Buccaneers make another move in order to get out of salary cap hell
The mountain is a steep one, but the Buccaneers are making the climb one step at a time.
Once Tom Brady retired it became 100% clear how screwed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' cap situation was about to be in 2023.
Nevertheless, the team has worked diligently to get above the red line and into a spot where it can afford to sign its draft class, pay for the practice squad, and maybe bring in a player or two, at the very least.
Several moves have already been made and all of them include key players. Whether it's the release of Donovan Smith or the restructures of Vita Vea, Carlton Davis III, Ryan Jensen, and Chris Godwin – the Buccaneers are doing everything in their power to create some kind of cash flow.
The latest move includes veteran wide receiver Russell Gage. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Buccaneers restructured Gage's deal to where he'll count $7 million of his base salary will count against the cap instead of the initial $10 million. Gage has a chance to make up the $3 million difference through incentives in 2023.
The former Atlanta Falcons wideout signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Buccaneers in 2022. He didn't have anywhere near the season the team envisioned when they signed him, but a lot of that was due to his own personal injuries and then the offense's overall dysfunction on top it.
Speculation offered the idea Gage could become a cap casualty due to last year's disappointment and this year's cap hit. While that's only speculation, it's clear the Buccaneers were eyeing some sort of modification to his deal. Otherwise, this never would have happened. Even without the awful cap situation.
Regardless, Gage should resume his role as the Buccaneers' WR3 in 2023.
Per Over The Cap, Gage now counts $9,166,666 against the cap instead of the initial $12,166,666 million. The Buccaneers are still a little more than $2.6 million over the salary cap, but that number doesn't include the savings from the releases of Leonard Fournette and Cameron Brate. The Buccaneers stand to gain around $5.5 million in cap space, which puts them above the red line.
The Buccaneers will officially release Fournette and Brate on Wednesday, March 15.
