Buccaneers working hard to re-sign Shaq Barrett ahead of NFL free agency?

“Having tagged WR Chris Godwin, I’m told the Bucs have begun discussions in earnest on a long-term deal with Shaq Barrett, one of the stars of Super Bowl LV and a crucial edge-rusher in Todd Bowles’ defense,” Albert Breer of MMQB reported. “Barrett won’t come cheap. But Tampa’s working on keeping him.”

Indeed, it would be an expensive proposition for Tampa Bay. Barrett, 28, has registered 53 quarterback hits and 27.5 sacks in two seasons with the Buccaneers. Back in 2019, he led the NFL with 19.5 sacks while accumulating 37 quarterback hits.

A former undrafted free agent of the Denver Broncos, the Colorado State product played under the $15.83 million franchise tag in 2020. That became an impossibility this year with the Bucs being forced to use it on Godwin.

What would it take to re-sign Barrett?

After the production we’ve seen from Barrett over the past two seasons, it’s safe to presume he’ll net north of $18 million annually on the NFL free-agent market. In fact, something like $20 million per season is not out of the equation.

The question here becomes how long Barrett’s next contract will be. He’s 28 years old. Barrett made his name known around the league the last couple of years after wasting away as a situational pass rusher for the Denver Broncos over the course of five seasons.

It’s also important to note that Barrett saw a downtick in production this past season. He recorded 16 quarterback hits and eight sacks. Is he a one-year wonder?

Either way, rumors suggesting that the Buccaneers are working hard to retain Barrett can’t be considered too surprising. Whether that happens remains to be seen. Tampa Bay is currently a mere $2.15 million under the projected 2021 NFL salary cap.