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.
Bucs Engaging With Ryan Fitzpatrick
- While the Buccaneers have had conversations with free agent backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, they aren’t nearing a new deal, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). Fitzpatrick, 35, managed a 2-1 record in relief of starter Jameis Winston last season while completing 59% of his passes for six touchdowns and three interceptions. He earned $3MM for his year of work in Tampa Bay.
Salary Cap Rollover For All 32 NFL Teams
This week, the NFLPA updated its salary cap report to include the rollover amounts for all 32 teams in the NFL. The Browns, as expected, lead the league in $58.9MM in cap space rolled over from the previous season. Here is the full rundown of each team’s rollover amounts:
After the Browns, the 49ers ($56MM), Titans ($30.3MM), Jaguars ($27.8MM), and Jets ($17.3MM) boast the highest rollover amounts in the league. The Dolphins ($69K), Saints ($287K), Giants ($365K), Eagles ($514K), and the Seahawks ($547K) have the least amount of rollover. In total, teams carried over nearly $340MM from last season, good for an average of $10.6MM per club.
Bucs' T.J. Ward To Draw FA Interest?
- Pending Buccaneers free agent T.J. Ward is a player to watch in free agency, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Ward started only five of his 12 games for the Bucs last year and graded out as the No. 58 ranked safety in the NFL per Pro Football Focus. That’s a big dropoff from his three straight Pro Bowls from 2013-2015 and his January arrest doesn’t help matters either. Still, in a shallow safety pool, Rapoport expects Ward to draw interest. Whether that comes to fruition or not, it’s not expected that Ward will be back with the Bucs.
Bucs To Decline C Joe Hawley’s Option
The Buccaneers will decline their $2.5MM option for 2018 on center Joe Hawley, a source tells NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). They haven’t closed the door on bringing him back, but a veteran OL on the market. 
Hawley was the Bucs’ primary starter in the middle in 2015 and 2016. Last offseason, the team shifted Ali Marpet from right guard to center, pushing Hawley to a reserve role. He saw an uptick in playing time when Marpet hit the injured reserve list in November, but he made only four appearances with two starts on the year. For what it’s worth, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus did not look kindly on his small sample of 203 snaps.
It makes sense for the Bucs to explore re-signing Hawley on a cheaper deal, but he may look for a better situation in March before agreeing to anything. With 54 career starts to his credit, the 29-year-old probably feels deserving of more playing time than the Bucs are looking to give him.
Fellow Buccaneers interior lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith is also due for free agency in March, so there might not be room for both players in 2018.
Mike Glennon Back On Bucs' Radar?
- A Buccaneers/Mike Glennon reunion will likely be on the Tampa Bay brass’ radar, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes. The Bears are expected to cut Glennon, whom Mitch Trubisky quickly supplanted in Chicago’s starting lineup, and Stroud notes the Bucs will be watching carefully to see if their former backup will wind up in need of a job. Glennon served as Jameis Winston‘s backup in 2015 and ’16, and with a possible suspension for Winston looming because of an alleged groping of an Uber driver, Stroud notes Tampa Bay’s backup could play a key role in the 2018 season. The Bucs were ready to pay Glennon like a top-market backup at $8MM per year, but the Bears’ offer easily won out last March.