On the defensive side of the football, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers must focus on getting mored edge help to create a better pass rush up front. What with Todd Bowles staying on as head coach, the best way to win back fans would be investing in the defense this offseason. That is why the Bucs are surprisingly linked to a former first round edge rusher of the Packers.
According to Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, Rashan Gary could be in play for a potential trade for the Bucs. By bringing him in, he would add much needed firepower to a group that already includes Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, and Yaya Diaby. He can also generate pressure from the outside, allowing guys like Vea space to work on the interior.
“Tampa needs to get more dynamic on the edge and Rashan Gary could use a change of scenery,” Ballentine wrote of Gary’s prowess. “The Packers brought in Micah Parsons, in part, because Gary didn’t live up to his contract. However, there are only two years left on his deal, and it would be easy manipulate the salary through an extension or adding void years.”
Why Rashan Gary Fits the Buccaneers’ Defensive Vision
This could be a move that ends up working out for both parties, as Packers fans grew discontent this season with Gary’s play and lack of effort. Still, Gary did not see a major drop off in production at all, matching the stats of his past seasons.
For the Bucs, this would likely be a win-now move, showing a statement of intent for the future of the franchise by acquiring a proven talent who is still young and hungry to compete for championships. Still, the potential problems with both the size of his contract and a potential cap hit could be significant.
Should the Bucs acquire Gary, they may want to restructure his contract to smooth out any potential impact the cap may have on them. After all, the Packers had extended Gary in 2023, but losing a year of that contract due to a knee injury was detrimental to their cap.
The Financial Risk and Reward of a Potential Trade
Gary is now slated to make 19.5 million dollars this year and 22.5 million dollars next year. However, with no guarantees left on the deal, the savings for the Packers with a potential trade could be intriguing.
The Bucs most important thing to remember in such a trade as this is that as the acquiring team, they could only part with a couple of late round draft picks and still be able to alleviate the cap hit. Wile some fans may be clamoring to build through the draft, Gary is still only 28 years old and has plenty of good years in him.
The bottom line for the Bucs is that the edge rushing market will be highly competitive and several teams may have more cap space than them to take big swings at more high-level players. With Gary, the Bucs could be getting a low risk, high reward kind of player.
Christopher Sheppard Christopher Sheppard is a passionate and knowledgeable sports journalist based in Englewood, NJ pursuing a role in the sports media industry. He covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, focusing on the Dolphins, Chargers, and Buccanneers. More about Christopher Sheppard
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