Which player would the Commanders hypothetically steal from the Bucs?
The Washington Commanders kick off the 2024 NFL season on Sunday against the defending NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As we look ahead to the Week 1 matchup and assess Tampa Bay’s roster, it gives us at Commanders Wire the opportunity to sit in general manager Adam Peters’ seat and hypothetically steal one player from the Buccaneers.
While the Bucs have talent across the roster, this one is pretty obvious as it matches a significant need for the Commanders: Left tackle Tristan Wirfs.
Wirfs recently became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history, agreeing to a new five-year contract worth $140.63 million last month. Wirfs, who is only 25, began his NFL career at right tackle before moving to left tackle. In four NFL seasons, Wirfs has been named to the Pro Bowl three times and is a one-time first-team All-Pro selection and also a second-team All-Pro.
Wirfs has only missed four games in his career, all in 2022, and has started all 63 regular-season games.
The 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, Wirfs quickly emerged as one of the NFL’s best young offensive tackles, blocking for the legendary Tom Brady in his rookie season. The Buccaneers would win the Super Bowl.
Wirfs would be an ideal fit in any offensive scheme, but having someone who can get out in space would make him the perfect left tackle for Kliff Kingsbury’s offense in Washington.
Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. record-breaking deals this offseason are a testament to Jason Licht’s tenure as Bucs GM.
In 1995, the Buccaneers drafted two future Hall-of-Fame players, Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks, who would change the trajectory of the franchise.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht appears to have repeated history when he drafted Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. in the 2020 NFL Draft. Wirfs and Winfield are now considered among the best, not to mention highest-paid, players at their respective positions, serving as tributes to Licht’s legacy in Tampa Bay.
Contract value is not always an accurate indicator of a player’s ability or impact on the field, but in the cases of Wirfs and Winfield Jr., it would be hard to argue otherwise. Wirfs has been a Pro Bowler and been voted into the NFL’s Top 100 player list every year since 2021. He earned All-Pro nods in 2021 and 2022. Since 2021, only one other tackle under the age of 25 has earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro accolades in multiple years, and Wirfs just turned 25.
Wirfs’ five-year, $140.6 million contract is the biggest deal for any offensive lineman in NFL history. If Wirfs continues on his current trajectory, it will be worth every penny. His future appears paved in accolades and recognition leading all the way to Canton.
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Winfield Jr.’s four-year, $84.1 million deal is similarly record-breaking, but after the season he had in 2023, it would be near impossible to argue it was not justified. A consensus first-team All-Pro, Winfield Jr. was the best safety in football last year. He was elite in every aspect of defensive play: pass coverage, run defense and pass rush. Winfield Jr. led the NFL in forced fumbles, two of which all but single-handedly won games that helped propel the Bucs into the playoffs.
It was apparent early that Licht had done something special with the Bucs’ first two picks of the 2020 draft. Wirfs and Winfield Jr. were both immediate starters and were named to the NFL’s All-Rookie team.
2020 was obviously a special year for Licht and the Bucs, winning the franchise’s second Super Bowl. Though much credit rightfully goes to Tom Brady and head coach Bruce Arians, that magical 2020 season does not happen without Licht.
After some early struggles during Lovie Smith’s tenure as head coach, Licht was able to turn the page and began building a championship roster, acquiring key players like Chris Godwin, Vita Vea and Carlton Davis III. He lured Arians out of retirement in 2019, setting the stage for one of the biggest free agent coups in recent NFL history: signing Tom Brady in 2020.
While the addition of Brady made the Bucs immediate contenders, it was Wirfs and Winfield Jr. that put them over the top. Wirfs fortified the right tackle position, allowing just one sack all season. The Bucs had a good offensive line heading into 2020. Wirfs made it one of the best.
Winfield Jr. made himself indispensable early but battled through typical rookie struggles. He ultimately prevailed, a victory arc illustrated by an forgettable performance against Tyreek Hill and the Chiefs in Week 12 and redemption in the Super Bowl capped by a worthwhile taunting jesture to the Cheetah in the closing moments of the game.
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Three years later, Wirfs and Winfield Jr. are the cornerstones of Tampa Bay’s roster, much like Sapp and Brooks were in their day. The blockbuster contracts they signed this offseason are true reflections of their value to the franchise and their status as leaders on the team and among the league.
For Licht, they represent another turn of the page. Over are the early struggles with Lovie Smith and the heights of the Tom Brady era. Now, the team firmly belongs to Licht and his blueprints for the franchise, built on a foundation laid by Wirfs and Winfield Jr.
Kittle helped guide San Francisco to another NFC Championship and Super Bowl appearance last season. The 6-foot-4, 250 pound tight end reeled in 73 receptions for 1,132 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last season.
Kittle tracked down his second career first-team All-Pro honor and was voted to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time.
In Detroit, LaPorta wasted no time establishing himself as the next great Hawkeye tight end to cruise into the NFL ranks. During his rookie season, LaPorta caught 107 passes for 1,065 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as the Lions advanced to the NFC Championship game for the first time since the 1991 NFL season. In the process, Detroit snapped a nine-game postseason losing streak.
The Bucs sign their franchise left tackle to a record-breaking contract extension.
