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4 Realistic Trades the Bucs Could Make Before the Deadline, Ranked by Likelihood
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- 4 Realistic Trades the Bucs Could Make Before the Deadline, Ranked by Likelihood
Two weeks ago, a fire sale in Tampa Bay looked possible. Then the Buccaneers won two straight, including a 16-0 shutout of the Falcons at Raymond James Stadium in which Baker Mayfield completed zero passes and the offense ran for a franchise-record 324 yards.
At 3-5 and climbing back into the NFC South race , the Bucs are now "more likely to stand pat and lean on their veteran roster," ESPN's Cameron Wolfe wrote in ESPN's deadline preview . Standing pat still leaves room for a move, and Tampa Bay has $15.2 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap . Before Sunday night's trip to Chicago, here are four deals ranked from the one that won't happen to the one that should.
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Nonsense: Vita Vea gets dealt to a contender
Oct 25, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers nose tackle Vita Vea (50) sacks Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Multiple teams have asked about Vita Vea, Wolfe reported, and the defensive tackle's name has hung around since his contract standoff this summer. Vea brushed it off this week, joking to reporters that the latest rumors were the first he'd heard of them .
The Bucs are reluctant to trade him, per Wolfe, and the money makes that easy to understand. Vea's 2026 base salary is only $1.3 million, but a trade would leave $28.18 million in dead money on Tampa Bay's cap, according to Over the Cap . A team that ranks 20th in sacks and just watched Jeffery Simmons land in Chicago isn't sending away its best interior lineman for a few draft picks.
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Unlikely: Chris Godwin Jr. heads to Kansas City
Oct 25, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. (14) runs against Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott (21) and defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) during the first half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
ESPN's Dan Graziano raised the obvious question about the Bucs' receiver room. Tampa Bay hasn't completed a pass on its past 15 drives, and he asked what the team is doing with all of those wide receivers if it never needs to throw. ESPN's deadline preview also linked the Chiefs to Chris Godwin Jr., who has 27 catches for 243 yards and no touchdowns this season.
Godwin's contract kills it. He is on a fully guaranteed $22 million base salary, and ESPN's Seth Walder noted a trade would likely require converting most of the remaining money into a signing bonus. The Chiefs have about $1.29 million in cap space, Tampa Bay would take on $27.91 million in dead money, and Emeka Egbuka has missed time, which leaves the Bucs thin at receiver if Mayfield has to throw again. Graziano's question is fair. The answer just isn't a Godwin trade.
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Realistic: Yaya Diaby moves before free agency
Oct 8, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) rushes the line during the game between the Cowboys and the Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Yaya Diaby is the Buccaneer drawing the most outside attention. Walder named him a target for Buffalo, noting the edge rusher's 97th-percentile pass rush win rate and three sacks, and Diaby is a pending free agent. Trading him would cost the Bucs only about $243,711 in dead money, so the cap side of a deal is clean.
Two things work against it. Wolfe reported that Diaby has a Grade 2 MCL sprain, which complicates any trade this week, and Tampa Bay's pass rush is the one hole in an otherwise strong defense. David Walker leads the team with four sacks, and rookie Rueben Bain Jr. is showing signs of a breakout , but moving Diaby makes that hole bigger. If the Bucs lose at Soldier Field, the conversation could change quickly.
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Likely: Dallas Goedert gives Mayfield a target
Nov 1, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (88) makes a catch against Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves (39) during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Walder's suggested target for Tampa Bay is Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert, and the numbers back him up. Cade Otton is averaging 0.9 yards per route run with 19 catches for 186 yards, while Goedert is at 1.8. SI's Albert Breer reported that Goedert is one of three Eagles on expiring contracts who could be had during a five-game losing streak in Philadelphia, and he ranks among the Eagles' top three in catches, yards and touchdowns.
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This is the type of deal a team standing pat can still make. Goedert is a rental, so he doesn't touch the 2027 books, and Tampa Bay has the cap room to absorb what's left of his salary without sending money back. A record-setting run game behind an offensive line that posted a franchise record needs a reliable play-action target, and a mid-round pick for a veteran tight end protects a playoff push without costing Jason Licht his future.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
