Major Flexibility Remains After Cheap Kyle Rudolph Deal Revealed
July 25th, 2022
Jason Licht
Joe is fired up about the wheeling and dealing of Bucs general manager Jason Licht, and the cash he still has to spend in 2022.
Today came the contract reveal of veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph, the Bucs’ latest signing to replace (hopefully) Rob Gronkowski.
Per ProFootballTalk.com, Rudolph will only bank $2 million this season plus a shot at $1.5 million in incentives. This is extraordinary news because it leaves the Bucs with plenty of salary cap room to sign Gronk in midseason, if that’s a fit for both parties at the time. Or, the Bucs have the salary cap juice, at least $8 million, to chase a pass rusher. And they could still craft more cap room.
Joe’s keeping an eye on beastly edge rusher Robert Quinn. Joe takes “all-in” very seriously.
July 25th, 2022 at 4:26 pm
Best GM in Bucs history
July 25th, 2022 at 4:32 pm
Dang. Thats a great cheap deal.
And i hope he performs and gets his incentives
July 25th, 2022 at 4:35 pm
Quinn is not a free agent, though I’d not be sad.
Suh.
July 25th, 2022 at 4:41 pm
I wonder if Julio Jones could be an option. If Godwin’s ACL looks like it’s slowing him down a bit, it wouldn’t be a bad move.
July 25th, 2022 at 4:43 pm
Carlos Dunlap is still out there
July 25th, 2022 at 4:45 pm
Can someone anyone tell me the last time Julio Jones was any good. Smh that guy is and has been washed up for a few seasons now. IMO If anything beef up the Dline so that our DBs don’t get picked on as easily this year.
July 25th, 2022 at 4:49 pm
Agree with @dew
Carlos Dunlap…
Or bring back suh
GRONK doesn’t want to take another blow to the ribs lol
GO BUCS
July 25th, 2022 at 4:49 pm
Great bargain, if he has anything left in the tank.
July 25th, 2022 at 4:51 pm
Mike Greenberg, front office maven.
July 25th, 2022 at 4:55 pm
This was a very good deal for Bucs…..
I’m for bringing in an edge rusher…….screw saving any money for Gronk…..if he wants to return….hammer out some cap space then.
Gronk coming back just may be a bull$hit tip.
July 25th, 2022 at 4:57 pm
You take it “ all in “ seriously … lol
July 25th, 2022 at 4:58 pm
1#bucsfan Says:
July 25th, 2022 at 4:26 pm
Best GM in Bucs history
And it’s not even close……. I remember when we all wanted JL to be canned for any other GM off the street. JL has quietly built this team from the ground up. If you look at the Super bowl team. 4 of the 5 OL were drafted by Tampa. Both stud receivers (ME13 and CG13) we’re drafted by JL. 8 of the 11 starters on defense were drafted by Tampa….
July 25th, 2022 at 5:17 pm
I knew it! Was guessing it’d come in around $2M. Rudolph is already collecting $5m from the Vikes and Giants. Playing on Brady’s farewell tour team while collecting a combined $7M made the decision easy. It’s a win for Rudolph and a win for the Bucs.
July 25th, 2022 at 5:21 pm
“I’m done with football.”
—Gronk
Further speculation is ph0ueking retarded.
July 25th, 2022 at 5:24 pm
I agree on Licht. Is he forgiven by about 1,000 team critics for taking a shot at the 4th most accurate K in college football history in the 2nd round? I still think it was the right move. It just did not work out.
July 25th, 2022 at 5:28 pm
I said before, we don’t need to get in hurry to sign anybody right now. A Lot happens in August. There will be some surprising moves made by teams. And A Lot of guys that would take less money to go ring hunting with the Goat.
July 25th, 2022 at 5:35 pm
I wouldn’t mind having both Suh and Carl Nassib back…
July 25th, 2022 at 5:35 pm
Sas… Gronk WILL be back if Brady is standing and the Bucs are Playoff’s bound
July 25th, 2022 at 5:51 pm
First Years of JL were a mess and there is enough evidence we all know this, but we know that as time pased by he turn the Things around.
Baker/ Lovie/ Seferian Jenkings/Bebenoch and a Lorenzo more.
In the orejeras side ME13 Brady marpet cappa etc etc.
No doubt he became a much better GM with time.
July 25th, 2022 at 5:56 pm
I’d like the Bucs to trade for Deebo and sign Carlos Dunlap as an edge rusher.
July 25th, 2022 at 6:01 pm
Smashsquatch … ‘(Rudolph) playing on Brady’s farewell tour team while collecting a combined $7M made the decision easy’.
What a great description of our 2022 team … ‘Brady’s Farewell Tour Team’. Sadly I agree with you Smashsquatch. Next year could end up being very much like Todd Bowles’ 2nd year with the Jets (lost a number of key players).
2022 is the best chance we’ll have in many moons to win another Super Bowl. Bucs have a strong starting cast on both sides of the ball. No one knows what injuries lie in store during the course of a 20-21 game season though, and DEPTH is almost always a critical element for making it deep into the playoffs.
