<
>

Four high-priced Bucs veterans could be cap casualties

These four Tampa Bay Buccaneers players aren't set to become free agents, but their high price tags could cause them to be released this offseason.

RB Doug Martin is due $6.75 million next season but doesn’t warrant that type of pay. He averaged 2.93 rushing yards per attempt in the last two seasons. Plus he was a healthy scratch for the Monday Night Football game for violating an undisclosed team rule. The team is off the hook for any guaranteed money because of his four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on PEDs, so he can be cut without penalty.

DT Chris Baker is unlikely to return at $4.875 million. His first year in Tampa was a flop. In 14 starts, he contributed half of a sack. Things reached a boiling point in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers, when Baker was confronted by several teammates in the locker room who weren’t happy with his attitude leaving the field after he jumped offside, setting up Cam Newton’s game-winning touchdown in a 22-19 loss.

DE Robert Ayers has missed eight games in two seasons to injury. He managed 6.5 sacks in 2016, but had just two in 2017. He’ll be 33 when next season starts and the Bucs need to inject more youth into their defensive line, so it’s difficult to see them paying him $5 million in 2018, the final year of his deal.

OG J.R. Sweezy missed the entire 2016 season with a back injury, one that seriously jeopardized his career. He managed to start 14 games in 2017 before landing on injured reserve with a lower leg injury. But the Bucs’ ground game struggled. Sweezy didn’t have his best year, either. Bucs running backs averaged 4.0 yards per rush and had two explosives (rushing plays of 12 or more yards) running off the right guard, Sweezy’s spot. Toward the left guard, however, they averaged 4.72 yards per rush and had five explosives. Sweezy is due to make $5.25 million in 2018.