The Pirates released starting left tackle Donovan Smith

“I want to thank Donovan for everything he has done for the Buccaneers on and off the field over the past eight seasons,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said in a statement. “He came in as our starting left tackle in 2015 and his durability and reliability in one of the most important positions in football has played a significant part in our offensive success during his time here.”

The Bucs entered this offseason with $55 million over the salary cap — $35 million of which goes to recently retired quarterback Tom Brady — and should become cap-compliant by 4 p.m. EST on March 15 when the new league year begins. So the move was expected. Not only must the Bucs get out of the red zone, but they must deal with the quarterback position, since Kyle Trask is the only player on their roster.

Smith’s cap was $17.9 million for 2023, the fifth-highest of any current player on the Bucs’ roster. Smith’s version opens up $9.95 million in space, but also generates $7.95 million in dead money.

The Bucs are also expected to release tight end Cameron Pratt and running back Leonard Fournette, who told the Tampa Bay Times last week that he had requested his release.

A second-round draft pick in 2015, Smith made 124 regular season starts—sixth most of any offensive lineman in the league from 2015 to 2022. From 2022, he has a pass rush win rate of 78.3% and a run block win rate of 64.9%.

He also dealt with elbow and foot injuries during the 2022 season, causing him to miss four regular season games.