Edge Rusher Is Going To Cost A Pretty Penny
January 16th, 2026
Edge rush shopping.
If you want to play, you have to pay.
The Bucs really don’t have a stout guy to fill the shoes of a football team’s second-most important position, who also is the most important player on a defense. That is an edge rusher.
Joe likes YaYa Diaby, but he’s not a stud. Joe considers a stud edge rusher to be a guy who can and has gotten double-digit sacks in a season.
And with the Bucs and coach Todd Bowles, Joe is dead-set against drafting an edge rusher with the No. 15 pick, which the Bucs have.
Bowles, since he became a full-time defense coordinator in 2013, is still looking to draft and develop his first stud edge rusher. So in Joe’s mind, that’s pretty much taking a valuable draft pick and lighting a match to it for 2026.
Instead, if the Bucs are serious about an edge rush, the Bucs will have to go the expensive route and get a free agent (unless Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht can repeat his greatest heist and find the next Jason Pierre-Paul for a third-round pick).
Unlike the Bucs in 2013 when they let Michael Bennett walk away for no good reason, teams don’t often let good edge rushers walk free on the streets. But the Eagles did it last year with Josh Sweat.
However, there is another element that’s going to make the Bucs’ search for a quality edge rusher expensive. Ben Fennell, an NFL Films researcher, notes there are as many as nine teams, including the Bucs, seeking a stud edge rusher this offseason.
So with all of those hunting for a gnarly edge rusher, that’s will just drive the price up.
Is it just me – or are there an alarming amount of teams that need serious EDGE help…
TEN, WAS, NOR, CIN, MIA, DAL, BAL, TB, BUF
And yes, I have zero clue what the plan is for Trey Hendrickson – or anything else going on with the Bengals roster
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) January 15, 2026
January 16th, 2026 at 12:16 am
Dunno why the Aints were called out on that tweet. They had two double digit sack dudes this year. First time in Chase Young’s career that hit double digits. We probably coulda had him on the cheap last year but not now
January 16th, 2026 at 12:16 am
Edge rush is great, but LBs make most of the tackles. ILB was our biggest need last year as it is again in 2026. Bowles loves to rush with inside guys too. They’re the play caller and nucleus of the defense. Lavonte is likely to retire and sirvocea has been cheap, commensurate with his skills. I’ll bet we go LB and DT in first 2 picks.
I agree with Joe the DE is better addressed in FA as well as TE. I’m open to Otton for good value, but Baker would benefit from an established TE on the field, with other young TEs on the roster. OL round 3, RB 4, another LB (inside or outside) 5, DB, P. Lock it in
January 16th, 2026 at 12:19 am
It’ll be interesting to see how good David Walker is. That guy that was supposed to bring us to a Super Bowl.
January 16th, 2026 at 12:21 am
But can the edge guy play corner?
January 16th, 2026 at 12:21 am
The Bucs have tried drafting and developing an edge guy with poor results. It’s time for Licht to stop being cheap and go all in on the 2026 season.
January 16th, 2026 at 12:39 am
Yes, the David Walker watch has begun. Unfortunately he was an old rookie. I believe he’s 25 turning 26. So hopefully there’s not much maturing that he needs to do aside from becoming a pro.
January 16th, 2026 at 12:55 am
Wait the Bucs trying to get an edge rush
January 16th, 2026 at 1:11 am
Would love Reese or Styles in the draft even if we need to trade up.
Get Philips or Oweh. Or one of Kay edge that will be free agents. But we need A Devin still in free agency and one of the Ohio State studs in draft.
Reese could be our Parsons type.
January 16th, 2026 at 1:38 am
Bowzo will never find another Plan 9.
January 16th, 2026 at 2:00 am
Very cost effective if you can find one who is not already washed or just playing out their last contract (Reddick and Randy no show) and can actually put up some serious sack numbers. That is next to impossible. Licht has managed to pull it off twice. Shaq and JPP. But..
Add to that the crazy defense. Todd wants OLBs who can cover and tackle in the run game. That is also hard to find.
Go Bucs!
January 16th, 2026 at 2:01 am
The Broncos have four players who have 7 sacks or more in their front seven. The Texans are owning opponents with nothing but blue-chip draft picks up there and the dumbest, simplest to teach and employ defense. Bowles has his voodoo, and smart players but his defense isn’t performing like the two teams I mentioned let alone anywhere Mike MacDonald has been since the pandemic. One pass rusher will not solve what ails the Bucs.
Why? The way MacDonald teaches his complex, very Bowles-like scheme. We can’t do links here but long story short on the MacDonald method: Teach coverages first, blitz responsibilities second, gap fits third and play names fourth. This allows him to employ any blitz or coverage out of any play or formation without it being confusing to his personnel. So he dictates to his opponents what they run and wins. It’s just that simple- but it’s sooo not.
