Jeff Haynes/Associated Press
The 2014 season did not go at all according to plan for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Free-agent quarterback Josh McCown was abysmal as the team's starter. The Bucs won only two games, earning the first pick in the 2015 NFL draft in the process.
That first pick in this year's draft belies big changes on offense—most likely in the person of Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston.
However, while big changes might be underway under center, Tampa general manager Jason Licht is wisely staying the course where the weapons for his shiny new quarterback are concerned.
While in Indianapolis for the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, Licht made it clear to Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times that veteran wide receiver Vincent Jackson was in the team's plans for the upcoming season:
There's been more than a little speculation surrounding the 32-year-old's future with the Buccaneers of late. Last week, Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported the Bucs were expected to ask Jackson to take a pay cut this spring.
It's not hard to see why the Buccaneers would be interested in that pay cut. Jackson is set to make nearly $10 million in salary in 2015. His 2015 cap number of $12.2 million in 2015, per Over the Cap, ranks among the five highest at his position in the NFL.
| Calvin Johnson | DET | $20.6 million |
| Andre Johnson | HOU | $16.1 million |
| Vincent Jackson | TB | $12.2 million |
| Mike Wallace | MIA | $12.1 million |
| Greg Jennings | MIN | $11.0 million |
Per Over the Cap
That's a lot of scratch for an over-30 wide receiver who caught only two touchdown passes in 2014. Doubly so when you consider that Jackson's wide receiver rating of 61.3 at Pro Football Focus in 2014 was second-worst in the NFL among qualifying receivers.
And that cut in pay could still be coming, according to Stroud:
However, much like the Arizona Cardinals just did with veteran wideout Larry Fitzgerald, it makes a ton more sense for the Buccaneers to restructure Jackson's deal than to release the 10-year veteran outright.
For starters, unlike the Cardinals, the Buccaneers are hardly in dire straits salary cap-wise. In fact, according to Over the Cap, the Bucs are more than $30 million under an estimated salary cap for 2015 of $140 million.
Sure, some more cap space is always nice, but Tampa isn't in a position where Jackson's salary adversely affects the team's ability to pursue free agents.
Also, while no one will deny that Jackson's play slipped in 2014, we're still talking about a player who topped 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth straight year and sixth time in seven seasons.
| 2005 | 8 | 3 | 59 | 19.7 | 0 |
| 2006 | 16 | 27 | 453 | 16.8 | 6 |
| 2007 | 16 | 41 | 623 | 15.2 | 3 |
| 2008 | 16 | 59 | 1098 | 18.6 | 7 |
| 2009 | 15 | 68 | 1167 | 17.2 | 9 |
| 2010 | 5 | 14 | 248 | 17.7 | 3 |
| 2011 | 16 | 60 | 1106 | 18.4 | 9 |
| 2012 | 16 | 72 | 1384 | 19.2 | 8 |
| 2013 | 16 | 78 | 1224 | 15.7 | 7 |
| 2014 | 16 | 70 | 1002 | 14.3 | 2 |
Per NFL.com
And that was with the raging dumpster fire that was Tampa's quarterbacks a year ago.
More than one NFL team would gladly overpay a little for that sort of production.
Yes, Mike Evans was phenomenal as a rookie for the Buccaneers in 2014, topping 1,000 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. But, at least some of that success was due to the coverage that Jackson commands. Remove him from the picture, and the pressure on Evans only ratchets up heading into his second season.
Speaking of pressure, there's also the matter of that rookie quarterback we mentioned earlier.
Speculation has the Buccaneers leaning pretty heavily toward Winston with the first overall pick, although head coach Lovie Smith insisted to ESPN's Pat Yasinskas that the team is keeping its options open:
"I think, in the end, it will be a clear decision on who we should take. It will be obvious to see who the best player is to lead our franchise, to lead our team next year and get out of that cellar."
Whether it's Winston or Oregon's Marcus Mariota, and whether that young signal-caller starts from the get-go or begins his NFL career on the bench, odds are good he's going to see the field at some point during the 2015 season.
Should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Retain Vincent Jackson?
Should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Retain Vincent Jackson?
Yes
Yes, but only at a much lower salary
No
It's hard to imagine how having Jackson in the fold could hurt that young quarterback's odds at early success. You're not going to do better in free agency, because the "elite" options at the top of this year's crop probably aren't going anywhere.
Another early draft pick spent on a replacement for Jackson is a hole that can't be filled elsewhere, and the Buccaneers have more than a few holes to fill.
And while Jackson may not be the player he once was, he also isn't the pain in the you-know-what he once was. The receiver who once sat out 10 games over a contract dispute is now being nominated for awards for his work off the field.
That kind of veteran presence can only help a young quarterback as he acclimates to the NFL.
It's a time of great change and unease for the Buccaneers after last year's fiasco. There are any number of issues that are going to have to be addressed this offseason.
What the Buccaneers don't need to do, however, is fix what isn't broken.
And while Vincent Jackson may be past his prime, he has enough left in the tank to fit squarely in that latter category.
Gary Davenport is an NFL Analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter @IDPManor .
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