Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Three unexpected options with 32nd draft pick

Trading back and out of the first round

It’s honestly pretty astounding that this possibility isn’t discussed more, or being predicted in “expertise” mocks. It’s no secret that the Buccaneers are absolutely loaded across the board. They literally have no needs. Zero. Entering this upcoming draft, the Bucs are literally drafting for depth, and creating a glorified farm system at this point.

A big reason the Bucs’ magical offseason was the restructuring of deals and the signing of team-friendly deals that have salary implications down the line. While it’s great in the short term because let’s face it, we don’t know how long Brady actually has, it isn’t the best for the long term. This salary cap strategy can be described as “kicking the can down the road” when it comes to future cap hits.

This brings us to the draft. First-round draft picks command the most money out of the gate, and since the Buccaneers don’t have any pressing needs, they really don’t need to break the bank just yet on a first-round rookie deal. They will, however, have needs in a couple of years. When Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and other veterans eventually retire or sign elsewhere after (hopefully) a dynasty of rings in Tampa, the Buccaneers will have a lot of needs. Should they choose to trade out of the first round, it will give them valuable draft assets and capital to utilize in the years to come when they aren’t as fortunate as to draft for depth, rather plug holes.

While Jason Licht and company have masterfully spent this offseason perfecting their position to thrive in the short term, trading out of the first round could be the first step in benefiting the long-term.

At the end of the day, nobody really knows what will happen during the first round of the draft, but it is nice keeping these previously unexpected/slept-on possibilities in the back of our minds when it comes time for the Buccaneers to be on the clock at about midnight.