Ali Marpet - Pro Football Rumors

Bucs Re-Sign C Ryan Jensen

March 13th, 2022 at 10:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The Brady effect has started already and it is strong. Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen was poised for quite the pay day on the free agent market this week, but, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jensen has agreed to a three-year, $39MM deal returning him to Tampa Bay.

Drafted by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Jensen was released, signed to the practice squad, and then eventually promoted to full-time starter over the first four years of his career. After one season as the starting center in Baltimore, Jensen signed a four-year, $42MM contract with the Buccaneers that made him the highest-paid center in the NFL at the time. The new deal makes Jensen the second-highest-paid center in the NFL now behind only Frank Ragnow, who averages $13.5MM per year. Jensen’s new contract has a guaranteed amount of $23MM at signing, with a potential $3.3MM of incentives.

Jensen’s efforts in Tampa Bay last year were rewarded with a Pro Bowl appearance. He didn’t have his best season according to Pro Football Focus, who graded him out as the league’s 14th-best center. But Jensen hasn’t missed a game in five straight seasons and he should be able to replace the leadership on the offensive line lost with the retirement of Ali Marpet. Who knows? The return of Jensen and quarterback Tom Brady may have some influence in bringing back right guard Alex Cappa, set to hit free agency this week, and maybe even Marpet, who retired at 28-years-old.

Regardless of what else may come in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers and Brady will be happy to see the return of their Pro Bowl center. Center-quarterback chemistry is an important dynamic on an NFL offense and, some may remember, Jensen already knows just the right techniques to keep his butt sweat-free, just the way his quarterback prefers it.

Buccaneers’ Ali Marpet To Retire

February 27th, 2022 at 2:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bucs have at least one more starter to replace. On Sunday, Pro Bowl guard Ali Marpet announced his retirement from the NFL.

“After seven formidable years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I’ve come to the decision to retire from the game that has given me so much,” Marpet wrote on Instagram. “This organization and the people surrounding it have helped not only fulfill a dream, but also helped build me into the person I am today. I’ve made Tampa Bay my home and I look forward to serving this community in the coming years. To the coaches and teammates, family and friends, an Instagram post simply can’t express the profound impact you’ve had on me. I’m eternally grateful. Thank you Tampa Bay.”

Marpet joined the Bucs as a second-round pick in 2015. Ever since, he’s spent his entire career in Tampa. The lineman has started each of his 101 games since entering the NFL, including a Super Bowl-winning 2020 campaign where he started each of his 13 regular season games and all four of his postseason contests. This past season, he suited up for 16 regular season contests en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.

This announcement comes as a huge surprise — Marpet won’t turn 29 until April and is arguably coming off of his best season yet. Last year, he allowed just two sacks in total while collecting only four penalty flags. And, in his 16 regular season games, Pro Football Focus assigned him an 86.3 score for his run-blocking, matching his own personal best.

Marpet still had two years and nearly $20MM to go on his contract, but he’ll be leaving all of that on the table as he turns his attention to new endeavors. His retirement will give the Buccaneers some additional space to work with, but it won’t be easy to replace his production. Meanwhile, they may have to make other moves on the offensive line with center Ryan Jensen and right guard Alex Cappa scheduled for free agency.

Buccaneers Rework OL Ali Marpet’s Contract

September 25th, 2021 at 9:13am CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers have reworked Ali Marpet‘s contract. The team converted $5MM of the lineman’s contract into a guaranteed roster bonus. The move will open up about $4MM in cap space, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

Specifically, the team added a pair of void years, and the offensive lineman’s cap charge will increase $1MM for each of the remaining “four” years on his contract. Marpet signed a five-year, $55.125MM extension (including more than $27MM guaranteed) with the Buccaneers in 2018 that (barring a legitimate extension) will last through the 2023 season.

The two sides did something similar in 2020. Marpet agreed to convert a portion of his salary into a signing bonus, opening up a similar $4MM chunk of cap space for the Buccaneers.

Marpet joined the organization as a second-round pick in 2015, and he’s spent his entire six-plus-year career in Tampa Bay. The lineman has started each of his 87 games since entering the NFL, including a Super Bowl-winning 2020 campaign where he started each of his 13 regular season games and all four of his postseason contests.

