Most Important Free Agent?

[King Bootz]

We're more than halfway through the season so now is a good time to look at upcoming free agents. We have a lot. But in your opinion if given only 1 contract, who would you give it to and why? What 1 upcoming free agent is a must have for us to bring back in 2022 and beyond?

Edit: Fucking poll limits the options so I took some off like Gholston, Suh, Sherman, Rojo & Howard and replaced with other.

[Buccabeer]

Alex Cappa for me. Winning and Losing starts on the Offensive and Defensive Line, with OL being the more important one in my opinion.

[Snake]

This is not a well thought out answer, but the team seems pretty different without Gronkowski out there. He’s so physical. Such a good blocker, such good hands. The health thing is only gonna get worse with every passing week. But in terms of cost/benefit, i’d like to find a way to bring him back for a year. Probably not smart to hitch your wagon to a guy who is likely to miss half a season though.

[acmillis]

I'd like to ask a qualifying question - Is Brady back? Godwin or CDIII

[Cheb]

CD3, assuming that he returns to form after coming back from injury. He's the best corner on the roster, and this year has really demonstrated what happens when your corners are garbage.

[Buc2]

For me, it was close between CD3 and Whitehead. I went with CD3.

[Dread]

CD3, mostly because he plays a premium position and can play press man.

We're seeing how valuable CD3 is this season

[IronDog]

This is not a well thought out answer, but the team seems pretty different without Gronkowski out there. He’s so physical. Such a good blocker, such good hands. The health thing is only gonna get worse with every passing week. But in terms of cost/benefit, i’d like to find a way to bring him back for a year. Probably not smart to hitch your wagon to a guy who is likely to miss half a season though.

Did you notice the route Brate did on his TD this past game? Was exactly the same thing Bobby G did where he commented about it being like muscle memory with Tom and him. A short block to the outside then break left, 2 steps, turn around and catch the ball.

[Kress]

I was on the fence with Cappa or CDIII, but I think CDIII for the same reasons as said above. I am all about building from the lines out, but if you pare it down to just picking one guy.... Corners are harder to replace and their absence is magnified times 100. You can more ably adjust for a downgrade at lineman, but when you're down a corner? Heaven help you.

[Kress]

I'd also add that Jensen's nasty would be missed. Not his penalties, mind you, but his nasty would be.

[King Bootz]

This is not a well thought out answer, but the team seems pretty different without Gronkowski out there. He’s so physical. Such a good blocker, such good hands. The health thing is only gonna get worse with every passing week. But in terms of cost/benefit, i’d like to find a way to bring him back for a year. Probably not smart to hitch your wagon to a guy who is likely to miss half a season though.

Did you notice the route Brate did on his TD this past game? Was exactly the same thing Bobby G did where he commented about it being like muscle memory with Tom and him. A short block to the outside then break left, 2 steps, turn around and catch the ball.

It's something most any TE can learn with some time and adapting to a QB.

[Nobody]

CD3 by a country mile. Defenses need as many good coverage players as they can get on the backend. Bad and south of mediocre coverage players cripple modern defenses.

CD3 is a top 5 cover corner. He’s a top Man corner and that is without help a lot. He’s a very good run support player. And his ability to read > react > defeat a block and disrupt a perimeter Screen is also one of the best.

These guys don’t grow on trees.

Pay this man. Pay this man his money.

And then draft more CBs and iDL this draft.

[Kona]

My mind says CD3 but my heart says Godwin.

Do we think CD3 deserves top 5 corner money? Because that’s what he’s going to cost.

[Swashbuckler]

My mind says CD3 but my heart says Godwin.

Do we think CD3 deserves top 5 corner money? Because that’s what he’s going to cost.

Sadly

"Deserves" =/= "Necessary" but we can argue it's more necessary than some other things we have going

[Kress]

My mind says CD3 but my heart says Godwin.

Do we think CD3 deserves top 5 corner money? Because that’s what he’s going to cost.

What's funny is Pro Football Network has CDIII rated as the league's #15 corner, and Godwin rated as the league's #15 receiver.

Go figure.

[King Bootz]

My mind says CD3 but my heart says Godwin.

