Most always, articles on this site are driven by what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to do or should do. However, that is not the case this time. Instead, I turn my focus towards a move one of their division rivals made.
Yesterday the Atlanta Falcons traded a third round pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for edge rusher Matthew Judon. This fills a massive need on their defensive line and certainly improves their odds of winning the NFC South. This is a big addition for a team that was already favored to win their division.
—
Of course, this is where the Buccaneers come into play. This week’s trade affected the team in two ways. The first is that the competition just got better, thus making it harder for the Bucs to win the division. The second is that the Buccaneers are viewed as a team in need of an edge rusher as well and some thought they should have been in the market for Judon.
Here are my thoughts on both aspects of this trade.
Even before the trade, the Falcons were much improved coming into the season. They have a new coaching staff (one which I respect and think will do well) as well as a new quarterback in Kirk Cousins who can utilize a strong group of playmakers who are already in place. For these reasons, many felt like they were the best team in the NFC South going into the year.
—
I have not been one of those people. Even with an improved coaching staff and quarterback, I still favored the Bucs defense and playmakers. And while I do acknowledge that there is a real chance that Atlanta could win the division with an easier schedule playing in their favor, I had little doubt that the Bucs would be better suited to go further in the playoffs.
In that aspect, this trade changes very little. I still view the Bucs as the best team in the NFC South, although the addition of Judon does close the gap some. If I had to bet on one of these two teams to go to the Super Bowl it would be Tampa Bay without hesitation.
—
However, I am becoming more and more pessimistic that the Bucs will win their fourth straight division championship this year. These are two good teams, so it’s logical that the one who has to play the Seahawks, Steelers and Vikings as opposed to the 49ers, Lions and Ravens will likely come out with the better record. That means the Falcons are rightfully favored to win the NFC South.
Keep in mind, this changes nothing from a Buccaneers perspective. Even if the Falcons do win the division, I still expect the Bucs to be a playoff team. For a team that has been to the playoffs for five consecutive years and could legitimately win a Super Bowl this year, Tampa Bay will be judged on what they do in the postseason more than anything.
—
The other aspect of this is if adding Judon would have helped the Bucs both make the playoffs and make a deep playoff run. In short, of course it would have. When you can cut your worst edge rusher (say in this case Markees Watts) and add a potential pro bowler in his place then your team undoubtedly gets better in the short term.
But this is not a short term plan. Just because the Bucs can win a Super Bowl this year, doesn’t mean they will. In fact, I would say that their championship window isn’t currently open yet. General Manager Jason Licht is wise to be looking at the big picture with this move.
The Buccaneers have several young, talented edge rushers who they are trying to develop. Such names include Yaya Diaby, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Chris Braswell. To develop these guys and figure out if they will be a part of your long term plan then you have to get them on the field and see what they can do.
—
If the Bucs were to have added Judon then it would have taken opportunities away from these young players. It would have been short term gain (for a player that I still don’t think would have made the Bucs favorites in the NFC) for potential long term loss. The gap between what they were likely getting and what they were giving up just wasn’t big enough for Licht to want to get involved.
So yes, the Atlanta Falcons got better yesterday with a player that could have helped the Bucs in a meaningful way. It’s also true that this move might put the Falcons over the top to win the division. With that said, it still may have been the right move for the Bucs to stand pat and roll with the guys they have. They still have a chance to achieve all their goals this year and will likely be better positioned to win a championship in the years to come.
For more from J.T. click here, then make sure to follow him on Twitter.
Follow, Like and Subscribe to Bucs Report
BucsReport.com
For more on this and everything Buccaneers check back here hourly at BucsReport.com
