After an 0-4 start, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked dead in the water, and even in a weak division, it appeared their chances of going anywhere were slim.
Well, fast forward to a little over a month later and the Bucs are back, baby! By "back", I mean they're 3-5, which is good enough to be atop or close to the top of the NFC South.
It also means that teams that might have been eyeing possible trade candidates in Tampa need to reevaluate and go in a different direction. A'Shawn Robinson was a player that teams had their eyes on and for good reason. Robinson has 22 tackles and one sack so far this season and could provide solid rotational depth for teams on the defensive line.
Bucs' turnaround could ruin other teams' trade deadline strategy
With the Buccaneers now within striking distance of the NFC South crown, don't expect them to ship anyone off. Lior Lampert of GMEN HQ, FanSided's Giants site, realized that Robinson would no longer be an option for the Giants due to Tampa Bay's sudden winning ways.
"Nevertheless, with Tampa Bay winning three of their past four games, including consecutive convincing victories over division foes, do they stand pat? Does their front office go in the opposite direction and add talent for a playoff push? Either way, the Giants can probably cross Robinson, who spent 2023 in East Rutherford, off their list of potential targets."
Other names that had recently been floated as trade candidates include Yaya Diaby, Chris Godwin, and Vita Vea. While the Bucs could still opt to move certain players if the price is right, it feels like a safer bet that Tampa will take advantage of the putrid NFC South, keep their key players, and try to compete for the division title.
Cameron Wolfe of ESPN seemed to confirm this notion. "Two straight dominant wins have pulled the Bucs out of expected fire sale mode ahead of the trade deadline, and they now appear more likely to stand pat and lean on their veteran roster in a tight NFC South race."
It would make sense if this is the route the Buccaneers took. Unless they can get a king's ransom for some of these players, why not try to win the division and see how far this group can take them?
Bucs' resurgence gives them a shot at NFC South title
It's been a pretty crazy turn of events for the Buccaneers, who, as mentioned earlier, appeared to be going nowhere early in the season. Thankfully, they're in the pitiful NFC South and now, after their recent winning streak, are right back in the thick of things.
Other teams won't be crazy about this but hey, life isn't fair sometimes. If the Buccaneers can take advantage of a weak division, a playoff appearance is absolutely possible. From there, anything can happen.
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