Best Available Free Agents
March 12th, 2026
Desperate reach?
Joe is typing this here post just before midnight as Joe didn’t want to miss anyone getting signed at the top of the hour.
Needless to say, three days after legal tampering began, the Bucs’ needs may no longer be worth the cost in free agency. The Bucs have a crater at edge rush and Joe is of the mind the only way to fill that hole now responsibly is to trade for a guy.
Sadly, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht won’t have leverage so he could get taken to the cleaners. And “this Joe” is of the mind drafting an edge rusher for Todd Bowles is akin to lighting the draft pick itself on fire.
If you go by Gregg Rosenthal’s top-100 free agents, the best available edge rusher is a big name but a guy who makes Jamel Dean look like a standard-bearer of good health.
* Joey Bosa: Though very talented, Bosa is as brittle as they come. In other words, you’d have to sign an extra edge rusher just to be Bosa’s backup. Probably best to pass on Bosa.
* Arnold Ebiketie: A castoff from the Dixie Chicks, Ebiketie is the very reason Atlanta drafted two rookies edge rushers with their first two picks in last year’s draft. Joe’s confident he’s not the answer. And what’s it tell you that Dixie Chicks shot-caller Matty Ice decided to keep James Pearce, who is staring at felony chargers, and let Ebiketie walk?
* Al-Quadin Muhammad: Never before in his career has Muhammad, who will be 31 later this month, had more than six sacks — until last year playing for the Lions he had 11. Was that just because of Dan Campbell or did Muhammad finally figure it out? So why is an 11-sack guy looking for work? Joe thinks that should tell you all you need to know.
(Former Bucs edge rusher Haason Reddick and mouthy Cam Jordan are both rated by Rosenthal ahead of Muhammad, but, c’mon, Joe lives in the real world.)
More and more, Joe thinks Bucs fans better start mentally bracing themselves for Chris Braswell or a rookie to start at outside linebacker opposite YaYa Diaby.
March 12th, 2026 at 12:21 am
No mention of A’Shawn Robinson? Did you miss that signing? Lol
March 12th, 2026 at 12:25 am
Clowney wasn’t mentioned here????
Why not?
March 12th, 2026 at 12:31 am
Are there any Selmon grandkids anywhere in the world?
March 12th, 2026 at 12:35 am
I never bought into any of the hype about the Bucs making any big moves – they never do. Anywho, I’m not as convinced as others that edge is a huge issue. Yaya is a STUD and a STAR, if you don’t know that, you have no idea what you’re watching. Yaya is limited by Bowles awful super soft zone scheme that always allows opposing QBs to have an easy throw they can make if under pressure. When Bowles played man and blitzed, suddenly the Bucs defense could get pressure. It’s 100% a scheme issue.
The team has Walker coming back, and they were really high on him, and I think he is going to play really well next season. Plus the team is going to draft someone really high, probably in the first, and hopefully Licht has learned his lesson of not drafting developmental guys and will get someone with some production who is ready to play (I’m leaning towards Akheem Mesidor if he runs well at his pro-day – he should be ready to go day 1).
In any case, it doesn’t matter who you have playing EDGE if the coverage is so soft that QBs always have huge open windows available to them.
March 12th, 2026 at 12:59 am
Man at this point, keep them edge guys for leftovers. We need a first round receiver, if there’s one left. Gainwell is nice, same for everyone so far.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:01 am
My grandma wasn’t mentioned here