Today the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released a statement today stating they are officially putting LB Kendell Beckwith on the NFI list, and will not play for the 2019 season. This move stems from an April 2018 auto accident where he broke his ankle. This latest decision could cast serious doubt on Beckwith’s chances of every playing another down in the NFL.
The other looming question is how his roughly $850k 2019 cap hit would impact this years cap. According to Greg Auman of the Athletic, the impact will be minimal.
Beckwith move doesn't change much with salary cap. His cap hit was about $850k, and replacement in top 51 is $645k, so opens up about $200,000. If he's cut at some point, Bucs will take a $350k cap hit as pro-rated portion of his signing bonus accelerates against the cap. https://t.co/qHyNeturX0
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) May 10, 2019
Simply put the Bucs will get some relief, $200k, but will need between $5-6 million in order to sign their final 3 picks, including number 5 overall Devin White, and stay under the cap limit.
If yesterday’s draft pick contracts are any indication, they could convert some of the remaining salaries to a guaranteed signing bonus. Second round pick CB Sean Bunting is a good example of this. Where the Bucs took $4.2 million of his $7.36 million contract into a guaranteed signing bonus. This helps the Bucs by splitting that bonus over the life of his deal. Which works out to $842k per season.
With that said even though Beckwith’s situation doesn’t lend the team much salary cap help, there seems to be more than one way to sign everyone and still be able to meet cap requirements.
