The Tampa Bay Buccaneers put the league on notice by re-signing most of their own free agents one by one as free agency started a couple of weeks ago. They are going with the “run it back” method, returning all 22 starters from last season's Super Bowl winning squad. It's fairly unprecedented to do so, but Tampa Bay has done just that. And why wouldn't they? If it was good enough to win it all in 2020, it should be good enough to be right back in the mix in 2021. One name currently on the outside looking in is free agent Antonio Brown.

Tampa Bay signed the wide receiver during the season in 2020, and he added another huge threat in the passing game for Tom Brady. Now, the two sides appear to be far apart on a new deal for one obvious reason: money.

Kevin Patra of NFL.com notes that the two sides have discussed a return and referenced NFL Network's Mike Garafolo when he said on Good Morning Football that the two sides aren't close right now strictly because of the financial aspect of things.

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The Buccaneers are in a position of power right now knowing they have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and will be bringing back every starter from the Super Bowl team.

Antonio Brown will more than likely have to choose whether or not to take a pay cut to stay with Brady and the Buccaneers, or to cash in a little more elsewhere.

In eight games last season, Brown had 45 receptions for 483 yards and four touchdowns.