Do we think CD3 deserves top 5 corner money? Because that’s what he’s going to cost.

What's funny is Pro Football Network has CDIII rated as the league's #15 corner, and Godwin rated as the league's #15 receiver.

Go figure.

That definitely seems accurate. Top 5? There's a little pewter colored glasses there. Is he in the same league as guys like Ramsey, Alexander, White, Humphrey, Lattimore, Howard, Jones? Hmmmm not IMO. But as @Kona pointed out he likely will command top 5 money.

[Caradoc]

Alex Cappa for me. Winning and Losing starts on the Offensive and Defensive Line, with OL being the more important one in my opinion.

I like Cappa too, but Stinnie filled in just fine for him last year. Nobody has filled in for CD3

[MJW]

Alex Cappa for me. Winning and Losing starts on the Offensive and Defensive Line, with OL being the more important one in my opinion.

I like Cappa too, but Stinnie filled in just fine for him last year. Nobody has filled in for CD3

Basically, this. Cappa is a solid player, but someone is going to pay him real money because he started for us for 3 years. It's bad math for us. Stinnie was solid. We'll have to find some depth going forward, but Cappa is a luxury signing.

Like Shaq last year, the offseason was a failure if we don't bring back CD. Even on the tag.

[BLT]

Cappa is number 6 on that list.

[Dread]

My mind says CD3 but my heart says Godwin.

Do we think CD3 deserves top 5 corner money? Because that’s what he’s going to cost.

Contract values are mostly a representation of who most recently signed instead of an indication of who the best players at a given position are. Especially at positions like WR and CB.

Does Godwin deserve top 5 WR money? Were talking roughly $18-20M AAV w/ around $60M in guarantees.

I think a compelling argument can be made that CD3 is more valuable to our defensive success than Godwin is to the offense.

Godwin is a great player, but replacing a WR is generally easier than replacing a top CB who can play press man.

I think this season so far has show that if Bowles doesn't have CBs who can play man and allow him send more pressures we're a very mediocre (at best) defense and he isn't all that great of a DC. But who is when Dee Delaney, Russ Cockrell, and the corpse of Dick Sherman are starting CBs for you.

But this is one of those topics where what I thought initially when reading the title doesn't end up aligning with my opinion once I start to put some thought into it.

[The Outsider]

CDIII. He is by far our best player in the secondary and having good to great corners is a must in the league today.

[Kress]

But this is one of those topics where what I thought initially when reading the title doesn't end up aligning with my opinion once I start to put some thought into it.

Same here. My initial post was that I was somewhat on the fence. But the more I think about it, I can barely see the fence anymore.

[BJJ34]

It all depends on how they plan on using draft picks/players falling. Godwin is a top 15 WR, they aren’t easy to find… ask Detroit outside of Megatron. Some teams never find a 1 WR. We have the privilege of having 3 1’s and are currently without any workable corner on the roster. So yes… recency bias has us picking CD3.

If CD3 comes back and isn’t the same, it’s a different story too.

If Whitehead wasn’t a liability in pass coverage at times, maybe his name would be higher up there. His big hits will generate a turnover when the time is right.

[MJW]

If I was going to rank them by how I'd prioritize them this offseason:

GET IT DONE

1) Carlton Davis III. For reasons stated on this thread, I don't see this as much of a question. If it still is, I expect it to be extinguished when he returns and reminds everyone how good he is. Tag him if need be. This is our #1 offseason priority, a la Shaq last year.

TRY TO GET IT DONE (BUT DON'T GO CRAZY)

2) Chris Godwin. I want Godwin back. I also definitely have a sane ceiling in mind for how much I'd be willing to pay Godwin, considering we're also paying Evans and we have other young options. If some second tier team like Jacksonville or Chicago wants to give him 5-110, I'd let them. But we should attempt to retain him if we can. I think something like 4-75 would work with enough guaranteed cash. Get it done, unless he's decided he wants Davante Adams money.

OFFER A FAIR DEAL AND GO FROM THERE.

3) Alex Cappa/Aaron Stinnie. My instinct is Cappa will test the market and do well. In which case, Stinnie can step up on a much more affordable deal. As long as we don't lose them both or badly overpay for Cappa (a nice player, but not the guy you overpay.)

