FAB 4. EXAMINING THE BUCS’ 2017 SALARY CAP SITUATION
While the reason that NFL teams’ coaches, scouts and general managers head to Mobile, Ala. each year is to evaluate the best senior players available in the NFL Draft, Senior Bowl week also serves another purpose. It’s a great opportunity for NFL agents, general managers and capologists to gather and exchange numbers when working on contract extensions for players poised to hit free agency.

As PewterReport.com reported on Thursday, the Bucs are beginning to meet with agents and negotiate extensions for defensive end Will Gholston and center Joe Hawley, and running back Jacquizz Rodgers is deemed to be a priority, too. Thanks to general manager Jason Licht and director of football administration Mike Greenberg Tampa Bay is in an enviable salary cap situation heading into free agency.

Bucs CB Alterraun Verner – Photo by: Getty Images

The Bucs are expected to enter free agency with $65,169,718 in cap room, according to OverTheCap.com, and could create more cap room by releasing backup cornerback Alterraun Verner, who is overpaid with a $6.5 million base salary this year, in addition to cutting suspended running back Doug Martin, who is currently seeking treatment for drug addition, which would save $7 million. Martin is the Bucs’ second-highest paid player in Tampa Bay in 2017 behind Gerald McCoy, who is scheduled to make $13.25 million. Verner is tied with cornerback Brent Grimes for the fourth-highest paid player in Tampa Bay.

Verner could be released this offseason prior to the start of free agency, but the Bucs will likely take a wait-and-see approach with Martin to ensure that Rodgers is signed in free agency and the team secures another running back in the draft. Even if the Bucs conclude that cutting Martin is in the team’s best interest, there is no advantage to releasing him now as he won’t receive a penny of his $7 million salary unless he makes the team and is on the 53-man roster to start the season.

Even then, he will have three game checks worth $1,312,500 deducted from his salary if Martin remains with Tampa Bay due to his three-game suspension to start the 2017 season. Martin’s $7 million was guaranteed prior to his failed drug test, but now that he’s been suspended that guarantee clause has been voided.

The Bucs could gain another $13.5 million in cap room by releasing both Verner and Martin this year. That would boost their available cap room to over $78.6 million. If that seems like an excessive amount of money, consider that Gholston will likely command $5-$7 million per year by himself.

Bucs TE Cameron Brate – Photo by: Mark Lomoglio/PR

If Tampa Bay decides to offer contract extensions this year to Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans and tight end Cameron Brate, who are both entering their fourth year in the league, the Bucs will need a significant amount of cap room. Evans will command north of $15 million per year, while Brate could fetch $6-$7 million given the new contract that San Francisco tight end Vance McDonald received in December. That’s between $21-$24 million between those two offensive weapons.

If you figure Hawley may fetch $3.5-$5 million and Rodgers could receive an offer between $2-$3.5 million per year, that’s another $5.5-$8.5 million in cap room. Add up these hypothetical salaries and that’s somewhere between $31.5-$39.5 worth of cap room for five players – Gholston, Evans, Brate, Hawley and Rodgers – and that’s close to half of the available cap room if I’ve guessed right. But this year the Bucs have over a dozen of their own free agents they want to re-sign.

Licht and Greenberg also need to save some room for next year if the Bucs want to extend the contracts of offensive lineman Kevin Pamphile, who will be an unrestricted free agent in 2018, in addition to quarterback Jameis Winston, middle linebacker Kwon Alexander and offensive linemen Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet after their third year in the league.

Mike Greenberg and Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The key to successful salary cap management is to hit on draft picks and find starters and key contributors that can play on inexpensive rookie contracts for three or four years. That’s what Licht has been able to do so well.

When it comes to contract extensions and contracts for new free agents Greenberg excels at offering guaranteed money for two years on Bucs’ deals and uses first-year roster bonuses instead of signing bonuses that are prorated over the entire length of the contract that can increase the team’s dead cap room if Tampa Bay has to cut a player before his contract is up.

Together, Licht and Greenberg have been able to find the talent necessary to put Tampa Bay on an upward trajectory – and have made sure they have had the cap room to keep that talent in red and pewter.