By: Jeremy Morrow
Bucs Report – Special to Sports Talk Florida
With the season upon us teams are scrambling to continually improve the 53-man roster and to look league wide to fill any last gaps they have before the first whistle. Every reporting agency is in a flurry to analyze trade candidates and roster cuts to pick up. With the Buccaneers being named twice in a recent article on Bleacher Report by Alex Kay titled “1 Trade Each Team Should Propose Before The 2024 Season“.
The Interior Offensive Line
Proposed in this article is the Buccaneers reaching out to the Ravens and sending a seventh round pick for offensive guard Ben Cleveland. With the main rational that the Buccaneers still have a weak offensive guard starting tandem and poor depth. Meanwhile, Cleveland is a third round pick in need of a new team in order to revive his potential.
While I do agree the team needs more depth at the interior offensive line I don’t see Cody Mauch and and Ben Bredeson as liabilities. Both have faired well so far in preseason and look to be better this season. As for depth, it seems lost on some that Robert Hainsey is a serviceable guard. He was forced into being the center last season. But outside of him Elijah Klein is still a developing guard, who in my opinion could one day be a starter. So I’m torn as to agreeing here. Especially once I look through the available free agents and there is no one of note to sign.
When we look at the draft capital to be given up and the cap space to be utilized it’s a new positive. A former third rounder for a seventh round pick for decent depth is not a bad trade off. Additionally he still sits on a rookie deal with a little over one million dollars in play. Leaving room on the cap for any additional signings.
Verdict: Not apposed, go ahead and bring him to Tampa.
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
Another name that came up in this article is Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Though his fifth year option has not been picked up and other players on the team continue to grow I don’t see the Buccaneers pulling the trigger on sending him somewhere. In the article it’s proposed that the 49ers send over a sixth round pick for him. The argument is solid on the 49ers end but the Buccaneers know they need him here still. I also see the declining of the fifth year option as an opportunity to put the pressure on him in a contract year and make a determination after. Force his growth if you will, even if Chris Braswell is the starter/replacement.
This is also not the time or place where Jason Licht likes to add draft capital. He likes to move players after the team’s season is done adding the capital before the draft. For example Carlton Davis was traded in March of last year.
Verdict: The trade will not and should not happen.
The Only Real Trade Option
We have gone over it before on Bucs Report and I’ll reiterate it here. Hasson Reddick is target number one. Given the length of the current stand out I do think this is where you move JTS. JTS and a fourth may very well pry the star edge player away from New York. Meanwhile the Buccaneers have some contract flexibility to utilize still that could make enough room for what Reddick is asking for. This in my mind is a game changing trade for the Buccaneers.
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