INTRO: Better late than never! SR’s FAB 5 is out a little later than usual this Friday, but I wanted to dive into a topic the Bucs have dealt with already this year – and will have to deal with next year. I’m talking about contract extensions. They made the wrong call in extending Zyon McCollum early, but made the right call in not extending Cade Otton and letting him play out his contract year, which has not gone according to plan. Jason Licht and Co. will need to be careful with the timing of future contract extensions. Enjoy!

FAB 1. Bucs Must Be Careful With Contract Extensions

The Bucs made Antoine Winfield Jr. play out his contract year and the former second-round safety made Tampa Bay pay because of it.

Literally.

Winfield turned in an All-Pro season in 2023 and manifested that into a massive contract extension, making him the league’s highest-paid defensive back for a minute at $21.025 million per year.

With 123 tackles, an NFL-high six forced fumbles, six sacks, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions, Winfield played a huge role in the nine-win Buccaneers winning the NFC South again in 2023. Simply put, the Bucs don’t make the playoffs without that type of season from Winfield.

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

Contrast that with the Bucs giving cornerback Zyon McCollum a contract extension a year early. Instead of making McCollum play out his contract year in 2025 and deal with an extension prior to free agency in 2026, Tampa Bay sought to do a deal with the fourth-year cornerback. The reasoning was to save some money now rather than watch him blow up and have a career year in 2025 and top $20 million per year heading into free agency.

So McCollum was signed to a three-year, $48 million deal that averages $16 million per year. That makes McCollum the 22nd-highest paid cornerback in the league. Believe it or not, that’s probably close to fair value for a player with McCollum’s skill set and his age (26).

Unfortunately, there has not been a blow-up season for McCollum since signing his deal in August. Instead, it’s been more of a blowout.

Through Week 13, McCollum has allowed a career-high 61.9% of the passes thrown his way to be caught and surrendered a career-high five touchdowns with five games left in the season. McCollum has just five pass breakups and no interceptions after breaking up 17 passes last year and recording the first two picks of his career.

One has to wonder if McCollum would be performing better with the incentive of playing in a contract year in 2025.

There is a thing called “fat cat syndrome” where players finally get that big payday and instead of going out and earning their big raise they relax instead. Former Bucs center Ryan Jensen admitted to me years ago that’s what happened when the team signed him in 2018 and made him the highest paid center.

Jensen spent the 2018 season, his first in Tampa Bay, overweight after his big payday and his play suffered. Embarrassed by his performance, Jensen lost weight and played better each season with the Bucs thereafter, helping the team win Super Bowl LV in 2020 and then making his first Pro Bowl in 2021.

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: USA Today

Let’s hope that McCollum has a similar awakening and plays up to his vast potential sooner rather than later. It’s embarrassing that fellow cornerback Jamel Dean, who was forced to take a big pay cut this offseason, is having a career year at age 29, and having the kind of season the Bucs hoped – and expected – McCollum to have instead.

Behold the power of being incentivized during a contract year.

The lesson Bucs general manager Jason Licht and assistant general manager Mike Greenberg, the team’s capologist, should learn from this is that sometimes it’s better to pay a little more after a blow-up contract year when a player shows you what he is truly capable of rather than guess wrong and perhaps kill some incentive by rewarding a player a year too early.

Maybe Licht and Greenberg saw Winfield’s injury-riddled season in 2024 after his massive payday and felt some buyer’s remorse. That’s understandable. Winfield hardly made any of the big plays in 2024 that he made the previous season. Even though he’s having a bounce-back year in 2025, Winfield isn’t playing close to the Herculean level he was in 2023 and it’s doubtful he makes the Pro Bowl this season.

Rams WR Davante Adams and Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: USA Today

Sometimes early contract extensions work out. That appears to be the case for both offensive tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke, who have not seen their level of play decline since their hefty pay raises.

