Bucs Release Donovan Smith After 8 Seasons

The move, while not all that surprising, is significant for a number of reasons. Smith has been a staple of the Tampa Bay offense since he was drafted out of Penn State in the second round of the 2015 Draft. Despite some up-and-down play over his first several seasons, he was an ironman of sorts for the Bucs. He played in all 16 of the team’s games in each season from 2015-2018. He missed just one game in 2019 and another in 2020, but he was as durable as anyone in the league for the duration of his 20s.

Smith really hit his stride down the stretch in 2020. Protecting Tom Brady’s blind side, he played his best football during the Bucs’ run to Super Bowl LV. After that Super Bowl season, Smith was rewarded with a two-year contract extension worth $31.8 million.

He then had a phenomenal 2021 season, playing in all 17 games while allowing just two sacks. For his efforts, he made his way into “The PFF 101,” being named the 62nd-best player in all of football for the 2021 season.

Unfortunately for Smith, his play slid in a big way in 2022. Playing next to a new left guard following the retirement of Pro Bowler Ali Marpet, he had what was probably his worst season as a pro. He finished with four sacks allowed and 13 penalties, including some costly ones. The 29-year-old also missed a career-high four games due to injury. He admitted during the season that he was dealing with some off-field struggles that were affecting his play.

Bucs Move On From Donovan Smith

Now, rather than holding onto Smith and hoping for a bounce-back season in the final year of his contract, the Bucs have let him go. Over his eight-year tenure in Tampa, he played in (and started) 124 out of a possible 130 regular season games. His playoff run began with one of his more memorable performances, which involved him shutting down Chase Young after the then-rookie proclaimed that he was coming after Brady when Washington clinched its spot in the playoffs and was slated to play Tampa Bay. Smith allowed zero sacks and stayed penalty-free throughout the entirety of the Bucs’ playoff run.

By releasing Smith, the Bucs will save $9,950,000 in cap space. As much as those savings will help as Tampa Bay looks to get in compliance with the salary cap, this move also creates a massive hole to fill on their offensive line. That unit will be tasked with protecting a new quarterback this season, and it’ll be fascinating to see how the Bucs go about replacing Smith.

Tristan Wirfs May Move To Left Tackle To Replace Donovan Smith

Tampa Bay has a number of options as it looks for a new left tackle, whether it’s signing a cheap veteran, drafting a rookie or moving All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs to the other side of the line. If the team goes that route, it obviously will create a hole on the right side, which will then be filled by signing a right tackle, drafting one or sliding 2022 second-round pick Luke Goedeke back to the position he played in college at Central Michigan.

It’s yet another piece of the Bucs’ 2023 offseason puzzle, which will take some more maneuvering to finish.