Would the Tampa Bay Buccaneers consider trading Yaya Diaby this offseason?
It’s highly unlikely — and if they did, they’d be making a huge mistake.
Diaby has reached at least seven sacks in two of his three NFL seasons, and has been the team’s most effective pass rusher. The Bucs finally made a major investment into the pass rush this offseason, signing Al-Quadin Muhammad and drafting Rueben Bain Jr.
They’ve finally addressed their biggest weakness, at least on paper, but a recent trade proposal has the Bucs undoing their pass rush upgrade and trading away Diaby.
Yaya Diaby is a key piece of Buccaneers future, not a trade candidate
FanSided’s Jake Beckman recently named a potential trade target for all 32 teams this offseason, and landed on Yaya Diaby for the Seattle Seahawks.
“If they wanted to trade for Yaya Diaby, they certainly could. It sounds like he wants to get an extension and stay in Tampa Bay, but after drafting Rueben Bain Jr. (and if he’s the player it seems like he will be), the Bucs are pretty set with brutalizing pass rushers,” Beckman wrote.
“If Seattle tosses a high-end draft pick their way, it’s going to be hard for them to say no.”
It’s an interesting thought experiment. Diaby is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is set to hit free agency next offseason. He’s projected to earn in the $18-22 million per-year range on his next deal.
If the Bucs are unwilling to pay that hefty price tag and discover they can land a premium draft pick rather than letting him walk for nothing, it could be worth pursuing.
But Diaby not getting extended in Tampa Bay shouldn’t even be in the realm of possibilities. He’s been an impactful young player, and he’s just now finally getting help with another promising edge lined up across from him.
He is also on his way toward stepping into a leadership role in Tampa Bay, and looks to be a key cornerstone of the future both on the field and in the locker room.
For Seattle, it makes sense why they’d want to target a player of Diaby’s caliber, but the Bucs would be foolish to consider letting him out the door.
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