FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• The Buccaneers have drafted heavily on offense the last couple of years and that, along with DeSean Jackson’s $11 million salary this season, is reflected in the fact that Tampa Bay currently has $95,050,022 worth of salary cap space committed to offense, while the defense has $89,530,677 worth of cap space despite Jason-Pierre Paul and Gerald McCoy each making over $12 million this season. In case you are interested, the Bucs will spend $6,480,000 on special teams specialists (kicker, punter and long snapper).

How does the 2019 cap allocation break down for the Bucs? Right now it looks rather even with the defense actually ahead with $71,226,279 worth of cap room as opposed to the offense, which takes up $69,172,543 worth of cap space. Tampa Bay’s special teams cap allocation is roughly the same at $6,820,000.

But look for these numbers to change drastically when contract extensions for guard Ali Marpet and left tackle Donovan Smith are added, in addition to over $20 million worth of cap space that will be eaten up by quarterback Jameis Winston’s fifth-year option. When it’s all said and done, the Bucs will have well over $100 million invested in offensive players in 2019, while the defense could only have under $80 million of cap space allocated for that side of the ball.

• Bucs cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III raised eyebrows recently when a video surfaced of him smoking something that may or may not be marijuana. It is unclear how old the video is or where it was filmed, but it could put Hargreaves in a bit of jeopardy with the NFL because marijuana is a banned substance despite it being legalized in a few states across America. Florida is not one of those states.

Bucs CB Vernon Hargreaves III and Falcons WR Julio Jones – Photo by: Getty Images

The league is aware of the video and Hargeaves could get randomly drug tested more often as a result. A positive test would result in his first offense that comes with a player being fined. A second positive test could lead to a suspension. There are fans out there that say, “So what if he was smoking pot? It’s no big deal.”

That’s fine. I don’t care what Hargreaves does recreationally with his personal time. But if it causes him to be suspended it will certainly have a negative impact on his career and the Tampa Bay defense to which he is expected to be the nickel cornerback for in 2018.

Regardless of what happens to Hargreaves on or off the field, he isn’t going anywhere this year or next year. Because he was given a signing bonus worth $8.5 million – one of the few signing bonuses issued by director of football administration Mike Greenberg – Tampa Bay can’t cut him without taking on a massive cap penalty. Hargreaves has a cap value of $3,866,634 ($1,738,878 base salary and $2,127,756 in prorated signing bonus), and his entire contract, which is worth $14,177,661, is fully guaranteed.

If Hargreaves is released in 2018 the Bucs will take on an $8,377,709 cap hit that dwarfs his $3,866,634 cap value this year. That ensures that he will be on the 2018 roster no matter what. If Tampa Bay were to release him next year before the final year of his contract, the Bucs would face a hit of $4,511,076 worth of dead salary cap money because of his $2,127,756 in prorated signing bonus and his $2,383,317 in guaranteed base salary.

Although Hargreaves’ first two seasons in Tampa Bay have been disappointing, his career as a Buccaneer is salvageable if he is allowed to play press coverage as he did quite often at Florida. But if Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith doesn’t play to Hargreaves’ strength and continues to play him in off coverage, the former Gator won’t thrive and could have his NFL career ruined in the process.

• PewterReport.com is on its way of reaching 30,000 Twitter followers due to our continuous updates in free agency and breaking news about which draft prospects are visiting Tampa Bay – the latest of which is LSU CB Donte Jackson. Stay up to date with the latest Bucs free agency news and Bucs draft news by following us on Twitter. Help us grow to 30,000 by draft weekend. To follow @PewterReport on Twitter please click here, and to follow us on Facebook please click here.

• Several high-profile 2018 NFL Draft picks visited One Buccaneer Place this week, including Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, Florida State strong safety Derwin James, Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea, defensive tackle Taven Bryan, Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander and LSU cornerback Donte Jackson. Those are just some of the 30 pre-draft visits that the Bucs have lined up, but not all of the guys that the team brings in will be targeted players in the first and second round.

Notre Dame left guard Quenton Nelson – Photo by: Getty Images

The Bucs will be bringing in several late-round targets that might end up being undrafted. One of those players is SMU defensive end Justin Lawler, a tough, high-effort pass rusher that lacks elite athleticism and was a Combine snub. The reason why general manager Jason Licht splits up his Top 30 visits list between players with high draftable grades and low draftable grades is because there is a free-for-all to sign undrafted free agents immediately after the seventh round of the draft concludes.

Tampa Bay has a long-standing history of having success with undrafted free agents, from right tackle Demar Dotson to wide receiver Adam Humphries to tight end Cameron Brate to running back Peyton Barber. Teams like the Bucs have to get on the phone with undrafted free agents and players following the draft and literally recruit them to sign on.

If a team like Tampa Bay sends a position coach out to campus to work out a fringe draftable player a relationship can be forged between that assistant and the draft prospect that can be invaluable when the post-draft free agent frenzy begins. Having a potential seventh-rounder/undrafted free agent in for a pre-draft visit can show that player how much they are wanted by a team and can help further the relationship that started with an interview at the East-West Shrine Game, the Senior Bowl, the NFL Scouting Combine, the pro day or the private workout.

The more attention a team shows and the more rapport it builds with a player definitely helps the recruiting process. It’s a tactic that Licht, head coach Dirk Koetter and the team’s coaches actively engage in during the months leading up to the draft.

• The PewterReport.com staff has a brand new Pewter Nation Podcast for you as Trevor Sikkema, Mark Cook and I talk about the Bucs’ pre-draft visits, break down some options for Tampa Bay in the first round, and Cook and I make references to things like the “Flowbee” that our resident Millenial with a man-bun simply doesn’t understand. And Cook gets mad over his son’s less than stellar report card. You’ll be informed and entertained with this one.

You can click here to listen to Episode 68: Draft Talk With The Angry Ginger

If you didn’t get a chance to listen to our previous Pewter Nation Podcast, which featured special guest Stephen Holder, a former Bucs beat writer for the Tampa Bay Times that now covers the Colts for the Indianapolis Star, you can click here to listen to  Episode 67: Orlando Owners Meeting Update

If you haven’t listened to this week’s podcast yet, it’s the perfect way to enjoy your lunch on a Friday afternoon or battle rush hour traffic on your way home from work. In addition to listening to the Pewter Nation Podcasts on PewterReport.com you can also subscribe to the free podcasts at PodBean by clicking here and on SoundCloud by clicking here.

• Some of the players the Bucs use Top 30 pre-draft visits on have some character concerns or questions that the team wants answered prior to draft day. As Bucs general manager Jason Licht has told me before, there are some players that the team is on the fence about and they come in and make a favorable impression that helps their chances of getting drafted by Tampa Bay.

In other instances, a player on the fence has bombed the interview at One Buc Place or made an unfavorable impression that literally torpedoes his chances of becoming a Buccaneer. Not all players that wind up visiting the team’s headquarters end up being draft day targets.