According to Greg Auman, the Buccaneers have restructured the contracts for LT Tristan Wirfs and S Antoine Winfield Jr.
The moves were necessary to free up enough space for the Buccaneers to sign their draft picks. Tampa Bay had been at the bottom of the NFL with less than $500,000 in space before these moves.
Wirfs and Winfield were each still on their rookie deals and each due in the range of $2.8 to $3 million in 2023. Auman added the Buccaneers added four void years to Winfield’s deal and three to Wirfs, with Wirfs’ contract having an extra year already after Tampa Bay picked up his fifth-year option.
In total, the Bucs saved about $3 million per Auman, which isn’t much in the grand scheme of things. But they’re evidently in a spot this year where they’re scrounging for change in the couch cushions.
Wirfs, 24, was a three-year starter at Iowa and earned first-team All-American honors before the Buccaneers traded up to select him with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He signed a four-year, $16,228,026 rookie contract that includes a $9,362,201 signing bonus. The Buccaneers exercised his fifth-year option which is expected to cost $18,244,000 fully guaranteed for the 2024 season.
In 2022, Wirfs appeared in and started 13 games for the Buccaneers at right tackle. Pro Football Focus had him graded as the No. 7 tackle out of 81 qualifying players.
Winfield, 24, was a four-year starter at Minnesota and earned All-American honors in 2019. The Buccaneers selected him in the second round with the No. 45 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He’s entering the final year of a four-year, $7,307,182 rookie contract that included a $2,874,314 signing bonus. Winfield is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
In 2022, Winfield appeared in 13 games for the Buccaneers and recorded 80 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and three pass deflections. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the No. 10 safety out of 88 qualifying players.
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