The Bucs were quiet in free agency out of the gate last year outside of signing FS Dashon Goldson, but according to multiple reports, Tampa Bay has its eye on a number of high-profile free agents, with the latest rumors having the Bucs looking to overhaul the offensive line. Tampa Bay could strike early once free agency opens on Tuesday afternoon.

The release of right guard Davin Joseph, a six-year starter, on Saturday could be just the start of a complete overhaul of Tampa Bay's offensive line. With the extra $6 million in salary cap savings, and now approximately $25 million dollars in cap room, reports late Sunday night say that the Bucs have a strong interest in Bengals tackle Anthony Collins and St. Louis Rams guard/tackle Rodger Saffold.

The free agent tampering season, which is now condoned by the NFL, began on Saturday with teams being able to talk contract parameters with agents regarding their free agent clients, although no deals can be finalized and signed until Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET, which is the official start of the 2014 NFL season.

If it happens, the signing of Collins could mean the end of the road for Bucs left tackle Donald Penn, who is scheduled to make $7.3 million (including prorated money, workout and weight clause incentives). Penn had a down season, and according to some independent scouting websites, gave up the second-most sacks in the NFC at his position in 2013.

Collins, a fourth-round pick in 2008, had a solid 2013 season for Cincinnati. While the Bengals have interest in re-signing Collins, a deal wasn’t worked out before the three-day window to talk to prospective teams began on Saturday.

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Bucs and Collins have worked out parameters on a deal worth between $6-7 million per season. The Buccaneers offensive line was the most expensive in football last year and struggled mightily last year. As a result, other players besides Joseph could end up ultimately pay the price.

Also late Sunday, it was reported that the Buccaneers had interest in the versatile, but oft-injured Saffold, who can play guard or tackle. According to reports, Saffold has told the Rams he will sign elsewhere. Later, reports have the Oakland Raiders as the favorite to obtain his service. The Raiders have the most salary cap space available with approximately $60 million of room.

Early Sunday morning, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, reported that the Buccaneers are making a big push to pursue a very big defensive end in Cincinnati’s Michael Johnson. The 6-foot-7, 270-pound Johnson was franchised last year by the Bengals following a career-high 11.5-sack campaign, but underwhelmed with just 56 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. That prompted Cincinnati to opt to re-sign fellow defensive end Carlos Dunlap to a big contract extension instead of Johnson. The Bengals drafted Johnson’s replacement last year in second-rounder Margus Hunt and will not be re-signing him.



Johnson, a former third-round pick in 2009, is only 27 years old and has plenty of upside. He’s also one of the hottest free agents this year as seven teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, who hired former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer as the team’s head coach this offseason, have already shown interest in Johnson. Apparently Tampa Bay is one of the most interested teams.

Tampa Bay’s chances of signing Johnson was thought to be helped when Minnesota agreed to terms with their own defensive end, Everson Griffen on Sunday afternoon.

 Johnson, who entered the league with 4.69 speed in the 40-yard dash, has recorded 26.5 sacks, 205 tackles, 25 passes defensed, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in five years, but only has one double-digit sack season, which came in 2012. His previous best was a six-sack campaign in 2011.

The next few days will be full of reports and rumors, but until Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. no one can officially sign a player, and other teams could come out of nowhere with bigger or more attractive offers. Keep checking back with PewterReport.com often for the latest free agency news and also checkout our free agency previews for every position that have been published.

Despite assurances from head coach Lovie Smith and new general manager Jason Licht that Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis would be a great fit in the new Tampa 2 defensive scheme, the Bucs are stepping up efforts to trade him, which was first reported by FoxSports.com’s Alex Marvez.

“I just want you to know, especially Darrelle Revis, we don’t play Cover 2 every snap,” Smith said in his introductory press conference in Tampa Bay on January 6. “We have a place for a great cover corner that’s physical and can do all things.”

But over the past two months, Smith and Licht have come to the conclusion that Revis is taking up too much salary cap room and the value isn’t there, despite him being a very good fit for Smith’s defense. After the NFL Scouting Combine, NFL.com reported that other teams had inquired about Revis' availability via trade even though Tampa Bay wasn't shopping him.

However, facing the prospects that Revis, who will turn 29 in July, is taking up $16 million in salary cap space and is due $3 million in bonus money on Thursday the Bucs have decided that’s too much cap space allocated to anyone – even a five-time Pro Bowler. Revis is getting paid just over $6 million more per year than the second-highest paid cornerback, Green Bay's Sam Shields, who signed a four-year deal worth $39 million just days ago and will average just under $10 million per season.

If the team can’t trade Revis, the Bucs are prepared to release him by 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday to avoid paying him a $1.5 million roster bonus and a $1.5 million workout bonus.

Parting ways with Revis via a trade or his release would also result in sending the Bucs’ 2014 fourth-round pick to the New York Jets as part of the trade deal that led to his acquisition last year, instead of a third-round pick, which would be more beneficial to Tampa Bay. The Bucs only have five draft picks this year – selections in the first, second, fifth and seventh rounds, in addition to either a third-rounder or a fourth-rounder depending on whether Revis is on the roster on Thursday.

Tampa Bay likely won’t trade or release Revis, who was the Sporting News’ 2013 Comeback Player of the Year, until the team has signed another corner or two in free agency by Wednesday to ensure that there won’t be a deficiency of talent at the cornerback position. The Buccaneers are expected to pursue Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, who played several years for Smith in Chicago, and could target another cornerback in free agency, such as Tennessee’s Alterraun Vernor, who is one of the best Tampa 2 zone-style cornerbacks available this year – and get both players for how much the team is slated to play Revis this year.

Revis was acquired last year when former general manager Mark Dominik traded a 2013 first-round pick, and a conditional draft pick in 2014 to the Jets for a player believed to be the best cover cornerback in football. Revis, who was the 2009 AFC Defensive Player of the Year, was coming off a torn ACL that cost him much of 2012 season and also seeking a new contract from the salary cap-strapped Jets.

Facing the prospects of losing him after the 2013 season and getting nothing in return for him, the Jets traded Revis, who had 19 interceptions in his six-year career, to Tampa Bay last April. In addition to the trade, Dominik signed Revis to a six-year, $96-million deal that is really a series of six individual deals worth $16-million.

The $16 million salary makes it nearly impossible to trade Revis as very few teams are in a position to absorb such a cap hit. The Raiders, Jaguars and Browns are only a few of the teams who have the flexibility to take on Revis' massive salary.

The deal featured no guaranteed money and no signing bonus, which creates no dead salary cap space if the Bucs wanted to part ways with Revis at any time prior to the third day of each new league year when the shutdown cornerback is due his $1.5 million roster bonus and his $1.5 million workout bonus.

It is unknown if Tampa Bay has tried to re-negotiate Revis’ contract.

Should the Bucs not be able to trade him, this deal will ultimately go down as one of the worst in team history as Tampa Bay has nothing to show for its 2013 first-round pick.

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet 1h
The #Raiders are, in fact, in it for Darrelle Revis, per source (@VicTafur said). #Browns may be a bit more attractive to trade with, though