There is no doubt that the Bucs might have missed the playoffs without a super season from Winfield. And one has to wonder if McCollum would be more focused and incentivized if he was playing in a contract year, perhaps with an interception or two by now and fewer touchdowns surrendered. Maybe that leads to one more win for the Bucs as a result, and Tampa Bay is 8-4 right now instead of 7-5?

In this week’s SR’s FAB 5 column, I’m going to take a look at some of the team’s upcoming free agents in 2026 and the players that are entering their contract year next year. Which ones should the Bucs look at extending before free agency – or a contract year? Let’s discuss it and find out.

FAB 2. The Cade Otton Example

Tampa Bay gave contract extensions to cornerback Zyon McCollum and right tackle Luke Goedeke in August prior to the start of their contract years. While the Bucs were expected to wait on defensive tackle Logan Hall, the team’s first pick in the second round in 2022, and 2022 third-round pick running back Rachaad White, there was a chance that the team was also going to extend tight end Cade Otton, the team’s fourth-round pick in 2022, prior to the start of the season, too.

Thankfully that didn’t happen, as Otton has not deserved a big contract extension this year given his performance. There was some chatter that Otton was in line to receive a payday averaging between $10 million and $12 million per season, leaving him just outside the top 10 tight end salaries, but well within the top 20 at the position.

Bucs TE Cade Otton and Lions LB Alex Anzalone – Photo by: USA Today

Otton appears to be having a mediocre season in his contract year, and Pro Football Focus seems to agree with that assessment. Otton is currently the 58th-rated tight end in the league, behind teammate Payne Durham, who currently ranks 42nd on PFF’s list.

That means there are other No. 2 tight ends on other teams (including his own team) who are ranked higher than Otton in PFF’s eyes.

Not that the Bucs pay much attention to PFF grades, but here is how Otton stacks up with Durham, who will be entering his own contract year in 2026.

Cade Otton PFF Grades

2025: 56.3 overall, 56 pass, 79.5 pass block, 56.6 run block
2024: 64.1 overall, 63.1 pass, 62 pass block, 65.2 run block
2023: 56.8 overall, 58.8 pass, 47.4 pass block, 51.7 run block
2022: 58.2 overall, 56.6 pass, 79.3 pass block, 59.6 run block

Payne Durham PFF Grades

2025: 60.8 overall, 50 pass, 71.2 pass block, 67 run block
2024: 61.4 overall, 53.7 pass, 78 pass block, 67.1 run block
2023: 59.5 overall, 59.7 pass, 70.7 pass block, 54.8 run block

Durham has proven to be as good of a blocker as Otton – if not better. Is he the receiving threat that Otton is? Clearly not, but Otton has proven to be just an above average receiving tight end – not a spectacular one – during his four-year career in Tampa Bay.

Cade Otton Receiving Stats

2025: 43 catches for 411 yards (9.6 avg.), 0 TDs
2024: 59 catches for 600 yards (10.2 avg.), 4 TDs
2023: 47 catches for 455 yards (9.7 avg.), 4 TDs
2022: 42 catches for 391 yards (9.3 avg.), 2 TDs

Otton has yet to record a touchdown this season, but has played an integral role in a pair of Baker Mayfield interceptions. Otton, who doesn’t wear gloves, has had two catches ripped from his hands and turned into INTs, first by Lions defensive back Arthur Maulet in Week 7 and then Rams defensive back Cobie Durant, who returned that pick for a touchdown in a 34-7 blowout win on Sunday Night Football a few weeks ago.

Bucs TE Cade Otton and Rams CB Cobie Durant – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs like Otton and would like to have him back next year, but the team also acknowledges the need to upgrade the position, too. Otton is what he is – a guy who will average close to 10 yards per catch, but he’s not a dynamic athlete and he doesn’t stretch the field vertically with his pedestrian speed.

Jason Licht and Mike Greenberg also need to take into consideration that the offense under new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard is more wide receiver-driven. The tight end position is less featured in the passing game under Grizzard than it was with previously play-callers like Dave Canales and Liam Coen.

