barrett franchise tag – Syndication Server

Shaq Barrett is signing his franchise tender; not close to long-term deal

Buccaneers LB Shaq Barrett will sign his franchise tag tender, but he and the Bucs remain far apart on a long-term deal.

Shaq Barrett burst onto the scene last season, going from afterthought offseason signing to the 2019 sack leader.

Barrett led the league with 19.5 sacks last year, breaking the Bucs’ single-season franchise record in the process. Throughout the year, Bruce Arians and the Bucs were adamant that they wanted Barrett back with the team in 2020 and beyond, and for what it’s worth, Barrett was just as enthusiastic about remaining in Tampa.

But after being assigned the franchise tag by the team this offseason, many wondered if and when Barrett would sign his tender without the promise of a long-term deal. Well, it seems Barrett will indeed sign, but the sides still seem far apart on a long-term deal.

#Bucs pass-rusher Shaq Barrett is signing his franchise tender and has filed his grievance that he should be tagged as a DE nor LB, per @RosenhausSports.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 10, 2020

The two sides are not close on a long-term deal and the hope is to find some common ground on a 1-year deal moving forward. https://t.co/fASck4id4z

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 10, 2020

You’ve got to wonder if the Bucs are working on a one-year deal to try and see if Barrett can replicate his 2019 success. He seems like a perfect fit in Todd Bowles’ system, but if they are going to invest big money, long term, they want to make sure they’ll get close to the same production as they did in 2019.

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Is Jameis Winston’s latest Instagram post a sign that he’s done with the Bucs?

Take a look at the latest Instagram post from quarterback Jameis Winston, who may very well be done in Tampa Bay.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced this morning that they’ve placed the franchise tag on linebacker Shaquil Barrett, who led the NFL last season with 19.5 sacks after signing a one-year “prove it” deal with the Bucs last offseason.

The move isn’t all that surprising, considering ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the other week that the Bucs would do just that if they couldn’t reach a long-term deal with Barrett. But, the move also indicates that the team may be ready to move on from quarterback Jameis Winston, who himself is a free agent.

Speculation has run rampant in recent weeks over who will be under center for the Bucs in 2020. Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Teddy Bridgewater have had their names thrown into the mix, making it clear the Bucs aren’t sold on bringing Winston back.

With Barrett getting the tag this morning, Winston — whether coincidentally or not — took to Instagram a short while ago and posted the below picture and caption, which may very well indicate his time with the Bucs is over.

Take a look.

View this post on Instagram

Smile!

A post shared by Jameis Winston (@jaboowins3) on Mar 16, 2020 at 9:37am PDT

If you want to read between the lines, it could be that Winston is trying to stay positive and keep his head held high as he starts the process of finding a new home.

If it is the end for Winston in Tampa Bay, he finishes his career with the Bucs with 19,737 passing yards, 121 touchdowns and 88 interceptions, including a career-high 30 in 2019.

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Bucs considering franchise tag for Shaq Barrett which could be trouble for Jameis Winston

The Buccaneers are strongly considering using the franchise tag on LB Shaq Barrett, which could mean Jameis Winston is out in Tampa Bay.

Bucs are strongly considering placing their franchise tag on pass rusher Shaquil Barrett if the two sides are unable to reach a long-term deal, per league source.

Also notable is this: Placing franchise tag on Barrett means there’d be no franchise tag left for Jameis Winston.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2020

This tweet from Adam Schefter is a big one. While most people assumed LB Shaq Barrett would return to Tampa Bay after his 19.5 sack season in 2019, it remained a question of how the Bucs would retain him. Striking a long-term deal was the obvious solution, but there was always the possibility of using either the franchise or transition tag if the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement.

With this news from Schefter comes the reality that Jameis Winston could very well be out in Tampa Bay. The Bucs are keeping their options open at QB, and Bruce Arians seemed to indicate the team has already made a decision on Winston’s future. You have to believe that if they had Winston in their plans, they wouldn’t be using the franchise tag on Barrett.

Then again, perhaps the Bucs are still looking to negotiate a new deal with Winston and leaking this news is a way of gaining leverage. Who knows right now? But it is definitely going to be an interesting offseason for the Buccaneers. And, it appears, the first domino is about to fall.

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