Here’s how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look at cap space before the NFL Draft. They did well to keep some of their own guys and shore up some depth.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been big spenders in free agency, mostly to retain their own players. The team has also added a few new ones, to shore up depth, too, and its beginning to show at the moment when it comes to the team’s salary cap.
The Bucs did well to bring back quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (on the franchise tag, at least) and linebacker Lavonte David. Tampa Bay also shored up depth, addressing the interior offensive line by bringing in guards Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta and looking at cornerback by signing former Jets cornerback Bryce Hall.
With these signings, the Bucs currently have very little cap space. Tampa Bay currently has $9,978,974 in salary cap space, which ranks them 28th in the league according to Spotrac. The only teams with less cap room are the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns. In order to create $17.43 million in cap space, wide receiver Mike Evans recently restructured his new contract by turning his $21.79 million roster bonus into a signing bonus. However, as FOX Sports’ Greg Auman noted, this was the contract’s ideal structure for salary cap purposes, so no new cap space has been created.
The Bucs have a few options for increasing their cap space. Extensions to players such as Tristan Wirfs and a real deal with Winfield Jr. may make this happen. Generally, an extension of a player entails converting compensation to a signing bonus delivered over the term of a contract. Bucs supporters may, however, rely on general manager Jason Licht and cap expert Mike Greenberg to get Tampa Bay to the necessary cap space position. Cornerback Tavierre Thomas visited the Bucs lately, suggesting that the team is still adding players.
