Writing The Ship: An Ideal Buccaneers Trade Target

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the market for a pass rusher. After the signing of Hasson Reddick last year didn’t pan out, the team will be looking for his replacement. Fortunately, they will have some options.

It is a deep pool of edge rushers in this year’s NFL draft. There are also a few names on the free agent market that make a lot of sense. Finally, there is also the trade market that could be explored.

We all remember when general manager Jason Licht traded a third round pick to the New York Giants for a 29 year old Jason Piere-Paul. It was the established pass rusher that the Bucs needed that helped take them to a Super Bowl. Don’t be shocked if we see Licht go that route again this year.

Obviously the biggest name on the market now is Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. He would be an outstanding addition and if the Bucs are willing to pay that price then there is no question that they should trade for him. However, there is also a more affordable option that I believe makes a lot of sense.

That is Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith. In terms of age, contract, price tag and talent, this lines up perfectly with where the Bucs are at. That’s what makes him an ideal Buccaneers trade target.

Highsmith has played six years in the NFL, all with the Steelers. In that time he has racked up 45.0 career sacks with 9.5 of those coming last year in just 13 games. It’s not crazy to say that at 28 years old he is in the prime of his career and that his next few years will be his best. And with two years left on his contract, now feels like the time to make this move.

The Steelers might be considering a revamp of their roster. With some key players getting older and the fact that they haven’t won a playoff game in nearly a decade, it might be time to reset things in Pittsburgh. And with star edge rusher TJ Watt on a big contract and Nick Herbig being younger and on a cheaper contract, it could be Highsmith as the odd man out in the edge rotation. 

This might be ideal for the Buccaneers. Having never been the number one pass rusher on his team, Highsmith might come cheaper than expected. Definitely cheaper than the price tag of someone like Maxx Crosby or Micah Parsons.

Despite not being the best pass rusher on his team, the Bucs would be happy to have him. He would have led Tampa in sacks this year despite missing a month of the season. Even if he isn’t a true number one guy, he’s still a massive upgrade to what this roster already has.

There is reason to believe that Highsmith could be a true number one pass rusher. Part of that is the addition of new defensive line coach Marcus West. West coached Highsmith in college and it resulted in an incredible leap in production, leading Highsmith to be drafted in the third round of the NFL draft. It’s unlikely that we would see the same type of jump in Tampa, but there is a track record of success with these two working together. 

Regardless of his coach or his role on the team, Highsmith is an established pass rusher. He’s had a career high of 14.5 sacks in a year and he’s very much in his prime. He might be at a lesser price than some of the stars of the league, but this is very much the type of pass rusher that the Buccaneers need.