The 28-year-old has started each of the team’s two games this season, appearing in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps.

Bucs Notes: Brown, David, Mickens

November 15th, 2020 at 11:26am CST by Rory Parks

Bucs wide receiver Antonio Brown caught three passes for 31 yards in his Tampa Bay debut last week, a shocking 38-3 defeat to the Saints. And while he tries to focus on returning to form on the field, his ongoing civil case continues to evolve. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Britney Taylor, who has sued Brown for sexual assault and rape, has filed a motion seeking to amend her complaint to include a claim for punitive damages (Twitter link).

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details, Taylor filed a three-page affidavit along with the motion reiterating her allegations. She avers that in June 2017, Brown masturbated in her presence and ejaculated on her back without her knowledge or consent, and that he raped her less than a year later.

The trial is presently set for December, but it is likely that it will be postponed, which means that Brown will be available for Tampa Bay through the end of the season and into the playoffs. However, the league has consistently maintained that it will suspend Brown again for any evidence that comes to light as a result of the litigation, and if a jury ultimately finds that Brown committed the offenses that Taylor alleges, the NFL will almost certainly levy additional punishment. But by that time, the Bucs may no longer be interested in Brown’s services.

Now for more on the Bucs:

Tampa’s loss to the Saints has triggered a shakeup to the team’s O-line. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was first to report (via Twitter), the club is shifting Ryan Jensen from center to left guard, while A.Q. Shipley — a longtime favorite of HC Bruce Arians — will get the nod at center. As James Palmer of the NFL Network tweets, there was significant miscommunication last week between LT Donovan Smith and LG Joe Haeg, which led to the change. Regular LG Ali Marpet is still sidelined with a concussion.
The Bucs were said to be exploring an extension for LB Lavonte David this summer, and the last we heard, the two sides had not made much progress. Greg Auman of The Athletic says both player and team still want to continue their relationship, but with a number of players eligible for free agency this offseason, Tampa cannot just write a blank check (Twitter link).
Return specialist Jaydon Mickens was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list yesterday, but it sounds like he was in contact with someone who tested positive and did not test positive himself. Mickens took to Instagram to say “I ain’t hurt. Ain’t nothing wrong with me. If you don’t understand why I ain’t playing, just go look it up. It’s some bulls—. But look, we’re about to go ahead and win this game” (h/t Jenna Laine of ESPN.com on Twitter). Assuming he did not test positive, Mickens could be back on the field next week.
DC Todd Bowles has drawn rave reviews for his work with the Bucs’ defense, and for good reason. His unit ranked sixth in defensive efficiency in 2019 and is currently the top defense in the league in that metric for 2020, despite last week’s blowout loss. Although Bowles was ousted as the Jets’ HC following the 2018 season, league-wide respect for his abilities did not diminish, and as Dan Pompei of The Athletic writes, there were eight teams interested in his services before he joined the Bucs. If his defenses continue performing at a high level, he could get another crack as a head coach in the near future.

Buccaneers Restructure Ali Marpet’s Deal

October 21st, 2020 at 11:04am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers and offensive lineman Ali Marpet have agreed to restructured deal, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Now, after converting a portion of his salary into a signing bonus, the Bucs will have an extra $4.125MM to work with this year.

Marpet inked a five-year add-on with Tampa Bay in 2018. The deal — worth $55MM in total with $27.125MM in guarantees — secured one of the league’s most reliable protectors through 2023.

Marpet has been a full-time starter along the Buccaneers’ offensive line ever since being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft. A right guard during his first two years in the league, he started seeing time at center, left guard, and tackle starting in 2017. He’s repeatedly made Pro Football Focus’ Top 10 positional rankings and he’s on track to do it again in 2020. Through six games, PFF has him ranked third in the NFL.

Still only 27, Marpet’s skillset and versatility makes him one of the league’s most valuable blockers. Eventually, the Bucs will have to address his contract to put him in line with the ever-ballooning market. For now, Marpet is under contract through ’23 with $10-11MM cap figures in each season.

