The Buccaneers made it official Tuesday: They announced they have released left tackle Donovan Smith.
“I want to thank Donovan for all that he has done for the Buccaneers on and off the field over the past eight seasons,” Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht said in a statement. “He stepped in as our starter at left tackle in 2015, and his durability and dependability at one of the most important positions in football played a significant role in our offensive success during his time here.”
Smith led the NFL with 100 penalty yards last season, with 12 of the 13 penalties called against him accepted. That included eight holding penalties.
He started all 131 games in which he appeared in eight seasons, and his 124 regular-season starts are the 10th most in franchise history.
Smith’s release saves the Bucs at least $9.95 million against the cap in the coming season. The team did not indicate whether it designated Smith as a post-June 1 cut, which is expected since it will gain the Bucs $15.25 million in cap space for 2023.