We roll with who who we do- blame Licht, Bowles or lack of an offensive hot-shot or your mailman’s dog- whoever or all. The best we can hope for is a defensive staff who can break down scout film and build scout teams week in and week out and embrace the trends not in scheme but in teaching.
January 16th, 2026 at 2:27 am
Bowles needs to bring in an assistant who CAN develop an edge rusher. Maybe a great retired edge rusher who has the ability to teach.
Bowles will have the hottest seat among NFL coaches to start the season. If he wants to continue as a NFL HC beyond 2026, he needs to find a way to fix the defense.
January 16th, 2026 at 3:10 am
Why does Bowles still have a job? Do the Glazers not watch the Bucs games?
January 16th, 2026 at 3:16 am
Here we go rinse and repeat, spinning the wheels yet again. It has been established that the Bucs coaching staff can not develop an edge rusher. So no hope in drafting someone with the POTENTIAL to torment a quarterback with being coached up. Physically impossible to get to the qb when the coaching scheme has them dropping back in coverage. So where does that leave us? Make a trade for an established edge rusher? Won’t happen. They come at a premium and even if we do get one the scheme sets them up for failure right from the get go. Draft one? Pffft……..re-read what I already typed. They are set up to fail from the get go. Depressing time to be a Buc fan. 🙁
January 16th, 2026 at 3:43 am
Well at least I will save money next season. I’m not paying to watch this clown .
January 16th, 2026 at 3:58 am
Take the Seahawks route. Build from the back.
January 16th, 2026 at 4:21 am
Nine teams in need of edge-rushers and coaches too, and some of the teams are the same ones. Yes, we definitely have competition.
There are several good ones that may be in the draft. Wish list – Rueben Bain Jr. Miami. Can only hope he is there at number 15. There are other solid ones too. Enough to go around. The Bucs can do this. We need some other areas too; one being a backup QB out of the draft too. Might be a money year for the Glazers in order to build the team and coaching needs.
January 16th, 2026 at 5:05 am
Joes, you also said you didn’t trust Bowles to develop a QB, and he hired Canales who did such a good job he got a head coaching job with the team that won the division. after losing him, Bowles went out and got another OC who did such a good job HE was given a HC job and took that team from 4-13 to 13-4. So you were wrong about that, Bowles just never did it before, but that doesn’t mean he can’t. and yes I know Baker is not DEVELPING A QB but those OCs would have done just as good with a rookie don’t you agree?
January 16th, 2026 at 5:11 am
By pick 15 typically all the edge rushers with elite athleticism and very good stats+ are long gone. In an excellent linebacker draft, we may still be able to get a tier 1 LB or DT at 15. So it’s pretty good advice unless an edge drops.
January 16th, 2026 at 5:31 am
TB could care less for an edge rusher! He’s shown that for the last few years. And JL is batting ZERO on finding an elite edge guy, wasting a number of high draft picks trying to find one. Don’t see that changing in 26 with this same crew running the ship!
January 16th, 2026 at 5:33 am
Then, there’s always hope. We hope YA YA becomes a dominant edge rusher. Yep, here’s to hope. ROFL
January 16th, 2026 at 5:34 am
@rodmunch, you hit the nail on the head when you asked if “can that edge guy play corner?”.
I’ve even seen Vita Via back in coverage once or twice. I’ve seen Hall and Kancey back there occasionally too. None of those guys are outside linebackers but I guess that’s how our genius HC/DC fools people. Well, when Bill Arnsberger invented it and Dick Le Beau perfected it 50 years ago it DID confuse offenses. But it had to be done sparingly or it’s just a really weird defense with built in disadvantageous matchups that teams can plan for and exploit. Bowlzo does it constantly. The OLBs do it 20-25% of the time…each. Well, gee whizz. No wonder it leads to total thermonuclear meltdowns. The Glazers have to decide wether politically correct optics or meritocracy is more important.
January 16th, 2026 at 5:34 am
Bring back Devin White as a back up edge rusher.
January 16th, 2026 at 5:44 am
@joe you can’t not draft edges bc you haven’t hit on one it’s just like qbs keep swinging
No way Bain, Reese, Bailey. styles r there at 15 – best bet is Howell, Faulk (who I don’t want he’s like Mykell Williams from ly) Hill, Allen, or trade down and get R Mason Thomas (personal favorite I think he’s nick Bonito) or Romello Height
You’re gonna have to trade up for a stud bc DAL draft board looks just like ours
Sneaky pick would be Delaney or McCoy at 15 bc they swung and missed on Ben Morrison and burnt the bridge to Dean, both injured anyway and Zions too BORED to play
Or Licht will take that G from Penn St
January 16th, 2026 at 5:47 am
Not necessarily, Joe.
