Pat Yasinskas of the ESPN.com believes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should consider approaching DT Gerald McCoy regarding long-term contract extension this offseason.
Yasinskas mentions that McCoy is arguably the most talented player currently on the Buccaneers roster and is more than deserving a long-term commitments from the team.
McCoy, 25, will be entering the final year of his rookie contract is already among the best interior defensive linemen in the game. As things stand right now, McCoy will count $15.6 million against the team’s 2014 salary cap, so a long-term extension would not only keep him under team control for the foreseeable future, but would also reduce his cap figure while creating some extra cap space in the process.
Pro Football Focus has McCoy rated as the No. 1 defensive tackle in the league by a considerable margin. In 2013, McCoy produced 50 tackles and nine sacks, despite being an interior lineman for the Buccaneers defense.
McCoy should be able to come close to and possibly even surpass the five-year deal worth $61 million that includes $37.1 million guaranteed that the Ravens gave to Haloti Ngata.
The Buccaneers should have close to $12 million available cap space, according to Overthecap.com, but that’s before any roster cuts or restructured contracts.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
