ESPN: A 35 Percent Chance YaYa Diaby Is Traded
October 28th, 2026
“Not poised” to pay YaYa?
Very interesting throwaway line in an otherwise juicy tidbit about a Bucs edge rusher’s value to the Bucs.
Did YaYa Diaby play his way out of Tampa Bay against Carolina?
Joe loves YaYa. Love the passion. Love the athletic ability. But let’s be real: He hasn’t done much of anything since his rookie year when he showed he could be a top-shelf edge rusher with 7.5 sacks.
And then Sunday at Carolina, YaYa blew up with the best game of his career, putting midget Carolina quarterback Bryce Young on his arse three times.
(Joe still breaks out laughing out loud recalling how Nick Saban conned Carolina strongman David Tepper into drafting Young No. 1 overall.)
If the Bucs hadn’t won so decisively over Carolina and YaYa hadn’t exploded the way he did, Joe was thinking the Bucs could have gotten YaYa on the cheap for a couple of years. YaYa’s rookie contract expires in February.
But with YaYa demonstrating to the NFL world that not only is he still alive, but he didn’t forget how to sack a quarterback, more than a few teams would want to invest in YaYa in free agency.
There is a reason edge rushers command so much money and it isn’t to stop the run. You can find some ham-and-egger from East Cornfield State with a sixth-round pick to do that. Getting to the quarterback is a rare art form.
And since YaYa woke up in Carolina (he previously had a grand total of one sack in his last 11 games), YaYa is now on the NFL radar again.
Perhaps this is why plugged-in Jeremy Fowler of ESPN seems to think it’s reasonable to believe Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht could move YaYa before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
Tampa Bay beat Carolina handily in Week 7, with Diaby exploding for three sacks. A loss would have put the Bucs at 1-6 and closer to dealing mode. Diaby, 27, is still on the radar, though, because Tampa is not poised to pay the 2027 free agent, and the emergence of second-year rusher David Walker (four sacks) gives the Bucs a natural replacement. Diaby needs a new contract, but an acquiring team could get a compensatory pick for him if he signs a substantial deal with another team in free agency.
Predicted chance of getting traded: 35%
Fowler’s phrase about how the Bucs aren’t overly motivated to re-sign YaYa tells Joe that the price for YaYa isn’t low (or it tells Joe the Bucs see both Rueben Bain and David Walker as full-time starters).
Like the rest of the Bucs, which is the real YaYa? The guy who got 7.5 sacks as a green-as-grass rookie? The guy who went wilding on a No. 1 overall pick? Or just an oversized corner the way he was used last year?
YaYa sure helped out the Bucs in more than one way last Sunday.
October 28th, 2026 at 10:38 am
No way Bowles breaks up the locker room. It’s Jason’s job to do the math and keep the band together.
October 28th, 2026 at 10:39 am
If the front office believes in Bain you trade Yaya. If they think Bain is a bust you must try and resign Yaya.
David Walker starts opposite.
October 28th, 2026 at 10:39 am
Hope so would like the draft capital.
October 28th, 2026 at 10:41 am
Not if Carolina loses tomorrow and Tampa wins sunday!
October 28th, 2026 at 10:42 am
No way. He’s one of our better all around players and a good locker room guy. Have him play out the year, and offer a fair deal in FA. If he wants to stay, he stays. The guys who should be on the block are Goedeke and Winfield. Id take a bag of gym socks for either of them, if someone is willing to take those albatross contracts.
October 28th, 2026 at 10:42 am
SOLD !
To the desperate playoff team
Sunday was a FUN respite from the MISERY!
The fundamentals of the suits and coaches under the roof @ OBP has NOT changed.
Did not help the big picture with the win on Sunday
Collect future draft picks!
I hope the Bucs draft high enough to get the QUARTERBACK of the future.
Play Baker in 2027 and then trade him.
October 28th, 2026 at 10:44 am
Sell high. Maybe that’s why Walker has had reduced snaps? The Bucs wanted to get YaYa rolling so his value is a bit higher when they trade him?
October 28th, 2026 at 10:44 am
there is a 37.5% chance fowler is an idiot.
October 28th, 2026 at 10:48 am
Sometimes these guys just gotta write something before their deadlines. Nope. No way he is traded.
October 28th, 2026 at 11:00 am
Damn, it’s a cold business but a business nonetheless. Yaya and a 5th for Tyler Warren?
