The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have used Tuesday's trade deadline to give themselves a clear direction.

The Bucs, despite their dismal 3-6 record, are only a half-game out of first place in the NFC South and are likely the current favorites to win the division.

However, even if the Bucs win the division, they are almost certainly not legitimate Super Bowl contenders as currently constructed.

That could have changed on Tuesday. There were several players likely available who could have been difference-makers for Tampa. The Bucs have a terrific, playoff-worthy defense that gives the team an identity. Unfortunately, outstanding defensive performances have been routinely wasted by a subpar offense that isn't holding up its end of the bargain.

Trading for someone like Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride could have been a game-changer for the Bucs' offense both now and in the future. Maybe he wasn't available. The current state of the Cardinals suggests he would have been for the right price.

If McBride wasn't available or was too expensive, Philadelphia Eagles TE Dallas Goedert could have taken Tampa's offense to a new level. The Eagles, at 2-7, have been selling all season. 

The Atlanta Falcons, tied with the Bucs in the standings, traded star safety Jessie Bates III. That should help ensure Atlanta won't be a threat for the division crown. One division rival down, two to go. 

The deadline was a perfect chance for the Bucs to show they believe in their roster, which entered the season with high expectations, and to be aggressive.

Instead, they did nothing.

If the organization doesn't believe this roster can contend, I understand. The team is 3-6 and likely more than a player or two away from contention. While anything can happen in the playoffs, making it worth the risk to get there, the Bucs likely believed it wasn't worth future draft picks.

In that case, the trade deadline gave them a terrific opportunity to start building the team into a contender in the near future. The Bucs have several players who could have brought back decent returns in a trade that could have helped improve the team's future ceiling.

If the Bucs weren't going to be buyers, they should have been sellers.

Instead, they did nothing.

Tampa's lack of activity at the trade deadline has left the roster with more questions than answers in the future.

If the organization doesn’t believe this roster can contend, what is the point of keeping it together,

That leads to some very difficult decisions the team will have to make next offseason. 

Will the Bucs really want to pay YaYa Diaby, who is in the last year of his rookie contract, $20-25 million per year on a new deal?

How about Cody Mauch? He is also set for free agency and likely to command $15-20 million per year, the going rate for a guard of his caliber. 

Don’t forget about Vita Vea, whose new extension guarantees him $24 million next season. Is keeping a DT who will be 32 years old a wise financial decision for a non-contender?

If the Bucs can’t contend now with those guys, how will they contend after paying Diaby and/or Mauch at least 10 times what they make this season?

If Tampa lets either walk, or decides to move on for Vea, not trading any of them at the deadline will look foolish. 

The Bucs' current roster is stuck in NFL purgatory. The middle may be the worst place a professional sports team can be. No hope of a title, and no hope of a top-5 draft pick to ride in on a white horse. 

The Bucs wasted an opportunity to either get better now or get better in the future.