The Bucs have 8 players with $15M+ cap hits next year. Average age of them: 31.4 years old.
They'll get younger when Brady moves on. Let's see, take off about 20 years spread over the other 7 guys. That puts the average age down to about 28. There ya go! Problem solved!
But the devil is in the details. Brady will still count $35 mil against the cap from deferred money, so cap problem not solved. And the top nine other players are locked into contracts and can't be cut without significant cap hits. Godwin, Evans, Barrett, Davis, Smith, Vea, Jensen, Gage, and White, all locked in for 2023. Of those, who do you want to get rid of? Don't even bother answering. It doesn't matter, because you can't get rid of them.
Smith is about the only one where there's some wiggle room. You could take an $8 mil cap hit to dump his $18 mil contract. Then go find another left tackle for $10 mil. That's one guy.
But the fact is we're stuck with the same core of players for next year, which isn't a bad thing because other than Smith, who do we really want to get rid of from that group? Those are the best players on the team, not a bunch of dead weight.
But if you're idea is to strip it down, bring in a bunch of young guys and tank the season for a high draft pick.... that won't happen.
All gone if up to me
Brady
David
Hicks
Jones
Gholston
Gabbert
Rudolph
Bunting
Neal
Perriman
Nassib
Ryan
Senat
Avery
Miller
and that is just the ufa
They'll get younger when Brady moves on. Let's see, take off about 20 years spread over the other 7 guys. That puts the average age down to about 28. There ya go! Problem solved!
But the devil is in the details. Brady will still count $35 mil against the cap from deferred money, so cap problem not solved. And the top nine other players are locked into contracts and can't be cut without significant cap hits. Godwin, Evans, Barrett, Davis, Smith, Vea, Jensen, Gage, and White, all locked in for 2023. Of those, who do you want to get rid of? Don't even bother answering. It doesn't matter, because you can't get rid of them.
Smith is about the only one where there's some wiggle room. You could take an $8 mil cap hit to dump his $18 mil contract. Then go find another left tackle for $10 mil. That's one guy.
But the fact is we're stuck with the same core of players for next year, which isn't a bad thing because other than Smith, who do we really want to get rid of from that group? Those are the best players on the team, not a bunch of dead weight.
But if you're idea is to strip it down, bring in a bunch of young guys and tank the season for a high draft pick.... that won't happen.
You're way off again on not being able to get rid of guys.
Going off of spotrac...
Designate Smith as 6/1 and save $15M
Designate Jensen as 6/1 and save $3.5M
Designate Gage as 6/1 and save $5M
Designate Fournette as 6/1 and save $5M
Designate Brate as 6/1 and save $4M
Trade White and save $11.7M
Trade/release Mason and save $9.5M
That's how you re-set the cap and start rebuilding.
The Bucs have 8 players with $15M+ cap hits next year. Average age of them: 31.4 years old.
And how many of those high-priced players were named as all-pros?
Therein lies the biggest problem of the Bucs. Players being paid as though they were all-pros while playing at pedestrian level. And as stated, the Bucs are stuck with most of them next season. Add in that the Bucs have the worst offensive line in the NFL, and the Bucs are going to be bad for years to come.
The Bucs need to draft a whole lot better than they have for the last 5 years.
Penny, you are switching up on me here. Your topick was the top 8 players. I was trying to address your topic, but when you responded pulled a switcheroo. Yes there are some guys who will be gone, but of the top players -they'll be here.
JC, Sure post June 1st just pushes half the cap consequences into the next year. It doesn't get rid of the cap consequences. When you "save" your money it's by putting money against the cap for the player who won't be here to play. So you can "save" $5 mil by cutting Gage post June 1st. But you are still taking a $9.3 mil cap hit spread over two years for a player who you signed last year and you are now kicking to the curb and not playing for you. Now you have to pay another player on top of that. Is that a smart move? That's "saving" money to you?
