What position should the Bucs draft with their top pick this year?

[Cheb]

I have been starting to research draft prospects for the 2022 class, possible targets for our first round pick, that sort of thing. And identifying our top need is somewhat nebulous. We have so many free agents next year that I doubt we can resign them all for a second straight year, so we are likely going to have plenty of holes in the roster.

As a refresher, all of the following players are due to be free agents next season:

- Chris Godwin
- Jason Pierre-Paul
- Ryan Jensen
- Kong Suh
- Rob Gronkowski
- Will Gholston
- Leonard Fournette
- Antonio Brown
- OJ Howard
- Ronald Jones
- Richard Sherman
- Gio Bernard
- Carlton Davis
- Alex Cappa
- Jordan Whitehead

Spotrac gives us nearly $34 million in cap space as of today. So basically, say goodbye to two-thirds of the above names, if not more.

So, where would you put our biggest need, assuming the overwhelming majority of those dudes aren't wearing pewter next year?

[mdb1958]

Out of all those players how many will have a five year extension of their career elsewhere or even three?

[mdb1958]

Knowing Licht he will just load up with aged cattle all over again.

[mdb1958]

Best player to fit our need.

[BLT]

D line then RB for sure

[Selmon Rules]

In this order:

Someone who hits the other teams QB
Someone who keeps our QB from getting hit

Work your way out and back from there (assuming you already have the QB)

Recipe for every draft and every team

[ATrain]

The interior of both lines are being hit hard. Unfortunately this is not a good DT class and I haven't looked anything up about oline.

This may be a year where we have to trade back as much as possible and just accumulate picks. So many holes to fill.

We'll likely get a comp pick from losing players and maybe a 3rd from the minority coach promotion deal.

The guy I want signed first though is CD3. Corners are so hard to find that he should be top priority.

[Jason Bourne]

Jenson has to be resigned, he is one of the top centers in the league.

After that interior D line then edge rusher.

[kaimaru]

First of all, wouldn't care if most of them go.

- Jason Pierre-Paul - Sorry, you're looking old this year.
- Kong Suh - Donovan of the DLine
- Will Gholston - expendable
- Leonard Fournette - if he keeps playing like he is, he might be expensive. He's only 26. Could get a 3 year.
- OJ Howard - bye, Felicia (OJ trips and on IR)
- Ronald Jones - fully expendable
- Richard Sherman - unless he comes back from his injury like old Sherm, bye.
- Gio Bernard - expendable
- Alex Cappa - I would resign Stinnie instead


If Rob Gronkowski comes back, Chris Godwin or AB is expendable.
Ryan Jensen
Carlton Davis
Jordan Whitehead

So looking at the losses, definitely DLine, RB, OLine (for future), defense the rest of the way.

[Kona]

At this point I’d say DL or CB depending on what happens with CD3. We really need someone young to go with Vea on the DL and end of the first their should be some good 3-4 DE options. There’s usually a decent corner available at the end of round 1/early round 2 as well.

I’d prioritize our FA Signings as
1) Godwin
2) CD3
3) Jensen

Gronk and AB will be back as long as Tom is here.

As much as I like Whitehead and Cappa, some team is going to overpay for their services.

JPP back on a cheap deal would be nice.


My big question is CD3 worth top 5 corner money? I’d say he’s a top 15 corner, but he’s going to have a big market where I’m not sure we should overpay. May get similar production from a round 1 corner.

[mdb1958]

@Kona That's why I had hoped we were developing young CB talent, even if it was on the practice squad.

[Dread]

At this point I’d say DL or CB depending on what happens with CD3. We really need someone young to go with Vea on the DL and end of the first their should be some good 3-4 DE options. There’s usually a decent corner available at the end of round 1/early round 2 as well.

I’d prioritize our FA Signings as
1) Godwin
2) CD3
3) Jensen

Gronk and AB will be back as long as Tom is here.

As much as I like Whitehead and Cappa, some team is going to overpay for their services.

JPP back on a cheap deal would be nice.


My big question is CD3 worth top 5 corner money? I’d say he’s a top 15 corner, but he’s going to have a big market where I’m not sure we should overpay. May get similar production from a round 1 corner.

I think CD3 and Whitehead are both gone. Some as mentioned some other team will overpay and we have Dean and SMB for another year at CB along with Mike Edwards to fill in for Whitehead.

But I do like Whitehead alot, he's played really well for us during these last 15 games when we've been on this run of success.

JPP and Jensen are gone. Their replacements are already on the roster with Tryon and Hainsey.

Gronk and AB will be here as long as TB12 is here.

I'd like to re-sign Nacho to take Suh's spot should he retire.

