NFL Free Agency is right around the corner and each day we get closer the more robust the market becomes. The Los Angeles Chargers added to the growing heap of potential high-upside free agents by releasing five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Joey Bosa, a move that saves the team over $25 million and sends a top target to the open market.
Bosa's release should perk ears in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers front office. Heading into the offseason, the Bucs' top priority is fixing the pass rush, whether through the draft or free agency. The best route would be adding to the position using both pools and Bosa becoming available is, at the very least, intriguing and, at best, a potentially low-cost, high-upside option.
There's significant risk that comes with bringing Bosa in, but the Bucs would be foolish to overlook him just because he might not be the player he once was.
Joey Bosa is a high-upside gamble worth taking for the Buccaneers
In theory the idea of adding Bosa makes a ton of sense for the Buccaneers, as he fills a pretty big pass rush need. However, he's not the player he once was and injuries have held him back for most of this decade.
Bosa has only played in 18 games over the last three years, and hasn't played a full season since 2021. That's the dichtomy he presents, as the injuries are clearly an issue but when he's fully healthy he's a Pro Bowl-caliber player who has game changing ability.
He hits free agency with that he's not who he was tag, but that also makes a five-time Pro Bowler a potential buy-low candidate for a team like Tampa Bay. Bosa is not worth the $15 million he was making with the Chargers, but that doesn't mean he's not a player who could deserve that sort of money. He needs to prove his worth, which is an excellent position for the Buccaneers to exploit in a situation that could be mutually benefical.
Each season Bosa has been fully healthy he's finished north of 10 sacks, and he's only going to be 30-years old when the season starts. His best years might be behind him but that doesn't mean Bosa is running on fumes, at least not based on his production at his peak. It's a gamble to bring in an injury-prone player who might not play a full season, but there are worse lottery tickets for the Bucs to buy.
Bosa helps fill a need at edge rush but also gives Tampa Bay another veteran voice in the locker room. His upside is a guy who could make a Pro Bowl and turn in more than 10 sacks next season, which is something the Bucs' defense could absolutely use.
Whether or not the team gambles on Bosa is yet to be seen, but one thing is concrete: the pass ush market is flush. Tampa Bay needs to find help in that department and it seems like a perfect offseason to be searching for potential high-upside bargain buys on the market.
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