Look, every team makes changes every year. So the Cam Brates and Kyle Rudolphs and Akeem Hickses will be gone and some other rookie or journeyman player will come in. That happens with every team every year. The Bucs will make some roster changes, but not major ones with the top players ... other than QB. They can't. I'm just the messenger. You can choose to believe me or not. That's your deal. It's just the facts.
ran into Brate on the course a couple times . . . a bit checked out, maybe?
Penny, you are switching up on me here. Your topick was the top 8 players. I was trying to address your topic, but when you responded pulled a switcheroo. Yes there are some guys who will be gone, but of the top players -they'll be here.
JC, Sure post June 1st just pushes half the cap consequences into the next year. It doesn't get rid of the cap consequences. When you "save" your money it's by putting money against the cap for the player who won't be here to play. So you can "save" $5 mil by cutting Gage post June 1st. But you are still taking a $9.3 mil cap hit spread over two years for a player who you signed last year and you are now kicking to the curb and not playing for you. Now you have to pay another player on top of that. Is that a smart move? That's "saving" money to you?
Licht already swiped the credit card. The guaranteed money is already signed for. You can cry about it or you can release him. I'd rather they release him and get out of this mess. Same with the million other guys I mentioned.
I'd like to see them try to get something out of Gage next year to see if he can get healthy. As long as you are waiting to June 1st to let him go, you might as well give him until the end of training camp. Who are you going to get as your #3 WR for $5 mil who is better than Gage? We have all the main offensive skill players coming back except (probably) QB. They underperformed based on their talent level. I'd like to see what a new OC can do with them.
Evans
Godwin
Gage
Otten
Kieft
Vaughn , nice depth player at the position , never got a fair shot
Rashad White
that is the only offensive skill players I bring back
I'd like to see them try to get something out of Gage next year to see if he can get healthy. As long as you are waiting to June 1st to let him go, you might as well give him until the end of training camp. Who are you going to get as your #3 WR for $5 mil who is better than Gage? We have all the main offensive skill players coming back except (probably) QB. They underperformed based on their talent level. I'd like to see what a new OC can do with them.
You're trying to debate something that is beyond your comprehension. You can release players before June 1st and designate them as a June 1st cut. And the Bucs cannot wait to release him because he gets another $5M guaranteed on the 5th day of the league year. You can't justify paying Gage $12.2M next year. He stinks.
Look, every team makes changes every year. So the Cam Brates and Kyle Rudolphs and Akeem Hickses will be gone and some other rookie or journeyman player will come in. That happens with every team every year. The Bucs will make some roster changes, but not major ones with the top players ... other than QB. They can't. I'm just the messenger. You can choose to believe me or not. That's your deal. It's just the facts.
”Just the facts” eh?
You’re going to be stunned in the offseason. JC is right. I just hope you’ll be around to eat your crow.
Tom Brady’s contract will automatically void on March 15th, leaving behind a $35.1M dead cap hit to the #Buccaneers.
It will be the 2nd largest single season dead hit in history, behind Matt Ryan’s $40.5M this past season with the #Falcons.
Look, every team makes changes every year. So the Cam Brates and Kyle Rudolphs and Akeem Hickses will be gone and some other rookie or journeyman player will come in. That happens with every team every year. The Bucs will make some roster changes, but not major ones with the top players ... other than QB. They can't. I'm just the messenger. You can choose to believe me or not. That's your deal. It's just the facts.
”Just the facts” eh?
You’re going to be stunned in the offseason. JC is right. I just hope you’ll be around to eat your crow.
I'll be here.
The Bucs have four groups of players.
1) High dollar players who are locked in. The top ten players like Vea and Evans.
2) Rookie contract players. Ex: Logan and Tryon and White and Trask. Too affordable to get rid of.
3) Brady players - one year/ over the hill players kept around because of Brady. Most of them will be gone. Ex: Hicks, Jones, Brate.
4) Role players - they fight for a roster spot every year. That's life in the NFL. Ex. McCollum, Walton.
David, Dean and Bunting are the free agents. They could tag Dean, but the cap concerns could make that tough. Don't be surprised if they don't tag anybody.
But again, the turnover will be at or below the normal amount of turnover you would see on any team.
