Fire the cannons one more time Tampa. The end of an era has finally arrived.

While rumors had begun to fly around all throughout the NFL world, nothing was set in stone on the current status of Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. On Monday evening, however, the rumors became fact as the Bucs’ front office elected to part ways with their most senior member of the defense.

Tampa Bay says goodbye

“These decisions are very difficult, personally and professionally,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said in a team statement. “Over the past nine years, Gerald has been a cornerstone of this franchise and a leader in our community. Parting ways with a player and person such as Gerald is one of the toughest responsibilities of this job. We wish Gerald, along with his wife, Ebony, and the entire McCoy family continued success and thank them for everything they have meant to our organization and community.”

The release of McCoy comes at little surprise to those who have been paying attention to Tampa’s offseason. Problems began to rise following the hiring of new coach Bruce Arians. The former Arizona Cardinals head coach commented earlier this offseason on McCoy’s production and value heading into the 2019 season.

“I’ve gotta evaluate him,” Arians said in March at the NFL owners meeting. “Guy’s up there in age, it’s different. It’s usually the age when they’re getting paid the most, and production and [pay] don’t match. So we’ve gotta find that out.”

The Buccaneers had been rumored to be looking for a trading partner for McCoy but his $13 million contract was too steep for a team to pick up the 31-year-old defensive tackle. In the end, the Bucs also agreed that his contract was no longer worth his production.

“I know Gerald has done a lot of good things on and off the football field in Tampa during his time here,” Arians said in a statement. “You hate to see good football players go, but this is a decision that we felt needed to be made in order to allow us, and Gerald, the ability to move forward. Gerald is a class act and I wish him the best.”

McCoy’s next stop

McCoy has no plans on retiring and is expecting to suit up for a team to contribute this season. With 31 teams now able to sign the six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, the price will be the deciding factor. Given McCoy’s age, perhaps chasing a ring before calling it a career will also be on his mind when entering the free agent portal. No matter what, however, come 4 pm EST Tuesday afternoon, the veteran defensive tackle will become one of the more sought after free agents remaining.

Who are the teams that should consider him? Let’s check in and see which clubs could be on the shortlist.

Cleveland Browns

Let’s start with the obvious one and just get it out of the way.

The Browns were rumored to have been linked to McCoy since early April. The biggest issue standing in the way of both parties was the $13 million salary next season. With the salary no longer an issue, perhaps a deal can finally be struck, allowing Cleveland to continue to add to their promising offseason.

Cleveland might be set at with starter’s Larry Ogujobi and Sheldon Richardson. But adding McCoy would only bolster the Browns’ front seven heading into the season. McCoy has registered at least six sacks per season since 2013 and registered more sacks than both of Cleveland’s projected starters last season.

The Browns still have one of the more friendly cap spaces heading into the season even after a productive offseason in free agency. With the team looking to be contenders, a right deal between the two parties could only strengthen the Browns pass rush heading into the season, which registered 37 sacks last season. Although the Browns couldn’t offer him a max deal, McCoy could join a potential contender for a slight pay cut.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are the most complete team in the NFL heading into the 2019 season. While they may not have the top player at every position, their quality players found at multiple positions are setting them up for a chance to make a run for Miami this season. Striking a deal with McCoy could just be the final piece to send Los Angeles back to the Super Bowl.

While GM Tom Telesco addressed the defensive line woes this offseason with the addition of first-round pick Jerry Tillery, the addition of McCoy would add depth and also the run stopping ability to Ken Whisenhunt’s front seven. McCoy has been one of the league’s top run stoppers since entering the league in 2010. While Brandon Mebane is slated to start, a three-man rotation between Tillery, McCoy and the former Seahawk could allow the Chargers to attack offensive line multiple ways.

The Chargers currently only have $12,902,336 million in their cap space heading into the season. If the Chargers were to sign McCoy, it would likely be on a one-year “prove it” deal rather than a lengthy extension. Still, sometimes one-year deals make all the difference for defensive tackles in Los Angeles. Remember Ndamukong Suh with the Rams?

How’d their season go last year?

Jacksonville Jaguars

Similar to the Chargers, the Jaguars are looking to be contenders this season after a productive offseason. With the signing of franchise quarterback Nick Foles, along with a strong draft featuring pass rusher Josh Allen, offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, and off-ball linebacker Quincy Williams, Duval County is hoping to return to 2017 form and end up in Miami for Super Bowl LVI.

The Jaguars are hoping for former first-round pick Taven Bryan to expand his role heading into year 2. The former Florida defensive lineman saw limited action during his rookie season and collected just one sack last year. With Arby Jones looking to be the current starter, the veteran leadership of McCoy would play much more than the on the field production. Known as a leader in the clubhouse, the former Sooner would also be a vocal presence for Doug Marrone’s young defensive lineup.

The Jaguars are also like the Chargers in another way: limited cap space. With just $13,020,219 million heading into the season, McCoy would likely be looking at a one-year contract. The difference between both clubs, however, is location. Staying closer to home could be a factor for the veteran defensive tackle. Jacksonville is just 200 miles away from his home in Tampa. The Jaguars have the money to pay the defensive tackle and could use another leader in the locker room. Should he believe in Dave Caldwell’s club, signing to the AFC South squad isn’t far fetched.

Seattle Seahawks

Let’s just throw a wild card in here and get crazy while we’re at it, shall we?

Even after signing Russell Wilson to a tune of $140 million, the Seahawks still are in the top 10 of highest cap spaces with over $25 million available. According to Over the Cap, they will have the second highest cap next season with over $80 million come free agency.

Jarran Reed is the team’s top defensive tackle but Poona Ford could be the next name to break out in Seattle’s defense. Still, even after the signing of Ziggy Ansah, the Seahawks pass rush could use another weapon in the front seven.

The Seahawks would likely have to sign McCoy to a smaller deal with an option for next season. Wilson has shown the ability to lead even a below average offense to the playoffs. And despite the loss of top target Doug Baldwin, he should still find success. Seattle is one team that probably won’t be initially in the race for a veteran like McCoy. But they could be a surprise team when all is said and done.

Face it, you can’t count the Seahawks out as long as they have Wilson under center. If McCoy can prove he’s still got it this season, Seattle will be able to pay him long-term in 2020.

Indianapolis Colts

In the end, this is ultimately the perfect landing spot for McCoy. The Colts have gone from laughing stock of the AFC to legitimate Super Bowl contenders in just two seasons under the direction of Chris Ballard. With a healthy Andrew Luck along with the league’s top offensive line, Indianapolis could be one of the league’s top offensive units in 2019.

And would you look at that? They have a need for a defensive tackle on their near top 10 defense.

The Colts elected to resign Margus Hunt after a productive 2018 campaign but still could use another defensive tackle to pair with Deico Autry, who registered nine sacks last season. Grover Stewart still has yet to prove himself while Hunt is on a club-friendly deal.

Perhaps the biggest reason Indianapolis looks like a prime location is the team’s salary cap. With the highest salary cap by a significant amount heading into the season, the Colts have the ability to offer McCoy a multi-year deal and perhaps overpay him in order to secure their defensive line for the future.

Few teams are as hot as the Colts after a strong 2018 campaign. So long as Luck can remain healthy, Frank Reich’s club could be one of the AFC’s strongest rosters. The addition of Gerald McCoy makes sense for both sides as one is looking to get paid while the other is looking to complete their defense.

Don’t be shocked if this deal gets done. It just makes too much sense for everyone involved.