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How Day 1 of free agency affects Bucs

Tampa Bay rivals add to rosters
 
Published March 15, 2018|Updated March 15, 2018

TAMPA — The rest of the NFC South, much like the Bucs, had a quiet, low-key start to free agency.

But a few seemingly easier games on the Bucs' 2018 schedule got tougher, with opponents that have been among the most active in upgrading their rosters in the past week.

Tampa Bay only gets two games out of 16 this fall that are the benefit of finishing in last place in their division — those are intended to make things easier, but in 2018, that means games against the 49ers and Bears, who have made major moves.

49ERS: New general manager John Lynch has been ambitious — after an 0-11 start last year, San Francisco won its last five games after QB Jimmy Garoppolo took over. He got a huge extension, and Lynch wasn't done, adding Pro Bowl CB Richard Sherman from Seattle and paying Vikings RB Jerick McKinnon $7 million a year to replace Carlos Hyde. Add in Giants C Weston Richburg and San Francisco will bring a much more formidable team to Tampa this fall.

BEARS: When the Bucs beat the Bears 29-7 in last year's opener, they dominated against QB Mike Glennon and very few weapons in the passing game. With the hiring of former Chiefs assistant Matt Nagy, they've worked to add talent on the offensive side.

Chicago has worked to upgrade the targets for second-year QB Mitch Trubisky, giving Jaguars WR Allen Robinson $14 million a year and spending big to land Eagles TE Trey Burton, who got $8 million per despite having one career touchdown before this season. Former Falcons WR Taylor Gabriel also signed with the Bears, getting $6.5 million per year.

BROWNS: Surely a game against a team that went 0-16 can be easy, right?

The Browns have a long way to go, but they'll come to Tampa this fall having made massive changes — they traded for Bills QB Tyrod Taylor, Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry and Packers DB Damarious Randall.

Cleveland still has the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the draft — that could include a top quarterback and coveted Penn State RB Saquon Barkley. And the Browns continue to use their ample salary-cap room, adding 49ers RB Carlos Hyde and Raiders CB T.J. Carrie.

LT Joe Thomas, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, is retiring, a major loss for Cleveland.

Receivers cash in

Nowhere has the vast amount of available money more glaring than in the second-tier receiver market, where young players nowhere close to 1,000-yard seasons picked up deals averaging close to $8 million a year.

If Sammy Watkins (Chiefs) and Allen Robinson (Bears) took the top receiver options off the table early, getting $16 million and $14 million a year, respectively, that didn't stop the money from flowing freely to much less established receivers.

Seattle's Paul Richardson, who has 1,302 receiving yards total in four seasons, got $8 million a year from the Redskins. Richardson still has better numbers than the receiver he'll replace, Ryan Grant, who has 985 career yards and six career touchdowns in four years and got $29 million over four years from the receiver-starved Ravens.

The Jaguars, who didn't want to pay Robinson the $14 million he got from Chicago, spent much more combined on other receivers — Donte Moncrief, who has missed 15 games in the last two seasons with the Colts and has never had 750 receiving yards in a season, got a reported $10-million for 2018; Marqise Lee reportedly could make up to $38 million over four years despite totaling eight touchdowns in four years in Jacksonville.

Locals to watch

Among the locals who could be finding new homes in free agency in the next few weeks: Chiefs LB Ramik Wilson (Jefferson), Bills CB Leonard Johnson (Largo), 49ers WR Louis Murphy (Lakewood), Bucs LS Garrison Sanborn (Jesuit), Dolphins S Nate Allen (USF) and Raiders OL Darrell Williams (USF).

Contact Greg Auman at gauman@tampabay.com and (813) 310-2690. Follow @gregauman.