Exiting a season without an eight-sack player for the fourth straight year, the Buccaneers attempted to take a big swing in free agency by being part of the Trey Hendrickson chase. The Ravens, after their Maxx Crosby about-face, ended up closing that market. Baltimore reneging on that agreement may have helped Tampa Bay land Rueben Bain Jr., with Jason Licht indicating during a Pat McAfee Show appearance the Raiders obtaining the No. 14 overall pick probably took an EDGE suitor out of the mix.
“Spytek, he and I are very close. He was taunting me a little bit, ‘Hey, we’re sitting right in front of you; I know what you need,’” Licht said of his former Bucs lieutenant-turned-Raiders GM (h/t the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin). “We’re all trying to help each other out here, especially the people that are good friends, so thanks, Spytek.”
Spytek worked under Licht before being hired as Raiders GM in 2025. The Raiders were all set to move Crosby’s $35.5MM-per-year contract off their payroll, and although the team signed Kwity Paye during the period where Crosby was all but certain to relocate to Baltimore, the team could have used more help at the premier position. (If nothing else, Spytek certainly appears to have needled his former boss about needing to trade up for a pass rusher.) Instead, Paye joins Crosby and Malcolm Koonce — re-signed before the Ravens’ seismic decision — in headlining the Raiders’ EDGE corps.
Keeping No. 14, the Ravens were connected to Penn State guard Vega Ioane. Ely Allen’s PFR mock draft delivered a direct hit there, and the move allowed the Bucs access to Bain. Tampa Bay viewed the Miami EDGE as a top-five player on its board and was eyeing ex-Bain Hurricanes teammate Akheem Mesidor in the event Bain was off the board. The Ravens keeping their pick after signing Hendrickson may well have helped keep Bain in Florida. Here is the latest draft fallout:
- The Cowboys and Dolphins agreed to a first-round trade that allowed Dallas to climb up one spot for Caleb Downs. That swap was agreed to late during Miami’s time on the clock, and ESPN’s The Pick Is In special (h/t David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel) included a note about the Dolphins initially declining the Cowboys’ offer to move from No. 12 to No. 11. Dallas initially offered a fifth-round pick to climb one spot; this did not move the needle for new Miami GM Jon-Eric Sullivan. As the clock wound down, the Cowboys offered a second fifth-rounder and potentially another pick to seal the deal. Jerry Jones did not view the Dolphins as a threat to draft Downs but worried another team could jump the Cowboys for the Ohio State safety, leading to Nos. 177 and 180 going to Miami for No. 11. Jeff Hafley said during an interview with Richard Sherman (via Yahoo.com) the Dolphins would have drafted Kadyn Proctor at 11 had no trade occurred.
- Staying with the Dolphins, they will obtain an additional 2027 draft choice. The 2025 Darren Waller trade sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Giants after the tight end unretired; a conditional 2027 seventh went back to Miami. The conditions were ultimately satisfied, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, and the Dolphins will hold an extra 2027 seventh-rounder from the Waller swap. Although Waller began the season late due to injury before being placed on IR twice last season, he caught 24 passes for 283 yards and six touchdowns in nine games played. Waller is not expected to return to Miami.
- The draft signing process annually moves slowest with second-round picks, with guarantees providing the holdup. Round 2 draftees continue to make inroads on that front. Last year, a host of second-round talents — due in no small part to Tyler Shough going 40th overall — secured fully guaranteed deals. This year continues that growth, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting No. 53 overall pick C.J. Allen received 83.7% of his contract guaranteed from the Colts. That is up from 75.4% at No. 53 last year (Buccaneers CB Benjamin Morrison). The bar for fully guaranteed Round 2 deals will undoubtedly move past No. 40 this year, and Allen receiving this mostly guaranteed pact will have an impact on players drafted shortly before him this year.