In spite of recent rumors that the Buccaneers would ask him to restructure his deal or even trade him, Vincent Jackson will remain in Tampa Bay on his current contract, writes Dan Hanzus of NFL.com. There are a number of teams with needs at wide receiver who would have doubtlessly been intrigued by the 32-year-old Jackson if he had become available, but now those teams will apparently need to look elsewhere.
Jackson carries a 2015 cap hit of $12.2MM, one of the largest for a wideout, but he and second-year receiver Mike Evans together should combine to form one of the most dynamic receiving duos in the league, and if the Buccaneers draft Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston as many anticipate, Winston will find himself with some talented weapons at his disposal.
With Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant expected to get the franchise tag, Randall Cobb, Jeremy Maclin, and Torrey Smith make up the top receivers who are set to become free agents if they are not tagged or do not sign new deals before March 10. But Cobb and Maclin would be very expensive, and Smith is a cut below talent-wise. Outside of those names, Andre Johnson, Mike Wallace, and Brandon Marshall are players who are currently under contract but who could become available via release or trade.