According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed Shaquil Barrett to a four-year deal worth $72 million. Barrett, who played under the franchise tag in 2020, is expected to make upwards of $36 million in guaranteed money through his new contract. At the age of 28, Barrett has established himself as one of the top linebackers and pass rushers in the entire NFL. The Colorado State alum tallied a combined 115 tackles, 27.5 sacks, and 1 INT in his first two years with the Buccaneers organization. With a return by Barrett to the Bay, the Buccaneers should have one of the strongest defenses in the NFL.
The Next Step for the Buccaneers
Although it’s a good day to be a Buccaneers fan, the organization still has multiple free agency situations that will need to be addressed. For starters, three key players on the offensive side of the football will have the chance to test free agency. Rob Gronkowski should qualify as the easiest free agent to return due to his relationship with Tom Brady. However, returning Antonio Brown and Leonard Fournette might require some trickery. Brown had a great comeback season, but Fournette was arguably the best running back in the entire 2021 NFL Playoffs. Unfortunately, in all likelihood, only one of the two can return due to salary cap limitations. It’s also worth mentioning that DE Ndamukong Suh is on the free agency market once again. Suh has a notorious reputation for money chasing, so returning him to the Bay could be a challenge as well.
So who stays and who goes? It’s hard to say. If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that the Buccaneers are running tight on cap space. Every decision by the front office from now on has to be tightly calculated. The Buccaneers may already qualify as the strongest team in the NFL, but as the saying goes, “the more the merrier”. GO BUCS!