2037 Free Agency
Well, here is our list of players in their walk year, and out of contract:
Code:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Roster, Scout Overview
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Wright, Jack 35 RB 6 57 57 1 yr.
Murray, Lawrence 44 FB 6 63 63 1 yr.
Czyz, Bryant 8 FL 13 61 61 1 yr.
Carter, Travis 62 LG 3 33 47 1 yr.
Schroeder, Clarence 71 LT 3 26 35 1 yr.
Money, Raymond 77 RT 4 52 60 1 yr.
Lester, Leland 67 RT 8 49 49 1 yr.
Rolfe, Jake 75 NT 10 79 79 1 yr.
Devine, Kris 54 WILB 7 36 36 1 yr.
Goodwin, Mel 56 WLB 3 37 47 1 yr.
Booker, Courtney 20 LCB 4 66 66 1 yr.
Pujols, George 42 LCB 8 43 43 1 yr.
Upshaw, Spencer 23 FS 4 52 52 1 yr.
Woodson, Rusty 30 FS 11 46 46 1 yr.
Player # Pos Start Exp Current Estimate Future Estimate Cntrct
Caballero, Jake 18 QB 4 22 33 ---
Curson, Geoff 28 RB 4 25 31 ---
Daughtry, Kenneth 41 RB 4 25 28 ---
Rodgers, Bart 55 RG 12 69 69 ---
Henry, Tracy 99 LDE 4 15 21 ---
Fernyhough, Alonzo 79 NT 8 54 54 ---
Samuels, Gabe 91 SLB 5 64 64 ---
Palmer, Jamie 21 RCB 5 31 31 ---
I guess the logical thing to do with an extension here is to work out a new deal with CB Booker, a guy we clearly want to try to keep around. We offer him the deal he is seeking, and get him locked up for three more seasons, each fairly pricey.
So, our main focus among our own players will be to return RG Bart Rodgers and LB Gabe Samuels. Past that, I’m fine with role players anywhere, and perhaps a short term deal with a pricey player somewhere (like DE?).
Reneg –
RFA – QB Jake Caballero, 3y minsal
1YR – RT Buddy Vasquez, $2.8m
2YR -
3YR – DE Donny Burne, $10.8m
4YR – DT Lester Horst, $31m (3y $8.7m)
5YR – SLB Gabe Samuels, 120m (4y $65m)
6YR – LB Michael Wilkerson, 132m (3y $30m)
7YR – RG Bart Rodgers, 195m (4y $54m)
It doesn’t take me long to discard RT Lester and RB Kelly to clear out cap space. That brings our target roster down to 56 players (assuming we use all our contract slots, etc), so we are still doing fine.
MLB Michael Wilkerson looks like a perfect addition for us to the inside LB corps, where we have young guys who won’t ever be as good as he already is. Solid add, I think.
Things are going fine, until week seven – when LB Gabe Samuels surprises me and out of the blue accepts a new offer from Minnesota. That was unexpected, and there’s nobody out there who can fill that “stud LB” slot for him. Tough loss. I’m thinking the right play here is to slide young Mel Goodwin to that role, but we will wait until after the draft to decide – OLB may also be a rookie target for us now.
Then, my fears are doubled – as G Bart Rodgers suddenly turns our offer down, and he too goes to Minnesota. Wow. I did not see that coming at all, I confess, I just saw our offer leading the whole way.
(Realistically, the loss of these two guys was largely my own fault – I tried to keep very close to their demands, and didn’t “overpay” either guy with my offer. I think it’s largely for the best, as we would have been committing quite a lot after these two easy-to-fill positions had they both accepted my offers)
So, we have our 5 and 7 year contract slots to use now, and not much out there to use them on. OG Roy Maticic is a run-blocker only, but is by far the best interior lineman out there, and he’s cool with a 5y deal. I think he will be solid, though not the same as plugging back in the same guy who has been with us for years and years.
LB Doug Farrington is a playable LB who ought to be okay in coverage – just one more guys we can use in a SLB rotation, perhaps. Not great, but cheap. We leave the 2yr slot open for a potential big money guy – as I now have the cap space for one.