Wide Receivers the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Should Consider Ahead of Trade Deadline

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been on a slight downwards trend over the the last few weeks. After a 2-0 start to the 2024 season, the Bucs are 2-3 in their last five games, most recently a 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at home on Monday night.

The loss was disappointing, but there was more to unpack from a night the team would like to forget. Their top two wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both went down with injuries. Godwin received the short end of the stick, dislocating his ankle and will miss the remainder of the season. As for Evans, he suffered a hamstring injury and is going to be out until after their Week 11 bye.

With the NFL trade deadline set on November 5 at 4pm EST, the Bucs have some decisions to make. If they want to continue their quest for a fourth-straight NFC South division crown, they’re going to need some help. With the recent trades of Davante Adams, Amari Cooper and Deandre Hopkins, the wide receiver trade market is hot and the Bucs need to take advantage.

Cooper Kupp

Kupp has been the recent big name brought up in trade speculation. The veteran wideout suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 and hasn’t played since but is expected to return this week. Before the injury, Kupp had 18 catches for 147 yards and one touchdown.

Since his triple crown season in 2021, Kupp has struggled with injuries over the last few years. In that remarkable season, where he helped the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl victory, Kupp had 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s accumulated 152 catches, 1,696 yards and 12 touchdowns in the 23 games following.

Those aren’t bad numbers by any means, as the only concern here is his injury history. Kupp’s not getting any younger, as he’s currently 31 years old. However, a wide receiver of his caliber added to the Bucs offense could be a risk worth taking. The Kansas City Chiefs tried trading for Kupp before ultimately acquiring Hopkins, so it seems that other teams were willing to take the chance.

Darius Slayton

Slayton has been an underrated piece on the New York Giants since being drafted in 2019. He’s never eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark but has led the team in receiving in four out of five seasons. His streak won’t last, as the Giants drafted Malik Nabers in the first round a few months ago.

The main issue with Slayton is his timely drops. He already has four this season after posting only three in 2023. 2022 was his worst year in the category, dropping seven passes. Despite all of this, he has been the Giants’ best receiver during his time with the team, excluding this season. Not saying much given their poor offense, but in regards to the poor quarterback play and lackluster play callers he’s gone through, Slayton’s potential to contribute on a winning team is evident, the Bucs being an option.

Mike Williams

An injury-riddled 2022 and 2023 seasons prompted the Los Angeles Chargers to release Williams after seven years with the team. Seeing as he was amongst the top receivers available in free agency, the New York Jets jumped at the opportunity to bring in a big-bodied receiver for Aaron Rodgers.

The Jets are currently 2-5 and Williams has basically been phased out of the offense. They also recently traded for Adams to reunite with Rodgers, so Williams will become even more of an afterthought. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers were interested in Williams, another team also looking at wide receivers ahead of the trade deadline.

Williams has just 11 catches for 160 yards this season. The Jets will likely look to move him for relatively low compensation in return, so the Bucs could view this as a realistic option.