Explaining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers $42.7 million dollar cap space

Published: 12^th Mar 12 1:09 am

by Mr. Destiny
Mr. Destiny

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Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

The official salary cap was announced at $120.6 million for the 2012 NFL season, giving teams their exact cap room numbers.

Pro Football Talk reported the Buccaneers are $42.7 million dollars under the salary cap after franchise tags, tenders and adjustments. The numbers are reported to be official, and not their own. This still keeps the Buccaneers as the third team with most cap room behind the Cincinnati Bengals ($49.9) and Denver Broncos ($44.7) respectively.

The number comes once you factor in these contracts:

Connor Barth’s franchise tag : $2.654 million

Michael Bennett 1st round tender: $2.742 million

Legarrette Blount and Preston Parker: $540,000 each= $1.08 million

DeMar Dotson: $1.26 million

Jeremy Zuttah: $3.875 million

The total expenditure: $11.611 million for 2012

If you totaled the $84 million in current salary plus the additional figures from above, that equals out to $95.611 million against the $120.6 million cap which leaves the Bucs at $24.989 million in room for 2012. Combined with the $23.519 carried over from 2011, the Buccaneers wind up at roughly $48.508 million dollars total.

As far as the $5.8 million dollar difference, the Bucs had signed Ed Gant, Brett Ratliff, Collin Franklin, Mike Ingersoll and Mike Balogun to futures contracts in January which means the details are unknown. Jovan Haye was also signed at the end of last season, so it’s unsure if he carries any numbers over to the start of this year. This plus the “adjustments” are likely what make up the final figure.