The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't playing on Thursday night, but that doesn't mean fans don't have a reason to tune in.
A few things could work in Tampa Bay's favor with the Los Angeles Rams losing to the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night. The most obvious is how it might impact a Cooper Kupp trade, or at least what his value on the market is.
So far there have been three wide receivers traded this season, with the most expensive being Davante Adams. The Jets gave Las Vegas a third-round pick that turns into a second based on how things go, and it seems to be the ceiling on receiver market value.
Amari Cooper went to Buffalo for a third and seventh while DeAndre Hopkins went to Kansas City for a fifth round pick that could turn into a fourth. The point is the value on receivers isn't nearly as high as the Rams think it is with what they want for Kupp, and a loss on Thursday night might alter their outlook on their asking price.
If the Rams lose it would send them to 2-5 and to the fringe of the playoff picture. There's still a chance Los Angeles could make a run, but at that point it might be better to start thinking about the future. Kupp's value right now is based on the Rams potentially still being in the playoff chance and a trade needing to be worth them giving up on that. Minnesota beating them takes that part out of the equation, and could make it easier for the Bucs to land him.
That being said, it could also make the market for Kupp even hotter with suitors and further box the Bucs out. Jason Licht loves his draft picks, and knows how to use them, which has long been a hangup in any speculation about a Kupp trade.
Beyond the trade rumor element, a Rams loss helps the Bucs in taking a potential Wild Card competitor off the board. Los Angeles is already behind Tampa Bay in the standings, but right now the Bucs can't take any precautions when it comes to forging a path to the playoffs.
Ideally they win on Sunday and retain first place in the NFC South, but a Wild Card ticket is a nice safety net to have. Los Angeles losing makes that a little less crowded of a room to try and stand out in.
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