With the recent reports of the Bucs likely franchise tagging Chris Godwin, the Bucs will be projected to pay the former Penn State man $16.4 million for the 2021 season. That leaves the team with about $12 million in cap space, assuming it keeps the roster as is (unlikely).
With Shaq Barrett and Lavonte David on the free agency market, things are about to get interesting. Let’s just assume the Bucs do what I think is the smart thing and cut Donovan Smith, O.J. Howard, and William Gholston, freeing up about $25 million in cap space, leaving Tampa Bay with $37 million total (generously assuming re-signing Barrett, David and Gronk takes up about $30 million)
So $7 million. Not a lot to work with, but there are some interesting free agents who could take discounts for a chance at a ring with TB12.
Trent Williams
The former 49er left tackle is one of the best in football, but he’s 32. He’s not a young guy looking to get paid; he’s gotten his check, now maybe he wants to win, especially after spending the majority of his career in Washington and the last year with the disappointing 49ers. Enter the Bucs. If this Smith gets cut, they’ll need another quality tackle to protect TB12. Williams would be a pretty sizable upgrade over Smith, but his durability is a bit more of a question mark, with only two seasons of injury-free football under his belt. Williams will likely latch on elsewhere to get paid, but if he really wants to win, the Bucs would gladly take the eight-time Pro Bowler.
Alejandro Villanueva
Villanueva is another veteran tackle that will be highly sought after, so the Bucs signing the former Steeler is another long shot, but he’s also 32 years old, and his level of play hasn’t been as high as Williams’. So a little more realistic, but still not great odds. Nonetheless, leave no stone unturned, right? Villanueva has been protecting Ben Rothlisberger his whole career, earning two Pro Bowl selections in the process. He also has never missed a game in his seven-year career. So certainly no injury issues with Villanueva.
Kelvin Beachum
I know, three straight offensive lineman, but if the Bucs do indeed release Smith to loosen up their cap, they’ll need to replace him, and picking 32nd in the draft isn’t going to produce any great options. So free agency is probably going to be what the Bucs have to do. Beachum is by far the most affordable option of the three mentioned, so this would make a lot of sense. Beachum hasn’t earned the accolades the previous two guys have, but he’s still a quality starter who has a decent track record of staying healthy. Production-wise, he’d be similar to Smith, but the big difference is that he most certainly won’t be earning $14 million. He’s had to play for teams like the Jaguars, Jets and Cardinals. I’m sure Beachum is itching to play for an actual football team.
Cam Newton
Let’s get weird. I’ve written about three offensive lineman, I want to talk about someone people have actually heard of (and will probably get all you middle-aged couch GMs angry in the replies). Cam is certainly a polarizing figure in the NFL with his on-field play and off-field quirks. He’s been to a Super Bowl, he has an MVP trophy, and yet he’s scheduled for free agency and might not land a starting job. Now, Washington or Denver could swoop in to sign the former Panther, or the Patriots might decide to run it back with Cam, and all those teams would be very smart to do so. I’m very high on Cam Newton. He’s never had any real weapons around him apart from a couple seasons of Steve Smith and Christian McCaffrey, and Greg Olsen when he wasn’t hurt (which wasn’t very often).
Newton is undervalued by a lot of football analysts, and if other teams feel the same way, then why shouldn’t the Bucs take a chance on him? He can be a great backup who can fill in for TB12, God forbid anything happens to the Golden Boy out of Michigan, and maybe get some playing time to do some weird trick-play stuff, reverses or designed QB runs in the red zone. Newton currently owns the record for most rushing TDs for a QB, and for good reason. At six-foot five-inches and 245 pounds he’s pretty hard to stop, and with guys like Evans and Gronk around him teams would have to respect him throwing the ball even more. This probably won’t happen, but it’s fun to dream, right?
Kawann Short
Of all the players I just mentioned, Short (pictured) is the guy that makes the most sense. He fills the hole that will likely be left by Ndamokung Suh as a guy who can eat up blockers and continue the Bucs’ recent tradition of having the best rush defense in the NFL. Before being cut by Carolina last week, Short spent his entire career in a Panthers uniform, so it’s safe to say he’s another guy that might jump at the opportunity to play for a winning franchise. Short is another 32-year-old guy who won’t be getting a big contract wherever he ends up, which certainly plays in the Bucs favor, so it just makes sense for both sides. He can try to get a ring, and the Bucs get a quality defensive lineman without having to break the bank.
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This article appears in Feb 25 – Mar 3, 2021.