Not much of a shock."

/>Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesBucs Nation homepageHorizontal - WhiteBucs Nationa Tampa Bay Buccaneers communityFollow Bucs Nation online:Follow Bucs Nation on TwitterFollow Bucs Nation on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchBucs Nation main menuFanpostsFanshotsSectionsBuccaneersOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections 2016 NFL DraftInjuriesFree AgencyGame FilmWhat position for Tampa Bay is the weakest following the 2019 NFL Draft?New Lee Roy Selmon Jersey ,73commentsNot much of a shock.EDTThe dust for the most part has settled regarding the Buccaneers 2019 draft class. The one thing we know for certain is the defense in 2019 is going to look a hell of a lot different than it did in 2018. Outside of selecting two offensive players in rounds five and six and one of them being a kicker, Tampa Bay used the remaining six picks to focus on the defensive side of the ball. The team drafted three secondary players, one linebacker and two defensive lineman in hopes of turning around what was one of the worst defenses in the league in 2018. With that being said, one major position of need was left off the Buccaneers draft class and that is the Right guard position. Last year, the Right guard position was an absolute disaster. No, seriously, it was a travesty. Caeb Benenoch’s play really effected the whole play of the offensive line, especially Ryan Jensen and Demar Dotson. All the Buccaneers have done since the end of the season to address the need is add Earl Watford in free agency to presumably compete with Alex Cappa for the starting job. Now, no disrespect to either Cappa or Watford, but there were plenty of opportunities to upgrade that position in the draft and Tampa Bay elected not too, which is really a bit confusing to me. In an offense that requires the offensive line to be above average in pass blocking, it seems like the risk being taken here is to great. Maybe I will be proven wrong and Cappa, who was a third-round pick last year will take command of the position and show great progress from his rookie season, but to not draft any offensive lineman just doesn’t make sense. It really feels like the Bucs had no better option here."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections 2016 NFL DraftInjuriesFree AgencyGame FilmNFL Free AgencyBuccaneers Free AgencyRoster MovesMaking Sense Of Donovan Smith’s DealNew,53commentsIt really feels like the Bucs had no better option here.ESTShareTweetShareShareMaking Sense Of Donovan Smith’s DealSmith is officially Tampa Bay’s left tackle for the future.Aaron Doster-USA TODAY SportsIn what was expected to be a polarizing move, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed left tackle Donovan Smith to a three-year, $41.25 million extension on Tuesday. Specifics of the deal have yet to be released, but if we want to get an idea of what the contract will look like, it’s not unreasonable to use both Ali Marpet’s and Ryan Jensen’s - the team’s most-recently highest paid offensive linemen - as templates for Smith’s contract. Jensen signed a four-year, $42 million contract before 2018 that included $22 million in guaranteed money. His base salary of $2 million combined with a $10 million roster bonus in 2018 ate up $12 million of the $22 million in guarantees. If he is cut before or after June 1, 2019, then he will cost the Bucs $10 million in dead money - essentially making his 2019 salary guaranteed. So Warren Sapp Jersey , that’s where the guaranteed money comes in. He will earn the remaining $20 million through base salary and a $750,000 roster bonus during the 2020-2021 seasons, according to spotrac.com. Marpet signed a five-year, $54.125 million contract during the 2018 season that included $10,374,581 in guaranteed money. Part of that sum was a $2 million signing bonus that will be prorated over the life of the contract, while the remainder while be paid in full in the form of a $7.5 million roster bonus in 2019, according to spotrac.com.Tampa Bay can cut Jensen after 2019 with no penalty. Marpet would cost the Bucs a small sum of $1.2 million in case he were cut after 2019. We still don’t know the official details of Smith’s contract, but we do know that Jason Licht is very good at avoiding dead money. So, using these two examples, it’s fair to assume that Smith’s contract will look something like this:Year 1: $2.5 million base/$10 million roster bonus = $12.5 million cap hit (the cap hit is reported)Year 2: $14.5 million base, if cut before or after June 1, 2020, then the Bucs eat the entire sum = $14.5 million cap hitYear 3: $14.5 million base, with option to cut without penaltyObviously, this is speculation/deduction on my end. But with this mind, let’s look at some of the pros and cons of this contract. Update: Per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the yearly numbers are out and I was pretty much dead on! ProsThe Bucs keep Jameis Winston’s blindside protected.The left side of the offensive line is now a young, cohesive core to build around. Smith hasn’t missed a single game his entire career and has been an integral part of an offense that’s ranked fifth overall in terms of total yardage since 2015. For those into advanced metrics, the Bucs have ranked on average, 14th in offensive DVOA since 2015 according to Football Outsiders - including marks of 11th and 12th in 2017 and 2018. This move now allows Tampa Bay to focus on finding defensive help. Smith’s vacancy would’ve created yet another hole at a very important spot for this team to overcome. He is the 36th-highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL in terms of total contract value. When he is on his game is he is one of the best tackles in the league. The Bucs saved close to $1.6 million in cap room for 2018 and possibly saved more money over the long-term if Smith performs as expected. Two different coaching staffs have now vouched for Smith, that has to say something. He tied a career-low in quarterback hits allowed (9) in 2018 and committed a career-low seven penalties. According to Profootballfocus.com Ronald Jones Jersey , he has improved every year (62.8/63.9/64.9/66.2). Now Tampa Bay doesn’t have to worry about drafting a rookie or relying on an unknown veteran to man this position. ConsThe contract is pretty damn expensive for a player known to take plays off. In terms of average salary, Smith is the fifth-highest paid offensive lineman in the league. Zack Martin, on average, makes just $250,000 more per year, according to spotrac.com.The Bucs have invested heavily in the offensive line. This tweet from the Athletic’s Greg Auman says it all:In terms of guaranteed money, Smith is ranked eighth in the NFL among offensive lineman, according to spotrac.comDespite the high rankings in terms of average salary and guaranteed money, Smith was graded out as the 82nd, 68th, 56th, and 50th rated tackle in the league. Despite the yearly improvement, that averages out to the 64th-best tackle over the past four years, according to PFF.Smith allowed a career-high eight sacks in 2018 and has allowed twice as many sacks (15) in the past two years than he did his first two years (7) in the league.Smith also has shown incredible flashes of poor play, who’s to say that will change under a new coaching staff?As you can see, there are both pros and cons to retaining Donovan Smith. The thought is that with a new coaching staff, Smith’s full potential will be brought out and the Bucs will have a franchise left tackle for the next few years, but only time will tell. What do you think Bucs Nation? Do the pros outweigh the cons, or vice-versa?