Getty Shaquil Barrett will miss the rest of the 2022 season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ losing streak combined with recent injuries could press the front office to get aggressive ahead of the November 1st trade deadline. Shaq Barrett has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with an Achilles injury, and Broncos star pass rusher Bradley Chubb is a player that could interest the Bucs as they look to replace their star pass rusher.
The challenge is Tampa Bay may have to give up a first-round pick for the star. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Broncos have already received trade offers for Chubb that included a first-round selection. If the Buccaneers opt to get involved in the Chubb sweepstakes, the team will likely be competing with the Rams.
“The Rams are interested in Broncos pass rusher Bradley Chubb, who’s near or at the top of the Rams’ wish list,” CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones wrote on October 30, 2022. “Chubb is currently on his fifth-year option, so the Rams would need to feel sure they could negotiate a long-term deal with him before making the trade.
“The Rams have told teams they’re willing to part with future first-round picks, but the Rams don’t have one in 2023 by virtue of the Matthew Stafford trade. That’s complicating matters because a team would be trading a blue-chip player for compensation they wouldn’t see for a year.”
What Would a Trade for Chubb Cost the Bucs?
Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger estimated that Chubb’s trade value is a 2023 third rounder, 2023 sixth-round selection and a 2024 fourth-round pick. If the Broncos are able to command a first-round selection as Schefter suggested, it would become more of a risky trade proposition for the Buccaneers.
Heading into Week 8, the Bucs held the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The Bucs would risk dealing a potential top-10 pick in exchange for Chubb.
The star pass rusher completed his four-year, $27.2 million rookie contract and is playing on the fifth-year option that Denver picked up which gave Chubb a $12.7 million salary for this season. With $3.9 million in available cap space, Tampa Bay would have to get creative to fit Chubb within the team’s current financial constraints.
Tampa Bay would also need to be prepared to sign Chubb to a lucrative new contract extension as the defender is slated to be a free agent in 2023. Schefter reported that Chubb’s new deal is expected be for “more than $20 million annually.”
Sometimes a player’s reported trade value does not always come to fruition as the Panthers were initially seeking multiple first-round picks in exchange for running back Christian McCaffrey, per Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager. Ultimately, the Panthers were unable to secure one first-round pick, instead agreeing to a package of future day-two and day-three selections from the 49ers for McCaffrey.
If we were Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, our trade offer for Chubb would center around multiple day-two selections similar to Spielberger’s suggested trade value. Chubb is arguably the best available pass rusher on the trade market and a solution that can be a potential long-term fit in Tampa. The former Pro Bowl defender has notched 24 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles through the first eight games of the 2022 season.
The Bucs Are Not Expected to Make a Big Splash at the Trade Deadline
Bradley Chubb gets home for a sack! #BroncosCountry
Despite the team’s losing streak combined with the recent injuries, NFL Network reported that the Buccaneers are not expected to “make a big splash move” by the trade deadline. Instead, Tampa Bay is looking to rely on getting several key players back healthy as adding a jolt for the stretch run of the season.
“The Buccaneers are in the middle of a 10-day break between games after another disappointing loss,” NFL Network’s insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo detailed on October 30. “Tom Brady and the offense need help on the offensive line, but who doesn’t? There just aren’t many options out there for anyone. At receiver, the Bucs still have enough talent to be successful and were encouraged by Julio Jones’ return to action on Thursday.
“On defense, the secondary has been ravaged by injuries the last few weeks — Antoine Winfield Jr., Carlton Davis III — though the good news is those players should be back soon. In fact, it’ll feel like a bunch of deadline acquisitions when they return. In short, don’t expect Bucs GM Jason Licht to make a big splash move in the next two days.”