Buccaneers Won't Pick Up Veteran Edge Rusher's Fifth-Year Option

Tampa Bay has picked up plenty of fifth-year options for their recent draftees, but Joe Tryon-Shoyinka wasn't so fortunate.

Dec 25, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (9) against / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers thought they had their future at edge rusher with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. And while they still might, it looks like he has just about one year to prove it.

The Bucs drafted Tryon-Shoyinka with the last pick of the first round in the 2021 NFL Draft right after they had won the Super Bowl, and he came into a starting role almost immediately. He hasn't quite lived up to expectations, though, and as a result, Greg Auman of FOX Sports reported Tuesday that the Bucs won't be picking up Tryon-Shoyinka's fifth-year option.

As expected, Bucs will not be exercising the fifth-year option for 2021 first-round pick OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Would have been $13.2 million for 2025. He has totaled 13 sacks in three seasons.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) May 1, 2024

The news shouldn't come as much of a surprise for those in tune. Tryon-Shoyinka has 13 sacks in three years, never netting more than five in any year of his playing career — decent production for a rotational player, but perhaps not for a starting edge rusher taken in the first round. Additionally, he's had some trouble defending the edge on run plays, but that's an area he's steadily getting better at.

Tryon-Shoyinka's role for 2024 remains to be seen. The Bucs drafting Chris Braswell in the second round of the NFL Draft in 2024, and EDGE Yaya Diaby already started eating into his snaps last year after showcasing some impressive prowess in the pass rush. If the Bucs mean for Braswell to be his replacement, Tryon-Shoyinka could find himself losing out on reps.

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