Defensive end Robert Ayers, the best pass rusher left on the free agent market, has a visit set up with the Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
With the Giants having agreed to deals with fellow ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon, it appears Ayers’ stint with 
Big Blue will end after two years. During those two campaigns, the 30-year-old appeared in 24 regular-season games and recorded 14 sacks. Ayers has registered five-plus sacks in three straight years, including a career-best nine (plus 18 quarterback hurries) last season.
The 273-pounder has primarily been a reserve in his seven-year career (five with Denver), but he has totaled double-digit starts three times (including 11 in 2015-16). For his work last season, Ayers earned a tremendous mark from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him eighth out of 110 qualifying edge defenders.
If Ayers signs with the Bucs, he’ll join a team that was middle of the pack in sacks last season with 38. However, none of Tampa’s edge rushers had more than seven. It might take upward of $10MM per year to sign Ayers, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report named that as his asking price earlier this week (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.