The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the market for stars to fill out their front seven, as the 2026 NFL Draft alone will not be sufficient to upgrade all the gaps in their defense following last season's horrible collapse. In addition to defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, the Minnesota Vikings are actively shopping edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.
ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news that the Vikings are open to trading Greenard this offseason. Minnesota seems to be blowing it all up after firing their General Manager following a futile season made all the more worse by watching elite quarterback Sam Darnold guide the Seattle Seahawks masterfully to a Super Bowl ring while the Vikes fumbled a talented roster.
Those talents are now ready to head elsewhere. Greenard will make $22 million over the next two seasons, which is exactly a respectable cap hit for a top pass rusher in his prime with 66 total pressures in the last two seasons.
Jonathan Greenard can help off the edge
A better edge defender than any of the players the Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently have, including YaYa Diaby, Greenard is a ripe trade target for the Bucs. Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders is obviously a player of a different caliber and the main dream target for fans, but Bucs GM Jason Licht is usually pretty averse to big trades like that. Greenard could be had for a more modest fee.
Hargrave would be an intriguing candidate to help beef up the defensive line further as more help for star man Vita Vea, but Greenard suits a bigger position of need off the edge. The Bucs could feasibly trade Greenard for a mid round pick and then sign someone like Odafe Oweh or Trey Hendrickson in free agency, and at a reasonable draft pick price in a trade with the Vikings, Greenard could be a more appealing supplemental option than 35 year old Los Angeles Chargers star Khalil Mack, who would probably want a high salary on a short term deal.
The larger point that Greenard being made available by the NFC North franchise brings up is that the Buccaneers have options off the edge this offseason and no excuses for not making sweeping upgrades to a defense that consistently put Baker Mayfield and the offense in irrecoverable holes. Greenard may not be a superstar, but he is way better than what the Bucs have and is a very achievable upgrade.