The other key element to me is how well the rookies come along & contribute this year, as well as how well last year’s rookies progress. From 2021’s rookies, the only one I’m really expecting big results from is JTS (we desperately need him to step up). From our 2022 rookies, Camarda is a starter already it seems, and I’m really hopeful that we can get at least 1-2 starters (Hall & Goedeke would be nice) plus several key rotational players (White, Otton & Kieft could help us out a bunch over the course of the season).
Still, would love to see us improve our interior DLine depth, as well as inside LB depth. Can’t leave anything to chance when it comes to ‘Brady’s Farewell Tour’.
July 25th, 2022 at 6:26 pm
SB~LV Says:
July 25th, 2022 at 5:35 pm
That’s speculation which contradicts Gronk’s own statements… So, it’s baseless and retarded.
July 25th, 2022 at 6:28 pm
The cap shouldn’t be a consideration this year. They’ll be plenty of time to reset once Brady leaves or retires. The bucs should be all in on everyone available. That includes trades and camp cuts. Trey Flowers is still out there, Dunlap too. This is and should be an all in season. Fake Cap implications be damned. Brady has made boatloads of money for the owners. Time to spend It.
July 25th, 2022 at 6:30 pm
Gronk is done with football folks. He’s at peace with his decision. Retiring and unretiring two times isn’t happening. The injury he suffered last year sealed the deal. If he comes back, I’ll eat my hat.
July 25th, 2022 at 6:32 pm
Agree w/ 1#bucsfan and Dooley, Greenberg is the magician with the cap, they are both the best in Bucs history!
July 25th, 2022 at 7:24 pm
JPP
July 25th, 2022 at 7:48 pm
Suh, JPP, and Julio
July 25th, 2022 at 8:12 pm
There’s a genius that wants to trade for Deebo. Brilliant. What do you think he would cost in players, draft picks, and cap hit? Idiot.
July 25th, 2022 at 8:19 pm
“$1.5 million is fully guaranteed at signing.”
That is actually more than I thought he’d get, I figured it would be under $1m as they’d want to see if he’s washed up or not. The fact they gave him that much means he’s making the team, so they must know he’s good to go. That’s good so long as they’re right, and obviously Licht gets the benefit of the doubt.
July 25th, 2022 at 8:34 pm
Why a washed up Julio when the WR room is already stacked? The maroons that write stuff. Man.
July 25th, 2022 at 8:54 pm
Washed suh jpp julio nope
July 25th, 2022 at 9:15 pm
Naaaaaaaaaaaaa where all those GM trash talking fans.
July 25th, 2022 at 9:19 pm
Brady has agreed to pre-pay Rudolph a $5MM
signing bonus for his upcoming Netflix series, “The Greatest Tight Ends In History.”
Nothing to see here.
Carry on.
July 25th, 2022 at 9:20 pm
Per reports, Robert Quinn wants out of Chicago. They aren’t contending anytime soon, so trading him in conference shouldn’t be a stumbling block. Yes he’s 32, but had a pile of sacks last year. I suspect the bears will see how the first 6-7 games go. If they are as bad as predicted, they’ll probably unload him. Find the fake cap space, and picks to get it done Mr. Licht.
July 25th, 2022 at 9:36 pm
GF, how many examples do you need to realize the cap is fiction. It’s fungible, not a hard cap like the NHL. The Saints were something like 62 million over, and voila, they managed to trim enough space and re-do enough deals to get into the Watson sweepstakes.
The bucs will suck after Brady goes anyway, so what does it matter? All teams need to reset. The bucs might as well make it a hard reset, instead of hovering around 7-10 for years. Superbowls cost in this day and age. If they suck for 5 years, but win the title this year, isn’t It worth it?
July 25th, 2022 at 9:46 pm
@mybucsdontbucaround813 yessir. I’m proud to say I wasn’t one of those fans calling for his head. I knew he took over a very bad team and you said it perfectly. Built this thing from the ground up then brings in BA n gets TB12. Let’s goo Bucs. So excited. I think this team is more talented then when we won the bowl on 2020
July 25th, 2022 at 10:05 pm
The cap is the lesser concern on many of these genius suggestions. But it stIll is a concern, engineering and cap restructuring still need to be done. It’s not like baseball at all.
July 25th, 2022 at 10:30 pm
If JTS, Nelson, Hall, and Shaq are looking good in training camp then I think they hold steady to see how injuries go the first few weeks.
If they or the tight end group don’t look good then they may hit some thing on the waiver wire as cuts are made in training camp
July 26th, 2022 at 1:34 am
If Quinn will rework his deal I am all for it, but 3 years left at 12+ Million each year. I just don’t see where that makes sense for a 32 year old DE, who isn’t Von Miller. I would rather use that money to sign Dunlap for a year and extend Wirfs and/or Winfield.
July 26th, 2022 at 4:44 pm
Goatfarmer Says:
July 25th, 2022 at 8:34 pm
Why a washed up Julio when the WR room is already stacked? The maroons that write stuff. Man.
Hey man, we just signed Julio Jones. I guess Jason Licht’s a maroon too… by your logic… LOL