TAMPA BAY — When Tony Dungy took over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as head coach in 1996, he felt fortunate that two future Pro Football Hall of Fame players already were aboard — defensive tackle Warren Sapp and linebacker Derrick Brooks.
When Lovie Smith took over as the Bucs’ head coach this year, he felt the same about defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and linebacker Lavonte David.
Those players have a lot to accomplish before they can be considered for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio. But they have this in common: both are players you can build a dominant defense around.
That’s particularly true about McCoy, who plays the three technique that is so critical to the Tampa defense.
The Bucs have opened negotiations with McCoy in hopes of signing him to a long-term contract before he potentially becomes a free agent next year. General manager Jason Licht contacted McCoy’s agent, Ben Dogra, to initiate conversations that could result in an agreement before training camp, although there is no real timetable.
McCoy, a two-time Pro Bowl player who has established himself as one of the premier defensive tackles in the NFL, will earn about $15-million this season and is entering the last year of his contract and a new deal would be structured to give the team some salary cap relief.
“I don’t know anything about that,” McCoy said. “I just come to work at practice. Until there is a paper signed I don’t know anything about a contract. I just know about coming to work and working hard every day.”
McCoy was then asked if he had spoken to his agent regarding the matter.
“I talk to Lovie, I talk to my teammates, and everybody is talking about coming to work and working hard every day,” McCoy said.
However, McCoy has no trouble talking about his important role in the defense. He’s excited about it.
“I love it; it’s up the field penetrating front, cover to coverage and really just depending on the D-line to take care of pass game,” McCoy said. “They always tell us if you’re not rushing we’re stealing. We got to get to the QB and it makes it easier on everybody else.
“(With) just with all of the pieces, we just have to have everybody get the scheme down to where it’s second nature. It’s a great defense to play in and once everybody figures it out and have the ins and outs of it, it’s going to be scary. We don’t even have [safeties] Mark Barron or Dashon Goldson going with us right now, you add those two and it’s like ‘sheesh.’”
Smith has said locking up McCoy for the long-term is a “priority.’ Not only is McCoy one of the Bucs’ most productive players, he’s a team captain and the perfect representative for the franchise. McCoy had 9.5 sacks last season and 14.5 over the past two years.
Complicating matters may be similar talks in Detroit with Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. Suh was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft. McCoy was No. 3. McCoy originally signed a five-year, $55-million contract with $20.8-million guaranteed.
“Yes, that is definitely a priority,’ Smith said of re-signing McCoy. “He’s a guy that we definitely want around for a while, to say the least.”