The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and veteran edge rusher Randy Gregory agreed to part ways this past week after the former Bronco was a no-show at training camp.
They brought the Nebraska man in to provide some veteran leadership to a pass rush room in desperate need of some oomph. With a lackluster group even WITH Gregory on the roster that was hoping for some of the youngsters to take a step forward in the 2024 season.
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Obviously losing Gregory isn’t fun or ideal, but the likelihood of him providing a meaningful impact was relatively small. The Bucs’ pass rush was in need of a boost with or without him.
Former 1st rounder JTS (Joe Tryon-Shoyinka), 2nd-year man Yaya Diaby and rookie Chris Braswell are all competing for those two outside linebacker spots, and none stand out as sure bets to be even above-average as pass rushing threats.
Yaya Time
Yaya had some gaudy sack totals for a 3rd round rookie last season, but his lack of high-level win rate speaks to some of those sacks being due to luck. Braswell has a promising ceiling, but his status as a rookie still adjusting to the NFL still leaves more of a question than an answer. And JTS… well, he is who he is. Super athletic, talented as all get out, but just can’t seem to put it together.
So, the pass rush room is incomplete, and lacking a true dominant threat.
Via Trade or Free Agency?
The question is, does free agency or the trade market have that much-needed boost available. And is it worth whatever cap space or draft capital (or both) required to get that upgrade?
The answer, in my opinion, is complicated. The easiest path is trading for and extending disgruntled Jet Haason Reddick, likely having to give up at least a 4th or earlier for the former Eagle.
But…
Then you have to factor in whatever money Reddick is demanding, as he’s holding out for an extension, leading to his trade request, which the Jets seem unwilling to fulfill anyways.
With all of those factors, is Reddick worth the investment, both in cap space and draft picks, even with his advanced age?
I don’t think so. The Buccaneers could win the division this year as is, with the NFC South still very much one of the worst divisions in football, and there’s no reason to sacrifice even part of their future for a marginal-at-best upgrade.
There aren’t any true impact players they could bring in remaining in free agency, making the options nonexistent. So while I do understand anyone’s trepidation about the Bucs’ lack of ability to get after the QB, I may not agree with any ideas in advancing this cause through giving up any future flexibility.
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