Look no further than the fact that up until the win over the Cardinals, Otton was the only Tampa Bay tight end who had a catch until Durham caught his first reception last Sunday. And through Week 13, the Bucs are still the only team in the NFL where a tight end has yet to catch a touchdown.

I’m not sure what Otton is worth, but if I’m the Bucs, I let him hit free agency and let the market decide. I’m sure Tampa Bay would like to keep him, but Otton is not irreplaceable, either.

As for the rest of the Bucs’ 2022 draft class, I believe the team will let Hall go in free agency, as he’s been a disappointment considering his second-round draft status. I think reserve tight end Ko Kieft, a former sixth-round pick, might get a one-year deal either before or during free agency, as Tampa Bay likes him as a core special teamer.

As for White, we’ll see how the season plays out and what his market will be as a complementary back and third down specialist. I think Tampa Bay would like to have him back on a short, reasonable deal to pair with Bucky Irving again.

And I know White has some fans in Canales in Carolina and Coen in Jacksonville. Both of them like Otton, as well.

FAB 3. Bucs Should Proceed With Caution When Extending The 2023 Draft Class

If Jason Licht has a fault, it’s sometimes loving his own players a little too much. That approach has served the Bucs well as he has been incredibly successful in not letting talent that he has drafted walk out the door. Tampa Bay has done an incredible job of re-signing the team’s successful draft picks to contract extensions over the years.

Yet that has led Licht to shy away from signing external free agents, which can be a riskier proposition, but can also come with a high reward if the right players are signed.

What’s the old saying? The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t?

While the team has drafted a lot of starters over the years, it hasn’t hit on a lot of stars through the draft in recent years. In fact, the Bucs have yet to draft a player who has made the Pro Bowl since selecting offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs in the first round and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in the second round back in 2020.

That’s not to suggest that the Bucs don’t have some promising young talent from the past five draft classes (really the past four, as the 2021 draft class has been a complete wipeout). But Tampa Bay has not had any recent draft picks make a Pro Bowl – yet.

I doubt that happens this year, although I think safety Tykee Smith, a third-round pick in 2024, has had a Pro Bowl-caliber season. But maybe a player or two from a recent draft class makes a Pro Bowl next year or the year after.

Let’s look at Tampa Bay’s 2023 draft class, which will enter contract years in 2026, and we’re going to set aside the first two picks – defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and right guard Cody Mauch – right now as both are on injured reserve.

Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby could be the next big contract extension that the Bucs do. Diaby has a modest 65.2 Pro Fooball Focus grade with a 71.7 PFF pass rush grade this season in his third year in Tampa Bay. He has 41 pressures, according to PFF, which ranks tied for 21st, in addition to six sacks by official NFL stats.

Diaby has just about as many pressures as some bigger name edge rushers have like Josh Sweat (42), Brian Burns (42), Joey Bosa (41), T.J. Watt (39) and Bradely Chubb (38). And his pass rush win rate of 16.5% is a career high and a better rate that even Shaq Barrett had in any of his seasons in Tampa Bay despite Barrett having more pressures and more sacks.

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby and Lions QB Jared Goff – Photo by: USA Today

Diaby was a late bloomer at Louisville and might be the same thing in Tampa Bay, as he’s having a better season in terms of pass rush win rate under new outside linebackers coach Larry Foote than he had in his first two seasons under George Edwards. Diaby is a very hard worker, incredible teammate and has avoided injuries in his three years with the Bucs.

It depends on how this season plays out, but Tampa Bay might be wise to extend Diaby prior to the 2026 season, especially if he finishes with close to 10 sacks. Diaby could fetch a deal around $20 million per year, which is similar to what Sweat got ($19.1 million avg.) this past year in Arizona.

