How Bucs Can Handle The Tom Brady Cap Implications
While Brate, Fournette and Succop are very likely to be released, there are two additional players who may join them. Left tackle Donovan Smith and wide receiver Russell Gage both represent potential cut candidates as they both could provide the team with cap savings. There is an argument to be made for each to remain with the team, though those arguments vary between the two players.
With Smith, there isn’t an obvious replacement currently on the roster. And finding a replacement that the Bucs can count on via free agency would require the team to make a substantial investment. Opening up $9,950,000 in cap space by releasing Smith sounds like a good plan until you realize a reliable replacement on the open market would cost more than that.
And if the Bucs want to find that replacement via the NFL Draft, they would most likely need to use a first or second round pick on the position. It is certainly a route they could go, but in doing so they forego replenishing their reinforcements in the secondary, defensive line, linebacker, offensive playmaker or quarterback.
Gage on the other hand represents a smaller salary cap relief for the team. If the Bucs release him before June 1, the cap savings are only $2,833,333 for 2023. But what the Bucs do save is $10 million in actual cash paid to Gage.
Gage isn’t a starter as the Bucs have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin ahead of him. However, in the modern NFL a reliable third receiver is just about a must-have. If the Bucs do opt to let Gage go, they have scant-little in the way of a reliable third option and will again have to spend somewhere to replace him.
If the Bucs go this route with both Smith and Gage, their cap overage will fall to $33,498,000.
Restructures, Restructures Everywhere
Cuts alone won’t solve all of the Bucs salary cap woes. There is no way they can avoid restructuring some of their veteran contracts. There are several players who are candidates to have their contracts restructured. These are players on veteran deals with at least two years remaining on them. Chris Godwin, Shaq Barrett, Ryan Jensen, Vita Vea and Carlton Davis III all represent opportunities for the Bucs to create cap savings in 2023.
