As expected, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not place the franchise tag on any of their pending free agents, as Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline came and went without that particular move from One Buc Place.
Cornerback Jamel Dean was the most sensible candidate for this year’s tag, but Tampa Bay’s salary cap situation prevented them from being able to use it to keep him for at least one more season.
This is the first time in four years the Bucs won’t be using the tag, after placing it on Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin in each of the last two years, and Pro Bowl outside linebacker Shaq Barrett the year before that.
Dean and the rest of Tampa Bay’s 22 unrestricted free agents will now head to the open market when the new league year begins next week, barring any last-minute contract extensions.
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