Will the Bucs be buyers or sellers at the NFL trade deadline?

Tampa Bay is 3-4 and could still win the downtrodden NFC South division – and perhaps by a comfortable margin – with several winnable games coming up down the stretch.

Or the Bucs could continue their losing streak and see their season spiral out of control just as easily if they don’t get some momentum from beating a pair of rookie quarterbacks in back-to-back weeks. Tampa Bay faces C.J. Stroud and the 3-4 Texans in Houston and Will Levis and the 3-4 Titans at home in two weeks.

That makes it more difficult to forecast if general manager Jason Licht will want to add talent to the team via a trade to help bolster the roster – perhaps at running back, tight end or safety – or move on from a player or two to add draft picks for next year.

Bucs general manager Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It would be surprising if the Bucs make a move before Tuesday’s trade deadline at 4:00 p.m. ET. Trades often require draft pick compensation to go down, as player-for-player trades are very rare in the NFL. Licht is known for drafting well, especially in the early and middle rounds, and likely won’t even want to give up a middle-round pick as he deems them to be quite valuable.

One thing that Tampa Bay and every team has to consider when trading for a player is his contract status. Not even how much salary the player is owed for the rest of the season – keep in mind the Bucs only have just over $3 million in cap room left this year, which limits their options. For example, Tampa Bay can’t trade for New York Jets running back Dalvin Cook because he is still owed over $4 million in base salary and per game roster bonus money.

And in a case like Rashaad Penny, who is the fourth-string running back in Philadelphia, he will be an unrestricted free agent next year. If Licht trades even a late Day 3 pick like a sixth-rounder, the Bucs will need to be inclined to sign him to a contract extension for 2024. Otherwise they’re essentially renting a player for half a year for a Day 3 pick, which is very bad value.

Bucs Will Be “Listeners” At The Trade Deadline

Eagles RB Rashaad Penny – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs are not believed to be interested in trading for Eagles running back Rashaad Penny, who spent his first five years in Seattle after being the Seahawks’ first-round pick in 2018. The Bucs passed on Penny in free agency, and then he did not have a good preseason in Philly. Penny wound up on the depth chart behind D’Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott and has a history of getting injured.

In fact, the Bucs aren’t actively pursuing any players at the trade deadline, but will answer the phone and listen if another team calls Tampa Bay looking to deal a player.

“I think we’re listeners,” Bowles said. “It’s got to fit us and it’s got to come that way. We’re not looking to buy or sell, but we’re looking to listen. If anything comes about, we’ll take a look at it.”

The Bucs could use additional help at running back, tight end and safety where the team is young, inexperienced and in need of talent – not just this year, but also in the future.

Tampa Bay Isn’t Looking To Trade Away Any Players

The Bucs just don’t have a lot of players of value that other teams would be clamoring for outside of wide receiver Mike Evans, who is not going to be made available in a trade. Although Tampa Bay has not extended a contract offer to the 30-year-old Evans, who will be a free agent next March, the team has not ruled out re-signing the 10-year veteran – even if he hits the free agency market.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

Evans is in a contract year and is seeking a deal in excess of $20 million per year, which is what fellow Bucs receiver Chris Godwin is averaging. Even if the Bucs decide not to re-sign him in 2024, Tampa Bay would likely get a compensatory draft pick for losing him in free agency – perhaps as high as the fifth round in 2025 because he has accrued 10 years in the league.

With the Bucs still having a legitimate chance at making the playoffs and perhaps winning the NFC South for a third straight year, trading Evans, who leads the team with five touchdowns, would cripple Tampa Bay’s chances. Due to his age and salary demands, the Bucs might not be able to fetch more than a second-round pick for Evans at most. And that’s not enough for Tampa Bay to consider parting ways with him while the team is still alive for the postseason.

The only player the Bucs might consider dealing would be inside linebacker Devin White, who is unhappy with playing on his fifth-year option and is having a mediocre season at best. White, who requested a trade in the offseason, held out of the team’s OTAs and mini-camp but reported for training camp. But the fact that he’s a team captain and a favorite of head coach Todd Bowles makes dealing White unlikely.

White is the Bucs’ third-leading tackler this year and has one interception on the season with no other takeaways or sacks. His play against the pass and the run has been equally spotty this season, and he has some bad film as a result.

Bucs ILB Devin White and Bills RB James Cook – Photo by: USA Today

Tampa Bay likely won’t re-sign White, who was Tampa Bay’s first-round pick in 2019 and the fifth overall pick that year, in 2024, as he wants close to $18 million-$20 million per season after playing this year for $11.706 million. The Bucs might be wise to consider trading White now, but he’ll likely only fetch a late Day 3 pick as a result due to the inconsistent film over the last two years.

Despite his faults, the Bucs are probably stand a better chance of reaching the playoffs with White, who has five years worth of experience in Todd Bowles’ system, than without him. Like Evans, if White signs a big deal elsewhere, he could net the Bucs a compensatory draft pick in 2025.

If the Bucs were to deal White, they would likely start rookie SirVocea Dennis, a fifth-round pick this season, in his place at middle linebacker. Veteran K.J. Britt would be the backup.