The One Contract Holding Back the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone from a middling, anonymous squad to one of the favorites to win the NFC in one offseason, and part of the reason they were able to sign Tom Brady was GM Jason Licht's ability to avoid shelling out bad contracts.

The one major black mark on Tampa's books at the moment is that of left tackle Donovan Smith, who is set to account for over $14 million against the cap in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons despite the fact his play has been nowhere near that level.

Smith gave up five sacks last season, and that already bad number looks even worse when you consider all the times Jameis Winston was rushed on a throw because of a pressure Smith allowed. Even in Year 5, Smith has struggled to handle edge-bending speed and technically-savvy pass rushers.

He has missed just one game as a pro, so durability is not a concern, but Smith is the sixth highest-paid left tackle in the league despite the fact that his play isn't in the same stratosphere as guys like David Bakhtiari and Taylor Lewan.

Smith might benefit from a guy like Brady who can get the ball out quicker than Winston could, but that doesn't change the fact that the Bucs are paying top dollar for a tackle that doesn't compare favorably to most left tackles in the NFL.