So the Bucs won the Super Bowl. It’s fun, it’s great, and they had that boat parade where a bunch of people were packed onto the Riverwalk while not wearing masks, probably increasing Tampa’s COVID-19 numbers exponentially.
Fun stuff, right? Let’s get into some not-so-fun stuff.
Free agents. The Bucs are going to have plenty of them from this championship roster, and they won’t be able to re-sign all of them. The idea of simply “running it back” with the team they had this year is nice, but probably unrealistic, especially if Tampa Bay wants to avoid the salary cap problems currently plaguing the Saints payroll back-loaded with contracts.
With all of that being said, let’s get into the five guys the Bucs probably need to re-sign if they want to try to make a run at repeating as Super Bowl champs.
Chris Godwin
Godwin is one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL. He blocks like a tight end, he runs excellent routes, and he hardly ever drops targets. He’s the dependable option a guy like Brady needs, especially in the Bucs’ vertical-style offense. If the Bucs are serious about competing next year, Godwin is the no. 1 guy they need to bring back. He’s probably the most important cog in the offense not named Brady or Evans. So no matter what the price, they need to bring him back. The good news is that Godwin seems very happy in Tampa, and a deal should be reached sometime soon. If that doesn’t work out, they can always franchise tag him and try to re-sign him to a bigger contract extension next offseason.
Shaquil Barrett
Now, Barrett is probably going to be the most expensive of these five names because of his incredible value as an edge rusher. Other than QBs, pass rushers are probably the most valued commodity in the NFL, and rightfully so. If you look at the best defenses in the NFL, most of them have at least two guys who can cause a lot of problems for opposing offenses by getting after the quarterback. The Bucs had that this past season with Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq. Now the issue will be keeping Shaq around. But Barrett is another guy who seems incredibly happy to be playing in a Bucs uniform, even going so far as to say “I know there ain’t no place I’d rather be,” when asked about his upcoming free agency (I mean, did you see him in that Doug Williams jersey at the parade?). I think it’s safe to say the feeling is mutual, and a deal should be reached fairly quickly.
Lavonte David
I know, ranking David this low seems criminal for a guy who is probably top-two at his position, but with David’s age he probably won’t be getting the huge contract that Godwin and Barrett will likely receive. He’s a solid middle linebacker whose value was never on display more than in the Super Bowl, where he was flying all over the field and making plays seemingly at least once every drive. As one of the longest tenured Bucs on the roster, David provides a locker room presence that would be incredibly difficult to replace. But, as with most guys on Super Bowl teams, David seems like another guy that will likely be re-signed. However, there is a chance that David tests free agency a little more than his teammates as there haven’t been any reports about David going one way or the other in regards to his status as a Buc. He could be targeted by linebacker-needy teams like the Browns or the Eagles, especially if either of those teams end up unloading some big contracts on their rosters. For now, let’s just cross our fingers and hope David returns, because he would be sorely missed.
Rob Gronkowski
This one is a bit more of a gimme. Gronk isn’t going anywhere. He came out of retirement to play with his buddy, he didn’t come out to go play for the Bengals. He’s almost a lock to return, and the good news here is that he probably will take a bit of a pay cut to help out the Bucs with their cap situation and allow a guy like Lavonte David to re-sign at his actual market value. But, that still doesn’t make Gronk any less important. He’s an elite blocker at the tight end position and he steps up in big games, as shown by his two-touchdown performance in the Super Bowl. His chemistry with Brady is evident on the field and in those weird sexual-tension-filled weekly videos they make every week. So, yeah. Gronk is important, but he’s a lock to return.
Ndamukong Suh
The fact that Playoff Lenny and Antonio Brown are left off this list despite them both scoring touchdowns in the Super Bowl should show you just how big this free agency problem could be for the Bucs. Suh may not put up the stats those other guys do, but he provides an invaluable presence on the Bucs’ defensive line as a run stuffer and veteran leader. I genuinely believe that without Suh on the Bucs for the past couple of years, Vita Vea does not emerge as the powerhouse he is. Suh’s experience and intensity on the field would be missed, but for the Bucs it is going to be difficult to re-sign Suh at his current price. He made $8 million this season, and with Barrett and Godwin likely to get raises, it’d be really hard to make that same salary work. But, again, there’s something to be said for a player’s comfort in a situation, especially after winning the Super Bowl. Tampa isn’t that bad of a place to live, and Florida doesn’t have a state income tax. So Suh might be willing to come back on another one-year deal for, say, half of his salary this year. Gives him another shot at a Super Bowl, and for a guy who played for the Lions and the Dolphins for most of his career, maybe he doesn’t want to go back to another terrible team. Let’s hope so.
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This article appears in Feb 18-24, 2021.