4) Leonard Fournette. I'd be fine offering Fournette a similar contract to the one he's playing under. 1 Year, $4 mil or so seems fair to both parties. He's clearly the #1 guy at this point and he's worked hard to round out his game. I hate paying backs ANYTHING but it doesn't make sense not to considering all the factors.

5) Antonio Brown. Like Fournette, I'd bring him back on a similar deal to the one he's playing under. He made about $3 mil this year. I'd say that's about right considering he's been banged up and is a year older. My lizard brain says to let him walk, but it's obvious how much Brady leans on him.

6) William Gholston. He's still a plus contributor, but he's no longer young. I think 1 Year, $5 Mil is about right. He deserves to retire a Buccaneer and he's still a useful player.

7) Jordan Whitehead. My instinct is, he joins Cappa elsewhere, Edwards gets promoted, and someone is drafted. If we do make him a priority, the market is usually pretty soft for box safeties. We could probably bring him back on 2-6, something like that. Similar safeties when for 2-4 and 1-3 all over the place last year.

INVITE THEM BACK ON OUR TERMS

8) OJ Howard. You know the Gronk thing will be up in the air. Howard is never going to live up to his draft status. But he's an occasionally dangerous weapon and a plus blocker who will have two years in the system. We could do worse in this spot.

9) Gio Bernard. He hasn't had as much impact as hoped, but that's mainly due to Fournette's improvements as a pass catcher. IMHO he's still a valuable piece of the puzzle and he'll be really cheap.

CON TE PARTIRO

- Jason Pierre-Paul. He's still good for the odd LOS knockdown, but he's lost a step or two and we drafted his replacement. This was always the plan.

- Ryan Jensen. Jensen is a better player now than he was when he got here. But again, we drafted his replacement and there are better uses for the money than an aging center. The only way I'd rethink this is if Hainsey isn't remotely ready. Even then, not sure how much I'd pay for Jensen at this point.

- Nkamukong Suh. Much more name than game at this point. Watch him closely some time. He's about done.

- Ronald Jones. He's firmly been displaced by Fournette. My hope is that Vaughn can ascend to his spot, but either way, I don't see the upside in bringing him back. He is what he is. Draft someone with a bit more versatility to push for that job.

- Blaine Gabbert. Let Trask start working with the second team each week.

- Steve McClendon. Time to get younger here.

- Pretty much all of our desperation defensive backs. Sherman, Desir, Robinson, Delaney, Andrew Adams, Curtis Riley, etc.

WE'LL SEE?

- Rob Gronkowski. Does he come back healthy? Has he played his last down? Does he call it a career? Obviously, we have to be open to bringing him back if he still wants to play. Then there's the money. With all our cap demands, how much are you paying Gronk knowing you might only get him for a month?

[Dread]

Gronk and AB are in the same boat imo. If Brady is back, they will be back also.

If we're lucky all 3 will be back for what I have to believe will be their final NFL season.

Considering all 3 are 1st ballot HoF guys it would be a pretty cool induction ceremony in 2028.

[Kress]

Gronk and AB are in the same boat imo. If Brady is back, they will be back also.

If we're lucky all 3 will be back for what I have to believe will be their final NFL season.

Considering all 3 are 1st ballot HoF guys it would be a pretty cool induction ceremony in 2028.

I think AB will play longer. Brady and Gronk seem like the type to walk away when they're ready. AB seems like a guy who will play as long as someone is willing to give him a roster spot - right up to the point where all 32 say no. That could be another 3-4 years, easy.

[The Outsider]

If I was going to rank them by how I'd prioritize them this offseason:

GET IT DONE

1) Carlton Davis III. For reasons stated on this thread, I don't see this as much of a question. If it still is, I expect it to be extinguished when he returns and reminds everyone how good he is. Tag him if need be. This is our #1 offseason priority, a la Shaq last year.

TRY TO GET IT DONE (BUT DON'T GO CRAZY)

2) Chris Godwin. I want Godwin back. I also definitely have a sane ceiling in mind for how much I'd be willing to pay Godwin, considering we're also paying Evans and we have other young options. If some second tier team like Jacksonville or Chicago wants to give him 5-110, I'd let them. But we should attempt to retain him if we can. I think something like 4-75 would work with enough guaranteed cash. Get it done, unless he's decided he wants Davante Adams money.

