Report: Tampa Bay Buccaneers set to cut veteran LT Donovan Smith

NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to part ways with and cut veteran offensive lineman Donovan Smith.

Smith was drafted by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Penn State, and would go on to be Tampa Bay’s starting left tackle for eight straight seasons. He had one season remaining on his contract, and with the Buccaneers over $55 million over the cap, cutting Smith will save them over $9 million.

Smith was a part of the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl LV victory and has been a staple of consistency and durability on the offensive line. That was until this season, a nightmare year regarding injuries up front for Tampa Bay that did not exclude Smith, who missed four games last season with an elbow injury.

The left tackle spot is always a high priority point of emphasis for teams trying to protect the blindside of their franchise quarterback, and it will definitely be interesting to see where Smith lands as he heads towards free agency this offseason.

Smith joins running back Leonard Fournette and tight end Cameron Brate as players released by the Buccaneers this offseason as they continue to manage their salary cap issues. The release of Smith could also result in Pro-Bowl right tackle Tristan Wirfs making the move to left tackle in the 2023 season, as he’s played both positions in his collegiate career at Iowa.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 15 when contracts running through 2022 will officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. Beginning March 13 through March 15 teams will be allowed a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets while April 26 marks the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets. 722 players are slated to become free agents in 2023.