Getty Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sent a clear signal to former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka when they declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract on May 2.
The next signal for Tryon-Shoyinka might be a move to another city.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine included the fourth-year outside linebacker on his list of potential trade packages for NFL players who need a fresh start.
Ballentine’s proposed trade sends Tryon-Shoyinka and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick.
“The Steelers’ primary needs might be at wide receiver and corner, but edge depth is a sneaky spot for improvement,” Ballentine wrote. “T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith obviously do the heavy lifting, and Nick Herbig will eat up some snaps, but the Steelers don’t necessarily have a replacement for what Markus Golden gave them last season.
“Tryon-Shoyinka would have the opportunity to learn under a coaching staff that has helped Highsmith become a productive starter alongside a superstar in Watt.”
Tryon-Shoyinka Falls Short of Expectations
Tryon-Shoyinka, 6-foot-5 and 259 pounds, was the No. 32 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft and his fifth-year option would have paid him $13.2 million in 2025. He’s played in all 17 games each of his three seasons and started a career-high 16 games in 2022 but saw that number drop to 12 games in 2023.
The bigger number for Tryon-Shoyinka is 13.0 sacks through his first three seasons. Those numbers were put in stark contrast after 2023 third-round pick YaYa Diaby, who also plays outside linebacker, led the team with 7.5 sacks as a rookie.
“There’s more to the position than sacks, but (Tryon-Shoyinka) has only 13 across three seasons,” Ballentine wrote. “His pressure rate has actually been better than you’d think, but it took a dip in 2023. After posting a 13.2 pressure percentage as a rookie, he was down to just 9.1 last season. That would explain why he ceded snaps to YaYa Diaby, who put up 7.5 sacks in his rookie year.”
In just financial terms, the investment in Diaby and younger players moving forward makes either trading Tryon-Shoyinka or letting him become a free agent after this season become a no-brainer decision. Tryon-Shoyinka is scheduled to make $2.1 million in 2024 while Diaby is set to make just under $1 million.
Draft Shows Buccaneers Moving On From JTS
The Buccaneers selected Alabama edge rusher Chris Braswell in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2024 NFL draft. It’s another clear sign they’re moving on from Tryon-Shoyinka.
Braswell, 6-foot-3 and 251 pounds, led Alabama with 3 forced fumbles to go with 42 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 8.0 sacks, returned an interception for a touchdown and blocked a kick in 2023. Braswell left school with one year of eligibility remaining.
“Braswell chose to stick it out at Alabama rather than transferring and was rewarded with a productive final campaign,” wrote NFL analyst Lance Zierlein. “He doesn’t play with great technique or anchor as an edge-setter and is average in taking on in-line tight ends at the point of attack. As a pass rusher, he gets off the ball with good burst and uses a variety of moves, speeds and angles to create opportunities but needs to add counters to his approach.”