Gholston should return imo. He's a perfect fit here and he knows it. It's not like run stuffing 5-techs demand much in free agency. Vea-Nacho-Gholston would solidify the interior 3 to keep our run D stout.

Idk about Cappa. Depends what type of interest he draws in Free Agency. Assuming Tom Brady returns I can guarantee Licht makes Cappa a bigger priority than most fans since protecting Brady is #1.

Godwin is gone. I know he's getting some good coin on the FT this season, but he deserves that life hanging 2nd contract and the Bucs aren't in position to offer it with Evans already locked up and guys like Tyler Johnson and Scotty Miller waiting to seize larger roles.

1st contract players who are about to be too expensive for the Bucs
CD3
Whitehead

High priced vets with expiring contracts
JPP
Jensen
Suh
Godwin

So that's about $45-50M in cap space this year free'd up with those 6 departures. All of which we have replacement plans for.

We'll lose alot of depth, but the team won't look much different imo.

[Dread]

@Kona That's why I had hoped we were developing young CB talent, even if it was on the practice squad.

They can't be very talented if they are on the PS. Teams can only protect a PS player for so many weeks before they are available to get plucked off.

The Bucs coaches (Kevin Ross and Todd Bowles specifically) did a great job with Davis, SMB, and Dean who were all day 2 picks.

SMB and Dean will be back next season for their 4th yr and I think we'll draft a CB (or two) this April in the earlier rounds so they are ready to start in 2023.

So DL (a war daddy to pair with Vea) and CB would be my two positions of focus for the Bucs come April.

[mdb1958]

We need to pick a couple guys like Gholston that are 2 or 3 tenths or more faster.

[mdb1958]

Also just like I said last year, if the fat boys arent what we are looking for, then we need to identify the DE's we wish to beef up for the D-line.

[ATrain]

At this point I’d say DL or CB depending on what happens with CD3. We really need someone young to go with Vea on the DL and end of the first their should be some good 3-4 DE options. There’s usually a decent corner available at the end of round 1/early round 2 as well.

I’d prioritize our FA Signings as
1) Godwin
2) CD3
3) Jensen

Gronk and AB will be back as long as Tom is here.

As much as I like Whitehead and Cappa, some team is going to overpay for their services.

JPP back on a cheap deal would be nice.


My big question is CD3 worth top 5 corner money? I’d say he’s a top 15 corner, but he’s going to have a big market where I’m not sure we should overpay. May get similar production from a round 1 corner.

I think CD3 and Whitehead are both gone. Some as mentioned some other team will overpay and we have Dean and SMB for another year at CB along with Mike Edwards to fill in for Whitehead.

But I do like Whitehead alot, he's played really well for us during these last 15 games when we've been on this run of success.

JPP and Jensen are gone. Their replacements are already on the roster with Tryon and Hainsey.

Gronk and AB will be here as long as TB12 is here.

I'd like to re-sign Nacho to take Suh's spot should he retire.

Gholston should return imo. He's a perfect fit here and he knows it. It's not like run stuffing 5-techs demand much in free agency. Vea-Nacho-Gholston would solidify the interior 3 to keep our run D stout.

Idk about Cappa. Depends what type of interest he draws in Free Agency. Assuming Tom Brady returns I can guarantee Licht makes Cappa a bigger priority than most fans since protecting Brady is #1.

Godwin is gone. I know he's getting some good coin on the FT this season, but he deserves that life hanging 2nd contract and the Bucs aren't in position to offer it with Evans already locked up and guys like Tyler Johnson and Scotty Miller waiting to seize larger roles.

1st contract players who are about to be too expensive for the Bucs
CD3
Whitehead

High priced vets with expiring contracts
JPP
Jensen
Suh
Godwin

So that's about $45-50M in cap space this year free'd up with those 6 departures. All of which we have replacement plans for.

We'll lose alot of depth, but the team won't look much different imo.

I'm torn between keeping Godwin vs CD3. Both have been part of the foundation we built a Super Bowl run on top of so losing either will be awful as a Bucs fan.

Do you not think we could sign both to long term deals with heavy signing bonuses and creative contracts so we don't lose either without crushing our cap space next year?

If not, then I just have to ask, in the current NFL prospect meta, which is harder to find: A really good #2 corner or a really good #2 WR? My gut leans towards CD3 being harder to replace so maybe if we have to choose between them we keep him instead of Godwin.

However, with Brady being here, we probably have to differ to keeping him happy.

FA departures happen and are a part of the game, but 2022 could be especially painful.

Luckily there are good corner talent in this draft so if we have to replace CD3 we have a shot at doing so.