Sources: Buccaneers and three-time Pro-Bowl OT Tristan Wirfs reached agreement on a five-year, $140.63 million contract extension that now makes him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. Wirfs was in the final year of a contract scheduled to pay him $18.24 million… pic.twitter.com/J6LsFEB9Of
The Buccaneers and left tackle Tristan Wirfs have agreed to a record five-year, $140.63 million contract per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The extension makes Wirfs the highest-paid tackle in the NFL by average annual value.
Tampa Bay drafted Wirfs with the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and immediately started him at right tackle. He was a key piece of the Bucs’ 2020 Super Bowl team and quickly established himself as one of the premiere pass blockers in the NFL.
Wirfs has been elected to three consecutive Pro Bowls as well as earning a first-team All-Pro nod in 2021 and second-team All-Pro in 2022. In 2023, Wirfs moved to left tackle, a transition that saw Wirfs maintain his elite pass protection.
Though the deal may have taken a little longer than either side would have preferred, it was all but inevitable that the Bucs would lock up Wirfs to a long-term deal. Wirfs is not only the leader of the offensive line, he is a valued leader for the entire roster. His presence will set the tone for Tampa Bay’s offense for years to come.
The former No. 13 overall pick was slated to enter the final year of his rookie contract. Wirfs had been practicing on a limited basis during training camp — keeping him out of padded practices — as sides worked on the deal.
Wirfs spent his first three seasons in Tampa at right tackle, earning a first-team All-Pro nod and two Pro Bowls. Last year, the first-rounder seamlessly moved to left tackle, protecting Baker Mayfield’s blind side. Not always an easy transition, Wirfs made it look like child’s play, earning another Pro Bowl.
Video: Hugs and fist bumps all over as Tristan Wirfs takes the field after signing a $140 million deal that keeps him with the Bucs through the 2029 season. pic.twitter.com/soTw4gbny0
Bucs T Tristan Wirfs gets a hug from offensive coordinator Liam Coen after agreeing to a 5 year contract worth more than $140 million, the richest in NFL history to an oftensive lineman. pic.twitter.com/7n7rLFoATd
The Iowa Hawkeyes are a direct pipeline of talent from Iowa City to the NFL and it may have never been stronger than it is right now. Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes have top-tier talent littered among the entire league right now.
One of the very best to come from Iowa is Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs. The former Iowa Hawkeye has been a staple of excellence since he joined the NFL and his new contract is proof of that.
Tristan Wirfs and the Buccaneers came to an agreement to keep him in Tampa long-term. He signed a five-year deal worth $140.63 million dollars. This deal makes him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.
Sources: Buccaneers and three-time Pro-Bowl OT Tristan Wirfs reached agreement on a five-year, $140.63 million contract extension that now makes him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. Wirfs was in the final year of a contract scheduled to pay him $18.24 million… pic.twitter.com/J6LsFEB9Of
Since entering the NFL in 2020, Wirfs has ascended to the top of the linemen mountain. In just four years in the league, he has been to three Pro Bowls and was a First-Team AP All-Pro in 2021.
While at Iowa, 2017-2019, Tristan Wirfs dominated the collegiate ranks. He was a First-Team All-American in 2019, a First-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2019, and the 2019 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.
This contract shows his value to the Buccaneers and is a testament to the talent and development coming out of Iowa City.
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Get the latest on long-term extension talks between the Bucs and All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs from the man himself
Multiple reports Sunday gave two opposing indications regarding the state of contract talks between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, with the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reporting the two sides were “closing in” on a deal, while Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz claimed they were “miles apart” in negotiations.
Speaking to the media after Monday’s training camp practice, Wirfs himself had the opportunity to give an update on how things are progressing, and he didn’t hesitate.
The former first-round pick out of Iowa responded to a question from WDAE’s Tom Krasniqi about his contract situation, and here’s what he said:
Hear from Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs following training camp practice
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still trying to hammer out a long-term contract extension that will make All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs a very rich man, but even without that new deal, the former first-round pick has still been participating in training camp.
Wirfs’ incoming deal is likely to make him the highest-paid offensive tackle in NFL history, and should still be done at some point before the regular season.
Speaking to the media after Monday’s training camp practice, Wirfs commented on his current contract talks, discussed his relationship with quarterback Baker Mayfield, and a wide range of other topics:
Tristan Wirfs is about to become the richest offensive tackle in NFL history
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still have yet to hammer out a new long-term contract extension for All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, but it appears that progress continues to be made.
Regardless of when this new deal happens, it will indeed happen, and it’s likely to be the richest contract in Bucs history, and make Wirfs the highest-paid NFL offensive tackle ever.
Here are some details to expect, courtesy of Greg Auman of Fox Sports and WDAE’s Tom Krasniqi:
My thoughts all along is $30M per year. Licht explained to me on Friday’s show that he’s prepared to reward him. Wirfs is 25. If I were him, I would do a 4-year deal for around $120M with 85+ million guaranteed. That way, I can cash in again before I turn 30 🧐 #Bucshttps://t.co/UkNWOWmk9Y
Just as it looked like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might finally be wrapping up negotiations on a new contract extension with All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, a new report is raining on that parade.
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported that Wirfs and the Bucs were “closing in” on a new deal, but Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report appears to be refuting that claim, reporting that the two sides remain “miles apart” on contract negotiations.
This is still just a matter of when, not if, the Bucs and Wirfs hammer out what’s sure to be the richest contract in franchise history, and make the former first-round pick the highest-paid tackle the NFL has ever seen.
