The deadline for qualifying 2019 free agents counting against the compensatory formula came and went Saturday and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stood pat by keeping Breshad Perriman on the active roster.
The compensatory system is designed to award teams additional draft picks to offset free-agent losses from the previous season. The round designation is primarily based on the average money per year of contracts signed by players that changed teams.
During the 2019 offseason, the Buccaneers both signed and lost four free agents that qualified towards the compensatory system. This meant the losses of Kwon Alexander, Adam Humphries, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Adarius Taylor were potentially canceled out by the acquisitions of Deon Bucannon, Bradley Pinion, Shaquil Barrett, and Breshad Perriman.
For a free agent acquisition to offset a free agent loss, they must remain on the active roster until at least Week 10 of the season.
Thanks to the release of Bucannon last month, Tampa is expected to receive a third-round compensatory pick in the 2020 draft for the loss of Alexander.
The team could’ve added a fourth-round compensatory pick (for Humphries) had they released Perriman, Bradley Pinion, or Shaquil Barrett before Saturday’s deadline.
With Perriman struggling mightily (nine catches, 75 yards, one touchdown) and only being on a one-year deal, plus the team falling out of playoff contention, his release seemed like a no-brainer.
However, Buccaneers brass chose to hold onto the fourth-year veteran for the balance of the season. This decision will be heavily scrutinized especially if Perriman continues to struggle and is not re-signed in the coming offseason.
