Report: Buccaneers inform Super Bowl Champion, leading rusher that he'll be released in March

Tampa Bay is set to move on from one of its top offensive players in a couple of weeks.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to move on from multiple players this offseason in an effort to get under the cap. The franchise is currently north of $56 million over the cap but can shed salary by parting ways with members of the roster who underperformed in 2022. 

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Two prime candidates are offensive tackle Donovan Smith and running back Leonard Fournette. the Buccaneers would save over $13 million if they release the two players before June 1.

According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Tampa Bay will make a change in the near future. The team has informed Fournette that he'll be cut when the new league year begins on March 15. That will save the Buccaneers nearly $3.5 million in cap space in 2023.

Sorry -- saves $3.5 million in cap space and $5 million in cash, as only $2 million of his $7 million in 2023 compensation was guaranteed.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) February 28, 2023

Maybe even more important than the money, the move will provide a larger opportunity for second-year running back Rachaad White, who recorded 10+ touches in nine of his final ten appearances of the season including the playoffs. He finished second on the team in rushing with 129 carries for 481 yards with one touchdown while catching 50 catches for 290 yards and two more scores.

Fournette disappointed this past season after signing an extension with the franchise March. He led the team in rushing with 189 carries for 668 yards and three touchdowns but only averaged 3.5 yards per attempt, the second-lowest mark of his career.

Regardless of how it ended, Fournette will always be remembered by fans for turning it on when it mattered the most. During his epic postseason run in 2020, 'Playoff Lenny' proved to be dangerous on the ground and through the air. In four games, he totaled 64 rushes for 300 yards and three touchdowns on the ground while catching 18 passes for 148 yards and a score. That included 135 total yards and a score in the Super Bowl LV victory against the Kansas City Chiefs.

It probably won't take long for Fournette to find a new landing spot. He'll be valuable to a team as a member of a running back rotation.

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