The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need defensive upgrades. Could multi-time Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Bosa revitalize their pass rush and fortify the front seven?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need help almost everywhere on defense, and edge rusher is no exception.
Tampa, which finished 20th in scoring defense in 2025, has a solid edge in YaYa Diaby, but other than that, there are questions.
Tampa's second-best edge rusher in 2025 was Haason Reddick, who is a far cry from what he was as a player three years ago and, therefore, isn't likely to be brought back on a new contract.
The Bucs could always look to upgrade their edge position in the NFL draft, but since the team is looking to reclaim the NFC South and has several other areas of the defense that need addressing, signing a veteran would be the safer option, and would also leave the Bucs room to go after other needs in the draft. Perhaps most importantly, this is a strong year for free agent edge rushers.
Tampa has its share of free-agent options at edge, from the high-priced superstars (Trey Hendrickson) to the more realistic ones (Boye Mafe).
Then, there's Joey Bosa.
Bosa has been one of the better edge-rushing linebackers in the game for a long time.
The No. 3 overall pick out of Ohio State immediately lived up to his draft slot in 2016 by becoming Defensive Rookie of the Year. The next season, he made the Pro Bowl and returned four more times, with the most recent being in 2024. After that 2024 season, Bosa moved on from the Los Angeles Chargers, where he spent his first nine seasons, and joined the Buffalo Bills.
In Buffalo, Bosa was the best he's been in several years.
Per Pro Football Focus, he pressured the quarterback 54 times, his highest total since 2021 (Diaby led the Bucs with 62). Bosa also led the league in forced fumbles with five, which was also his highest total since 2021. Perhaps most importantly, Bosa was finally healthy. He played in 15 of Buffalo's 17 games, his highest total since -- what do you know, 2021.
Bosa is not the same player he was five years ago.
Bosa had 10.5 sacks that season, and had fewer than half of that this year despite playing 14 games.
But it's hard to argue he wouldn't make the Bucs better.
Had Bosa posted the same production for the Bucs in 2025, he'd have finished just a sack-and-a-half behind Diaby for the team lead.
Bosa also isn't the only free-agent defender Tampa is allowed to sign.
If they land Bosa and add, say, Devin Lloyd, it could make for a vastly improved front seven.
When the Bills signed Bosa, they paid him $12 million for a year. If the Bucs could get a similar deal, there's a good chance it would be worth it.
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