TE Cameron Brate Expected To Stick With Buccaneers
Cameron Brate is expected to be back in Tampa Bay next season, but that will likely come with another pay cut. According to Greg Auman of The Athletic (via Twitter), Brate is expected to return to the Buccaneers next year but will likely have to rework his contract.
The tight end has taken “literal” pay cuts in each of the past two offseasons, per Auman. Brate inked a six-year, $40.8MM extension with the organization in 2018, and he’s set to earn $6.8MM in 2022.
The former undrafted free agent out of Harvard took a bit to find his footing in the NFL. He had a breakout season in 2016, finishing with 660 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He’s been a consistent member of the offense ever since, appearing in every game for the Buccaneers since 2017. He finished this past season with 30 receptions and four scores.
He was buried behind Rob Gronkowski during Tom Brady‘s two years in Tampa Bay, but with the two Hall of Famers out of the picture, Brate should return to the top of the tight end depth chart next season. Fellow tight end O.J. Howard is set to hit free agency this offseason.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/15/22
Today’s Reserve/Futures deals signed in the NFL:
Cincinnati Bengals
- CB John Brannon, QB Jake Browning, C Lamont Gaillard, S Trayvon Henderson, RB Elijah Holyfield, TE Thaddeus Moss, DE Noah Spence, TE Scotty Washington, WR Pooka Williams
Los Angeles Rams
- WR Landen Akers, T Chandler Brewer, DB Antoine Brooks Jr., DE Earnest Brown IV, DB Tyler Hall, RB Javian Hawkins, G Jeremiah Kolone, WR J.J. Koski, TE Kyle Markway, DB Kareem Orr, T Max Pircher, DE Jonah Williams
New York Giants
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jason Pierre-Paul Leaving In Free Agency?
With Tom Brady retired and a slew of other high-end players set to hit free agency, the Buccaneers’ roster is likely to look very different in 2022. One of the veterans of the team’s dominant defense, Jason Pierre-Paul, could be on his way out of Tampa Bay. 
In an Instagram post, the 33-year-old said in part, “wherever I am next year you gone get the same me” (Twitter link via Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times). That would certainly suggest he is, at a minimum, willing to look at other options on the free agent market.
Pierre-Paul was a Pro Bowler in 2020 for the Super Bowl champion Bucs, but had a much quieter year in 2021. Dealing with a broken finger and torn rotator cuff throughout the campaign, he recorded 24 fewer tackles (31), seven fewer sacks (2.5) and three fewer forced fumbles (one) than the previous year.
If he does depart, a starting spot would be opened up for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. The 2021 first round pick flashed potential in a rotational role in his rookie season, recording four sacks and five tackles for loss. With fellow starter Shaquil Barrett already under contract, moving on to Tryon-Shoyinka would not only be a nod to his upside, but also a way to save cap space at the position.
At his age, and coming off of an injury-plagued season, Pierre-Paul is unlikely to command a contract like the two-year, $25MM extension he signed in 2020. Still, he would represent an accomplished edge rusher with two Super Bowls to his name for any outside teams interested in his services.
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LVI finished, the final two places in the 2022 Draft have been finalized. The Bengals’ top pick is locked into 31st, while the Rams will not have a selection until the third round. For the rest of the league, the focus has already shifted to free agency and the draft, of course, so now all eyes will be on the offseason maneuvering teams do to reshape their rosters.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.
Pending trades, here is the final first round order of the 2022 Draft:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
- Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
- Houston Texans: 4-13
- New York Jets: 4-13
- New York Giants: 4-13
- Carolina Panthers: 5-12
- New York Giants(via Bears)
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 7-10
- New York Jets (via Seahawks)
- Washington Football Team: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
- Cleveland Browns: 8-9
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
- New England Patriots: 10-7
- Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
- Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Tennessee Titans: 12-5
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
- Green Bay Packers: 13-4
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
Tom Brady Has Not Ruled Out Playing In 2022; Bucs Interested In Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson
You didn’t really think that there wouldn’t be any Tom Brady “un-retirement” stories, did you? Less than two weeks after the legendary passer confirmed he would be hanging up the cleats, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report that the Buccaneers are leaving the door open to a Brady return, and that Brady himself is not ruling out the possibility.
