49ers To Sign LB Kwon Alexander
Kwon Alexander is spoken for. On Monday, the 49ers signed the former Buccaneers linebacker to a four-year, $54MM deal (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). The pact includes $27MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter) adds. 
John Lynch, who knows a thing or two about the Buccaneers’ organization, is investing big in the linebacker position. Alexander was expected to cash in this offseason, but few could have foreseen this type of deal for a player coming off of a torn ACL.
The Bucs discussed an extension with Alexander last year before his ACL tear in October, but they were unwilling to break the $10MM/year mark for him. Months later, the 49ers have shelled out $13.5MM per season for the soon-to-be 25-year-old.
A fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft, Alexander started 46 games over three-plus years with the Buccaneers. Last season, he posted 38 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one sack while grading as the No. 53 linebacker at the time of his injury, per Pro Football Focus. In 2017, Alexander earned his first career Pro Bowl selection and graded out as PFF’s No. 37 off-ball ‘backer. In 2016, he registered an eye-popping 145 stops.
Previously, the 49ers were looking into inside linebackers such as C.J. Mosley and Anthony Barr. In all likelihood, the Alexander signing will take them out of the mix for both players.
Buccaneers To Keep DeSean Jackson
The Buccaneers tried shopping DeSean Jackson, but they have been unable to find a suitable trade, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. So, for now, the Bucs’ plan is to keep the mercurial wide receiver, Russini hears. 
Jackson, 32, made a lot of noise about wanting out of Tampa Bay during the season. But, this offseason, new head coach Bruce Arians was vocal about wanting to keep the deep threat in the fold. Arians may still want to smooth things out with DJax, but there’s still the matter of his contract. Jackson is due $10MM in 2019, but that sum is completely non-guaranteed, and that does not sit well with Jackson.
Jackson’s stat line hasn’t been much to write home about over the last two years, but he still has the ability to blow the cover off of any secondary. Last season, he had just 774 yards receiving, but he led the league with 18.9 yards per reception. They say speed is the first attribute to go after the age of 30, but Jackson still has the jets to make big plays happen.
Of course, plans tend to change quickly this time of year, so this is still a situation worth monitoring. Jackson reportedly wants to reunite with the Eagles and an outright release still feels like a possibility.
Jets, 49ers Interested In Kwon Alexander
The Jets and 49ers are interested in Buccaneers free agent linebacker Kwon Alexander, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) hears. Stroud also hears that Alexander is seeking a deal that would pay him between $10-$12MM.
Alexander’s 2018 season ended in October after he suffered a torn ACL. Prior to the injury, the linebacker was discussing an extension with the Bucs, though they were unwilling to break the $10MM/year mark for him.
A fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft, Alexander has started 46 games over three-plus years with the Buccaneers. Last season, he posted 38 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one sack while grading as the No. 53 linebacker at the time of his injury, per Pro Football Focus. In 2017, Alexander earned his first career Pro Bowl selection and graded out as PFF’s No. 37 off-ball ‘backer. In 2016, he registered an eye-popping 145 stops.
The Niners are also expected to pursue C.J. Mosley (Ravens) and Anthony Barr (Vikings), according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, so the linebacker position is high on their agenda.
Given the interest in Alexander, the Bucs are bracing to lose him, Stroud hears. And, on Monday morning, Alexander texted a group of his teammates telling them he’s going to miss them, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Buccaneers are in a similar boat with wide receiver Adam Humphries, says Stroud, since Humphries is expected to garner offers of $9MM-$10MM on the open market.
Buccaneers Shopping DeSean Jackson
The Buccaneers have been actively shopping DeSean Jackson for a trade, according to ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine. Laine also hears the Eagles would be a preferred destination for the wide receiver. 
The Bucs, naturally, would prefer to trade Jackson rather than releasing him outright. Jackson, meanwhile, would rather be released than traded. The veteran is under contract for one more season at a $10MM cap number, but that sum is completely non-guaranteed, so Jackson would rather start a negotiation from scratch while hand-picking his next team. Apparently, if Jackson had his druthers, he’d reunite with the Eagles.
The Eagles’ level of interest in trading for Jackson is not quite clear, but they would be a logical destination for the wide receiver since they need a deep threat. Last year, they thought they had a suitable deep threat in Mike Wallace, but their offense was limited after Wallace suffered a broken leg in September.
Jackson asked for a trade during the 2018 season and struggled to stay on the same page as Jameis Winston. And, although his 774 receiving yards marked an improvement from his disappointing 2017 showing, Jackson’s best games came when Ryan Fitzpatrick was throwing. The Bucs are committed to Winston for 2019, which will be Jackson’s 12th NFL season.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/19
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions:
RFAs
Second round tender:
- Bengals: OL Trey Hopkins
- Ravens: LB Patrick Onwuasor
Tendered at original-round level:
- Browns: WR Rashard Higgins
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Browns: DT Trevon Coley, DB Jermaine Whitehead
- Colts: WR Marcus Johnson
- Buccaneers: S Isaiah Johnson, OL Mike Liedtke
- Packers: TE Robert Tonyan
- Cardinals: TE Ricky Seals-Jones
Contract Details: Smith, Kelce, Johnson
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts from around the NFL:
- Donovan Smith, T (Buccaneers): Three years, $41.25MM. $27MM fully guaranteed. Guaranteed 2019 base salary of $7MM with a $5.5MM roster bonus. Guaranteed $14.5MM base salary in 2020. Non-guaranteed $14.25MM base salary in 2021. $5MM of 2019 salary deferred until 6/15/20. $3MM of 2020 salary deferred until 3/5/21. Deferrals have no impact on salary cap (Twitter link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com).
