The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone far too long with a below-average pass rush, and the lack of excellence in that area is one of the main reasons the defense regressed and the Carolina Panthers walked away with an NFC South crown following what can only be described as a disheartening collapse.
The Bucs may need to swing big if they want to get the most out of the Baker Mayfield and Todd Bowles partnership, and the best way to give this pass rush the juice it needs is to go for broke by trading for Las Vegas Raiders standout Maxx Crosby following the Silver and Black's 3-14 season.
After years of losing, Crosby might try to force his way to a team that can give him a chance of at least being in the hunt for a championship. The Buccaneers will assuredly get former exec John Spytek on the phone, but they should hang up if he asks for the trade package ESPN's Ben Solak proposed.
In addition to acquiring the No. 15 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and a second-round pick in 2027, Solak also wants the Bucs to send wide receiver Chris Godwin away in a move that would make an already top-heavy roster even more unbalanced.
Buccaneers will need to avoid ESPN's bold Maxx Crosby trade
Trading away Godwin, especially at a time when this team could lose Mike Evans, could be a huge gamble, but if first-round pick Emeka Egbuka is as good as some believe he can be, that could possibly help mitigate the loss. However, the loss of draft capital is extremely steep.
Trading a No. 15 pick while also giving away a player of Godwin's caliber in addition to a second-rounder is far too steep for someone who is going to turn 29 this season and may only have a few elite seasons left in the tank.
Crosby, who made five straight Pro Bowls despite a lack of support around him, is still going to be the best pass rusher the Bucs have had in years. Trading for him would be a home run move for Jason Licht, but there is a fine line between making a savvy move and giving up the farm.
If the Raiders insist on a price like this for Crosby, which they may try to do as they try to get enough assets around projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, the Buccaneers would be much better off taking their business somewhere else.