*Updated to include new details about the impact of Evans salary to the cap.
It is being reported by Field Yates of ESPN that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reworked part of WR Mike Evans 2019 salary.
Source: the Bucs converted $3M of Pro Bowl WR Mike Evans’ $20M base salary into a roster bonus, creating $2.4M in cap space. Tampa’s cap situation is about as tight as any in the NFL, this is needed breathing room.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 29, 2019
Despite the earlier report, this does not help the Bucs cap situation any further. As it was more of an accounting issue for the Bucs. Per Greg Auman of the Athletic and Yates.
Cleaning this up: the roster bonus does not create cap relief for Tampa Bay, as @gregauman said. Evans still gets $20M coming his way this season in roster bonus and base salary pay.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 29, 2019
According to Spotrac, Tampa Bay has about $2.8 million in cap space. They will still need roughly $6.9 million more in order to sign all of the draft selections.
It has been greatly speculated that the team could look to trade DT Gerald McCoy and his $13 million salary to help solve the team’s cap issues. At the very least they could try to restructure his 2019 to give Tampa Bay the room it needs.
Stay tuned for further details.
