The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a shot at competing for the NFC South crown, but the Atlanta Falcons have officially put themselves in the pole position. Atlanta's 31-26 Week 8 victory against Tampa Bay not only pushed them to 5-3, but they have now swept the season series with Tampa.
Jason Licht and the Bucs will certainly be active at the NFL Trade Deadline, but the heat needs to be dialed up a notch after the flaws on this roster have been exposed. The offense needs one more playmaker, and the defense needs a high-impact addition after weeks of getting consistently shredded.
The injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have made the offense just a tick less efficient and explosive. While Todd Bowles deserves to be held accountable for the defense regressing the way it has, he also doesn't have the personnel he needs to make big changes.
These three players are all on rebuilding teams, and they can all be had by Tampa Bay if Licht is willing to beat other teams out there to the punch. While the Bucs may not be a Super Bowl contender right now, Licht could throw away a very real division title shot if he doesn't improve this roster.
3 emergency trades the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to make before the season slips away
3. CB DJ Reed, New York Jets
The Jets are 2-6, and they need to start moving into fire sale territory if they want any shot at being anything other than a doormat last season. With some big money set to be handed out to players like Sauce Gardner and Breece Hall, Reed is a veteran who is likely playing his final season with the Jets.
While often overshadowed by Gardner, Reed has consistently been rated as one of the best No. 2 cornerbacks in the league. Coming from a team that likes to run a ton of zone coverage, Reed's fit in Tampa Bay appears to be quite seamless from the outside looking in. Reed would start right away and instantly become an impact playmaker in Tampa's scheme.
2. WR Mike Williams, New York Jets
Williams is in a similar spot, as he is not on the same page with Aaron Rodgers. The Buccaneers may look for players that are similar to Chris Godwin, who is out for the season, as opposed to Mike Evans cloned, but getting Williams and Evans alongside one another could be a golden ticket for Tampa Bay.
Rolling with those two vertical and red zone threats on the outside and the 1-2 punch of Jalen McMillan and the suddenly white-hot Cade Otton makes a ton of sense. As far as finances are concerned, Williams is on an expiring contract. The Jets could surrender Williams for pennies on the dollar, which is great news for Jason Licht.
1. EDGE Josh Uche, New England Patriots
The Patriots, despite their win against the Jets, are looking to sell players for more picks. Why else would Uche, one of their best pass-rushers, not suit up against the Jets while healthy? Uche hasn't always put it all together in his pro career, but his talent is so immense that Tampa would be foolish not to consider bringing him in.
A versatile player who can drop back in coverage and use speed to bend the edge, Uche would be an immediate starter on a Buccaneers team that is lacking pass-rush talent. Uche has been bounced between roles and schemes in New England, and Bowles might be able to find the best version of Uche by giving him some structure and organization.