That is, if you know what you’re doing.
Maxx Crosby—Round 4
T.J. Watt—30th overall
Chris Jones—2nd round
Even Micah Parsons went 12th.
With 50-50 luck in knowledge you can find a diamond in the rough.
Problem with the Bucs? That number drops to 99% luck and 1% knowledge when drafting pass rushers. Combine that with Licht’s choir boy requirement and it’s no small wonder Licht can’t find one. He missed on most all those guys above.
January 16th, 2026 at 5:56 am
All of the teams, except Buffalo, pick before the Bucs. There appears to be a drop off after the top 4 Edge rushers (Bain, Faulk, Howell and Bailey). While not all 7 will draft a DE in the first rd, I expect the top 4 to br gone by #15 when the Bucs pick. The win over Carolina moved Tampa behind Dallas and Baltimore.
January 16th, 2026 at 6:13 am
Just wondering, were there a slew of top of the line edge rushers available for the Bucs to draft toward the bottom of the first round the last five years that I don’t remember?
If so, who were they and what player did we select, instead?
Most of the studs went in the top five picks with the exception of Parsons, who went 12th.
January 16th, 2026 at 6:45 am
I think we’re just as weak inside at DT. Pressure around the edge is fine, but with QBs like Allen, Maye, you better have someone in the middle or they’ll just step up, and throw, or run for tuddys. Can’t count on Kancey. Vea is on the downside, after that let’s face it, we have nothing. Roberts is Hall 2.0. Another college D end, converted by Bowles to be a DT. Not his fault, but he’s never going to be more than Hall. Need a Suh type to help the edge guys work. We are so lacking at DT. This defenses front seven needs a complete overhall, not just one edge rusher.
January 16th, 2026 at 6:54 am
There will be rushers heading for the gates if Bowles is still the HC.
January 16th, 2026 at 6:59 am
Atlanta spent two high draft picks on the d line and improved. the bucs should also, this draft had some studs and david walker will be back
January 16th, 2026 at 7:06 am
Cheaper to get a coach that can coach and develop players. I.e most of the rest of the league.
January 16th, 2026 at 7:23 am
Wow there’s just so much stupid in here.
Trade up from the 15th pick in the draft for an off ball LBer?!?! GTFO!!
Against drafting an edge rusher at 15? Why? Por Que?? Because JTS, who was drafted with the 32 pick 5 years ago, didn’t work out?! How many edge rushers have the Bucs drafted in the top 15 in the last decade plus??
If there is a stud edge rusher (there will be) there at 15, or even if you have to trade up a few spots, you draft them. End of story. Folks don’t let good edge rushers hit FA and if one does, there will be a huge bidding war and the Bucs will fall short.
January 16th, 2026 at 7:23 am
I have a feeling they won’t spend too much in FA this year. If they don’t find a pass rush in the draft this year then they won’t overpay a FA. Why waste future draft capital and/or cash on one player when the defense needs many players and a better DC of course.
We’ll probably see more of the same when it comes to the pass rush unless they find a diamond in the rough.
January 16th, 2026 at 7:24 am
At this point it’s unlikely that Todd Bowles is here in ‘27. It’s absolutely silly to dismiss taking a position because you haven’t hit on it before. It’s the same as if you’re staring at a game changer at qb but you pass because you e never successfully developed one before.
I would imagine the top of the top rushers are going to be gone by the time we pick so it’s probably irrelevant but if one might fall for some reason it’d be malpractice not to consider them if the player is far and away the best.
January 16th, 2026 at 7:42 am
What Scotty said–hit rate on edge rushers outside of the top ten is poor, like QB-ish. Either trade up or go the FA route. We have too many needs to waste more high picks on dudes like JTS and Braswell
January 16th, 2026 at 8:36 am
Not being able to develop JTS is hardly an indictment of Bowles or any coaching staff, not even of Licht. That was the COVID year…JTS didn’t even play his last season in college due to COVID leading to the UW cancelling their season. They went entirely on potential and they had to…. they picked so late that they had little else to go on. They gambled and lost. But that hardly proves that we can’t develop a top tier edge talent that was drafted high… not at all. That’s one guy… other than that… we drafted Adrian Clayborn over Cameron Jordan… which I thought at the time was a tremendous mistake. Jordan was bigger, faster, more productive, didn’t have a handicapped right arm, plus pedigree, and on top of it all… the icing on the cake, they were both invited to the Senior Bowl and both accepted. Clayborn later dropped out but Jordan went and absolutely dominated showing he was a true dawg… while Clayborn was just a Boy-Dog, as Raheem called him… very appropriate now.
