TAMPA — The Bucs will shortly turn their attention to the draft, but with a league-worst $1.8-million under the salary cap, according to Spotrac, they can’t afford to sign their seven picks.
According to Bleacher Report, the only player to cut in order to create the required cap space is seven-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
It’s been speculated many times before. McCoy is owed $13-million in salary in 2019 but none of it is guaranteed.
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Maybe that shoe never drops, but privately, the Bucs have been all over the board when it comes to discussing McCoy.
So when it comes to those discussions, to quote a song from Hamilton, hey Jason Licht, I want to be in “the room where it happens.”
Releasing McCoy is the only place the Bucs can go to change their cap outlook significantly. McCoy is entering his 10th season. His string of six consecutive Pro Bowl appearances were halted in 2018 but he still had six sacks and 21 quarterback pressures.
Ndamukong Suh earned $14.5-million with the Los Angeles Rams last season.
The Bucs also own the fifth overall pick and they are in a prime position to draft one of the top defensive linemen.
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“Alabama’s Quinnen Williams might be a pipe dream outside the top three, but Houston’s Ed Oliver should be there for the taking,’’ Bleacher Report said. “Oliver is an explosive and disruptive defensive tackle who was miscast as a zero-tech in Houston’s defensive scheme. The Bucs could take Oliver and immediately slide him into the three-tech role to make up for McCoy’s departure. Adding either player, while cutting $13 million, would be a big win as the team prepares for the future.’’