The San Francisco 49ers are expected to be without edge rusher Nick Bosa for the next few weeks, if not longer. Considering they are 2-0 and already entered the year thin at edge rusher, they might be looking to make a move to acquire an edge rusher. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started the year 0-2, and they have an edge rusher on the last year of his rookie deal.
If the Bucs plan to move on from Yaya Diaby after this year, they would have to answer the call if the 49ers were looking to acquire the fourth-year veteran, according to Parker Hurley of 49ers OnSI.
“Diaby is entering the last year of his rookie deal and has not started strong,” wrote Hurley. “Tampa Bay is 0-2 and could trade the edge rusher who has 19 sacks in his first three seasons.”
If the Bucs continue to lose and the 49ers continue to stay afloat without Bosa, the two sides coming together on a deal will begin to make more sense.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Could Trade Yaya Diaby in Last Year of Rookie Deal
After Diaby struggled in Week 1, calls for the Bucs to end all negotiations with Diaby arose. Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report noted that he expects some team to pay Diaby, considering he is young and productive. However, he does not expect it to be the Buccaneers.
“He’s got to put up some statistics; he’s got to prove he can get to the quarterback,” said Reynolds on the Pewter Report podcast. “If he has any more of these types of games, some team will pay him…there will be a team that will overpay Yaya Diaby, but if he keeps playing like this, hopefully it’s not the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
Diaby performed better, with three pressures in Week 2. However, he has yet to record a sack. Diaby recorded 7.5 sacks as a rookie and has not quite hit that ceiling in the two years since then.
Still, 19 sacks in three seasons will get him paid on the open market.
The Bucs are not going to keep him. If they keep losing, they are not playing for anything this season, which makes it easy to see them looking to recoup anything back in a trade. So, the fit makes sense.
49ers Need Yaya Diaby
Even if Bosa does not miss significant time, the team is pretty thin at edge rusher. Former first-round pick Mykel Williams is on the PUP as he recovers from an ACL injury. He did not return to practice this week, so there is a good chance he will not be ready to return at the earliest timeline.
Keion White has been a disappointment for San Francisco since they traded for him. Romello Height is a rookie who is struggling out of the gate. Beyond that, he is mostly viewed as a pass rush specialist.
Khalil Kareem was signed late in the offseason, and Ogbo Okoronkwo was called up from the practice squad. The 49ers need someone like Diaby. The question might come down to what the Bucs want back and how much the 49ers are willing to trade for a potential rental.
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