The Bucs are now $44 Million under the cap (1 Viewer)

[Ti Rider]

Yow.....looks like the competition just went way up for Samuel. Of course they are now paper thin at DE. From PFT -

BUCS' CAP BULGE GOES TO $44 MILLION

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially have more cap room than Abraham Lincoln.

Our friends at Pewter Report report that the Bucs have cut defensive ends Kevin Carter and Greg Spires.

The move cleared out another $9.2 million in cap space, putting the Bucs a full $44 million under the $116 million salary cap.

One way to use up the current year cap bulge is to use large roster bonuses in lieu of signing bonuses for any free agents that they might sign. If, for example, the Bucs were to sign cornerback Asante Samuel, they could give him a $20 million roster bonus, which would count fully against this year's cap. In turn, he would have significantly lower cap numbers in future years of the deal.

There's another potential benefit to such a move. Because the Raiders have applied the exclusive franchise tag to cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, his one-year tender will be based on the average of the five highest-paid corners in 2008. A cap number in excess of $20 million for Samuel would force that number north by $2 million or more.

Given that Bucs coach Jon Gruden and G.M. Bruce Allen used to work for the Raiders, we could see them getting a kick out of sticking it to their former employer in this way.

 

[Pdlc]

Not good.

It's like their clearing cap for Asante

 

[stadanko]

twice a year...not good.

 

[Puddinhead]

As long as they spend it on Asante I'm happy

 

[Pdlc]

Asante in that Tampa Bay system is deadly.

I don't even want to think about this but I have a feeling its between us and the Bucs.

If we don't get him the Bucs will

 

[d3vanj]

crap........................i bet they give asante like 110 mil just so we dont get him

 

[CargoJon]

Yikes.

 

[sykobob671]

this is the second year in a row their putting the squeeze on us.....cue the war drums.....!

 

[Rich Jr]

Anytime theres a glim hope (Asante rumor we have him) something bad happens like this.

 

[natedog]

Why would they need a guy like Samuel at that high a dollar figure when they could just as easily put in a guy like Jason David and he would look like a world beater?

 

[DrudkhFan]

They don't have much more cap room than we do, weren't we around 39 million?

 

[Scotlandsaint]

The Buccaneers are believed to have the "inside track" on signing free agent C Jeff Faine, according to the Tampa Tribune.

Jon Gruden loves Golden Domers and has a need with John Wade set to depart. If Faine doesn't work out, the Bucs would likely turn to Dan Buenning.
Source: Tampa Tribune

 

[Saints382]

Asante in that Tampa Bay system is deadly.

I don't even want to think about this but I have a feeling its between us and the Bucs.

If we don't get him the Bucs will

I think their fine at CB with Ronde/Phillip Buchanon...plus it's a cover-2 so anyone can play in it. They don't need to spend that money on CB...

Also, Gil Brandt (a respected and experienced analyst/personnel guru) said that Asante Samuel with the Bucs or a cover-2 team would be horrible.

 

[Pdlc]

They can have Faine

 

[srenner]

I like that Tampa is being active, they really are our biggest threat next year and the NFC South was so dull and boring last year to be honest.

While I want us to be the best, I do in a way want our competition to atleast TRY, which I can't really say has been happening in ATL or CAR the past two years. Atleast not very well.