Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
Moving away from players that the Buccaneers already have on their team, one of the best ways to find a talented but cost-effective third wide receiver is in free agency or a trade.
Now that Tampa Bay has moved into a spot of national relevance, more players across the league may be more interested in coming to play with Tom Brady.
As far as Tom Brady’s targets throughout his career are concerned, all fall short of Julian Edelman when their chemistry is concerned. Edelman and Brady have won three Super Bowls together and developed a very close bond over the last decade.
The Bucs would have to trade for Edelman, but this isn’t entirely out of the question. He would likely cost more than the Buccaneers are willing to pay, but his chemistry with Brady is undeniable. It will also be difficult for the Bucs to balance Edelman and Godwin in the slot, but Bruce Arians is the coach to maximize talent across a team.
Demaryius Thomas, Free agent
While most of the free-agent well has dried up at this point or would be too expensive to play the third spot, Demaryius Thomas would be a cheap option that has a high enough upside if he can keep from getting injured.
Thomas’ best years are definitely behind him, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t still play even though he has bounced around the league for the last few seasons.
The best thing about this move is that Thomas would be extremely cheap. The most recent contract that he signed was for a quarter of what Breshad Perriman received and production was comparable. Perriman did haul in more touchdowns than Thomas, but the Bucs will still have many other options on the field.
Demaryius Thomas would be an excellent budget addition for the Buccaneers to give Tom Brady another veteran pass-catcher.