Could Bucs, Shaq Barrett Find Middle Ground on Franchise Tender?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hit the jackpot in free agency last year when they landed Shaq Barrett on a one-year deal with just $4 million.
Never more than a rotational player during his four seasons with the Denver Broncos, Barrett exploded last year for the Bucs, leading the NFL with 19.5 sacks and proving himself worthy of a much more lucrative contract.
Earlier this offseason, the Bucs placed the franchise tag on Barrett, who has maintained since last season that while he would prefer the security of a long-term deal, he would play on the one-year franchise tender if it came to that. At this point, no long-term deal has been reached, and Barrett has informed the team that he plans to accept the franchise tender for the 2020 season.
That said, Barrett has also filed a grievance with the NFLPA to be paid the franchise tender amount for a defensive end. Barrett is listed as an outside linebacker for the Bucs, which would pay him around $2 million less on the franchise tag than he would if he were designated as a defensive end.
The two sides could meet in the middle on this, however, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport points out:
Barrett obviously wants more long-term security, but in place of that, as much money this season as possible. The Bucs want to make sure their prized pass rusher doesn't go elsewhere, while also protecting themselves against the possibility that Barrett's incredible production in 2019 was a one-year wonder situation.
No matter what, Barrett will be playing for the Bucs at least one more season. The only question now is, how much will he make in 2020?
