Best Available Free Agents
March 12th, 2026
Desperate reach?
Joe is typing this here post just before midnight as Joe didn’t want to miss anyone getting signed at the top of the hour.
Needless to say, three days after legal tampering began, the Bucs’ needs may no longer be worth the cost in free agency. The Bucs have a crater at edge rush and Joe is of the mind the only way to fill that hole now responsibly is to trade for a guy.
Sadly, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht won’t have leverage so he could get taken to the cleaners. And “this Joe” is of the mind drafting an edge rusher for Todd Bowles is akin to lighting the draft pick itself on fire.
If you go by Gregg Rosenthal’s top-100 free agents, the best available edge rusher is a big name but a guy who makes Jamel Dean look like a standard-bearer of good health.
* Joey Bosa: Though very talented, Bosa is as brittle as they come. In other words, you’d have to sign an extra edge rusher just to be Bosa’s backup. Probably best to pass on Bosa.
* Arnold Ebiketie: A castoff from the Dixie Chicks, Ebiketie is the very reason Atlanta drafted two rookies edge rushers with their first two picks in last year’s draft. Joe’s confident he’s not the answer. And what’s it tell you that Dixie Chicks shot-caller Matty Ice decided to keep James Pearce, who is staring at felony chargers, and let Ebiketie walk?
* Al-Quadin Muhammad: Never before in his career has Muhammad, who will be 31 later this month, had more than six sacks — until last year playing for the Lions he had 11. Was that just because of Dan Campbell or did Muhammad finally figure it out? So why is an 11-sack guy looking for work? Joe thinks that should tell you all you need to know.
(Former Bucs edge rusher Haason Reddick and mouthy Cam Jordan are both rated by Rosenthal ahead of Muhammad, but, c’mon, Joe lives in the real world.)
More and more, Joe thinks Bucs fans better start mentally bracing themselves for Chris Braswell or a rookie to start at outside linebacker opposite YaYa Diaby.
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