Brady’s largesse pays off in Tampa

Tom Brady doesn’t merely lead teams to Super Bowl wins on the field. He also helps keep together championship teams with salary cap issues.

So sackmaster Shaq Barrett, fellow standout linebacker Lavonte David and old buddy Rob Gronkowski will remain in Tampa Bay.

Just as he had done several times in New England, Brady reworked his bigticket contract last week to free up money in free agency. The Buccaneers used it to keep David, and on Monday, the 28-year-old Barrett agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract with $36 million guaranteed, agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed.

Later in the day, Gronk agreed to return for his 11th season with Brady on a one-year, $10 million deal — up from the $9.25 million he earned in 2020.

Meanwhile, back in Brady’s former stomping grounds, the Patriots were spending wildly in an attempt to recapture the glory he produced before heading south last season.

New England opened its vaults wider than any other team on Monday, something unusual for a club that normally avoids chasing the most expensive free agents. Of course, the Patriots went 7-9 without Brady in 2020.

Joining them are linebacker/edge rusher Matthew Judon from Baltimore; tight end Jonnu Smith from Tennessee; nose tackle Davon Godchaux from Miami; and defensive back Jalen Mills from Philadelphia.

Judon, 28, will get a four-year, $56 million pact with $32 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press. Smith, 25, will be paid $50 million over four years to try to fill the void created when Gronkowski retired after the 2018 season.

The 26-year-old Godchaux gets $16 million for two years, with $9 million guaranteed. Mills, soon to turn 27, comes in at four years for $29 million, also guaranteed $9 million.

Clearly, the salary cap that decreased by about $16 million this year due to lost revenues because of the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t prevented New England from diving headfirst into the free agency waters.

But they let perhaps the best offensive lineman in this crop get away, as 28-year-old guard Joe Thuney agreed to a five-year, $80 million contract with Kansas City.

The Raiders, who have suffered defensively since trading Khalil Mack in 2018, agreed to a two-year contract with edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue. He has the 12th-most sacks (45 1/2), third-most strip sacks (15), sixth-most quarterback pressures (190) and second-most forced fumbles (18) in his five pro seasons.

The Chargers went with an offensive line upgrade, center Corey Linsley, an All-Pro with Green Bay last season. Los Angeles has also agreed to resign CB Michael Davis for three years. Elsewhere:

— The Rams agreed with pass rusher Leonard Floyd on a four-year deal. Floyd, who is coming off the best season of his five-year NFL career, signed last April after the Bears released him.

— Cleveland agreed to terms with safety John Johnson III. The 25-yearold playmaker is a strong run defender who had four interceptions in 2018. His three-year deal with the Browns reportedly is valued at $33.75 million.

— San Francisco re-signed 29-yearold cornerback Jason Verrett for one year. He has been plagued by injuries throughout his career but stayed healthy in 2020 and excelled.

— Detroit brought back 25-year-old Romeo Okwara, who had a career-high 10 sacks last season in his third year with the Lions and fifth in the NFL.

— Arizona re-signed linebacker Markus Golden for two-years. The 30year-old has spent most of his career with the Cardinals after being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft.

— Baltimore agreed with guard Kevin Zeitler, 31, on a three-year, $22 million contract. The Ravens have needed help at the position since perennial All-Pro Marshal Yanda retired in 2019.

— Jacksonville added Bears defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris with a three-year, $24.4 million deal.