October 28th, 2026 at 11:08 am
I thinnk it depends on how Mayfield plays going forward. If it looks like we need to draft a QB, Licht might start building draft capitol
October 28th, 2026 at 11:15 am
bonehead Jason Licht is allergic to trades – once he drafts a player , especially with a premium pick, he’ll keep him – Licht points to the DAL & CAR games and says , “see, we have the players – we have the talent – they just need to be motivated. Let’s give them more money.”
October 28th, 2026 at 11:18 am
A loss to Atlanta should move that percentage up to 100% because they will not be able to afford YaYa because of the Baker contract. Keeping Cody is more important than YaYa.
October 28th, 2026 at 11:18 am
Bain has become the OVER HYPED NEW THING….what happened between training camp and today??? Joe’s were giddy and hyping Bain as the Miami Mauler, turning out right now as the Miami Milquetoast.
I am pulling for the guy, I hope he explodes but like I said way back during training camp, he was being set up to be a big disappointment with all the hype that was going on. It seems like this team has to much potential on the defensive front line to not have successful Edges
October 28th, 2026 at 11:26 am
Bucs have won 2 out of 3 and should’ve won 3 straight. There are 10 games left and Bucs are improving.
Now is not the time to quit on this season.
October 28th, 2026 at 11:40 am
What would the compensatory pick be for Diaby if he left in free agency? Late day 3 in 2028? Licht should entertain offers but I bet he sits on his hands.
October 28th, 2026 at 11:43 am
How many mid-season trades has Licht made?
None that I can recall. This is not even 35%.
October 28th, 2026 at 11:44 am
Short sighted. YaYa & Bain could be 2 solid DEs in a 4-3 defense because they both go 270 lbs. Walker fits the 3-4 better than he does the 4-3 (shorter & lighter).
None of us know at this point what 2027 holds. New HC? New DC? 3-4 or 4-3 defense? Worse thing we can do is burn our bridges BEFORE we get to the other side.
October 28th, 2026 at 11:51 am
Played his way off the team? Do not say that out loud in the lockerroom. You might get 20 pro bowlers
October 28th, 2026 at 12:08 pm
It surely won’t be a new HC/DC. If anything, Bowles might go old school and assume OC duties as well, especially if Robinson gets pass happy and tires out the defense.
October 28th, 2026 at 12:16 pm
Out of the 3 sacks by Diaby, only 1 was legit. The other 2, Young tripped over his leg when he was laying on the ground and the other he got pressure and waved at him and grazed him with his finger tips and Young turtled and when down with Kancey falling on top of him.
October 28th, 2026 at 12:19 pm
The problem I consistently see with Licht is he’s always been to eager to resign his own guys to the point he overpays for average play. Dean, Davis, McCollum….all ok/capable but weren’t difference makers. IMO….we grossly overpaid for what Godwin has delivered on this last deal….Yaya seems to be the same. You can’t pay Yaya upper tier money for single digit sacks….whether that’s due to ability or how he’s used, it ultimately comes down to impact and he disappears for weeks at a time. Personally i think he thrives in a 4-3 but that point is mute as long as Bowles remains the HC.
October 28th, 2026 at 12:21 pm
We have 2 important games before the trade deadline. Lose both going into the bye at 2-7, and we could still have a fire sale. Win both no one is going anywhere including Todd. If we split the more important game is Atlanta.
October 28th, 2026 at 12:51 pm
I haven’t studied film, but it seems to me like Yaya gets most of his sacks using a bill rush. I haven’t seen much of a repertoire from him. If that’s correct, it’s pretty sad that he hasn’t developed more. Seeing a limited upside. Man, I hope I’m wrong!
October 28th, 2026 at 1:17 pm
Bucs should trade Winfield
is morrison on IR?
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 28th, 2026 at 2:11 pm
Yaya has to go. He finally woke up vs Carolina but do not see it as a trend. Also, ok to move VV. Not sure who would take Vita with his large contract. He also has been way too inconsistent.
October 28th, 2026 at 2:40 pm
If the Glazers want Bowles back, they won’t trade good players away from him. If the Bucs trade a few players, that’s a sure sign Bowles is gone – either at the bye or after the season.
October 28th, 2026 at 3:27 pm
Um, wouldn’t we get compensatory pick if Yaya signs a substantial deal with another team too?
Since answer is yes, then the juice wouldn’t be worth the squeeze.
October 28th, 2026 at 3:57 pm
Let’s see what happens the next two games. The Bucs are.
October 28th, 2026 at 6:11 pm
The odds Foeler gave for each of the players he listed seem ludicrous. Of course, saying “40 percent chance” when the odds are more like two percent is easily defensible because he can always say he technically predicted they would not be traded.