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
March 12th, 2026 at 5:19 am
Absolute travesty the way last years talent was wasted and allowing our number one need to go unfulfilled so long and the fact that repeatedly the Bucs have chosen to employ Todd Bowles when they have had every reason and chance to upgrade at HC and DC they have agin left Bowles in charge and we have no answers no edge and the cherry on top M1k3 left anyone else getting that lost decade feeling because I am at least then they fired coaches for not being good an uneasy time to be a Buccaneers fan
March 12th, 2026 at 5:27 am
It’s back to the Den of Depression………
March 12th, 2026 at 5:31 am
Todd Bowles, Assclown 2.0
March 12th, 2026 at 6:08 am
Todd Bowles is Lovie Smith 2.0…
Back to the ten year rebuild lol.
Literally not even wasting a second of watching this travesty next year. I’m more excited about the draft than the season. Haven’t felt that feeling in a while.
March 12th, 2026 at 7:06 am
Joe why is this regime so hell bent on Bowles? Is it contract, they don’t care again, or they actually believe he is the best option out of all that were available? I firmly believe him and maybe even our OC signing were a big proponent of Evans leaving. While he is older he imo with LVD were and still are the lifeblood of the Bucs the same way people like Brooks and Barber were. If they don’t want to be here after saying they wanted to just a few years ago what has changed?
March 12th, 2026 at 7:10 am
Rod Munch, man you are making alot of sense today. I think, hope Walker comes back healthy.&.has immersed himself into the way things get done in the NFL plus the Bucs play book on Defense. I like Mesidor also, hope he’s there at 15 & ready to roll. The other Buc FA signings aren’t terrible, the big D- lineman from The stinking Panthers could work out well for thghe Bucs. I do wish Bowles would hire or promote a DC playcaller , I really wish.the Bucs would hire a qualified DC who would install a better more aggressive type of Defensive scheme but I think they were BS-ing when they said that. Any way GO BUCS gotta keep the faith & hope for a talent improvement & not a good enough record to keep Bowles another yr. Its really gonna be tough to support the TEAM 100% & be pulling for the HC to be fired. GO BUCS FIRE THE CANNONS!!!!
March 12th, 2026 at 7:15 am
Bradley Chubb was the target we should have wanted all along. He’s the right combo of talent and youth, and is proven when healthy to be a game wrecker. You’re telling me we couldnt convince him to stay in FL instead of straddling the Canadian border in the state with some of worst weather and most punishing taxes in the country. Now we get to listen to the talking heads debate all the 2nd and 3rd tier guys we’ll look at signing. None of which will amount to jack squat. Did we forget that we cant scout, draft or develop DL talent either?
March 12th, 2026 at 8:29 am
All for the right rookie starting at OLB. In fact, would strongly prefer talented rookie to anyone on this list.
March 12th, 2026 at 9:19 am
JPP is still available.
March 12th, 2026 at 9:36 am
i think the robinson signing signals CK94 moving to the edge
GO BUCS!!!!
March 12th, 2026 at 9:53 am
Great article on the Bucs need to look in the miror. Yet they don’t get it. They could have signed Hendrickson , but no they wanted short term deal , so they lose. Like the article said they could have signed ME long term but didn’t because they like short term and ME said he wanted to be a Buc for Life. However, when you show your most dedicated player you really are not serious about winning, they drove him away. As we speak they have no real starting corners outside of Parrish, which is scary. Joe is right the team is now going backward while the Panthers are moving forward. Yes, really really hard to be a Bucs fan, because like ME I can’t see any plan or action to suggest they want to compete. I am beginning to be with ME, maybe time to look at a new team. Maybe I become a new 49ner, they have good coach, Lynch for a GM anb now ME. Yes That is a team that wants to win. Dear Mike I am sad the Bucs drove you away, a wake up call to all of us!!!
March 12th, 2026 at 10:32 am
Really surprised that RodMunch thinks the Bucs pass coverage is soft. Muncher has been pounding the table for CB, Jamel Dean, to eventually find his way to Canton HOF. Muncher has repeatedly stated for 3 years running how well the Bucs defense has performed. That superb defense effort led by Todd Bowles has been thwarted by Mayfield and his 95TD passes during his 3 year Buc career.
March 12th, 2026 at 11:10 am
Unfortunately signing Trey or Crosby is not the answer right now. This whole organization appears to be in trouble. I’m just so sry Bowels didn’t just retire and go out sooner. He needs to join his buddy Arians on the golf course.
March 12th, 2026 at 11:42 am
So scraps, expect another season of no pass rush.
March 12th, 2026 at 12:09 pm
Veteran DL Al-Quadin Muhammad is visiting the Bucs, per source. – Via Tom Peliserro
Joe! You spoke it into existence!
March 12th, 2026 at 12:10 pm
Boy I tell you what Licht and owners sure know how to get a fanbase excited
March 12th, 2026 at 2:12 pm
I’M DONE WITH THE BUC’S EVERY YEAR DUMPER DIVING COMES INTO PLAY ABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR, AND WHAT DO THEY GET? THE BOTTOM OF THE TRASH CAN, THIS TEAM IS LIKE A CAR THAT THRIVES ON USED PARTS WITH 100,000 MILES ON THEM …….8-9 AGAIN THIS COMING YEAR …….
March 12th, 2026 at 2:42 pm
Draft a Buckeye rusher.
March 12th, 2026 at 3:43 pm
The only reason we don’t sign Crosby and keep Bowles would be if we are tanking that’s the only thing I can think of the players wonder why we don’t buy out the stadium any more well this off-season and the off season for the past 4 years is why I did not renew my season passes ths year the way its going why show u pay hundreds of dollars just on parking and food and the tickets just to watch us get demolished by actual midling-contender teams Came last 6 uears Iordan f the saints was right a few years ago the Bucs will go back to the bottom of the basement in the NFCS and the way it’s being ran they are making sure he was right no sense has been used with draft picks FA pick ups extended talent that should be let go and letting go talent that should stay absolute travesty Glazers don’t care any more and the only way to show them we are frustrated is to stop going to these games stop putting more money in their pockets maybe they will get the picture but probably not absolutely wasted any kind of SB window we had for 6years+
March 13th, 2026 at 5:02 am
The Lions defijitely wanted to re-sign Muhammud, they just couldn’t pull it off. I saw lots of questions out there in Twitterverse as to why. People really angry with the team. 11 sacks is a LOT TO LOSE.
March 14th, 2026 at 4:46 am
Todd Bowzo Defensive Genius & the All Star GM has signed a one shot( so far) wonder. I really doubt we see him get better at the age of 31 but hopefully he can get his average of maybe 6 sacks. Then our rotation may get 25 maybe even 28 sacks per season. Now if he’s a good coverage guy they are in. Also we get the Bowzo Blitz