Does Bruce Arians understand that a salary cap limit exists in the NFL? Clearly not, because the 68-year-old head coach is spending money like it grows on trees. We can’t really blame him though, especially considering the fact that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lucked out with one of the best salary cap situations in the league. With that being said, let’s cut to the chase and get to the big news: DT Ndamukong Suh re-signed with the Buccaneers on a one-year deal worth $9 million guaranteed.
Indeed, the Buccaneers magically managed to return all of their key free agents on the defensive side of the football. Lavonte David and Shaquil Barrett qualified as must-returns from the get-go, but there was much speculation as to whether the Buccaneers would feel the need to return Ndamukong Suh. Clearly, Bruce Arians and Jason Licht answered that question with an emphatic YES. The deal makes sense in retrospect too, as Suh improved greatly during his 2020 campaign. The 34-year-old DT recorded 43 combined tackles and six sacks (tied for his most since 2014) on the season. Again, he may not be essential to the team’s success, but having him back should help Tampa Bay maintain one of the prolific defensive lines in the NFL.
What’s Next for Tampa in Free Agency?
When it comes to big signings, there isn’t much left for Tampa Bay to do. There are only really two big names that qualify as notable, with those being Antonio Brown and Leonard Fournette. Brown established a great comeback season last year, reeling in 45 receptions for 483 yards and 4 TD’s in the regular season alone. Fournette, on the other hand, struggled to find any consistency running the football in the main course of the year. However, the former Jacksonville Jaguars RB absolutely dominated the postseason, leading running backs in multiple stat categories.
So, who stays and who goes? It’s hard to say, especially considering both players have received interest from other teams around the NFL. Russell Wilson has made it clear that he wants to recruit Brown to Seattle, whereas rumors suggest Patriots HC Bill Belichick has a motive to sabotage his former QB’s offense by stealing Fournette away.
Either way, it’s unlikely that they both return to Tampa Bay. However, if the Buccaneers could get just one to play with Brady for another year, then their offense would be on par with their defense, if not even better.