The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are proving that today's big free-agent signings might just be tomorrow's salary-cap anchor after they're cut.
Hopefully, no team is quite as dysfuncitonal as the Buccaneers when it comes to that. They cut defensive end Michael Johnson. It happens. Teams sign duds. But this is the third player from a huge 2014 free-agent class they've cut, joining quarterback Josh McCown and offensive tackle Anthony Collins.
Add on cornerback Darrelle Revis, who the Buccaneers traded the No. 13 overall pick of the draft for two years ago, only to cut him after one season, and that's a lot of wastefulness going on in Tampa Bay.
Johnson got a five-year, $43.875 million deal with about $16 million guaranteed last season. That's a lot for one year, especially one with just four sacks. The Buccaneers have to pay Johnson $7 million this year even after cutting him, and get just $2 million savings on the cap by letting him go.
McCown signed a two-year, $10 million contract, and then they strangely kept starting him even though it was clear second-year quarterback Mike Glennon might be better in the present and was definitely better for the future. McCown was cut, and signed by Cleveland.
Collins signed a five-year, $30 million with $9 million guaranteed after playing sparingly with the Cincinnati Bengals. He struggled and was cut after one year.
At least nobody can accuse the Buccaneers of backing into the first overall pick of this year's draft. They definitely earned it.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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