NFL Draft: Could the Buccaneers Trade Back Again?

How much would a team pay the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the guaranteed opportunity to take the next quarterback off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft?

That's the question Bucs general manager Jason Licht is surely entertaining at this hour as the second round draws closer with his organization holding the very first pick on Friday night.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager, Jason Licht

And it's the question Greg Auman of The Athletic posed in a post-first round column as well.

In fact, Auman presents 10 scenarios for the Buccaneers, all of them working out in a positive scenario for the franchise.

No. 1 on the list? Another trade-back targeting teams who would move up for a quarterback.

The Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, and NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons are all targets in this scenario.

For the Texans, a commitment to Davis Mills as the quarterback of their future likely only extends to 2022 as they begin building a roster they can one day drop a new passer into.

In Seattle, moving Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos signaled a change in command that promises to have profound impacts on both the AFC and NFC.

Drew Lock may be the top quarterback on the Seahawks roster for now, but that could all change with a move such as this.

Then the Falcons, a divisional rival, who needs a long-term solution after moving Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts.

Granted, Ryan wasn't much of a long-term answer himself, but unless Atlanta taps into some undiscovered potential in Marcus Mariota the Tennessee Titans, and Las Vegas Raiders both left unearthed, they'll need a new guy to look forward to.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

READ MORE: Gronk Status Updated

Which quarterback is the target in any of these deals is immaterial really. Bottom line is that trades to move up in the NFL Draft are oftentimes expensive, especially when they involve the selection of quarterbacks.

In Auman's scenarios, the Bucs move back of course, but also gain an additional Top 100 pick that could add rookies like Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert, Central Michigan offensive lineman Bernhard Raimann, or Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall.

Pretty good returns to allow one team to draft a quarterback the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don't want to take themselves.

For more on this and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!

Add us as a preferred source on Google