Brady, 44, when discussing the prospect of playing in 2022 on his own podcast six days ago, said, “[y]ou never say never. At the same time I know that I’m very, I feel very good about my decision. I don’t know how I’ll feel six months from now” (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
It’s understandable that any retired player, let alone a player who has enjoyed the type of career that Brady has, would start to feel the itch to return to the field as summer draws to a close and the nation starts to turn its attention to Week 1 of the NFL season. Even assuming Brady gets that itch, however, Pelissero and Rapoport hear from sources close to the seven-time Super Bowl champion that chances of a return are “remote.” Still, the Bucs are willing to do whatever it takes to bring him back for his age-45 season, and they have made that clear to him.
Florio, in the same piece linked above, speculates that Brady’s retirement announcement could be his way of engineering a graceful exit from Tampa. After all, although the team was able to retain all of its starters from its Super Bowl LV run, tough decisions were always going to have to be made in 2022. As we recently pointed out, nearly half of the Bucs’ starting lineup in 2021 is eligible for free agency in March, and even without that contingent on the payroll, the club is projected to be barely $5MM under the cap. It could be that Brady realizes his chances of playing through his age-45 campaign — as he had long indicated he planned to do — and still going out on top with an eighth Super Bowl ring would be better elsewhere.
Indeed, no matter how badly the Bucs may want him back, they are going to have to turn their attention to other options at some point. Pelissero and Rapoport write that Tampa Bay is doing “extensive homework” on embattled Texans QB Deshaun Watson and are expected to explore a trade for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson. The team has also been connected to 49ers signal-caller (and former Brady protégé) Jimmy Garoppolo. If/when the Bucs make a move to replace Brady with a starting-caliber passer, it will obviously be impractical for them to keep Brady rostered.
At present, the Bucs have not made a roster move with respect to Brady and are projected to carry a $32MM dead money charge for him in 2022 if they move him off the roster. If they designate him a post-June 1 release, they could push $24MM of that total to 2023, and if they place him on the reserve/retired list after June 1, they would be able to accomplish the same thing while still retaining his 2022 rights should he decide he wants to keep playing but for another team. Or, as Florio adds in a separate piece, the team could just keep him on the roster all year, which would result in a $10.545MM cap charge — just $2.545MM more than what the post-June 1 2022 dead money charge would be — and which would allow him to return to the team at any time should he so choose. Presumably, that option would only be in play if Tampa Bay does not replace Brady with a high-level starter.
Interestingly, Florio posits that if Brady does want to play for another club in 2022, that club would be his hometown Niners. Brady reportedly wanted to play for San Francisco before signing with the Bucs two years ago, and with the 49ers boasting a roster that came up just shy of a Super Bowl appearance this year, it stands to reason that HC Kyle Shanahan would be willing to delay the Trey Lance era for one more season if it means giving Brady a chance to get that roster to the promised land. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times agrees that Brady’s preferred destination, should all of this speculation coalesce into something more concrete, would be San Francisco (Twitter link).
Steelers To Interview John Spytek
The Steelers plan to interview John Spytek for their GM vacancy, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Spytek, the Buccaneers’ VP of player personnel, has been a popular name in this cycle, but has yet to land a GM spot.
Spytek spoke with the Raiders and Vikings before they hired former Pats exec Dave Ziegler and ex-Vikings VP of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, respectively. As a top lieutenant to Jason Licht, Spytek played an integral role in building the Buccaneers’ championship roster. All in all, he’s spent six years in Tampa. Before that, he worked as a scout for the Broncos during the Peyton Manning era and as a college scout for the Browns.
In addition to Spytek, the Steelers have been connected to:
- Morocco Brown, college scouting director (Colts): Interview requested
- Ryan Cowden, vice president of player personnel (Titans): Interviewed
- Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Interviewed
- Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration (Steelers): Mentioned as candidate
- Louis Riddick, former director of pro personnel (Eagles): Interview scheduled
- John Wojciechowski, co-director of player personnel (Packers): To interview
- JoJo Wooden, director of player personnel (Chargers): Interviewed by 2/4
Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs Planning Surgery
- The Bucs have not made a roster move regarding Tom Brady yet, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, despite the all-time great announcing his retirement last week. The team has $32MM in dead money associated with its two-year quarterback. A post-June 1 placement on the reserve-retired list would defray $24MM of that total to 2023. The Saints and Panthers did this with Drew Brees and Luke Kuechly, respectively, over the past two offseasons. The Bucs doing this would also mean they would retain Brady’s rights for 2022, entitling them to compensation if the ageless passer decides he wants to play again but for another team. Should the Bucs release Brady after June 1, he would be free to sign with any team.