OFFER A FAIR DEAL AND GO FROM THERE.

3) Alex Cappa/Aaron Stinnie. My instinct is Cappa will test the market and do well. In which case, Stinnie can step up on a much more affordable deal. As long as we don't lose them both or badly overpay for Cappa (a nice player, but not the guy you overpay.)

4) Leonard Fournette. I'd be fine offering Fournette a similar contract to the one he's playing under. 1 Year, $4 mil or so seems fair to both parties. He's clearly the #1 guy at this point and he's worked hard to round out his game. I hate paying backs ANYTHING but it doesn't make sense not to considering all the factors.

5) Antonio Brown. Like Fournette, I'd bring him back on a similar deal to the one he's playing under. He made about $3 mil this year. I'd say that's about right considering he's been banged up and is a year older. My lizard brain says to let him walk, but it's obvious how much Brady leans on him.

6) William Gholston. He's still a plus contributor, but he's no longer young. I think 1 Year, $5 Mil is about right. He deserves to retire a Buccaneer and he's still a useful player.

7) Jordan Whitehead. My instinct is, he joins Cappa elsewhere, Edwards gets promoted, and someone is drafted. If we do make him a priority, the market is usually pretty soft for box safeties. We could probably bring him back on 2-6, something like that. Similar safeties when for 2-4 and 1-3 all over the place last year.

INVITE THEM BACK ON OUR TERMS

8) OJ Howard. You know the Gronk thing will be up in the air. Howard is never going to live up to his draft status. But he's an occasionally dangerous weapon and a plus blocker who will have two years in the system. We could do worse in this spot.

9) Gio Bernard. He hasn't had as much impact as hoped, but that's mainly due to Fournette's improvements as a pass catcher. IMHO he's still a valuable piece of the puzzle and he'll be really cheap.

CON TE PARTIRO

- Jason Pierre-Paul. He's still good for the odd LOS knockdown, but he's lost a step or two and we drafted his replacement. This was always the plan.

- Ryan Jensen. Jensen is a better player now than he was when he got here. But again, we drafted his replacement and there are better uses for the money than an aging center. The only way I'd rethink this is if Hainsey isn't remotely ready. Even then, not sure how much I'd pay for Jensen at this point.

- Nkamukong Suh. Much more name than game at this point. Watch him closely some time. He's about done.

- Ronald Jones. He's firmly been displaced by Fournette. My hope is that Vaughn can ascend to his spot, but either way, I don't see the upside in bringing him back. He is what he is. Draft someone with a bit more versatility to push for that job.

- Blaine Gabbert. Let Trask start working with the second team each week.

- Steve McClendon. Time to get younger here.

- Pretty much all of our desperation defensive backs. Sherman, Desir, Robinson, Delaney, Andrew Adams, Curtis Riley, etc.

WE'LL SEE?

- Rob Gronkowski. Does he come back healthy? Has he played his last down? Does he call it a career? Obviously, we have to be open to bringing him back if he still wants to play. Then there's the money. With all our cap demands, how much are you paying Gronk knowing you might only get him for a month?

Who the fuck did we draft to replace Jensen?

Also, I think Gronk can come back healthy. He had a fractured rib and punctured lung which can take a while to heal but usually doesn't cause long term issues. It can also exacerbate back issues while the injury is still healing which is what I suspect happened in NO considering Gronk's history with having a bad back.

[Dread]

If I was going to rank them by how I'd prioritize them this offseason:

GET IT DONE

1) Carlton Davis III. For reasons stated on this thread, I don't see this as much of a question. If it still is, I expect it to be extinguished when he returns and reminds everyone how good he is. Tag him if need be. This is our #1 offseason priority, a la Shaq last year.

