There’s been a lot of talk about a possible contract extension for Ndamukong Suh this offseason, but he’s not the only defensive tackle taken early in the 2010 draft who is in line for a new deal.
Gerald McCoy was taken a pick after Suh and has been a standout performer for the Buccaneers since pretty much the moment he first took the field in Tampa. McCoy has already said that he won’t hold out of training camp in hopes of forcing the team into an extension and it doesn’t look like the team needs much cajoling anyway.
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht reached out to McCoy’s agent Ben Dogra last week to get the ball rolling on talks about a new deal. Per Stroud, the conversations could result in a new deal before the start of training camp although there’s no firm timetable or deadline in place to get a deal done.
Geno Atkins signed a five-year, $55 million extension with the Bengals before last season, which sets the bar at defensive tackle for whichever of Suh and McCoy signs a new deal first. McCoy has faced none of the character questions that Suh has faced while being as good, if not better, in the field and that makes a pretty good argument for him taking the top spot regardless of when he signs his name.
