The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will end up cutting defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, a decision prompted by various different reasons.
First, there was the $13 million dollar payment that McCoy was set to earn in 2019. Cutting McCoy comes after the team failed to trade him.
Teams are reluctant to trade for a 30-year-old defensive tackle who has seen his production slip the last three years and is due $13 million dollars.
Should the Bucs be able to trade McCoy, the best that they would get in return would be a low-round draft pick.
Moving on from McCoy changes the draft plan for the team. The Bucs will be in need of a defensive lineman to take McCoy’s spot on the roster.
Right now, at No. 5, the Bucs could target LSU linebacker, Devin White.
With McCoy not on the roster, the Bucs will need to sign a defensive lineman or pick one up that is still available. With the Bucs being just $1.7 million dollars under the cap and needing $5 million dollars to sign the 2019 draft class, signing a defensive lineman does not appear to be an option.
The New York Giants would be the perfect trade partner for the Bucs. The Bucs would swap positions with the Giants, with the Giants getting the fifth pick in the draft, and the Bucs getting the sixth and 17th picks from the Giants.
The Giants are in desperate need of a quarterback to replace Eli Manning and this would ensure that the Giants could select one of the top quarterbacks in the draft.
Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State is who the Giants should (and could) select with the fifth pick, which would mean Devin White is still available for the Bucs at No. 6.
The Bucs could then use the 17th selection to pick a defensive lineman to take the place of McCoy. Montez Sweat from Ole Miss should be available at No. 17. Jeffrey Simmons from Mississippi State, Brian Burns from Florida State, and Dexter Lawrence from Clemson should also still be there when the 17th pick comes around.
These next couple of weeks leading up to the draft will be interesting in Tampa Bay. Defensive needs will continue to be the main focus for the Buccaneers in the 2019 draft.
