There was at least one Tampa Bay veteran who drew plenty of attention before the NFL trade deadline, but the Buccaneers never got serious about moving him.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson had strong interest around the league. That makes sense given what Robinson has done since Tampa Bay signed him to a one-year deal this offseason. Through nine games, he has piled up 24 total tackles, one sack and two interceptions while giving the Bucs a real presence in the middle of the defensive line.
It also made him the kind of player a team in Tampa Bay’s position could have used to maximize value. The Buccaneers entered deadline week at 3-6, a record that left them in a strange spot: not good enough to be a true threat, but still close enough to the top of the NFC South to stay in the race. They’re only a half-game out of first place and still have a path to the postseason, including the chance to host a playoff game.
That kind of setup could have pushed Tampa Bay to add help for a second-half push. An offensive playmaker, for instance, might have given a struggling offense a lift and made the team more dangerous down the stretch. Instead, the Bucs chose not to give up future assets to chase a long shot this season.
They also passed on the other obvious route: selling veterans for draft capital and looking ahead. Robinson fit that mold perfectly.
He’s been one of the team’s better signings, and he’s the sort of player a non-contender usually cashes in on when the market is hot. Moving him could have also opened the door for fifth-round rookie DeMonte Capehart, who has been active for only one game and has yet to play a defensive snap.
Tampa Bay ended up doing neither. The Bucs didn’t buy, and they didn’t sell, leaving the roster intact and continuing forward with a group that has already shown its ceiling.
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Buccaneers Have A Post-Mike Evans Need They Cant Ignore
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Jeremiah Smith stands out as the rare blue-chip name in the group, but he is widely viewed as a player who will come off the board far too early for the Buccaneers to chase. That leaves Tampa Bay sorting through the next tier of options and weighing how much it wants to invest in a receiver who can help stabilize the offense for the next phase, not just fill a short-term hole. The fit matters here, because replacing Evans is not about finding one more pass catcher, but about finding the kind of receiver who can change how defenses have to play the Buccaneers. [Read more 🡒]