- Tristan Wirfs could not finish the Buccaneers‘ wild-card win and missed their divisional-round Rams matchup, halting a quality run of durability to start his career. Tampa Bay’s All-Pro right tackle is moving toward taking care of his recent ankle issue. Wirfs plans to undergo surgery, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe (subscription required). Although Bruce Arians said a non-surgical option exists (via Buccaneers.com’s Scott Smith), the standout blocker suffered a rather severe ankle injury. The former first-round pick tore two ligaments, one ripping off the bone completely, Howe adds. Wirfs said he will undoubtedly be ready for training camp.
Jaguars To Hire Mike Caldwell As DC
FRIDAY: Although the Jaguars interviewed former Dolphins secondary coach Gerald Alexander for their defensive coordinator job this week, Caldwell will indeed land the position. The Jags are hiring the Buccaneers’ inside linebackers coach for their top defensive spot, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This will be Caldwell’s first DC gig, but the former NFL linebacker has been in coaching since 2008. He and Pederson broke into coaching together on Andy Reid‘s Eagles staffs in the late 2000s. The two were also each on the Eagles’ roster in 1999, Reid’s first year with the team.
TUESDAY: The name first associated with new head coach Doug Pederson has landed the role of defensive coordinator on his first Jaguars staff. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the team is close to hiring Mike Caldwell as their new defensive coordinator (Twitter link).
Caldwell was named as a top candidate for the DC role soon after Pederson’s hiring. The 50-year old spent five years with the Eagles working with their linebacking corps. He was gone by the time Pederson became Philadelphia’s HC, though, so the only connection between the two is the overlap in their playing careers there in 1999.
Caldwell also has experience as the LBs coach with the Cardinals, Jets and Buccaneers. His three years in Tampa Bay saw him oversee one of, if not the best, tandems in the league at that position in Devin White and Lavonte David. That success, including a Super Bowl championship last season, earned him an interview with the Ravens for their DC vacancy.
Now, Caldwell will take on a coordinator role for the first time in his career. It’s the first to be filled under Pederson, as the team is still in search of a new OC, and it was recently announced that former special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen will not be returning.
Rob Gronkowski Eyeing Bengals For 2022?
Rob Gronkowski is facing another decision regarding his playing career. With Tom Brady out of the league, the pending free agent is expected to follow his longtime teammate into retirement. If he does continue his career, though, Cincinnati may be his next destination. 
[Related: Tom Brady Confirms Retirement]
During an interview published in the Cincinnati Enquirer, the 32-year-old expressed an admiration of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. “I watched him in college. I just love the way he presents himself out on the football field. In the pocket, he’s just so calm and he just slings it out on the field”, he said. “If I had to pick a quarterback, it’d be the young buck Joe Burrow. He’s killing it right now in the game“.
Gronkowski has repeatedly said – and proved, when he unretired to play in Tampa Bay – that he would only catch passes from Brady. He also made it clear before the beginning of this season that he is playing on a year-to-year basis. To that point, Chase Goodbread of NFL.com writes that Gronkowski “was leaning toward hanging up his cleats” after the team’s Divisional Round loss, but notes that he has not officially made a decision one way or the other.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht is leaving the door open to bringing Gronkowski back. ““I don’t think it’s going to be [dependent] on whether [Brady] came back or not” he said. “I know that Rob had an incredible experience here as well, and he was a big factor in us having the success that we did. We would welcome Rob back with open arms, but we’re giving him the space right now to decide what he wants to do”.
The fit with the Bengals could be a good one for Gronkowski. If C.J. Uzomah, who has earned himself a large payday with his production this season, leaves in free agency, there would be an opening at the tight end position in Cincinnati. Gronkowski, for his part, proved he can still be productive at this point in his career, posting 55 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games this year. The yardage total was his highest since an All-Pro 2017 campaign in New England.
