FAB 3. The Untouchable Buccaneers

Unless Tampa Bay goes on a miraculous winning streak over the last seven games, it’s looking more and more like the Bucs will undergo a possible coaching change and regime change next year.

In Sunday’s 2-Point Conversion I suggested that the Bucs might need to blow up the roster next year if another double-digit losing season occurs. If that’s the case, who are the Tampa Bay players that any new coach and/or general manager would to keep going forward in 2019? Here’s the list of Tampa Bay’s untouchables – and it’s a shorter list than you might think:

QUARTERBACKS – 0
Ryan Fitzpatrick is a free agent next year and Jameis Winston’s fifth-year option worth $20.92 million is only guaranteed for injury. A new head coach might want his own quarterback in Tampa Bay.

RUNNING BACKS – 0
Peyton Barber is average at best and Ronald Jones hasn’t proven a thing. Jones has over $3 million in guaranteed money left, but his roster spot might be more valuable than the dead cap money. Jacquizz Rodgers and Shaun Wilson aren’t special.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Getty Images

WIDE RECEIVERS – 2
WR Mike Evans – Evans is one of the league’s elite receivers and his contract extension makes him impossible to move anyways – not that any coach would want to get rid of Evans.

WR Chris Godwin – Godwin still has two years left on his rookie deal and the talent to be a No. 1 wide receiver in the league.

Adam Humphries will be a free agent next year and may not be a good fit for a different offense in Tampa Bay. The same could be said of DeSean Jackson, who has one year left on his contract for $10 million. Jackson may not be a good fit in another offense and a new regime might think his $10 million might be better spent elsewhere. Rookie Justin Watson hasn’t distinguished himself yet.

TIGHT ENDS – 1
TE O.J. Howard – Howard is special – a future Pro Bowler. With two years left and a fifth-year option, Howard is the kind of tight end any head coach would want.

Bucs TE OJ Howard – Photo by: Mary Holt/PR

Cameron Brate is due $7 million next year and there is no dead cap hit if he is traded. While Koetter uses two tight ends, a new coach might only have the need for just Howard and could find a better use for Brate’s $7 million in cap space. Antony Auclair and Alan Cross are good blockers, but they aren’t untouchable.

OFFENSIVE LINE – 2
G Ali Marpet – Marpet is the Bucs’ best offensive lineman and with a new contract extension paying him over $11 million per season he’s not going anywhere. He’s untouchable for all the right reasons.

C Ryan Jensen – Jensen hasn’t been as good as advertised in his first year in Tampa Bay. He’s a good, but not great center and the fact that his $10 million salary is guaranteed in 2019 means he’ll remain a Buccaneer for at least one more year.

Left tackle Donovan Smith is in a contract year and I’ve already explained his situation in Fab 2. Right tackle Demar Dotson is nearing retirement and all of the other offensive linemen, including guards Caleb Benenoch and Alex Cappa are ultimately expendable. Parting ways with veteran Evan Smith saves $2 million in cap room.

DEFENSIVE LINE – 3
DE Jason Pierre-Paul – Good pass rushers are hard to find, and even though JPP is poised to make $14.5 million next year, he’s worth it. There isn’t any dead cap money if Pierre-Paul would be moved in a trade, but that would be silly. He’s untouchable.

Bucs DE Carl Nassib – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

DE Carl Nassib – Nassib has one year left on his rookie deal in 2019 and only makes $868,000, which is a bargain for a starting-caliber defensive end. Nassib works hard and is an emerging pass rusher.

DT Vita Vea – Vea is due over $6.6 million in guaranteed money, and that means he’s not going anywhere regardless of whether you like him or not. Because of his 340-pound size, Vea has the flexibility to play in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme, which makes him versatile.

Tampa Bay could move on from Gerald McCoy and save $13 million. Parting ways with Vinny Curry would save $8 million. If the Bucs cut Beau Allen he’ll account for $1.5 million in dead cap space, but the team would save $3.5 million in cap room as a result. Will Gholston and Mitch Unrein are expendable and the Bucs would save $3.75 million for each defensive lineman.

LINEBACKERS – 2
LB Lavonte David – David is one of the Bucs’ best defensive players and is scheduled to make $9.75 million in 2019. It’s not guaranteed, and David could fetch a decent draft pick in a trade, but he’s too good of a player to cast off.

Bucs LB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

LB Kendell Beckwith – Beckwith is a good, young, starting-caliber linebacker with two years left on his rookie deal with $844,572 due him this year. He’s not necessarily untouchable, but he’s such a bargain that any head coach would keep him.

Kwon Alexander would be on this list if not for his torn ACL. The current regime plans on giving him a contract extension, but would a new regime? Tampa Bay’s other linebackers are non-descript and certainly not untouchable.

DEFENSIVE BACKS – 3
CB Vernon Hargreaves – Bucs fans may not want to hear this, but Hargreaves’ final year of his rookie deal is guaranteed at just over $4.5 million. He was off to a good start in training camp and the preseason until a Week 1 shoulder injury.

Bucs CB Carlton Davis – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

CB Carlton Davis – Davis is due $1.3 million in guaranteed money next year, but he’s a good, young player that has shown a great deal of promise as a rookie. He’s worth keeping as big, physical corners are hard to find.

FS Justin Evans – Evans is an athletic, rangy safety with good ball skills. He’s got two years left on his rookie deal and a change to a less complicated defensive scheme that would allow him to think less and be more aggressive would do Evans some good.

Brent Grimes is a free agent and will retire after this year. M.J. Stewart is due $2 million in guaranteed money, but he’s expendable. I’m convinced he’s a safety at the NFL level and not a cornerback due to his lack of athleticism. Jordan Whitehead appears to be a decent player, but he’s note special. The same could be said of Tampa Bay’s other defensive backs.

So there you have it – a baker’s dozen. Mike and Justin Evans, Godwin, Howard, Marpet, Jensen, Vea, Pierre-Paul, Nassib, David, Beckwith, Hargreaves and Davis. Those are 13 players out of 53-plus that are truly untouchable Buccaneers. Make it 14 if Alexander were healthy and didn’t have to come back from a knee injury.

Not as many as you thought, right? This team is not as talented as it appeared back in July, is it?