Extra Points: Falcons, Giants, Eagles, Bucs

October 10th, 2018 at 9:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 1-4 Falcons could face the Buccaneers without running back Devonta Freeman, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Freeman, who missed three games with an MCL sprain, is actually dealing with a new injury, as Rapoport indicates it’s a bone bruise that’s threatening to keep Freeman out of Sunday’s action. While Freeman didn’t practice today, he did work on the side, although his status for Week 6 is “in doubt, per Rapoport. Without Freeman, Atlanta would deploy a Tevin Coleman/Ito Smith combination that was used in Weeks 2-5.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Speaking of injury news, the Giants have already ruled out tight end Evan Engram for Thursday night’s game against the Eagles, meaning Rhett Ellison, who has shouldered the load since Week 3, will take over at tight end once again. Edge rusher Oliver Vernon, who’s missed the entire season to this point with an ankle issue, will make his 2018 debut. On the other side of the field, the Eagles have listed defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, safety Corey Graham, and running back Darren Sproles as out. The latter two are especially concerning, as Philadelphia recent placed defensive back Rodney McLeod and running back Jay Ajayi on injured reserve.
Although Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said he’d make changes following a loss to the Jets on Sunday, defensive coordinator Joe Woods will not be relieved of his play-calling duties, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Denver gave up 512 yards of offense against New York, including a whopping 334 on the ground. Joseph, a former defensive coordinator himself, could potentially take over play-calling, but that’s not a move that will happen this week. Joseph also indicated that cornerback Bradley Roby, who was burned by Jets receiver Robby Anderson in Week 5, is still a starter “for now.” Adam Jones, who’s played on roughly a third of the Broncos’ defensive snaps thus far, could see more snaps if Roby is benched.
Under the terms of his five-year extension with the Buccaneers, guard Ali Marpet will earn $12.365MM through one year, $23.25MM through two years, and $33.5MM through three years, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Among left guards, Marpet’s $11MM annual average now ranks third, behind only Andrew Norwell and Kelechi Osemele, while his $27.125MM in guarantees ranks second. Marpet, who has started 44 games during his time in the NFL, has displayed exceptional versatility, as he’s played both guard spots and center in his career.
Broncos linebacker Alexander Johnson pleaded guilty to simple possession and failure to exercise due care while driving but subsequently had a DUI charge against him dismissed, per a report from the Associated Press. Johnson’s original arrest occurred in the summer of 2017, more than a year before Denver gave him $50K in guaranteed money to sign as an undrafted free agent. A Tennessee product, Johnson hadn’t played football in more than four years before landing with the Broncos, in part due to a rape charge of which he was later acquitted. He’s been inactive for every game in 2018.

Extra Points: Bucs, Eagles, Steelers, Bell

October 10th, 2018 at 12:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers and offensive lineman Ali Marpet agreed to a five-year extension earlier today, with the deal expected to be worth $55MM ($27.125MM guaranteed). General manager Jason Licht last said that one of the top items on the front office’s to-do list was signing the 25-year-old to a long-term deal.

“One of our top priorities heading into this season was to secure our core players to long-term deals and I am thrilled to add Ali to that list,” Licht said (via The Athletic’s Greg Auman on Twitter). “In his first four seasons, Ali has developed into one of the league’s best offensive guards and we believe he will only continue to improve. His ability to play multiple positions across the line, along with his strong work ethic and overall leadership abilities, were all important factors in our decision to ensure he remains a Buccaneer for the long term.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFL…

While previous reports had indicated that the Eagles had given “serious consideration” to a Le’Veon Bell trade, ESPN’s Adam Schefter clarified that that wasn’t actually the case. Yahoo’s Charles Robinson echos that sentiment, writing that the Eagles hadn’t been in pursuit of the Steelers running back. However, Robinson notes that Bell “is a viable option” for Philly after they lost Jay Ajayi to a season-ending injury. For the time being, the Eagles will turn to one of Corey Clement, Wendell Smallwood, Josh Adams, and Darren Sproles (once he returns from injury).
Two more practice squad players got raises this week after other teams tried to poach them, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Jets center Nico Falah and 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley are now making $28,235 a week, well above the taxi squad minimum. Given the way they are valued by their respective teams, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either player promoted to the main roster soon.
The Lions expect to see offensive lineman T.J. Lang back on the field at some point this season.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Buccaneers Sign Ali Marpet To Extension

October 9th, 2018 at 12:26pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers and offensive lineman Ali Marpet have agreed to an extension, according to his representatives at Select Sports Group (on Twitter). It’s a five-year add-on that will keep him under contract through the 2023 season. Marpet’s extension is worth $55MM over the five-year period with $27.125MM in guarantees, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Marpet has been a full-time starter along the Buccaneers’ offensive line ever since being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft. A right guard during his first two years in the league, the 25-year-old Marpet transitioned in 2017, but shifted to right guard this year. Last year, Pro Football Focus graded Marpet as the NFL’s No. 6 pivot before he was placed on IR in late November. This year, PFF has him as the seventh-best guard in the NFL through five weeks.

