The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had an incredibly busy free agency class, particularly in comparison to the previous year’s experience.
The Bucs decided to bring back players that they believe can help them run things back while also building on all of the momentum and success the team enjoyed, as opposed to shelling out a lot of money for new players.
But not everybody is coming back.
Before the season even begins, Antoine Winfield Jr. is scheduled to sign a huge extension, while Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans have returned on contracts totaling almost $150 million. Lavonte David, Chase Edmonds, and other players were also welcomed back, therefore some players had to be sacrificed in order to create room.
The most excruciating captain casualty was Shaq Barrett. In order to provide him as much time as possible to locate a new team, Tampa Bay released him before the window for legal tampering opened, which prompted him to join with the Miami Dolphins.
It turns out, after learning the Bucs were moving on, that wasn’t the first location he had in mind.
Shaq Barrett divulges which free-agency team he truly desired to join.
While still on his welcome tour in Miami, Barrett offered some thought-provoking remarks about how he got to be a member of the Dolphins. It transpires that he had another target to sign with in free agency, an AFC East team.
As Barrett puts it, joining Robert Saleh’s New York Jets defense was his first, second, and third choice.
Barrett played a crucial role in Tampa Bay’s 2020 Super Bowl victory, applying the lessons he acquired from earning a ring with Denver five years before to guide a youthful defense to victory. He ended up with a handsome new contract as a result, and his tenure with the Bucs will have an ongoing effect even when he leaves.
After Barrett was released, Yaya Diaby, who is quickly becoming one of the next great Bucs linebackers, posted a heartfelt homage to him and cited Barrett as a mentor. Barrett leads the locker room as a whole in addition to the relationship, which is perhaps why the Dolphins were so interested in him.
It’s heartbreaking to think about Barrett in New York with Saleh because it’s difficult to believe Barrett won’t be able to rekindle the magic that once defined him with the Bucs. As soon as he found out he signed with the Jets, he would have immediately sworn to make Tampa Bay regret trading him in.
Barrett would also be a good match moving to Miami, and it’s
