Bucs’ 2018 Free Agent Targets

So what will Licht do? How aggressive will the Bucs in free agency? Some names to watch for along the offensive line are Baltimore center Ryan Jensen, Carolina guard Andrew Norwell and Chicago guard Josh Sitton. Contracts for Jensen and Sitton will be upwards of $8 million per year, and Norwell could fetch a deal worth $11 million per year.

Panthers G Andrew Norwell – Photo by: Getty Images

As for the team’s pass rush, the Bucs will monitor the progress of New Orleans defensive end Alex Okafor, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 10 and could be ready for training camp. Okafor, who was drafted by Licht and coached by defensive line coach Brentson Buckner in Arizona, signed a one-year, $2 million with the Saints last year and was having a great year with five sacks before getting hurt. The 27-year old Okafor had eight sacks in his second year in the league.

The Bucs will also be keeping an eye on Philadelphia where the acquisition of Bennett means the writing is on the wall to release defensive end Vinny Curry, who was also drafted in the second round by Licht when he was in the Eagles’ personnel department. Curry had one year with nine sacks, but has averaged about three over the past couple of seasons. He’s a younger, healthier version of Ayers at this point in his career, but the Bucs won’t pay anywhere near the $9 million he’s slated to earn in Philly this season. If his contract demands are in the $5 million range Tampa Bay might be interested.

The Bucs like big defensive tackles and might kick the tires on Atlanta’s Dontari Poe, who signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Falcons last year. I doubt they would pay that amount, but we’ll see next week.

Tampa Bay also needs running backs and I’m hearing that the team prefers backs like Minnesota’s Jerick McKinnon and New England’s Dion Lewis over Cleveland’s Isaiah Crowell and San Francisco’s Carlos Hyde. The Bucs will spend a premium pick on a running back this year – and might come out of the draft with two as the team is moving on from Doug Martin and Charles Sims, who will not be re-signed.

Patriots RB Dion Lewis – Photo by: Getty Images

In conclusion, Bucs fans that want a lot of big names in free agency can look to 2014 and see what that did for Tampa Bay, which went 2-14 in the first season with Lovie Smith and Licht at the helm. Do you know which free agent signing proved to be the best that year out of Johnson, McCown, Collins, Verner, McDonald and tight end Brandon Myers? It was McDonald – the least heralded among those, and one of the cheaper guys at an average of $3 million per season.

I’ll also remind you that the best free agency haul in the history of the Buccaneers came with a bunch of mid-priced role players in 2002 that included the likes of defensive end Greg Spires, offensive linemen Roman Oben and Kerry Jenkins, running back Michael Pittman, tight ends Ken Dilger and Rickey Dudley and wide receivers Joe Jurevicius and Keenan McCardell. All of those signings were significant in helping the Bucs win the Super Bowl that year.

And I’ll remind you of what McKay used to say at press conferences announcing the re-signings of players like Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Ronde Barber, John Lynch and Mike Alstott. McKay would say that fans wouldn’t get as excited about those “free agent signings” because they weren’t new players to Tampa Bay, but if they were to hit the open market and be signed by other teams, those fans would be holding a parade. Of course, the re-signing of those key players – and others – laid the foundation for the Bucs to reach and win the Super Bowl, too.

This is not to stick up for Licht or make excuses for the Bucs’ level of activity in free agency, which may not be good enough for some fans. This is simply looking at the facts as I know them, and presenting an explanation of what I expect will transpire over the coming weeks and months.

Remember, there were a few grumbles about the Bucs re-signing defensive end Will Gholston last year instead of spending more money and signing Calais Campbell, but not nearly as much of an uproar as there is now in hindsight after the fact that Campbell became a double-digit sacker and helped Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship Game. I’ll wait and see if Bennett or Quinn becomes the next Campbell – a player the Bucs had a shot to get, but missed out on.

Free agency has yet to start.

The draft is over a month away.

I’m not suggesting you believe in Licht. This isn’t about trusting Licht or his plan because some don’t, and that’s okay. This is about simply being patient, and seeing what unfolds in the coming months.

Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter and GM Jason Licht – Photo courtesy of the Buccaneers

Trust me, I’ll bring the thunder and criticize Licht if he hasn’t sufficiently upgraded the talent along the defensive line, the interior of the offensive line, the secondary and the running back stable by training camp. But to do so now would be like criticizing a movie after the first 10 minutes before the plot really develops.

And if Licht’s movie ultimately isn’t good, he’ll be fired as the producer after this season.

There will be plenty of time in May to criticize Licht and the Bucs for what they do and don’t do in free agency and the draft.

Of course, here’s hoping it never comes to that.