The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are facing some difficult personnel decisions this offseason involving outside linebacker Yaya Diaby and right guard Cody Mauch, who are currently playing out the final year of their rookie contracts.
Diaby and Mauch were once viewed as cornerstone pieces for the future of the team, but through the first quarter of the 2026 season, their performances haven’t been worthy of long-term contract extensions.
There’s plenty of time to change the narrative and prove their worth to the organization, but if the season ended today, both Diaby and Mauch would hit free agency without a new deal from the Buccaneers — and it would be a fairly easy choice to make.
Buccaneers' Yaya Diaby and Cody Mauch are both regressing in a contract year
Diaby was the team’s long pass-rushing threat for his first three seasons with the team. Despite having no viable pass rusher on the opposite side, Diaby was a pressure-generating machine and led the team in sacks in two of his three seasons.
After the Buccaneers overhauled the defensive front this offseason, with additions including Rueben Bain Jr., Al-Aquarian Muhammad and A’Shawn Robinson, Diaby seemed poised for a breakout year with a strong supporting cast around him.
Yaya Diaby’s regression as a pass rusher is one of the most disappointing developments of this season.
— Josh Crysler (@josh_crysler) October 5, 2026
Through 4 games, he’s got six pressures, but zero sacks. His PFF pass rush grade ranks 109th/110 edge rushers.
Diaby is in a contract year and was a prime breakout candidate… pic.twitter.com/8q9YTBcz4h
Instead, he’s seemingly regressed with a concerning lack of production through four games. Diaby continues to be strong against the run, but he’s generated just six pressures through four games, and hasn’t recorded a single sack. Pro Football Focus ranks him the second-worst pass rusher in the NFL through four weeks. That’s simply not a player the Buccaneers are going to invest in, especially given his hefty market value that is estimated around $18.1 million annually per Spotrac.
Cody Mauch hasn’t been much better. To be fair, Mauch had been playing at a Pro Bowl level before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 2 last season. He’s evidently a bit rusty upon his return, and there’s still hope he’ll be able to get back on track down the stretch.
Mauch is graded as PFF’s 67th-ranked guard out of 74 qualifying players, making him a bottom-tier interior lineman. His pass protection hasn’t been great, with 11 pressures and a sack allowed, but the real issue lies in his abysmal 35.5 run blocking grade, which ranks second-worst at his position.
Pewter Report’s cap expert Josh Queipo estimated Mauch’s market value to fall between $17-19 million annually. That’s a price tag the Buccaneers will have to pass on if he continues to struggle.
With Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea being extended early ahead of their contract years, Diaby and Mauch are now Tampa Bay’s biggest impending free agents. So far, they’re making it easy on the Buccaneers to move on in the offseason.
Add us as a preferred source on Google