FAB 2. WILL BUCS TRADE FOR A RECEIVER?
CBS Sports insider Jason La Canfora caused a stir this week when he suggested that “Tampa Bay making a push to land a vet WR,” suggesting Tampa Bay would be willing to trade a draft pick and/or cornerback Jonathan Banks or Alterraun Verner for the right guy. La Canfora offered up the names of San Francisco receiver Torrey Smith and Chicago Pro Bowl receiver Alshon Jeffery as potentital targets for Tampa Bay.

Don’t expect a trade for either of those players to occur for a multitude of reasons. On the surface, it makes sense. The Bucs have a pressing need at receiver with Vincent Jackson being placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL and Louis Murphy suffering a setback in his return from his ACL injury from a year ago – although this injury isn’t related to his knee. Tampa Bay re-signed Donteea Dye, but head coach Dirk Koetter deemed him not ready for game day action after being inactive since August and put him on the practice squad.

Bucs WRs Mike Evans & Russell Shepard – Photo by: Getty Images

Aside from primary target Mike Evans, the Bucs have Adam Humphries, Russell Shepard, Cecil Shorts and Freddie Martino on the active roster. While Humphries and Shepard are capable receivers, only Evans scares defensive coordinators, so acquiring another starting-caliber receiver by the trading deadline, which is November 1, makes sense for Koetter and general manager Jason Licht.

Don’t expect it the Bucs to trade for Jeffery or Smith, though.

Smith has been a disappointment since signing a five-year, $40-million contract with San Francisco last year that included an $8 million signing bonus and $22 million in guaranteed money. Smith has already received his $500,000 roster bonus and his $1 million workout bonus from the 49ers this year, and is due just under $3 million of his $4.5 million base salary in 2016.

Smith is due $8 million per year over the next three years in the form of $6.5 million base salaries, $1 million workout bonuses and $500,000 roster bonuses each year. The 6-foot, 205-pound receiver has 4.4 speed that the Bucs crave on offense, but his production has dipped significantly since his days in Baltimore when he helped the Ravens win a Super Bowl in 2013.

Smith caught a career-low 33 passes for 663 yards and four touchdowns last year after recording a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2014, which was his final year in Baltimore. The Maryland product had four catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-17 Ravens win over the Bucs that year.

Smith’s most productive season came in 2013 when he had a career-high 65 catches for 1,128 yards, although he only scored four TDs.

The Bucs held Smith to just one catch for 17 yards in last week’s 34-17 win at San Francisco. The production isn’t there to justify the Bucs trading for Smith and his hefty contract.

Former Ravens WR Torrey Smith – Photo by: Getty Images

The Bears have shot down any rumors that the 26-year old Jeffery is on the trading block. At 6-foot-3, 218 pounds and blessed with a 4.48 time in the 40-yard dash, Jeffery has the size and speed the Bucs are looking for, not to mention his Pro Bowl credentials.

Jeffery had back-to-back seasons with at least 85 catches for 1,100 yards and scored a total of 17 catches from 2013-14. Injuries limited him to just 54 catches for 807 yards and four touchdowns in nine games last year, and he’s caught just 32 passes for 520 yards and no touchdowns through seven games this season.

The South Carolina product had three catches for 22 yards and a touchdown in Chicago’s 21-13 win over Tampa Bay in 2014. Jeffery missed last year’s game against the Bucs, which was a 26-21 Chicago victory.

Jeffery couldn’t reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension so the Bears put the franchise tag on him, signing him to a one-year deal worth $14.599 million in 2017. If the Bucs did trade for Jeffery they would have to likely pay a premium price and then negotiate a new contract worth at least $10 million per year or risk losing Jeffery to free agency in 2017. Tampa Bay isn’t going to rent Jeffery for 10 games.

The Bucs believe that Evans is a better receiver and will likely be working on a contract extension for him within the next year. If Tampa Bay is going to have one high-priced receiver, it’s going to be Evans – not Jeffery.

49ers WR Torrey Smith – Photo by: Getty Images

Licht and his scouts are keeping close tabs on the 2017 wide receiver class, and it’s expected that the Bucs will spend an early pick on a talented pass catcher with either size or speed – or both. That’s not to say that Tampa Bay won’t acquire a veteran receiver – it just won’t be Smith or Jeffery.

The Bucs tried out veteran Nate Washington this week and will be open to a trade regarding other receivers before Tuesday’s trading deadline, but very few in-season trades happen in the NFL due to not agreeing on compensation, so don’t count on it.

What about getting a draft pick for Verner or Banks, who have fallen down the depth chart at cornerback behind starters Brent Grimes and Alterraun Verner and nickel cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah? Verner is too expensive with the remainder of his $6.75 million base salary in 2016 and $6.5 million on the books for next year. Not many teams have that much available cap room right now, nor would they want to pay that to a backup cornerback.

Banks, a former second-round pick, hasn’t been a starter over the last two years and is in the final year of his contract. No team would want to trade a draft pick and then have to negotiate with a brand new player acquired in a trade who has fallen from favor within the organization.

When November 1 comes and goes there may not be any current Bucs going or new Bucs coming despite the need at wide receiver.