Buccaneers Want Brent Grimes To Re-Sign
- The Buccaneers want Brent Grimes back next season, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Of course, as the reporter notes, the veteran’s return will depend on the offer. The 34-year-old spent the past two seasons in Tampa Bay, compiling seven interceptions in 29 games.
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Details On Mike Evans New Deal
- Before both of those deals went down, Mike Evans grabbed headlines by signing a five-year deal with the Buccaneers worth $82.5 MM. Breaking down the details, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry tweets the Bucs will $5 MM of salary cap space in 2018 and he now takes up $18.25 MM of cap room.
Buccaneers Re-Sign DB Javien Elliott
The Buccaneers have re-signed defensive back Javien Elliott, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). Elliott was set to become an ERFA, and Greg Auman 
of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the team only had to offer a one-year, minimum-salary deal.
The 2016 undrafted free agent out of Florida State has been with Tampa Bay for the past two years. After appearing in six games as a rookie, Elliott appeared in 15 games games (one start) in 2017, collecting five tackles. Since he only played 130 snaps, Elliott wasn’t included in Pro Football Focus‘ ranking of NFL cornerbacks, although his rating indicates that he would be listed in the 80-90 range (among 120 candidates).
The 24-year-old has an opportunity to be one of Tampa Bay’s top reserve backs in 2018. Besides projected starters Vernon Hargreaves and Ryan Smith, the Buccaneers are also rostering David Rivers and Reese Fleming.
49ers To Meet With Richard Sherman
Could Richard Sherman be joining another NFC West team? It sounds like he’s at least considering the idea, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the veteran cornerback is set to meet with 49ers officials today.
San Francisco wants to confirm that Sherman is recovering from his Achilles injuries, and if everything goes well, the two sides will “try to get a contract done.” In another tweet, Schefter says there’s a good chance that this is Sherman’s only visit. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says (via Twitter) Sherman’s apparent interest in the 49ers makes sense. The cornerback has “a strong affinity for the West Coast,” and he’s already familiar with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh‘s scheme.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter) that Sherman has received “preliminary interest” from a list of additional teams: the Lions, Titans, Raiders, Texans, Buccaneers, and Packers.
Sherman’s seven-year tenure with the Seahawks came to an end yesterday, as the team released the defensive back with a failed physical designation. The veteran is still rehabbing from surgery to fix a torn Achilles and remove a bone spur, but he expects to be ready by June. The three-time First-Team All-Pro was relatively productive in nine games last season, compiling 35 tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defended.
Buccaneers To Sign Mike Evans To Extension
Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has agreed to a five-year, $82.5MM extension that includes $55MM in overall guarantees, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Evans is now under contract with the Bucs through the 2023 season. The deal also includes incentives that can push the deal’s overall value to nearly $96MM, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora. Evans gets $38.3MM in full guarantees at signing, per The MMQB’s Albert Breer (Twitter link). 
Before the deal, Evans was slated to reach the open market after the 2018 season. The new deal ensures that Evans will be part of the team for years to come while also making him one of the league’s highest-paid players at his position.
We’ll have to wait for the complete breakdown of the contract before stacking it up against the league’s other top-paid WRs, but here’s what we do know: Evans is now second amongst all receivers in terms of average annual value, trailing only Antonio Brown ($17MM/year). In terms of total value, Evans is the new king with a deal that just edges DeAndre Hopkins‘ five-year, $81MM deal with the Texans from last summer.
Evans also takes the top spot amongst all WRs in full guarantees. His $38.3MM guaranteed at signing bests Hopkins ($36.5MM), Julio Jones ($35.5MM), and Demaryius Thomas ($35MM).
According to La Canfora, Evans will get $55MM in injury guarantees, which bests Calvin Johnson‘s deal to become a new all-time high for WRs. He also has $38.3MM in guarantees over the first two years, per JLC. The deal includes a $1.5MM bonus in the final year that will force the Bucs to decide on his future prior to the start of the 2023 season.
Of course, the deal bodes well for other wide receivers waiting for their paydays, including Giants superstar Odell Beckham Jr. ODB is reportedly seeking a deal in excess of $100MM and he is expected to top Evans despite missing the bulk of the 2017 season.
Buccaneers Re-Sign Ryan Fitzpatrick
It looks like the Buccaneers are going to go with their 2017 setup at quarterback for at least one more season. Tampa Bay is expected to re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth $3.3MM and up to $5.55MM through bonuses, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter). The deal includes $1.3MM in fully guaranteed money.
Fitzpatrick will return for a 14th season and a second with the Bucs.
A UFA for the third straight offseason, Fitzpatrick served as Jameis Winston‘s backup last season and made three starts. The Bucs could be forced to turn to their backup early in 2018, should the NFL opt to suspend Winston, who is under investigation because of an Uber driver’s accusation he groped her. So, this is a critical move for a Bucs power structure that could well be on the hot seat.
Tampa Bay was thought to be interested in bringing previous Winston backup Mike Glennon back to Florida, but the 35-year-old Fitzpatrick coming back would seem to call off any prospective reunion.
Fitzpatrick went 2-1 as a starter for a Bucs team that disappointed against reasonably high expectations. He completed just more than 58 percent of his passes and threw seven touchdowns compared to three interceptions.
