Bucs Still in Hunt for $121 Million Quarterback: Report

Getty The Buccaneers could fill the void of Tom Brady with Derek Carr in 2023.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still have a clear path to landing Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr if desired.

Carr “won’t accept a trade to the [New Orleans] or any other team” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Raiders are “expected to release him, and he’ll be a top free agent” instead, Rapoport wrote.

“Buzz” at the Senior Bowl surrounded the Bucs landing Carr as the successor to retired quarterback Tom Brady, according to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson. The Saints then jumped in as suitors last week as Carr visited the team at the Raiders’ permission. The two teams had a “framework for trade” in place, according to The Athletic’s Tasheen Reed and Vic Tafur, but it ultimately fell through.

Carr can test the waters of free agency after an expected release by Wednesday, February 15. The Raiders want to avoid a $40 million salary cap hit amid Carr’s hefty three-year, $121 million contract.

How the Bucs could make Carr work financially is the big question. The Bucs sit at $55.7 million over the salary cap with more than 20 free agents to potentially re-sign. New Orleans, the Bucs’ NFC South rival, likewise has a grim salary cap situation with $57.3 million over the cap.

Tampa Bay landing Carr could easily help the team reload for 2023 and make a playoff run. A four-time Pro Bowler, Carr started nine seasons for the Raiders with 33 game-winning drives and 28 comebacks in his career.

Carr had a down year before getting benched in December with 3,522 yards passing for 24 touchdowns versus 14 interceptions. In the previous four seasons, Carr completed 67.3% of his passes or better and threw for more than 4,000 yards annually. He led the Raiders to the playoffs once in that span and finished .500 or better twice.

Bucs Have Talent for Carr to Thrive

The Bucs can surround Carr with quality skill players, who are still under contract, in wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Russell Gage. Tight end Cade Otton and running back Rachaad White showed promise in their rookie seasons, and the Bucs could improve both positions in the offseason. Running back Leonard Fournette could bounce back from a down season, but the Bucs could cut him and make room for a different running back.

Carr could also benefit from a healthy offensive line in Tampa, which ranked higher than Las Vegas’ offensive line in 2022 according to Pro Football Focus. The Bucs have Pro Bowl-caliber players in Ryan Jensen, Shaq Mason, and Tristan Wirfs. Robert Hainsey will also return, and Donovan Smith could be back healthy. Re-signing Aaron Stinnie, who missed the season to an ACL tear, could also help the Bucs in 2023.

Bucs’ Carr Payment Plan Could Work: Analyst

Tampa Bay can afford Carr with working the salary cap and restructuring Carr’s contract. Pewter Report salary cap specialist Joshua Queipo broke down how that would work.

Queipo suggested that the Bucs cut Fournette plus tight end Cameron Brate, Gage, kicker Ryan Succop, and Smith for $22 million of cap space. The Bucs can also restructure contracts, Quiepo wrote, as Godwin, cornerback Carlton Davis III, and nose tackle Vita Vea alone “could free up as much as $29.5 million” in cap space. Quiepo added Jensen and linebacker Shaq Barrett as an additional restructures to make room for Carr.

As for Carr, the Bucs could reduce his cap hit to $7.6 million with a restructure, Quiepo wrote. If the Bucs did that, the salary cap issues would continue with Carr in 2024 at $48.367 million and in 2025 at $47.667 million, Quiepo noted.