Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Roster Rumors: Bucs To Decline Option On Joe Hawley
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have decided to let one of their former key players walk in free agency so they can free up more salary cap space.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero has reported that the Buccaneers have opted not to exercise the $2.5 million club option for 2018 in center Joe Hawley's contract. Hawley has also confirmed that the Buccaneers are letting him go, and he took to social media to thank them for giving him the opportunity to play for them.
"I've had such a great experience in Tampa and just wanted to say thank you to Dirk and Jason for giving me a chance when no one else would. Thank you to Bucs nation for all the love and support over the past 3 seasons," Hawley wrote on Instagram.
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"If there's one thing I want you to take away from this story it's that if you trust the process of life and work your ass off to get what you want, you will end up exactly where you are meant to be," he added.
It should be noted that Hawley can still re-sign with the team if he is willing to take a substantially smaller salary next season, but for now, he will get the chance to test the free agent market once the 2018 National Football League (NFL) league year starts on March 14. He may receive a better deal to play elsewhere.
Hawley was the Buccaneers primary starter at the center position during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, but he relegated to the bench when Ali Marpet was moved from right guard to center.
He got the chance to play heavy minutes again when Marpet was placed on the injured reserve list due to a knee injury. However, he would only appear in four games during the 2017 season, and he had two starts.
