Report: Buccaneers expected to release starting LT Donovan Smith
Not much of a surprise, here.
The 2022 season was disappointing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a failing offense.
Tom Brady and co. should've been one of the best units in the league based on talent and their history, but everyone saw how that went.
Injuries were an issue, but returning players were as much an issue as anything else.
One player really let the team down in Donovan Smith. His pass protection, his effect on and the run game and his abhorrent ability to get flagged for penalties all weighed heavily on the Buccaneers' offensive failures.
The worst part is Smith's season came at the worst time: right after about a year-and-a-half of the best we've ever seen him play.
And it wasn't his best play because of the middling bar he set throughout his career – he was legitimately one of the NFL's best left tackles during from Week 12 of 2020- the 2021 season.
The good news for the Buccaneers is that the team appears primed to make the right decision with the ninth-year veteran. Per Pewter Report, the team is expected to release Smith when the 2023 season begins by March 15.
There might be some question marks at left tackle, a very important position, but at least the Bucs will get some cap space to hopefully go along with fewer penalties.
Moving on like this might seem like a dangerous shift for a team to make that is already undergoing a large amount of changes in other areas, but Smith just makes too much sense as a cut in the end when there are cheaper replacements out there that can also bring a higher level of play.
Featured image via Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
