NFL Trade Deadline: Bucs Get Worse Before Browns Game
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 1 – 6 coming into this Sunday’s game with the Cleveland Browns. The NFL Trade Deadline came and went yesterday and the one win Bucs got worse by trading away two former starters from their defense.
First they traded Jonathan Casillas, who had started much of the season at linebacker, to the New England Patriots. The Bucs have the 23rd ranked run defense and the 30th ranked pass defense. Casillas limits their depth which could impact special teams.
Then came the big trade of former Top 10 pick Mark Barron. The safety out of Alabama was sent to the St. Louis Rams for 4th and 6th round picks. That is a small amount for a player that should have been a dynamic, Pro Bowl caliber player after being drafted so high only a few seasons ago, 2012.
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So far this season Barron’s fit with Lovie Smith’s Tampa 2 defense has been questioned. Barron is a in the box type safety which doesn’t often work in a system where they are expected to play deep. That could mean that the Bucs defense will be improved but losing that amount of talent is tough to overcome.
In seven games with the Bucs, Barron has 49 tackles with one fumble recovery and three passes defended. Not enough impactful plays for such a high pick.
Expect the Browns to test the Bucs in the run game as well as the short passing game to try to take advantage of these moves. Playing two previously winless teams followed by a one win team is great for the Browns. The Bucs trading two former starters off their defense makes it that much better.
How big of an impact do you think these trades have on this week’s game?