Free agency was surprsingly busy for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, especially when compared to how things went last year.
Rather than spending big money on new players, the Bucs focused on bringing back guys who they think can help them run things back while also building on all of the momentum and success the team experienced.
Not everyone is returning, though.
Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans returned on deals that add up to around $150 million, while Antoine Winfield Jr. is set for a massive extension before the season starts. Guys like Lavonte David, Chase Edmonds, and others were brought back as well, which means a few guys needed to be sacraficed to make space.
Shaq Barrett was the most painful cap casualty. Tampa Bay released him ahead of the legal tampering window opening to maximize the time he had to find a new team, something that led him to sign with the Miami Dolphins.
As it turns out, that wasn’t the first place he had in mind after hearing the Bucs were moving on.
Shaq Barrett reveals the team he really wanted to sign with in free agency
Barrett continued his welcome tour in Miami but made some interesting comments when it came to how he ended up with the Dolphins. It turns out there was another AFC East team he was hoping to join in free agency.
His first, second, and third choice — as Barrett puts it — was joining Robert Saleh’s New York Jets defense.
