Is Buccaneers Salary Cap Situation Worse Than Being Let On?

Winning a Super Bowl isn’t easy, and it looks like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have mortgaged more of the future than we initially thought to get one.

What is a Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl Championship worth to you?

If you’re the Buccaneers, then it appears it’s worth at least three years of sticky salary cap management. 

Because according to a recent Pro Football Focus evaluation of all 32 NFL team salary cap futures over the next three years, the Bucs are 29th in cap health ranking.

“The Buccaneers brass knew this day was coming and should not have approached the Tom Brady situation any differently nonetheless,” says PFF’s Brad Spielberger. “A handful of great recent draft picks land them in an interesting situation. Tremendous players such as tackle Tristan Wirfs, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. And others deserve paydays soon, and they also may be too good to let this team select high enough in the draft to find their next franchise quarterback.”

READ MORE: Who Would Draft Tristan Wirfs in NFL Fantasy Draft?

The problem with the ‘Brady Method’ Tampa Bay employed to win its last Super Bowl title is that it’s not easy to replicate. 

There aren’t just Hall of Fame quarterbacks looking for new homes as unrestricted free agents every offseason. 

On top of that, even if there were, the amount of them willing to take less money than they could demand would be even more scarce.

So the Buccaneers' current situation leaves general manager Jason Licht dealing with a Top 51 and 2024 free agent valuation that are both ranked in the 20s among the 32 NFL teams, all while relying on the third-lowest rookie contract contributions in the league. 

Putting it bluntly, it looks like the Bucs have gotten fat off the work of veterans and have precious few rookie contract players ready to help the team get back in shape.

READ MORE: What is Wirfs’ Record Prediction for Bucs?

Those who could, Wirfs and Winfield for example, are about to get fed as well, putting even more pressure on current rookie deal players to pick up increased slack than even those two did as initial-contract players.

The fastest way out of this hole for Licht and Tampa Bay is to maximize contributions from young players so they can justify the departure of veterans in cap-saving moves. 

Which is admittedly much easier said than done.

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82

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