Bucs Don’t Make A Trade – What It Means For Tampa Bay

The 2022 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and Bucs general manager Jason Licht didn’t make a deal.

So what does it mean? It ultimately means that Tampa Bay’s front office and coaching staff believes in the roster it has and the coaches – despite a disappointing 3-5 record. The Bucs are two games below .500 but still in the thick of the hunt for the NFC South title – and an automatic home playoff game – with a 2-1 record in the division.

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Licht didn’t pull the trigger on a trade for a player like Denver edge rusher Bradley Chubb despite losing Pro Bowl outside linebacker Shaq Barrett to a season-ending Achilles injury in a 27-22 loss to Baltimore on Thursday Night Football. Chubb, who has 5.5 sacks and was traded to Miami on Tuesday, is in the final year of his contract and will need a new deal in 2023.

The Bucs weren’t going to spend a 2023 first-round pick to rent a player like Chubb. Barrett has a salary cap charge north of $21 million in 2023, and the Bucs spent a first-round pick on Joe Tryon-Shoyinka just a year ago. Trading for Chubb would mean committing a large sum of cash to him next year, and where would that leave Tryon-Shoyinka’s development?

Tampa Bay could have also used help at tight end, but Detroit traded T.J. Hockenson to Minnesota. In fact, a slew of players – some big names – were dealt on the trading deadline, but the Bucs weren’t takers. The team didn’t feel that the price was right for any of the players that were acquired via trade.

Bucs Banking On Existing Players, Coaches To Turn The Team Around

So, now what?

The Bucs didn’t make any changes to their coaching staff, despite an ineffective offense that ranks 25th and is averaging just 18.3 points per game. Byron Leftwich will remain as the offensive coordinator and play-caller despite overseeing a unit that has struggled all season in point production, red zone scoring, third downs and short yardage.

Bucs OC Byron Leftwich and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs are counting on doing the two things head coach Todd Bowles has demanded of his team – playing better and coaching better. So far, that approach hasn’t paid dividends as Tampa Bay has lost three straight games and five of its last six.

Tampa Bay is looking at the schedule and seeing many struggling teams on the horizon, starting with a 3-4 Rams squad that just lost, 31-14, to the 49ers. Star wide receiver Cooper Kupp is dealing with an ankle sprain, but is expected to play. The defending Super Bowl champions are averaging just 16.9 points per game this season and struggling on offense just like the Bucs.

After that game, the Bucs travel to Germany to play the 5-3 Seahawks, followed by a bye week. Then, Tampa Bay travels to Cleveland to play the 3-5 Browns before hosting New Orleans (3-5) on Monday Night Football. The Bucs then travel to San Francisco (4-4) and host Cincinnati (4-4) ahead of a Christmas night game at Arizona (3-5). The Bucs will finish up with two all-important divisional games at home against Carolina (2-6) and at Atlanta (4-4).

With a schedule that features just one team with a winning record – Seattle – down the stretch, Tampa Bay is banking on beating teams with similar records. The only problem with that rationale is that the Bucs lost to two one-win teams – Pittsburgh and Carolina – in back-to-back weeks in October. Tampa Bay will likely have to finish 9-8 – perhaps 8-9 – to win the NFC South. That means going 6-3 down the stretch with the same roster and coaches that got off to a 3-5 start to the 2022 season.

It’s a bold move to stand pat and not make any trades to help the team. But really, the Bucs need to help themselves by simply executing better – with some better play calls thrown in.

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