Buccaneers Urged to Trade for $26 Million Former First Round Pick
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hit the midseason point of the regular season with all of their goals very much still intact, and then some.
After surviving one battle after another, the Buccaneers are now 6-2 despite missing large chunks of their starting lineup for large chunks of games — thanks in large part to the brilliant play of quarterback and NFL MVP candidate Baker Mayfield.
With Mayfield, the Buccaneers have more often than not performed like NFC contenders on offense. On defense, it’s been another story. Not a bad one, just different.
On defense, the Buccaneers have been keeping their heads above water. They’re ranked 16th out of 32 NFL teams in total defense and done so without an elite edge rusher, an aging middle linebacker in Lavonte David and a middling, overpaid secondary.
Any infusion of talent — especially in the front 7 — would be welcome.
ESPN’s Ben Solak thinks that could come in the form of a trade with the Miami Dolphins for talented inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who currently leads the NFL with 85 tackles.
In Solak’s scenario, the Buccaneers would send the Dolphins a 2026 fifth round pick and safety Christian Izien in exchange for Brooks.
“A smooth coverage linebacker with great instincts and field sense, Brooks is one of the few linebackers in the league who can truly be trusted to carry a tight end down the field, or drop into the intermediate middle and not get bamboozled by route combinations or quarterbacks’ eye fakes,” Solak wrote on October 28. “Coverage linebackers in their athletic prime are rare and impactful players, and such a player is sorely needed in Tampa Bay.”
The NFL trade deadline is November 4. The Buccaneers have a bye in Week 9 and return to action at home against the New England Patriots on November 9.
Brooks Could Be Bucs’ Long Term Solution
Getting Brooks could end up being a formidable, long term solution for the Buccaneers — especially if David decides to retire after this season.
Brooks, 6-foot and 240 pounds, has been a tackling machine since the Seattle Seahawks drafted him in the first round (No. 27 overall) of the 2020 NFL draft.
He was a part time starter as a rookie in 2020 then became a full time starter in 2021 and he’s on track for his fifth consecutive season with over 110 tackles.
Brooks, who led the NFL with 109 solo tackles in 2021, signed a 3-year, $26.5 million free agent contract with the Dolphins in March 2024 and is under contract through the end of next seasons.
If the Buccaneers trade for Brooks and he turns out to be a good fit, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see him signing a similar deal to the one he’s on. The market for inside linebackers isn’t that robust and doesn’t usually re-set itself in a meaningful way.
Bucs Haven’t Gotten Great Results From Dennis
In 2023, the Buccaneers drafted SirVocea Dennis in the fifth round and while he flashed early, he missed 17 games due to injuries over his first 2 seasons.
While Dennis has become a full time starter in 2025, he’s also a liability in pass coverage. He currently ranks 70th out of 80 inside linebackers with a 45.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
Jets Lose Andre Cisco, Creating Need For Safety Help Now
The New York Jets got some bad news late Tuesday night.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Jets safety Andre Cisco is dealing with a pectoral tear that "needs repair."
"Jets safety Andre Cisco has a pectoral tear that needs repair, per source," Fowler said. "Cisco, who signed with New York in free agency, suffered the injury Sunday vs. Cincinnati."
With Cisco set to miss time, the easiest move to make in the immediate aftermath would be to move Tony Adams back into the starting lineup. Cisco and Adams began the season as the team's two starting safeties, but fourth-round rookie Malachi Moore eventually overtook Adams on the depth chart. There are options available on the open market who could help as well, like Justin Simmons.
Safety has been a question for the Jets for a bit. That's why New York went out and signed Cisco this past offseason to a one-year, $8.5 million deal. The 25-year-old started the first eight games of the season for the Jets and had 41 tackles and had a 68.8 percent completion percentage against him (11-for-16).
The Jets need to make a move
Now, that Cisco will miss time, the Jets should go back to the open market to make another move. That’s especially the case right now with the Jets having a bye week. New York has time to make a move and get a guy up to speed. The guy who should be a target for the Jets is Simmons. He hasn't signed with a team yet this season, but started 16 games for the Atlanta Falcons last season. Simmons logged two interceptions, seven passes defended, and 62 total tackles while holding opposing quarterbacks to a 59.5 completion percentage on 37 targets against him.
Simmons is just 31 years old and was an All-Pro as recently as 2023. From 2019 through 2023, Simmons was an All-Pro four times and earned two Pro Bowl nods.
It's somewhat surprising that a team hasn't given him a chance, but that could be a positive for the Jets. Losing Cisco hurts this defense. Adding a nine-year NFL veteran like Simmons could be the solution.