TRY TO GET IT DONE (BUT DON'T GO CRAZY)

2) Chris Godwin. I want Godwin back. I also definitely have a sane ceiling in mind for how much I'd be willing to pay Godwin, considering we're also paying Evans and we have other young options. If some second tier team like Jacksonville or Chicago wants to give him 5-110, I'd let them. But we should attempt to retain him if we can. I think something like 4-75 would work with enough guaranteed cash. Get it done, unless he's decided he wants Davante Adams money.

OFFER A FAIR DEAL AND GO FROM THERE.

3) Alex Cappa/Aaron Stinnie. My instinct is Cappa will test the market and do well. In which case, Stinnie can step up on a much more affordable deal. As long as we don't lose them both or badly overpay for Cappa (a nice player, but not the guy you overpay.)

4) Leonard Fournette. I'd be fine offering Fournette a similar contract to the one he's playing under. 1 Year, $4 mil or so seems fair to both parties. He's clearly the #1 guy at this point and he's worked hard to round out his game. I hate paying backs ANYTHING but it doesn't make sense not to considering all the factors.

5) Antonio Brown. Like Fournette, I'd bring him back on a similar deal to the one he's playing under. He made about $3 mil this year. I'd say that's about right considering he's been banged up and is a year older. My lizard brain says to let him walk, but it's obvious how much Brady leans on him.

6) William Gholston. He's still a plus contributor, but he's no longer young. I think 1 Year, $5 Mil is about right. He deserves to retire a Buccaneer and he's still a useful player.

7) Jordan Whitehead. My instinct is, he joins Cappa elsewhere, Edwards gets promoted, and someone is drafted. If we do make him a priority, the market is usually pretty soft for box safeties. We could probably bring him back on 2-6, something like that. Similar safeties when for 2-4 and 1-3 all over the place last year.

INVITE THEM BACK ON OUR TERMS

8) OJ Howard. You know the Gronk thing will be up in the air. Howard is never going to live up to his draft status. But he's an occasionally dangerous weapon and a plus blocker who will have two years in the system. We could do worse in this spot.

9) Gio Bernard. He hasn't had as much impact as hoped, but that's mainly due to Fournette's improvements as a pass catcher. IMHO he's still a valuable piece of the puzzle and he'll be really cheap.

CON TE PARTIRO

- Jason Pierre-Paul. He's still good for the odd LOS knockdown, but he's lost a step or two and we drafted his replacement. This was always the plan.

- Ryan Jensen. Jensen is a better player now than he was when he got here. But again, we drafted his replacement and there are better uses for the money than an aging center. The only way I'd rethink this is if Hainsey isn't remotely ready. Even then, not sure how much I'd pay for Jensen at this point.

- Nkamukong Suh. Much more name than game at this point. Watch him closely some time. He's about done.

- Ronald Jones. He's firmly been displaced by Fournette. My hope is that Vaughn can ascend to his spot, but either way, I don't see the upside in bringing him back. He is what he is. Draft someone with a bit more versatility to push for that job.

- Blaine Gabbert. Let Trask start working with the second team each week.

- Steve McClendon. Time to get younger here.

- Pretty much all of our desperation defensive backs. Sherman, Desir, Robinson, Delaney, Andrew Adams, Curtis Riley, etc.

WE'LL SEE?

- Rob Gronkowski. Does he come back healthy? Has he played his last down? Does he call it a career? Obviously, we have to be open to bringing him back if he still wants to play. Then there's the money. With all our cap demands, how much are you paying Gronk knowing you might only get him for a month?

Who the fuck did we draft to replace Jensen?

Also, I think Gronk can come back healthy. He had a fractured rib and punctured lung which can take a while to heal but usually doesn't cause long term issues. It can also exacerbate back issues while the injury is still healing which is what I suspect happened in NO considering Gronk's history with having a bad back.

Robert Hainsey, our 3rd round pick from Notre Dame.

He was a RT in college, but has been at Center since training camp.

[The Outsider]

Who the fuck did we draft to replace Jensen?

Also, I think Gronk can come back healthy. He had a fractured rib and punctured lung which can take a while to heal but usually doesn't cause long term issues. It can also exacerbate back issues while the injury is still healing which is what I suspect happened in NO considering Gronk's history with having a bad back.

Robert Hainsey, our 3rd round pick from Notre Dame.

He was a RT in college, but has been at Center since training camp.

