The Bucs did not land Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson in free agency – and for a moment, it stung.

But as general manager Jason Licht revealed during his Tuesday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, that miss could very well have reshaped Tampa Bay’s offseason for the better. After feeling “dejected” in the immediate aftermath, Licht now sees a ripple effect that led directly to the arrival of rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., a player the organization views as a potential “game wrecker.”

Jason Licht Shares That The Bucs Were Interested In Trey Hendrickson

Heading into the Bucs offseason, plenty of dots connected the team to Trey Hendrickson.

Ravens DE Trey Hendrickson – Photo by: IMAGN Images

It was more than just typical speculation. The veteran pass rusher checked multiple boxes – from his consistent double-digit sack production to his familiarity with the state of Florida, being born in Orlando, growing up in Apopka, to starring collegiately at Florida Atlantic University and maintaining ties to the state. Hendrickson’s fit more than made sense on paper, especially given Tampa Bay’s clear need for a proven edge presence. Which is why, as Jason Licht later admitted, the team’s interest in Hendrickson was not smoke.

It was real – until the NFL offseason took a different turn with one trade that did not happen triggering a league-wide ripple effect.

“Going back to free agency, when the Raiders and Ravens [Maxx Crosby] trade didn’t work out, I think that in some way helped us a little bit,” Licht said. “I was a little afraid that if the Raiders made that trade, [general manager John] Spytek and I are very close. He was taunting me a little bit, ‘Hey, we’re sitting right in front of you, and I know what you need.’

Raiders DE Maxx Crosby – Photo by: USA Today

“Then Crosby goes back to the Raiders, and the Ravens are sitting there again with their pick, and I know they love their edge rushers, too. That had me nervous. They took Vega [Ioane], which is an awesome pick… Maybe the fact that the Raiders signed [Tyler] Linderbaum helped us get Rueben, so we’re all trying to help each other out here. Especially the people that are good friends, so thanks, Spytek.”

With that trade falling through, Baltimore pivoted from Crosby to Hendrickson, swooping in to sign the 31-year-old to a four-year, $112 million deal with $60 million guaranteed. That led to them passing up on Bain to address the interior offensive line, but that was not all that Licht had to say about it, as he went on to volunteer more unprompted information.

“Hendrickson being signed by the Ravens – we were in on that a little bit,” Licht added. “Felt a little bit dejected at first, but now maybe it worked in our favor. Not saying Rueben’s better than Hendrickson, but I’m saying now we got our draft pick that we’re all excited about. Everybody is excited about the shiny new toy.”

Bucs OLB Rueben Bain Jr. Is “A Problem, Not A Prototype”

With Rueben Bain Jr. falling to No. 15 with other teams, including the Ravens, deciding to go in a different direction, he landed right in the Bucs’ lap.

Bucs OLB Rueben Bain Jr. – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Sam Navarro

Jason Licht told Pat McAfee that he waited about 15-20 seconds to see if any trade offers would come in before he could not help himself and sent the pick in. After being asked about Bain’s short arms and if they were seen as any kind of deterrent, Licht shared why he was more than comfortable taking a player who does fit the typical mold of an outside pass rusher.

“Everybody’s got a prototype,” Licht said. “And we kind of viewed him as a problem, not a prototype… We just saw him as a game wrecker at the college level. He still has to prove himself at our level; we’re excited to get started. If you can’t play with short arms, then obviously, the tackles in the ACC, Big Ten, and the playoffs they played in didn’t get that memo.”

From the onset, Bain’s role gives him the chance to be a key difference-maker along the front seven. He is expected to be the team’s No. 2 pass rusher behind Yaya Diaby, and those two paired with defensive tackles Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey create a promising pass rushing quartet heading into the season.

The Bucs showed last season that – at their full potential – they can compete with the cream of the crop in the NFC.

Starting 6-2 showcased the team’s ability and resilience to play through injuries early on before the downward spiral began. Nothing went right in the second half of the season, but Licht still believes this squad can turn it around and get back to a Super Bowl trajectory.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Scott Reynolds/PR

“Well, knock on wood, we have to stay healthy on offense,” Licht said. “Right now, we’re looking very good there. I think when we’re healthy, we have one of the better offensive lines in the league. Very, very happy with that. Last year, we went through a lot of injuries along the offensive line, had a lot of different combinations there with both tackles being hurt, Cody Mauch being out most of the year, Ben Bredeson being hurt at some point. Graham Barton, our center, was the only one that played every [snap] on the entire offense.

“To have that offensive line, to get that run game going again, and then keeping Baker [Mayfield] healthy, that’s going to make a huge difference.”

Should the offense get back to its high-scoring ways, much of the team’s success will hinge on the strides made defensively. Bain will play a big part in that equation, but so too will the returns of Kancey, outside linebacker David Walker, and all of the new signings and draft picks.

“Last year when we lost Calijah, that was huge,” Licht added. “We lost a rookie who we were expecting some really good things for the whole year [in Walker], and now with the additions we have made. We kind of made a bit of a concerted effort to add to that defense, get our pass rush going, and bring in some versatile pieces that Todd likes to use in blitz packages. It was one of those drafts where we were able to accomplish the things we wanted, which made me feel very good at the end.”

Tampa Bay did not land the proven veteran pass rusher they explored signing in Hendrickson. They did walk away from the 2026 NFL Draft with a player they view as disruptive, ascending, and capable of reshaping a defensive front.

Internally, there is no debate over how everything played out.

The Bucs fell short of landing Trey Hendrickson.

In Rueben Bain Jr., they may have found something more.