NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Panthers, Saints

Buccaneers

• The Athletic’s Greg Auman goes through the Buccaneers’ salary cap situation for 2022, noting Tampa Bay has an added obligation of $7.18 million due to incentives and escalators earned by QB Tom Brady, TE Rob Gronkowski, CB Jamel Dean, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting and S Mike Edwards. They currently have $3.1 million in cap space. 
• The two most obvious deals to restructure for Tampa Bay, per Auman, are for DT Vita Vea and OLB Shaq Barrett. That would add $17.5 million in space. 
• Auman adds the Buccaneers could create space with guys like WR Mike Evans or LT Donovan Smith, but because they only have two years left on their deals, it makes more sense to do extensions to free up space. That would add about $9 million apiece potentially. 
• Auman mentions Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate has taken 50 percent pay cuts the past two seasons and it’s generally accepted by both sides he will do so again in 2022, saving $3.4 million.
• He adds Tampa Bay could and probably will add $5.4 million in cap space by cutting K Ryan Succop and P Bradley Pinion. All told, that’s between $45-$50 million in cap space for the Bucs to work with this offseason. 

Panthers

• PFF’s Doug Kyed writes Panthers LB Frankie Luvu‘s two-year, $9 million extension includes $5 million in 2022.  
• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds $3 million of that is a signing bonus. 

Saints

• The Athletic’s Katherine Terrell lays out a roadmap for the Saints to create more than $100 million in cap space, which would give them between $20-$30 million in available cap space depending on whether they lose pending free agents who have void years and dead money on their deal. 
• The only player Terrell projects the Saints needing to cut is CB Bradley Roby, as he’s due $10 million and spent most of last season as the No. 4 corner. 
• Saints CB Marshon Lattimore and RT Ryan Ramczyk are easy restructures given their youth and status as core pieces. Terrell adds the Saints will probably view WR Michael Thomas and DE Cameron Jordan the same way despite being a bit older and restructure their deals. That clears $50 million alone. 
• Terrell adds Saints G Andrus Peat, QB Taysom Hill, RB Alvin Kamara, DT David Onyemata, LB Demario Davis K Wil Lutz and S Malcolm Jenkins could be restructured for another approximately $30 million in savings. 
• If the Saints need even more wiggle room, Terrell says they could add void years to DE Marcus Davenport‘s deal and convert his fifth-year option into a signing bonus. That’d add about $7 million in space.