January 16th, 2026 at 10:37 am
If there’s a DE/OLB at 15 thats rated high enough that will be the pick. I personally love Keldric Faulk, but I think they’ll have to trade up if they want him..
January 16th, 2026 at 11:00 am
wont matter the cost with dummy todd dropping him in coverage all the time….jeesh!
January 16th, 2026 at 11:00 am
i read on another site that the bucs did in fact fire the special teams coach that had significant responsibility for four of the losses and some of the names involved in replacing them.
i do not remember reading about it on jbf, and a google search didnt show any articles about it either. it coulld be me, but clearly i have a disagreement with all of the joes about the emphasis and priority this area needed.
i also am weary of these articles about edge to the extent they encourage wasting money on edge like we just did with reddick.
edge sounds great but what did it do for the packers. money for depth is more important imo, look at reddick, not only did we get nothing for the money but we had no depth down the stretch that badly hurt during the second half collapse.
maybe its about eyeballs for the public and those that sell to it, but i prefer winning.
January 16th, 2026 at 11:47 am
i thought we have Hasson locked up was he covering tight ends again
January 16th, 2026 at 4:24 pm
I’ve been hearing Bowles (and other teams that haven’t figured out how to draft/develop elite edge rushers) say the edge position is becoming less significant – and then I watch as teams like Atlanta use aging, immobile, begin bad o-lines, dissect us I. The waning moments of games.
We’ve GOT to have a legit edge – Maxx is worth the cost. As joe alludes, I don’t trust Licht or Bowles to draft one (they haven’t and won’t) – so the reality is there isn’t a 1st rounder better than Maxx out there right now. So the deal.
Barring that, Hendrickson should be the next target.
Get one of them. Draft an MLB AND get one in FA. We become an instant average NFL defense. Couple that to McDaniel as OC and the current talent (maybe an interior o-lineman in FA) this team could be trouble.
January 16th, 2026 at 4:32 pm
IF…Bowles was smart, He would go after Mike Tomlin and make him his DC. Let him develop an edge rusher. The guy knows how to suck the best out of C and B-type players.
January 16th, 2026 at 4:44 pm
Tomlin taking a year off at the very least, probably for good
January 16th, 2026 at 6:19 pm
Too late Bowls… besides, you will just drop them in coverage. We need someone to install a base Defense that is effective and reliable to which develops into a brand we can all get behind
January 16th, 2026 at 8:56 pm
Also im tired of hearing about Michael Bennett. The bucs were tanking.
Not a fair argument. Jason also jpp etc. His flaw isn’t dl.
January 16th, 2026 at 9:32 pm
TDTB Says:
January 16th, 2026 at 5:34 am
Bring back Devin White as a back up edge rusher.
———
I really don’t get what the hate is with Devin White, but he played really well last year, already know the system, and has the one thing you can’t teach and that this defense needs – SPEED.
White is also a great interior blitzer, why he’s not used that way, I don’t get – but when he was here, and just allowed to be a disruptor, that’s when he excelled.
In any case, he won’t be back – which make no sense since he probably wouldn’t be that expensive and he’s a great fit.
January 16th, 2026 at 9:36 pm
Fred McNeil Says:
January 16th, 2026 at 5:34 am
@rodmunch, you hit the nail on the head when you asked if “can that edge guy play corner?”.
————
Yeah, watching Nelson, who I doubt can break a 5.2 40, needing to blitz the passer in Buffalo, then bit rush stop what’s he’s doing to try to cover the RB out of the backfield on a deep ball – it’s beyond dumb, and clearly too much to ask out of a DE. Yet that was the plan for some dumb reason. And we see that too often.
I still contend, put LT in his prime in this current version of the Bowles defense, and he’s not getting double digit sacks. The coverage is way too soft and QBs always have someone to dump the ball off to if they sense trouble. A nice edge rusher coming in is just going to disappoint unless Todd goes back to the 2020 version of this defense.
January 19th, 2026 at 11:27 am
I am not sure just getting an Edge/OLB/DE is going to solve all the defensive problems revealed in the 2025 meltdown. I think there are several positions on the defensive line that need attention. Lavonte David is gone and he takes the role of defensive leader with him. You would be hard pressed to find a defensive leader in the draft regardless of physical and technical skills at the E/OLB/DE position. Free agency is the best option and GlazersLichtenstein combo need to open up those purse strings and stop being cheap. At least I get to look forward to 2026 being Todd Bowles final year in Tampa. Go Bucs. Go Canes. GB. Cheers.