Fallout From Michael Bennett Trade
The Seahawks and Eagles hammered out a major trade on Wednesday, as defensive lineman Michael Bennett will now head to Philadelphia in a deal that also included a swap of draft picks. Seattle, for their part, looks to be undergoing an overhaul on the defensive side of the ball: not only have the Seahawks made a change at coordinator, but Cliff Avril, Kam Chancellor, and — most recently — Richard Sherman are among the veterans who could be moving on. Along its defensive line, Seattle is likely betting former draft bust Dion Jordan can play a larger role in 2018, while trading Bennett will also clear cap space that could be used to re-sign defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.
Here’s more fallout and reaction to today’s deal:
- Philadelphia wasn’t the only club interested in acquiring Bennett, as the Patriots, Browns, Buccaneers, and the previously-reported Falcons also had their eye on the veteran — and versatile — defensive lineman, tweets Dianna Russini of ESPN.com. None of the reported teams should come as complete surprises: the Patriots, for one, have landed Bennett’s brother Martellus on two separate occasions, while the Browns boast the most salary cap space and draft capital in the league. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, also reportedly discussed acquiring edge rusher Robert Quinn before Los Angeles dealt him to Miami.
- The Eagles and Seahawks first struck agreement on Tuesday morning, but a third team jumped in and the deal stalled, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). While it’s unclear what club approached Philadelphia at the last second, it would make sense if it were one of the teams listed above. By Tuesday night, it was apparent Bennett would be dealt to the Eagles, but Philadelphia’s front office was still researching the deal, per Rapoport. While this is purely speculation, it’s possible Seattle was able to wrangle a bit more compensation for Bennett given that unnamed third team’s interest.
- With Bennett now in Philadelphia, the Eagles seem incredibly likely to part ways with fellow defensive lineman Vinny Curry. More than half ($5MM of $9MM) of Curry’s 2018 base salary will become fully guaranteed on March 18, so the Eagles will likely need to make a decision on his fate before that date. While reports initially indicated Curry would be released, the Eagles are — or at least, were — working to retain Curry at a cheaper salary. Philadelphia was projected to be $10MM+ over the cap before acquiring Bennett, so it likely won’t be able to afford a luxury like Curry.
- Speaking of cap space, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com provided a good breakdown of where the Eagles now stand following the Bennett trade, and also examined several players whom Philadelphia could cut or trade in order to comply with the cap.
Bucs Exercise Options For Dotson, Conte
The Buccaneers will pick up the one-year option for 2018 on the contracts for tackle Demar Dotson, safety Chris Conte, and defensive back Josh Robinson, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). 
Dotson played nearly every offensive snap (97.1%) for Tampa last year until he was placed on IR in late November. He had a tremendous year, grading out as the league’s No. 7 ranked tackle, per Pro Football Focus. A former undrafted free agent, Dotson has been with the Bucs since the 2009 season but didn’t become a starter until 2012. He has come on strong in recent years and he’s well worth the $4.6MM cap hit for Tampa Bay. The team also has him under control for 2019 when he is slated to carry a $4.85MM cap hit.
Conte played in all 16 games last year, starting 14. He didn’t set the world on fire as he was ranked No. 57 at his position by PFF, but his option also wasn’t pricey. The Bucs will pay $125K to keep him on board to go along with his $2.25MM base, giving him a total of $2.375MM for the coming year.
Bucs Explored Trade For DE Robert Quinn
The Buccaneers looked into trading for defensive end Robert Quinn before the Rams dealt him to the Dolphins, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The Rams eventually landed a 2018 fourth- and sixth-round picks in exchange for Quinn and a 2018 sixth-rounder. Tampa Bay, however, only offered a fourth-round choice, tweets Jenna Laine of ESPN.com.
While the Bucs weren’t able to land Quinn, there interest denotes a clear need to add pass rushers this offseason. As I noted when assessing Tampa Bay’s most pressing roster needs, the Buccaneers finished dead last in sacks (22), adjusted sack rate, and pressure rate in 2017, leading the club to replace former defensive line coach Jay Hayes with Brentson Buckner.
Tampa Bay needs to address the interior of its defensive line after releasing Chris Baker (and have already been linked to free agent Dontari Poe), but if the team wants to add reinforcements on the edge, it won’t have many options on the free agent market. Demarcus Lawrence and Ezekiel Ansah will be taken off the board by franchise tags, leaving the Buccaneers to peruse second-tier defensive ends such as Adrian Clayborn, William Hayes, Trent Murphy, and Julius Peppers.
Free Agency Notes: Jets, Colts, Lewis, Burton
Here’s a look at the latest free agency buzz:
- Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears the Jets and Colts are “possible destinations” for Patriots free agent running back Dion Lewis. The language in Fowler’s report is admittedly soft, but free agents are technically forbidden from talking to rival teams during this time, so this may be a wink-wink acknowledgement that both teams have engaged in some secretive discussions prior to the legal tampering period on March 12. Recently, Mike Florio of PFT indicated that the Texans, 49ers, and Raiders were also potential destinations for the 27-year-old (28 in September).
- No surprise here, but free agent tight end Trey Burton is a popular man. With the Eagles unlikely to retain him, 16 clubs have already checked in on his status this week, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).
- Some executives who spoke with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com indicated that Dontari Poe could be a fit for the Buccaneers. Poe, who did well on his one-year platform deal with the Falcons, may also fit the Redskins, Broncos, and Colts, per JLC.
- More from JLC, who cautions of a potential bidding war between the Bears and Chiefs over backup quarterback Chase Daniel. The Saints would like to retain the veteran, but they might not be able to afford him with a big money extension on the horizon for Drew Brees. The Bears and Chiefs both make sense for Daniel given the ties he has to both coaching staffs.