The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offseason has been crazy to say the least. Starting with the heartbreaking loss in the divisional round, then the rumors of Tom Brady’s retirement, and then the actual retirement by Brady, to now he “is he having buyers remorse” reports. The focus now must be Brady’s replacement, and there’s plenty of rumors about who that will be.
For this one we’re going to turn to our buddies at North Sports Dynasty (NSD). In this article they will address what it may take to pull off some trades required to make these rumors happen.
Enjoy!
The Buccaneers would have to do a fair amount of cap juggling to get any of these scenarios done. That said, if any team has proven they can do it, it’s the Buccaneers. In order to go for two, the Bucs deferred a lot of cap to later years, or had players fully commit to the team, and take ‘pay cuts’. Tampa Bay can still be a dominant team they’re just missing a key veteran or young stud to be back in the swing of things. A lot of rumors have them looking to acquire this talent in a trade. Today, we take a look at some of the trade packages it would hypothetically take to acquire some of the quarterbacks linked to the Buccaneers.
Deshaun Watson
Tampa Receives: QB Deshaun Watson
Houston Receives: CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, FS Mike Edwards, WR Tyler Johnson, 2022 1st round pick, 2023 1st round pick.
Breakdown: Houston won’t receive what they originally had hoped for their young, extremely talented quarterback. The process has gone on for too long now, and other teams will shop elsewhere to find the next face to their franchise. This trade would make sense for both sides; for Houston, they get 3 roster players who can start, which they desperately need, especially on the defensive side. Having two 1st round picks for the next two years will accelerate the rebuild process. For Tampa Bay, they get their franchise quarterback, who’s a little bit cheaper than some of the other quarterbacks are going for, and keep this window for championships open for the next four years minimum. The Buccaneers would also be getting rid of three soon to be expiring contracts, who would have been tricky to re-sign, due to wanting raises in pay (deservingly so).
Russell Wilson
Tampa Receives; QB Russell Wilson
Seattle Receives: Pick #27, Pick # 59, pick #91, 2023 1st round pick, 2023 3rd round pick
Breakdown: The Seahawks and Russell Wilson era seems to be coming to an end, whether mutually, or by someone’s demands. Wilson wants to go to a team that is built, and where he can have a bit of say, kind of like how Tom Brady just had. In this scenario, Seattle looks to build within the draft, while having multiple firsts next year in hopes to get their new quarterback of the future. With the future of Pete Carroll also in jeopardy, having as many pieces as possible, ridding yourself of a big contract and aging quarterback, is a smart decision. The Buccaneers on the other hand, receive their next face to the franchise. Wilson will fit right into Bruce Arians system, and be a great player to have around Byron Leftwich when he inevitably takes over for the Buccaneers.
Aaron Rodgers
Tampa Bay Receives: QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Davante Adams
Green Bay Receives: QB Kyle Trask, RG Alex Cappa (sign and trade), CB Jamel Dean, pick #27, pick #59, 2023 1st round pick, 2023 2nd round pick, 2024 1st round pick.
Breakdown: This one seems less likely for both sides. As much as I can see Rodgers as a Buccaneer, it would make more sense to go to a team that can make everything work for him, like Denver. That said, if this were to happen, it’s because the Buccaneers believe they can 100% get another title out of it. For Green Bay, they get star players in Cappa and Dean, with all the picks you could ask for. They could use all those picks and trade up for their quarterback of the future. For the Bucs, it means go time.
A lot of work would need to be done to sign Rodgers and Adams to long term deals. Players such as Chris Godwin, Ryan Jensen, Carlton Davis, and Leonard Fournette, would all be accepting offers from other teams with this trade. It would definitely make Buccaneers’ fans unhappy, seeing key players from the Super Bowl team gone, but let’s not act like that offense wouldn’t be unstoppable for the next 3-4 years.
What do you think? Would any of these trades make you happy? Who do you want to see lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next year?
