Just as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were preparing to earnestly move towards a big move at the NFL trade deadline, the Philadelphia Eagles may have altered the market to such a degree that Tampa Bay might not be as willing to meet the asking prices of many of the top available targets.
The Eagles made yet another trade before the deadline, sending a 2026 third-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for former first-round pick Jaelan Phillips. Philly needed a pass rusher to fix their below-average room, and Phillips more than fits the bill.
This deal is bad news for Bucs fans for two main reasons. First, and perhaps most damagingly, one of the best teams in the NFC in the Eagles managed to secure Phillips' services. Second, the ripple effects this will have on the trade market are going to be bad news for Jason Licht.
If the cost for a player who only has one sack is going to be a third-round pick, there's a very good chance that Jason Licht will be scared away by the asking price. Unless a veteran can be moved for less, the Bucs may be quiet in the next 24 hours.
Buccaneers may not trade for edge rusher after Eagles' Jaelan Phillips deal
Phillips may be one of those pass rushers who are a bit more disruptive than the raw sack numbers would suggest due to a respectable pressure rate, but he is still a step back from where he was prior to his 2024 season-ending injury. Still, he was able to go for a third-round pick.
With the secondary having improved from the beginning of the year to now and the poor linebacker play looking more like a problem that will be resolved in the offseason, getting some pass rushers that can supplement a battered and depleted offensive line is imperative.
While players like Miami's Bradley Chubb are still available, Tampa is likely not going to go all-in for a trade at this juncture. This may lead to some bargain bin shopping, which is not going to move the needle in what has become a very crowded NFC.
The Bucs' best chance at getting an edge rusher that could play an impact role in how the defense operates without some sort of ritualistic finger removal to bring him to town may have been Phillips, but the Eagles stole him from under Licht's nose.