It will be interesting to see the breakdown on Spotrac when that's available, but here's why I think both sides win in this deal.
1) 61% of the contract is guaranteed, as compared to 75% for Sewell and Tua. This would seem to indicate that the Bucs will have the ability to do restructures down the road to manipulate the cap when needed.
2) Bucs get five years. There was talk that the trend is for fewer years for guys like Wirfs to want shorter deals. The team has one of if not the best LT in the league locked up for the next six years.
3) Wirfs perhaps actually took less than he could have gotten. With this record contract he took less than $30 mil per year. As this contract goes along it may start looking pretty team freindly as it ages.
4) On the Wirfs side, he did well considering he didn't have all the leverage. If the team wanted to play hardball they had him under control for the next two or three years if they used the franchise tag. He wasn't a free agent like Mayfield, Evans or Winfield.
5) Speaking of Mayfield and Evans, they perhaps left money on the table, so Wirfs perhaps also left money on the table to be a team player. Of course the Bucs spend the entire cap allottment and Wirfs taking more leaves less for others. Wirfs wants to be a team player and watches his fellow offensive stars falling in line and perhaps wanted to do the same.
IMO Licht and the Bucs have masterfully navigated the contract season - Winfield, Mayfield, Evans and Wirfs.
Wirfs at the end of the day will likely collect all of the $140 mil and then some as restructures and renegotiations happen as they always do.
Win-win.
For the record I posted this before Queipo posted his article with a similar title.
time for another boat parade?
“If we can resign Mike (Evans) and Baker (Mayfield) and Lavonte (David) and Chase (Edmonds) and Antoine (Windfield) and Tristan (Wirfs), I mean, we should be throwing another boat parade,” Licht said.
The NFL gods have a funny way of doing whatever the hell they want. Or God. Whoever you want to pray to to help your team win whether that be monotheistic, polytheistic or just finger crossing "luck" as if there is/are no NFL god(s). Sure whatever you want to tell yourself. I see there's a train track going past Bank of America Stadium. Maybe there will be a train parade in Charlotte?time for another boat parade?
“If we can resign Mike (Evans) and Baker (Mayfield) and Lavonte (David) and Chase (Edmonds) and Antoine (Windfield) and Tristan (Wirfs), I mean, we should be throwing another boat parade,” Licht said.
The NFL gods have a funny way of doing whatever the hell they want
I think a few of those key players mentioned by Licht ended up taking deals that were somewhat below fans' expectations or fears, given the salary cap issues. Mayfield didn't bankrupt the team and neither did Evans, for example.
That says something, I think, about the team.
Presumably that starts with Licht and Bowles. Maybe ownership, although they seem distant. Certainly some of the players, like Mayfield and Evans.
Doesnt mean it will translate to wins, but good to hear players say things like Wirfs, "I don’t really want to be anywhere else."
Evans set the tone. He was the first one who took less money than he could have gotten on the open market. The Bucs spend all their possible cap money, so it's not a matter of the Glazers opening up the pocket book. It's open. It's a matter of managing the cap to hopefully be able to field a contending team. The Bucs stars realize that. They got their money, but also placed value on being on a contending team.The NFL gods have a funny way of doing whatever the hell they want
I think a few of those key players mentioned by Licht ended up taking deals that were somewhat below fans' expectations or fears, given the salary cap issues. Mayfield didn't bankrupt the team and neither did Evans, for example.
That says something, I think, about the team.
Presumably that starts with Licht and Bowles. Maybe ownership, although they seem distant. Certainly some of the players, like Mayfield and Evans.
Doesnt mean it will translate to wins, but good to hear players say things like Wirfs, "I don’t really want to be anywhere else."
Evans set the tone
I think he credited his wife for his decision to stay, but even that is a positive reflection on the team and the community
Lots of players coming up on their contract year, seeing players in Tampa are both winning, and cashing-in.
Is Tampa a low-key destination? We’ll see.
Culture is taking hold.
NOICE to get this one done! Tristan earned it.