Marpet missed three games due to injury as a rookie and five games last year, but he has been on the field for every offensive snap in 42 of the other 44 contests since his arrival in Tampa. He’s also started in all 44 of those games.

Before the new deal, the former second-round pick was scheduled to reach free agency in March. He’ll carry a tidy $1.2MM cap charge this year before getting a sizable pay bump in 2019.

Marpet’s skillset, versatility, and age would have positioned him as one of the most valuable offensive lineman in free agency next year. The Bucs were willing to pay the price in order to keep Marpet off of the open market or avoid using the pricey franchise tag to delay his free agency until 2020.

With Marpet’s deal completed, the team is expected to turn its attention to left tackle Donovan Smith, a fellow second-round pick in the 2015 draft.

Buccaneers Place OL Marpet, Dotson On IR

November 29th, 2017 at 9:03am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers have lost two starting offensive lineman for the remainder of the season, as the club announced today that they’ve placed tackle Demar Dotson and center Ali Marpet on injured reserve. In addition to the previously announced promotions of tight end Alan Cross, defensive end Pat O’Connor, and wide receiver Bobo Wilson, Tampa Bay has also signed cornerback Deji Olatoye.

Marpet has been a full-time starter along the Buccaneers’ offensive line ever since being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft. A guard during his first two years in the league, the 24-year-old Marpet transitioned to center prior to the 2017 campaign. He’s mastered the position switch, as Pro Football Focus grades Marpet as the NFL’s No. 6 pivot. Marpet, who has one year remaining on his rookie contract, is eligible for an extension this offseason.

Dotson, too, has played nearly every offensive snap (97.1%) for Tampa this year, and he’s also been excellent (No. 4 tackle, per PFF). A former undrafted free agent, Dotson has been with the Bucs since the 2009 season but didn’t become a starter until 2012. He’s signed through 2019, although the fact that he’ll be entering his age-33 campaign next year could render him a cap casualty.

The Buccaneers will turn to replacements along its offensive line just as quarterback Jameis Winston returns from a shoulder injury. With top reserve Evan Smith in the concussion protocol, Tampa Bay will likely turn to Joe Hawley at center and Caleb Benenoch at right tackle.

Ali Marpet To Shift To Center

April 23rd, 2017 at 10:01am CST by Rory Parks

After spending the first two years of his career at right guard, Buccaneers offensive lineman Ali Marpet will be moving to center, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Marpet performed very well for Tampa Bay last season, grading as the 13^th-best guard in the league out of 71 qualifying players, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

However, with guard J.R. Sweezy set to return after missing all of 2016 with a back injury, the Bucs are hoping Marpet’s success will continue at center. The team also has veteran centers Evan Smith and Joe Hawley on the roster, both of whom received $1MM bonuses in the offseason – and Hawley performed pretty well himself in 2016 – so it would be easy enough to simply line Sweezy up at left guard and keep Hawley and Marpet where they were last year. But the Bucs apparently have a different vision for the future of their line.

Marpet has snapped before and during practices in case he was ever called upon as an emergency center, but he never even played center in a high school or collegiate game, much less a professional one.

Nonetheless, the 2015 second-round pick out of D-III Hobart College is excited about the transition. He said, “I’m a center. It’s always been in the back pocket. I can still play guard. I know. I’ve played guard. I imagine they’re not saying ‘You’re the starter, no matter what you do.’ But they like the idea, so we’re going to try it.” He and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy believe he could be especially effective in the more confined spaces that a center is required to work in.

Tampa Bay’s line returns almost entirely intact from last season, and despite a couple of moving pieces, that consistency should be a boon to young signal-caller Jameis Winston and the offense as a whole in 2017.