If he does decide to keep playing, Gronkowski could be on the move for a second time, in this case to a team that will, at a minimum, enter 2022 as the reigning AFC champions. Whether he decides to retire a second time, or if the Bengals would even be interested in him, remains to be seen.
2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker
Last year, seven NFL teams opted to make a head coaching change. Sean Payton stepping away from the Saints created nine full-time vacancies available this year.
Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:
Updated 2-7-22 (1:45pm CT)
Chicago Bears
- Dennis Allen, defensive coordinator (Saints): Interview canceled
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/22
- Jim Caldwell, former head coach (Lions): Conducted second interview 1/25
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/16
- Matt Eberflus, defensive coordinator (Colts): Hired
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/14
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/21
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/15; hired by Broncos
- Byron Leftwich, offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interview requested
- Doug Pederson, former head coach (Eagles): Interviewed 1/12
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): To conduct second interview 1/26; remaining in Dallas
Denver Broncos
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/21
- Brian Callahan, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/20
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Interviewed 1/19
- Luke Getsy, quarterbacks coach (Packers): Interviewed 1/14
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 1/13
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Hired
- Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Interviewed 1/19
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/18
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): Finalist
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Finalist
Houston Texans
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Conducted second interview 1/31; finalist
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Conducted second interview 1/29; finalist; Informed by Texans he won’t be hired
- Joe Lombardi, offensive coordinator (Chargers): Interviewed 1/15
- Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Mentioned as candidate
- Josh McCown, longtime NFL QB: Conducted second interview 1/28; finalist; considered out of running?
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): Conducted second interview 1/31; expected to be hired by Vikings
- Lovie Smith, defensive coordinator/associate head coach (Texans): Hired
- Hines Ward, wide receivers coach (Florida Atlantic): Interviewed 1/15
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Rich Bisaccia, former interim head coach (Raiders): Interviewed 1/31
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/3
- Jim Caldwell, former head coach (Lions): Interviewed 1/4
- Matt Eberflus, defensive coordinator (Colts): Completed second interview 1/20; hired by Bears
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Conducted second interview 1/27; hired by Broncos
- Byron Leftwich, offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Conducted second interview 1/25; expected to bow out?
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/7
- Bill O’Brien, former head coach (Texans): Interviewed 1/13
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): Team wants to interview; interview delayed
- Doug Pederson, former head coach (Eagles): Hired
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Declined early interview; remaining in Dallas
Las Vegas Raiders
- Rich Bisaccia, interim head coach (Raiders): Interviewed 1/19
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/28
- Jim Harbaugh, former head coach (49ers): Mentioned as candidate; early frontrunner?
- Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Interviewed 1/25
- Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator (Patriots): Hired
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview expected
Miami Dolphins
- Thomas Brown, running backs coach/assistant head coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/21
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Second interview expected; viewed as favorite?; hired by Giants
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/16
- Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Cardinals): Interviewed 1/21
- Mike McDaniel, offensive coordinator (49ers): Hired
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Conducted second interview 2/5
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/20; remaining in Dallas
Minnesota Vikings
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/21
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Interviewed 1/20
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Mentioned as candidate
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Giants): Conducted second interview 2/1
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/16; hired by Broncos
- Jim Harbaugh, head coach (Michigan): Interviewed 2/2; to stay at Michigan
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/19
- Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Conducted second interview 1/31
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): To be hired
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/19; remaining in Dallas
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interviewed 1/23; declined second interview
New Orleans Saints
- Dennis Allen, defensive coordinator (Saints): Hired
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 2/6
- Pete Carmichael, offensive coordinator (Saints): Declined interview request
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 2/1
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 2/2
- Byron Leftwich, offensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interview requested; granted permission
- Doug Pederson, former head coach (Eagles): Interviewed 1/30; hired by Jaguars
- Darren Rizzi, special teams coordinator (Saints): Interviewed 2/3
New York Giants
- Lou Anarumo, defensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/23
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Hired
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/27
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): Conducted second interview 1/28
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Giants): Interviewed 1/26
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/24; remaining in Dallas