The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at least, are trying to stay in the mix when it comes to being potential NFC contenders.
Not trying very hard, by all accounts, but still trying.
The Buccaneers reportedly made an offer to trade for disgruntled Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat this week, but were turned away for trying to lowball the Cardinals.
“Yes, the Cowboys did call on Sweat yesterday, but were turned away,” Packers reporter Easton Butler wrote on his official X account on Tuesday. “TB sent an offer of a 4th, but were denied. Sweat wants Green Bay, and if that fizzles out, the Eagles are his #2.”
It might sting for the Buccaneers and their fans if Sweat ends up with another NFC team — likely the Green Bay Packers or Philadelphia Eagles — and he could have been in Tampa Bay in exchange for a 2nd-round or 3rd-round pick.
Sweat Tops List of ‘Likely Summer Trade Candidates’
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti put Sweat on his list of likely summer trade candidates on June 1.
Sweat’s main beef with the Cardinals seems to be that they’re terrible. They went 3-14 in 2025 and fired head coach Jonathan Gannon, who was Sweat’s defensive coordinator on the Eagles.
“Sweat remains away from the Cardinals this spring, despite entering Year 2 of a 4-year, $76.4 million free agent contract, leading many to believe that he is seeking a trade out of Arizona, who appear headed backwards in the standings once again,” Ginnitti wrote. “The 29-year-old posted a career-high 12 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in 2025 … Here’s the issue. The Cardinals have already exercised a $7,220,000 option bonus for the upcoming season, a payment they’ll be forced to take on even if they process a trade in the coming weeks. This obviously makes Sweat an even more attractive trade candidate to acquiring teams, but the asking price will need to increase in order to account for this retained salary.”
Bucs Missed Out With Lowball Offer for Josh Sweat
Sweat has so much to offer the Buccaneers in terms of experience and talent that it’s disappointing they would lowball the Cardinals with a 4th rounder — embarrassing, almost.
Consider that, with Sweat, the Buccaneers could have had not only 1 of the NFL’s most dominant and underrated edge rushers, but a proven winner.
Sweat played his 1st 7 seasons with the Eagles and played in 2 Super Bowls, leading his team to a Super Bowl win following the 2024 season — a year in which he also led his team in sacks.
For the Buccaneers, Sweat could have served a dual purpose as an astute mentor to rookie edge rusher and 1st round pick Rueben Bain Jr., who dropped to the Buccaneers at No. 15 overall after concerns over his arm length and off-field issues.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski gave the Buccaneers a rare “A+” grade for drafting Bain.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just made a statement,” Sobleski wrote. “The organization waded through all of the noise and landed an elite prospect. Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. was an every-down disruptor the past season. His power to rock blockers is an absolute joy to watch. Then again, too many allowed one number to blur the evaluation.”
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