Category: League News

Calvin Ridley’s new contract makes Mike Evans’ deal a massive bargain

Calvin Ridley’s massive new deal with the Titans makes Mike Evans even more of a steal for the Bucs

One of the first big surprises of NFL free agency this year is on the board, as the Tennessee Titans are poaching veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley away from the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars with a massive contract.

Ridley is getting a four-year deal worth $92 million, with $50 million in guaranteed money, per multiple reports.

That’s a super-rich deal for a receiver who turns 30 years old this season, missed an entire season due to a gambling suspension, and has dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career.

It’s especially rich when compared to the two-year deal Mike Evans got from the Bucs that will pay him up to $52 million, which includes $35 million guaranteed.

Yes, Evans will turn 31 years old this season, but he’s also been far more productive and consistent over the course of his career. Even last year, at 30 years old, Evans put up some of his best single-season numbers to date, despite losing Tom Brady as his quarterback (79 receptions, 1,255 yards, league-high 13 touchdown receptions).

Ridley was solid for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, going over 1,000 yards and catching eight touchdowns, but it was just the second time he’s topped the 1,000-yard mark in his six seasons in the league. Evans has eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in each of his 10 NFL seasons, by far the NFL record to start a career, and one shy of Jerry Rice’s all-time mark.

Tampa Bay kept Evans with a much shorter contract term and $15 million less guaranteed money than Ridley is getting from the Titans, making him a massive steal for what he brings to the offense.

This is just one more on a long list of massive wins for Bucs general manager Jason Licht and the rest of Tampa Bay’s front office.

[lawrence-related id=”142585″]

Calvin Ridley’s new contract makes Mike Evans’ deal a massive bargain

Calvin Ridley’s massive new deal with the Titans makes Mike Evans even more of a steal for the Bucs

One of the first big surprises of NFL free agency this year is on the board, as the Tennessee Titans are poaching veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley away from the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars with a massive contract.

Ridley is getting a four-year deal worth $92 million, with $50 million in guaranteed money, per multiple reports.

That’s a super-rich deal for a receiver who turns 30 years old this season, missed an entire season due to a gambling suspension, and has dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career.

It’s especially rich when compared to the two-year deal Mike Evans got from the Bucs that will pay him up to $52 million, which includes $35 million guaranteed.

Yes, Evans will turn 31 years old this season, but he’s also been far more productive and consistent over the course of his career. Even last year, at 30 years old, Evans put up some of his best single-season numbers to date, despite losing Tom Brady as his quarterback (79 receptions, 1,255 yards, league-high 13 touchdown receptions).

Ridley was solid for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, going over 1,000 yards and catching eight touchdowns, but it was just the second time he’s topped the 1,000-yard mark in his six seasons in the league. Evans has eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in each of his 10 NFL seasons, by far the NFL record to start a career, and one shy of Jerry Rice’s all-time mark.

Tampa Bay kept Evans with a much shorter contract term and $15 million less guaranteed money than Ridley is getting from the Titans, making him a massive steal for what he brings to the offense.

This is just one more on a long list of massive wins for Bucs general manager Jason Licht and the rest of Tampa Bay’s front office.

[lawrence-related id=85840]

Baker Mayfield knows exactly what Justin Fields is going through

Much like Justin Fields, Baker Mayfield was once the lame-duck trade asset after his team gave up on him

Not too long ago, Baker Mayfield was waiting around to see where the Cleveland Browns were going to trade him after they had given up on him in favor of Deshaun Watson.

Now, Justin Fields is in a similar situation, as the Chicago Bears are expected to spend the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

Mayfield ended up being dealt to the Carolina Panthers eventually, and after bouncing between them and the Los Angeles Rams, finally found a long-term home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Appearing on NFL Network on Wednesday, Mayfield was asked if he had any advice for Fields as he navigates his current situation with the Bears:

Mayfield signed a cheap one-year deal with the Bucs last offseason, and responded with the best season of his career, making the Pro Bowl while leading Tampa Bay to a third straight NFC South title and a narrow road loss in the second round of the playoffs to the Detroit Lions.

Hopefully for Fields, a similar bounce-back awaits him in the next chapter of his football journey.

[lawrence-related id=”568017″]

Baker Mayfield knows exactly what Justin Fields is going through

Much like Justin Fields, Baker Mayfield was once the lame-duck trade asset after his team gave up on him

Not too long ago, Baker Mayfield was waiting around to see where the Cleveland Browns were going to trade him after they had given up on him in favor of Deshaun Watson.

Now, Justin Fields is in a similar situation, as the Chicago Bears are expected to spend the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

Mayfield ended up being dealt to the Carolina Panthers eventually, and after bouncing between them and the Los Angeles Rams, finally found a long-term home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Appearing on NFL Network on Wednesday, Mayfield was asked if he had any advice for Fields as he navigates his current situation with the Bears:

Mayfield signed a cheap one-year deal with the Bucs last offseason, and responded with the best season of his career, making the Pro Bowl while leading Tampa Bay to a third straight NFC South title and a narrow road loss in the second round of the playoffs to the Detroit Lions.

Hopefully for Fields, a similar bounce-back awaits him in the next chapter of his football journey.

[lawrence-related id=85840]

Former Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett signing with Dolphins

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Shaq Barrett is signing with the Miami Dolphins.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Shaq Barrett is planning to sign with the Miami Dolphins when NFL free agency officially opens up Wednesday, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

A two-time Super Bowl champion and former All-Pro, Barrett has 59 career sacks, and was a key member of Tampa Bay’s championship team back in 2020. He also led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019.

