Giants pass rusher could be a perfect trade target for the Buccaneers

It's been a whirlwind week of wild trades being made. Typically the NFL sits out the trade deadline chaos that happens in the NBA and MLB, but two Pro Bowl players have already been traded and we still have a few weeks left before the deadline arrives.

Both Amari Cooper and Davante Adams were traded to the Bills and Jets, respectively. This hasn't fully opened up the floodgates on more blockbuster trades, but it has kickstarted the rumor mill with those winds blowing around names like Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby.

That's rather significant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who badly need some help at edge rusher. Since Shaq Barrett was released and then retired, the Bucs have been searching for someone to fill his shoes and have come up empty.

We typically don't see the Bucs made trades, and when one happens it's always in the offseason. Given the hot start to the season and how well positioned the team is to competing for a Super Bowl, it's not the worst idea in the world to at least ponder who might be a fit on the trade market.

Buccaneers might be wise to target Azeez Ojulari ahead of the trade deadline

One name that makes a lot of sense as a potential trade target is New York Giants pass rusher Azeez Ojulari. CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan connected those dots, and made a compelling point, while looking at some players who could get moved ahead of the deadline.

"With Brian Burns and, when healthy, Kayvon Thibodeaux being the pillars of New's pass rush, Ojulari is expendable as he plays on the final year of his rookie contract. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers could use an extra pass rusher, and Ojulari has three sacks and four quarterback hits through six games this season."

Right now the Bucs hardly have any reliable depth behind Calijah Kancey on the edge. Yaya Diaby is a rising star but he's already started to deal with some nagging injuries while SirVocea Dennis has landed on IR. Randy Gregory was a ghost this offseason and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka hasn't yet fully taken off the way everyone was hoping.

To be clear, the Bucs don't have to make a trade in order to remain competitive. They've won four games and beaten some good offenses and did so without Antoine Winfield Jr. for most of the season. Getting him back is essentially like making an acquisition as it's impossible to overstate his importance.

Winfield isn't an edge rusher, though, and that's a part of the Bucs roster that remains a major liability. Making a trade now for someone like Ojulari would be more about ensuring there's depth in the playoffs rather than a Week 11 game against the Giants. It's not something that needs to happen, but it would be a move that almost certainly puts Tampa Bay in an even better position to compete than it already is.

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