If he has eight or nine sacks this year and then gets 10 or 11 sacks in a contract year, Diaby’s price tag will be massive in 2027 – north of $25 million per year.

As for the other 2023 draft picks – Day 3 guys like inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis, tight end Payne Durham and special teams ace Josh Hayes, they need to all play on their contract years before Tampa Bay considers extending them.

FAB 4. What Should The Bucs Do With Calijah Kancey And Cody Mauch?

It’s a shame that the Bucs’ 20-19 win at Houston in Week 2 cost them defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and right guard Cody Mauch in the process. Kancey tore his pectoral muscle and likely won’t have a chance of coming back until the playoffs in January. Mauch suffered a serious knee injury in the second half and played through it to finish the game, but he joined Kancey on the operating table and on injured reserve shortly thereafter.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, DT Calijah Kancey and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Kancey, the team’s first-round pick in 2023, is an impact player – when he’s healthy. Unfortunately, by the time this regular season is over Kancey will have played in 28 games in Tampa Bay over three years – but missed 23 games.

That lack of availability makes it incredibly hard to determine Kancey’s worth moving forward. The good news is that because he was a first-round pick, the Bucs do have a fifth-year option available for Kancey for the 2027 season. So the team won’t be rushed into making a decision on a long-term contract extension as a result. Tampa Bay needs to wait and see Kancey play a full – or fuller – season first before determining his value for the long term.

But what Kancey’s injury-prone ways may do is force the team to address defensive tackle in free agency or the draft with a greater priority than if he were healthy. Combined with Kancey’s injury history is the fact that Vita Vea turns 31 in the offseason and is entering a contract year in 2026. Vea has not been as dominant this year as he has been in the two previous seasons.

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

As for Mauch, his trajectory was rocketing up, especially after a really good second half to the 2024 season. He may have been the latest Bucs offensive lineman to get an early contract extension, as was the case with offensive tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke.

But the Bucs need to be prudent and wait and see how Mauch recovers from his knee injury before extending him. That means Mauch needs to play on his contract year in 2026 for the organization to see what type of player he is after he recovers from knee surgery.

FAB 5. Buc Shots

• Speaking of contract extensions, the contract for Baker Mayfield isn’t up until after the 2026 season. But the team is expected to give Mayfield a pay increase and tack on a few more years to lock the quarterback up for a while.

When Mayfield signed his three-year $100 million contract extension after the 2023 season, he was still the third-highest paid QB in the NFC South behind Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins and New Orleans’ Derek Carr, who has since retired. He’s certainly due for a raise.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Mayfield’s next contract is expected to take his annual average value from $33.3 million per year to $50 million per year or more. That would put Mayfield in the top dozen QB salaries in 2026.

But with his numbers down slightly from last year where he passed for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, it will be interested to see how much Mayfield will get from the Bucs. Mayfield is currently on pace to pass for 3,680 yards and 26 touchdowns this season.

• The Bucs were wise to hold wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan out for this week’s game versus the Saints. Evans has a penchant for hamstring injuries, and playing him versus the Saints on Sunday and then getting ready for an even bigger game on Thursday night versus the Falcons might have been too taxing.

By holding him out against the Saints and focusing on the Falcons game, Evans now has the chance to play against Atlanta and then have 10 days off to rest and recover for a very important Week 16 game against the Panthers in Carolina.

• When Jalen McMillan does take the field for the first time during the 2025 regular season, he’ll do so in a new jersey. Remember, McMillan opted to change to No. 11, which was his college jersey number that he wore at Washington. He gave up No. 15 to Tez Johnson, who wore that number at Oregon.

Who says the Huskies and Ducks hate each other and can’t be friends?

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo courtesy of Washington

Check Out SR’s New Pewter Pulse Video On Desmond Watson

My latest Pewter Pulse video is up on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel. What happened to former Bucs defensive tackle Desmond Watson? Will he get a second chance with the team in 2026? I tackle this topic in a new Pewter Pulse.