total on McDougald and Conte, and $15 million – $18 million total on the rest of the fill-in players. Throw in the $4 million expected to sign the rookies and you’re looking at a tentative number of $25 million – $30 million to play with in free agency for new players – all of that is with the contracts of Doug Martin ($5.6875 million) and Alterraun Verner ($6.5 million) still active. Cutting those two would free up an additional $12.1875 million.

Now, another variable to factor in here is that the Buccaneers  might rather use that extra money they have to resign players they know are coming up while they have the space, most importantly, Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans. Evans’ contract is up after next season, but the team would like to get him locked up while they can and could start discussing an extension this summer.

If you figure Evans is going to get top wide receiver money whenever he does cash in, these are the numbers he’d be looking at in terms of the top 10 paid receivers.

In the end, you have to figure Evans will get a deal that is near or right at the top. With his age, reliability and production, Evans stands to make anything between $14 million – $16 million a year which would make him either a Top 5 paid receiver, or even the top paid receiver in the NFL.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But here’s the important thing to remember: Even though the Buccaneers would like to lock up Evans as their franchise pass catcher as soon as it makes sense, they don’t have to right now. It’s most likely that a deal for Evans would not be done until training camp, which obviously means free agency and the draft will have come and gone. But Tampa Bay will need to have that amount of cap space reserved for Evans’ deal, in addition to another $5 million or so in case a rash of injuries hit and the team needs to add replacement players during the season.

Watch how the Buccaneers choose to spend their money in free agency, and that should tell you how much they really want to sign Evans before the 2017 season begins. If the team is still floating around $20 million in cap space after the draft, an Evans deal could be coming. But if the team instead becomes big players in this free agency, particularly in acquiring offensive talent, they may just take their time and leave Evans to be the No. 1 priority next offseason.