TAMPA, Fla. — The worst performance of Donovan Smith’s career, combined with salary-cap issues has led to the Bucs’ decision to release the left tackle after eight seasons.
Smith, 29, signed a signed a two-year, $31.8 million extension in March 2021. But the Bucs will save $9.95 million on the salary cap by parting ways with him.
A second-round pick from Penn State in 2015, Smith missed only two games and started 124 in eight seasons with the Bucs. But he suffered a hyperextended elbow in the season-opening win Sept. 11 at Dallas. That may have contributed to a forgettable year in which he was second in the NFL for the most accepted penalties with 12 for a league-high 100 yards. Two of his holding calls took away touchdowns. He allowed a team-high six sacks.
Smith is the third known veteran player the Bucs plan to part with this offseason, joining running back Leonard Fournette and tight end Cameron Brate. Place-kicker Ryan Succop also is expected to be a cap casualty.
One option the Bucs are considering to replace Smith is to move All-Pro Tristan Wirfs from right tackle in 2023.
In addition, the Bucs are not expected to use their franchise player tag on cornerback Jamel Dean because of their restrictive cap situation.
Tampa Bay is more than $58.26 million over the $224.8M cap according to Overthecap.com and must be compliant to that figure by 4 p.m. on March 15, the start of the new league year. That doesn’t include the expected release of Fournette and Brate, who have been informed by the team they intend to part ways.
Dean, 26, was the fifth-ranked player who could enter free agency by Pro Football Focus, a list that included Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, who agreed to a three-year, $105 million contract with Seattle on Monday.
The deadline for applying a franchise or transition player tag is 4 p.m. today. The franchise player tag for Dean would add another $18.16 million to the Bucs’ bloated salary cap.
The Bucs have utilized the franchise tag three years in a row, but that streak is likely to be broken today.
“That’s a tool we have we can use,” general manager Jason Licht said last week. “It’s good to have it. Hopefully, we don’t have to.”
The Bucs are hopeful of eventually reaching a new agreement with Dean and other free agents, such as inside linebacker Lavonte David and safety Mike Edwards.
Outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett received the franchise tag in 2020 after setting a club record with 19 1/2 sacks the previous season. He played under the one-year contract before signing a multi-year deal in 2021.
The Bucs made receiver Chris Godwin their franchise player the past two seasons. He signed a three-year, $60 million contract only nine days after getting the designation last year.
The Bucs have 23 players set to become unrestricted free agents. Others that are valued include David, Edwards and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting. But none are rated as highly as Dean.
In fact, Spoctrac projects his market value to be at three years, $49.67 million or roughly $16.5 million per year. As you can see, that’s lower than the franchise tag value of more than $18 million.
Dean is coming off one of his best seasons as a pro. He started 15 games and had two interceptions and eight passes defensed. He has allowed a completion percentage of only 51.95 over the past two seasons.
