The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a few bright spots this past season, and arguably none stood out more than their shutdown rushing defense. Allowing a mere 73.8 yards per game, the Bucs defense allowed 13.1 yards less than the next closest team, the New York Jets (86.9 ypg) and stifled running backs on opposing teams.
10-year veteran Jason Pierre-Paul has spent the past two seasons with the Buccaneers, totaling 21 sacks, 85 tackles, and three forced fumbles. Most importantly, JPP brings the intangible winning mentality and veteran leadership, plus a Super Bowl ring.
Expiring contracts following the 2019 season for the Buccaneers are plentiful, and Pierre-Paul’s name is included on that list. Speculation is swirling about what the Buccaneers will do with Pierre-Paul and fellow defensive standout, Ndamukung Suh, whom are both unrestricted free agents. Coach Bruce Arians has stated that he wants to keep the defense together, as they seemingly started to gel in the latter part of the season very well.
$90 million is the total amount in the Buccaneers’ cap space bank, however, with the amount of free agents on their roster, that well may dry up quicker than the organization would like. Jameis Winston and Shaq Barrett are also free agents, mean the team could lose the NFL sack leader and not have a starting quarterback on the roster. Fans have been asking, “Is the team able to re-sign both Suh and Pierre-Paul?” It’s entirely possible, but with so many gaps that must be addressed, it’s hard to fathom that all the stars align and the Buccaneers can accomplish everything.
Pierre-Paul posted on this Instagram, with a caption that simply read “All I did was try my best. 90PC.”
The message could be either very blunt, or cryptic – you decide. Has Pierre-Paul wrapped up his time in a Buccaneers uniform? If you take this at face value, it’s a fairly astounding yes and contract negotiations have stalled, or both the Buccaneers and Pierre-Paul have come to a mutual agreement that the 10-year veteran will test the free agency waters.
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