Barrett saw a dip in his production last season after coming off a torn Achilles, but he won’t have to move far to play for his new team in South Florida.

[lawrence-related id=85816]

When does NFL free agency start?

Get all the info on when NFL free agency officially kicks off this week

The 2024 NFL offseason is about to kick off in full force, as the new league year is set to begin this week.

So, what’s the timeline for free agency?

Starting Monday at noon ET, pending free agents are allowed to discuss contracts with new teams and agree to terms, but no new deals can be signed until the league year officially begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

Veterans who have already been released by their previous teams are free to sign at any point right now, and teams are also free to negotiate with and re-sign their own pending free agents at any time.

We’re just a couple of hours away from the frenzy getting underway, so enjoy the calm before the storm.

[lawrence-related id=85779]

NFL salary cap increases to $255.4 million for 2024

The number is about $13 million more than estimates, which could help out the Bucs in retaining some of their numerous free agents.

The official 2024 salary cap number is here — and it’s much bigger than expected.

The NFL announced on Friday that the salary cap is set at $255.4 million dollars, largely due to the repayment of advanced and deferred money from the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020 season. This is a pleasant surprise for NFL teams around the league, as it’s a $30 million increase from 2023 and $13 million more than Over the Cap projected to be the salary cap heading into 2024.

This is of course nice for every NFL team, but it’s definitely a bit of a boon for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs have numerous free agents like wide receiver Mike Evans, quarterback Baker Mayfield, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and linebacker Devin White, and this unexpected jump in salary cap could be the difference in keeping a player that might have departed under previous projections.

As it stands right now, Over the Cap projects the Bucs as now having $45,521,102 dollars in cap space, which could help in their quest to get some players back for 2024. This doesn’t account for incoming incentives for Mayfield and a pay bump for center Robert Hainsey, but money can (and likely will) be freed up with post-June 1 cuts to Russell Gage and Ryan Jensen.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1364]

Franchise tag period for NFL begins Tuesday

Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is a likely candidate to be put on the tag in the coming weeks.

The NFL’s franchise tag period is opening up on Tuesday, Feb. 20, and there’s a good chance the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will use it on one of their star players.

Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was named a First-Team All-Pro for the 2023 season and there’s no doubt that Tampa Bay wants him back — that’s where the franchise tag comes in. Because deals for quarterback Baker Mayfield and wideout Mike Evans are potentially on the way, Winfield Jr. may have to wait a year before a full extension and play on the tag for 2024.

The franchise tag is an option that every team in the NFL has to give out to one of their players during any given season. The tag ensures that a player hitting free agency will return to the team before free agency begins, giving them a one-year salary that isn’t less than either the average of the top-five salaries at that player’s position or a salary 120% larger than what that player made last year  — whichever of those numbers happens to be higher. CBS Sports projects this number to be $16,258,000 for the upcoming season.

Should Winfield Jr. be franchised tagged, he’d play with the Bucs for one more season in 2024 and then would have to delay his contract negotiations to 2025. While Winfield Jr. appears to enjoy his time in Tampa, some players don’t take kindly to the tag due to the insecurity it brings for coming seasons. Bucs fans will find out how he’ll take it if he is even tagged at all in the next few weeks — the deadline for tags ends on March 5.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1364]

Titans officially name QB Will Levis as starter, will play Bucs in Week 10

It was expected, but the Bucs will now officially face off against its second rookie quarterback in two weeks on Sunday.

While it was expected, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will officially be facing off against Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis on Sunday.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed to media Tuesday that Levis will remain Tennessee’s starting quarterback going forward. Levis was filling in for an injured Ryan Tannehill in the team’s last two games due to Tannehill suffering a high ankle sprain, but Tannehill will remain on the bench and Levis will take over for the Titans.

Levis has had a tumultuous two games as a starter so far. He threw four touchdowns in his debut against the Atlanta Falcons, but he threw no touchdowns and a game-sealing interception against the Steelers. He clearly has showcased the ability to show out, though, so the Bucs defense will need to be wary due to his lack of film and potential he displayed against Atlanta.

Head coach Todd Bowles has a winning record against rookie QBs with the Bucs, but that record took a hit against C.J. Stroud in Week 9. Bowles is 7-5 against rookie quarterbacks, and he’ll need to tap into the winning side of things as much as he can in the next two weeks — after Levis, the Bucs will face rookie QB Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1364]

Bucs will now face WR Jameson Williams against Lions in Week 6

Williams initially had a six game suspension for gambling that would have seen him miss Detroit’s game against Tampa Bay, but his suspension was reduced by two games on Friday.

It looks like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have another problem to deal with when the Detroit Lions come to town in Week 6.

The Bucs were already going to have a tough time against the 3-1 Lions when they played them at home on Oct. 15, but the task of beating them potentially got a bit harder on Friday. The National Football League announced a revamped policy on gambling punishments on Friday, and because of this, Detroit wide receiver Jameson Williams had his suspension reduced from six games down to four games.

This means that Williams, who was initially set to miss the Lions’ game against the Bucs in Week 6, will now not only play against Tampa Bay, but he’ll have a game before that to get back in the swing of things — he’s set to play against the Carolina Panthers in Week 5 with his suspension ended. The Bucs got unlucky with being the first opponent back for Saints running back Alvin Kamara in Week 4, and now it seems like they’ll have to face Williams when it didn’t seem like that was going to be the case.

Last year, Williams was hampered by injury and only played in six games, where he caught just one pass for a 41-yard touchdown in the regular season.