According to NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed a three year, 41.25 million dollar contract with left tackle Donovan Smith forgoing using the franchise tag before today's 4:00pm est deadline.
(VIA Tampa Bay Buccaneers Communications) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today that tackle Donovan Smith has been re-signed to a three-year contract.
A media availability with Smith and General Manager Jason Licht is scheduled for Wednesday, March 6 at 11:00 a.m. in the media studio at AdventHealth Training Center.
“Donovan has been a valuable player and a model of durability since we drafted him four years ago,” said Licht. “We always aim to develop our players and reward them for their productivity and reliability, so keeping Donovan as a Buccaneer was a major priority for us this offseason. Donovan’s presence ensures continuity at one of our most crucial positions on the offensive line and I know our coaching staff is eager to begin working with him.”
Smith (6-6, 338) has started all 64 games for the Buccaneers since being selected by Tampa Bay in the second round (34th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. Smith’s 64 consecutive starts are tied for the third-longest mark among offensive tackles in the NFL. He joins Buccaneers Ring of Honor member Paul Gruber as the only players in franchise history to every game in their first four seasons.
Since entering the league in 2015, Smith has been part of a Buccaneers offensive unit that ranks third in the NFL in third-down conversion rate (43.7 pct.) during that span, while recording the fifth-most yards per game (375.3), sixth-most passing yards per game (269.8) and the seventh-highest yards per play (5.76) in the league during that time. Tampa Bay’s offense has also allowed sacks on just 5.8 percent of all pass attempts since 2015, the 10th-lowest mark in the NFL during that time.
In 2018, Smith started all 16 games for Tampa Bay and was part of an offensive line that blocked for the NFL’s No. 1 passing offense, recording 5,125 net passing yards, the fourth-most in a single season in league history. The Buccaneers ranked third in the NFL in total yards per game (415.5) and fourth in yards per play (6.30). In addition, Tampa Bay’s offense set team records in net yards (6,648), points scored (396) and first downs (388).
A native of Owings Mills, Maryland, Smith played collegiately at Penn State.
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