5 free agents the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can’t afford to lose

As they look to end the season with a Super Bowl win, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can’t lose these five free agents this offseason.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went all-in last offseason by signing Tom Brady. As they prepare to be the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium, it was a well-done bet. Brady is under contract next year, and he may play a few years longer than that. In any case, the Buccaneers are in a win-now window for as long as Brady is the quarterback.

As with many teams, the Buccaneers have good players that will be hitting free agency come to the offseason. It’s easy to assume they won’t have the cap space to keep people. But they have the seventh-most cap space in the league right now ($24.396 million, according to Over The Cap). There will be tough decisions made, sure, but in a broad sense, money won’t be any object.

Win or lose on Super Bowl Sunday, the Buccaneers can’t afford to lose these five free agents this offseason.

Five free agents the Buccaneers can’t lose this offseason

5. DT Ndamukong Suh

Suh signed another one-year deal with the Buccaneers last offseason. It’s not that he was bad in 2019, but he was a notch better this year (six sacks, 19 quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss).

For what it’s worth, Suh plans to return to Tampa Bay next season. Retirement seems to be a question on the media’s mind, but he has dismissed that.

The question will be if the Buccaneers can afford to keep Suh. But he may take a discount to stay on yet another one-year deal, and keep anchoring the interior of a good defense for a team with Super Bowl expectations.