We’ve been hearing for several months that the Buccaneers have been looking to move on from veteran defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, but the front office hasn’t had much success finding a trade partner. Thanks to the uncertainty, the 31-year-old didn’t show up to the team’s offseason workouts back in April. Despite his absence, McCoy made it clear this week that he’ll suit up for whatever team’s rostering him come the start of the regular season.
“I will be playing football somewhere,” McCoy told Mike Cairns of Spectrum Sports 360 in Tampa (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). When asked if he’ll be playing football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, McCoy said “I don’t know. We’ll see. Fans know I love them. I’ll be on the field at some point.”
Since McCoy hasn’t been generating a whole lot of trade interest, it’s led some to assume that the veteran will ultimately be released by the Bucs. McCoy is due $13MM in 2019, and he is under contract through 2021, with cap charges north of $12MM in each of the next two years. The Buccaneers can move on from the defensive tackle without any dead money ramifications.
As Smith points out, it may be in McCoy’s best interest to attend the team’s voluntary workouts. If the lineman were to get injured, the Buccaneers would be responsible for his entire salary. As a result, his attendance could spark some urgency in the front office. Smith also notes that Jason Pierre-Paul‘s neck injury further complicates matters. There are rumors that the defensive end could be out for six months, meaning the defensive line with further lean on McCoy. The Buccaneers could choose to place JPP on the non-football injury list, a financial move that could change their opinion on McCoy’s roster spot.
In 2018, McCoy ranked fourth among defensive tackles with 21 quarterback hits and finished as the NFL’s No. 28 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. However, he hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2013, and he hasn’t graded as a top-10 interior defender since 2014.
I could see the Broncos keeping an eye on this situation. Perhaps the weakest part of their team is the interior defensive line.