The Bucks have a number of difficult decisions to make regarding the players they want to re-sign this offseason. Tampa Bay has salary cap flexibility this year, but that doesn’t prevent them from releasing other players from the roster to create more space. Unfortunately, one player who could end up hitting the cap because of this is outside linebacker Shaq Barrett.
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson and Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo courtesy of USA Today
tampa bay There is hope of renewing the contract Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Lavonte David, etc. Barrett has one year left on his contract and is expected to make just over $14 million a year. Although it would incur dead cap money, taking Barrett off the books to free up another roster spot would be in the Bucks’ long-term benefit.
Shaq Barrett means a lot to this organization. However, there was no production from him this season. To be fair, Barrett had a rocky offseason dealing with his family tragedy and rehabbing an Achilles injury. He led the Bucs with 19 pressures but had just 4.5 sacks on the season. Considering Barrett’s price and his 31 years old, that’s not enough.
Will Shaq Barrett return next year?
The day after the Bucks ended their season with a 31-23 loss to the Lions in the divisional round, Shaq Barrett was asked if he might have played in his final game as a Buck.
“It’s a possibility,” Barrett said. “I’ve been here a little while and I know the contract and production thing and (the Bucks) have some promising young players, all of those things can be factors. But still here. It’s our second home. We love it. Florida, the kids love it here.
“I understand as a business, but after everything that’s happened this year, we’re a family now and I appreciate everything they’ve done. Just rocking with me, Please stick with me through it all. I hope it doesn’t happen, I understand it’s a real possibility, but I hope it doesn’t.”
Barrett deserves praise for being brutally honest. about his situation. He’s as humble a player as you can get in the NFL. As Barrett mentioned, some of the other players at his position are influencing all of this. Rookie third-round pick Yaya Diaby had a great season, leading the Bucks with 7.5 sacks on the year, but he wasn’t even named a starter until Week 11.
The Bucks know they have Diaby as their starter next season, and they have solid, inexpensive depth behind him in Joe Tryon-Soyinka, Anthony Nelson, and Cam Gill, Marquise Watts, and Jose Ramirez. . Tampa Bay is still looking for a threatening pass rusher who can be a consistent threat, as Barrett was from 2019 to 2021.
Shaq Barrett and the pitfalls of contract negotiations

Bucks OLB Shaq Barrett and Titans QB Will Levis – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Shaq Barrett signed a franchise contract with the Bucks during their 2020 Super Bowl winning season and signed a four-year contract in 2021. He has weathered the contract negotiations that the Bucks’ front office and many players will have in the coming months. . Even with the big money coming in, Shaq Barrett isn’t really enjoying the ongoing conversations to get through it, he honestly said.
“It’s a stressful process, a stressful process,” Barrett said. “But it’s just business. I know you don’t want to make it seem personal, but you always make it a little bit personal. If you hire someone to do a job and you can do it as cheaply as possible, do it. I’ll try it.
“But if you want to be strong in your negotiations, keep fighting back and forth, and then you’ll come to common ground.” It should be: “I understand your value, I want to I’ll try to buy it cheaper, but I’m willing to settle for something like fair value,” and so on.
“You have to try, you can’t suppress your emotions, but it’s not possible. It can be stressful for a lot of people. They usually do the right thing and the players here , get back to wanting to continue building a championship defense, a championship team, a playoff-bound team and start taking the next step of getting back to the Super Bowl.”
#Bucks OLB Shaq Barrett talks about the stressful process of contract negotiations.
“You don’t want it to seem personal, but it always feels a little bit personal. You have to try to take that away. It’s important not to put emotion into it. Is possible.” pic.twitter.com/tFVrfeNev4
— Matt Matera (@matty4_matera) January 22, 2024
Regardless of what happens this offseason, Barrett will be considered one of the greatest free agent signings in Bucks history and will be a vital piece in the Bucks’ quest to win Super Bowl LV. .