The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to invest in their pass rush: The Bucs have just reached an agreement with the New York Giants on a trade by Defensive End Jason Pierre-Paul.
This is what NFL network insider Ian Rapoport and ESPN insider Adam Schefter report in agreement. According to Schefter, both teams exchange four-round picks as part of the trade, Tampa also sends its 2018 third round pick to New York.
Tampa Bay had one of the weakest, if not the most harmless, pass rush in the NFL last season, but schematically the Bucs rely on the 4-men front to generate pressure. Schefter also reported that Robert Quinn was also a candidate in Tampa. But in the end, the Miami Dolphins from Los Angeles got him.
JPP’s commitment is another step on the way to bringing more depth and more pass rush presence to the field: Tampa had previously played a suitable role with ex-Eagles defensive end Vinny Curry, Noah Spence will continue to play a role in the rotation. Pierre Paul’s contract still runs for 3 years, but from 2019 nothing is financially guaranteed. His cap hit for 2018 is $12.5 million.
From the Giants’ point of view, the draft becomes even more interesting: New York could now not only have a quarterback or Saquon Barkley in mind at position 2 – Bradley Chubb, by far the best pass rusher in the draft, could also be an option here.