- Jason Kelce, C (Eagles): Extended through 2021. $7.57MM signing bonus. 2019 base salary reduced from $6.5MM to $930K. 2020 base salary reduced from $7MM to $1.5MM with a $2MM roster bonus. $500K playing time escalator available in 2020 for playing 90% of offensive snaps. 2021 base salary of $5.5MM (Twitter links via Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia).
- Denzelle Good, OL (Raiders): Extended through 2019. One-year, $1.7MM. $500K signing bonus. $200K per-game roster bonuses. $100K workout bonus. $1.2MM available via playtime incentives (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal).
- Lane Johnson, T (Eagles): Restructured contract. Created $8.2MM in cap space by converting $10.045MM of his 2019 base salary into a signing bonus. Base salary is now $805K (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Added voidable years in 2022-23 (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
- Mike Person, OL (49ers): Three years, $8.25MM. $2.45MM fully guaranteed. $1MM roster bonus, $1.45MM fully guaranteed 2019 base salary. $250K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com).
- Romeo Okwara, DE (Lions): Two years, $6.8MM. $2.705MM signing bonus. 2019 base salary of $720K fully guaranteed. $500 workout bonus in 2019 (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com).
Bucs' Offseason Outlook
The Buccaneers have an interesting offseason ahead of them. They have a lot of holes to fill on the roster as Bruce Arians takes over as coach, but not much cap space to work with. In a recent piece, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com previewed their offseason. Overall, Laine isn’t too bullish on their ability to add many big names. The Bucs have been linked to some high-end free agents like Le’Veon Bell, but Laine cautions they’d need to make a bunch of moves to make his potential salary fit. One of their own, receiver Adam Humphries, is set to be a free agent, and Humphries will reportedly be a hot commodity. Sources told Laine that Humphries is seeking a deal worth $8MM annually, which is actually slightly less than the $10MM we heard he was looking for yesterday.
The Buccaneers have an interesting offseason ahead of them. They have a lot of holes to fill on the roster as Bruce Arians takes over as coach, but not much cap space to work with. In a recent piece, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com previewed their offseason. Overall, Laine isn’t too bullish on their ability to add many big names. The Bucs have been linked to some high-end free agents like Le’Veon Bell, but Laine cautions they’d need to make a bunch of moves to make his potential salary fit. One of their own, receiver Adam Humphries, is set to be a free agent, and Humphries will reportedly be a hot commodity. Sources told Laine that Humphries is seeking a deal worth $8MM annually, which is actually slightly less than the $10MM we heard he was looking for yesterday.
Either way, it sounds like Humphries might get priced out of the Buccaneers‘ range. Laine also reports no decision has been made yet on fellow receiver DeSean Jackson as he heads into the final year of his contract, but writes that “lack of cap space may force their hand” into releasing or trading him. In her piece Laine also throws out some names who could be cut to create cap space, like ” defensive end William Gholston ($3.75 million against the cap in 2019), defensive tackle Beau Allen ($5 million), defensive tackle Mitch Unrein ($3.75 million).”
Buccaneers Pick Up Demar Dotson’s Option
The Buccaneers picked up the 2019 option on Demar Dotson‘s contract, according to a team announcement. With that, the right tackle will remain in the fold this season with a $4.8MM cap number. 
Per the terms of Dotson’s deal, the Bucs had until March 12 to trigger the additional year. However, the Bucs did not feel the need to wait until the eve of free agency to make the decision. Given the inflation of this year’s tackle market, it was an easy choice for Tampa to keep the 6’9″ starter on a relatively cheap deal.
Last year, Dotson missed 18 regular season games between 2015-2017, but missed only one contest in 2018. Playing opposite of Donovan Smith – who inked a lucrative new deal with the club on Tuesday – Dotson graded out as the 44th best tackle in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
Dotson, 34 in October, has been with the Bucs since joining the club as an undrafted free agent in 2009.
Buccaners In On Tyrann Mathieu
While the Texans are attempting to retain Tyrann Mathieu, both the Ravens and Buccaneers have “serious interest” in the veteran defensive back, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Baltimore just released fellow safety Eric Weddle on Tuesday, while Tampa Bay has been in need of secondary help for years. Mathieu inked a one-year, $7MM deal with Houston last year, but he’s expected to receive a significant raise on his next contract. Per La Canfora, Mathieu should be able to collect $24MM over the first two years of a new deal.
- While there aren’t any clear-cut, No. 1 wideouts available this offseason, slot receivers are aplenty, and they should get paid, says JLC. Golden Tate is looking for $13MM per season, while Adam Humphries may be targeting $10MM annually and has already been deemed too expensive to return to the Buccaneers. Cole Beasley could also get $10MM per year, while John Brown wants $8-9MM per season.
Details On Donovan Smith's Contract
- Donovan Smith‘s 2019 cap figure will still be hefty, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.com, who notes the Buccaneers‘ left tackle will carry a $12.5MM figure next season. Although it is not the $14.1MM figure Smith was briefly attached to via the franchise tag, that is still a large number for a team that does not have much cap space. Smith’s 2020 and ’21 base salaries will be $14.5MM and $14.25MM, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.