Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign P Aidan Laros

Tampa Bay's signing of Aidan Laros to a three-year, $3.1M deal ($1.035M AAV) earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a verdict that reflects modest value in a lower-salary specialist role with moderate upside constraints. Punters occupy a niche on the cap—even elite performers rarely command premium dollars—and Laros's AAV sits squarely in the solid-starter to above-average tier for the position, appropriate for someone capable of consistent, dependable performance without the elite-range leg talent that would justify outlier compensation. The three-year structure locks in predictable annual cap hit without creating dead-cap risk, offering the Buccaneers minimal financial exposure if performance dips or the team pivots; at under $1.1M per year, the deal poses no cap flexibility threat to a roster contending for NFC South traction. What holds the CVI back from higher marks is the absence of meaningful discount—the contract reflects fair-market rate for the role, not a steal—meaning Tampa Bay is paying what the position demands rather than extracting surplus value from a free agent signing. With the Buccaneers at 8-9 and currently holding the tenth seed heading into the offseason, investing in specialized consistency is rational roster management, though it speaks more to foundational stability than championship acceleration.