Ah, I see. What makes anyone think he can just slide in next year and be anything close to a like for like replacement for Jensen? Jensen is one of the better Cs in the league and as we saw when we moved Marpet to C the year before we brought Jensen in having a good C is pretty damn important.

And that's without even touching on how his attitude and general demeanor impact the offensive line and the offense as a whole.

[BLT]

Yeah, I want a C that's going to draw a smart calculated personal foul every once in a while.

[The Outsider]

Yeah, I want a C that's going to draw a smart calculated personal foul every once in a while.

Tell me you don't know anything about football without telling me you don't know anything about football.

[Dread]

Robert Hainsey, our 3rd round pick from Notre Dame.

He was a RT in college, but has been at Center since training camp.

Ah, I see. What makes anyone think he can just slide in next year and be anything close to a like for like replacement for Jensen? Jensen is one of the better Cs in the league and as we saw when we moved Marpet to C the year before we brought Jensen in having a good C is pretty damn important.

And that's without even touching on how his attitude and general demeanor impact the offensive line and the offense as a whole.

Center is definitely important, especially with Brady at QB.

I think there is good argument you don't tinker with Brady's Oline very much so moving on from Jensen and Cappa would seem unwise in that regard.

I will say that Licht has a good track record with the Olinemen he's drafted in the 3rd round or earlier. Every single Olinemen Licht has drafted before the 5th round (which is a crapshoot) has hit.

So if Licht and the coaching staff thing Hainsey is ready then he's a cheaper option at Center than Jensen or at RG than Cappa since both will be free agents.

It's possible Jensen is back and Hainsey plays Guard replacing Cappa if/when he cashes in elsewhere in FA.

What I don't think is likely is that we re-sign both Cappa and Jensen, but that assumes Hainsey is ready to start in 2022.

[The Outsider]

Ah, I see. What makes anyone think he can just slide in next year and be anything close to a like for like replacement for Jensen? Jensen is one of the better Cs in the league and as we saw when we moved Marpet to C the year before we brought Jensen in having a good C is pretty damn important.

And that's without even touching on how his attitude and general demeanor impact the offensive line and the offense as a whole.

It's possible Jensen is back and Hainsey plays Guard replacing Cappa if/when he cashes in elsewhere in FA.

I think that is the most likely scenario. Cappa is a serviceable guard but we can't forget that our SB run was made without him and Stinnie basically played as well as Cappa ever has. I definitely think he's easier to replace than Jensen. And Jensen is only 30, the shelf life on interior offensive linemen is pretty far beyond that in a lot of cases. I could see Jensen being at the top of his game for another 3-4 years or so. For example, Jason Kelce is 34 and Alex Mack is 35. Both are still above average players and are still starting.

[Caradoc]

Ah, I see. What makes anyone think he can just slide in next year and be anything close to a like for like replacement for Jensen? Jensen is one of the better Cs in the league and as we saw when we moved Marpet to C the year before we brought Jensen in having a good C is pretty damn important.

And that's without even touching on how his attitude and general demeanor impact the offensive line and the offense as a whole.

Center is definitely important, especially with Brady at QB.

I think there is good argument you don't tinker with Brady's Oline very much so moving on from Jensen and Cappa would seem unwise in that regard.

I will say that Licht has a good track record with the Olinemen he's drafted in the 3rd round or earlier. Every single Olinemen Licht has drafted before the 5th round (which is a crapshoot) has hit.

So if Licht and the coaching staff thing Hainsey is ready then he's a cheaper option at Center than Jensen or at RG than Cappa since both will be free agents.

It's possible Jensen is back and Hainsey plays Guard replacing Cappa if/when he cashes in elsewhere in FA.

What I don't think is likely is that we re-sign both Cappa and Jensen, but that assumes Hainsey is ready to start in 2022.

Not getting all this Hainsey love. The guy missed half of camp, has played 12 entire snaps in a regular season game, and we now think he's going to replace Jensen or Cappa? Where is this coming from? We don't even know if this guy would be on a roster if he hadn't just been drafted. Why are we not talking about Cappa's actual backup?

[BLT]

Nobody knows shit about Hainsey it’s just a buzzword today