Buccaneers Don’t Need Muhammad Wilkerson

The hot topic as of late has been various trade scenarios where

and draft picks are shipped off to New York and the Buccaneers would acquire

. This is a bad idea for the Bucs.

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You all know by now, I’m a huge advocate for trading Mike Glennon while the quarterback market is poor and the Buccaneers can capitalize with a known commodity. However, Bucs fans and some media members seem to think the right thing to do with Glennon is package him with draft picks in a trade for Jets for 26-year old defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. The Jets desperately need a quarterback and the Buccaneers desperately need edge pass rush, so this seems like a no brainer, right?

Wrong. And here’s why;

Wilkerson is a great player and the Buccaneers would be lucky to have him.

However, as we’ve said before, the Bucs are not one player away. They’re still trying to build a contender and have a long way to go on the defensive side, especially in a division featuring the Panthers. Giving up draft picks isn’t a good idea to begin with right now, but it’s especially foolish in a deal for Wilkerson.

Wilkerson is on a franchise tag deal worth $15.7-million dollars, meaning he is only under contract for one season. He will likely hit free agency in 2017, and we’ve seen the money thrown around to effective pass rushers on the open market. So that begs the question, why give up future building blocks for a one-year rental when you aren’t vying for a championship now? You just can’t do it. Wilkerson is not going to work out an extension when he knows what kind of pay day lies ahead. Nor should he. NFL players really get one shot at a major pay day, so why give that up if you don’t have to?

It’s far better for the Bucs to use their draft picks to continue on the trail Jason Licht has led them down. Yes, they have the cap room to bring Wilkerson in, but much like Robert Ayers, Wilkerson would be nothing more than a band-aid. A “one-and-done” player is counterproductive at this stage. It makes much more sense for Licht to keep those picks and take at least one, but probably multiple edge rushers in this draft. It gives the Bucs multiple years of affordable control over these players thanks to the rookie wage scale.

So yes, I understand the impact Wilkerson could have on this defense and what he brings to the table. But doesn’t it seem smarter to draft a player that stays under contract for a minimum of four years affordably than blow fifteen million on this guy? The Bucs have to build and build fast before Jameis Winston gets his astronomical extension that he is sure to garner being a quarterback. You don’t do that by trading draft picks. You do that by gaining picks and using them wisely.

Next: 2016 Draft Profile: DE Kevin Dodd

Licht needs to find a trade partner that will give a pick or a couple of picks for Mike Glennon, not a partner that wants some of Tampa’s picks in return for a Pro Bowler that walks come the end of the 2016 season.