The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be looking to move on from a player they only just acquired last offseason.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Monday that the Bucs are shopping guard Shaq Mason, who the team traded for during the 2022 offseason to bolster its offensive line and help protect his former Patriots teammate Tom Brady.
Like a lot of the team’s impending departures, any potential trade for Mason would be related to the Bucs’ cap woes. Tampa Bay is under the cap, but operational costs will require the team to make more changes in the coming weeks before the NFL draft. Moving Mason would be an immediate help, but at the cost of a guard who is certainly still a quality starting-caliber player in the NFL.
With young pieces on the line and the future to think about, Mason’s tenure in Tampa Bay could end sooner than anticipated.
The #Bucs are exploring trade possibilities with guard Shaq Mason, per sources. With a $9.6M cap hit, Mason could become a cap casualty for the cap-strapped Bucs. A quality guard appears ready to enter the market.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 13, 2023