Just a few weeks ago, the chances of Jason Licht and Tampa Bay Buccaneers becoming sellers at the NFL trade deadline seemed like more of a certainty than a possibility.

However, back-to-back victories over the Panthers and Falcons — the Bucs' first divisional games of the season — quickly altered the likelihood of that scenario coming to fruition. Not only were the Buccaneers 3-5 and undefeated in the NFC South all of a sudden, but the two teams they were chasing in the standings were no longer out of reach.

Although the Buccaneers were unable to defeat the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football less than 48 hours before the trade deadline, Todd Bowles' defense put together another incredible performance that (largely because of the atrocious play of Baker Mayfield) still wasn't enough to keep the winning streak alive.

However, with the Buccaneers looking like a defensive juggernaut and just one game outside of first place in the division to boot, it wasn't a surprise to see the team stand pat at the deadline in the end.

But what if they didn't?

Veteran Bucs Defender Had Strong Trade Interest From Other Teams

According to NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler, the Buccaneers had plenty of interest in one of their defensive players.

"The Bucs had strong interest in veteran defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson, but they rarely trade at the deadline and are still in the NFC South race."

Although there had been plenty of chatter about defensive players like Vita Vea and Yaya Diaby being possible trade candidates when the Bucs' were considered potential sellers, 31-year-old Robinson was the player who other teams were coveting most.

Robinson Has Been Better Than Advertised in Tampa

When Robinson was signed as a free agent in the offseason, there wasn't exactly a ton of fanfare regarding the acquisition. However, since joining the Buccaneers, there's no denying that the veteran DT has been one of Bowles' best players.

Beyond bringing a nasty edge to the field and vocal leadership to the locker room, Robinson has been extremely consistent and productive for the Bucs so far. Not only has Robinson produced 24 total tackles, one sack, eight QB pressures, three passes defended and two interceptions, but he's been very good against the run as well.

In fact, Robinson's 88.3 run defense grade is the second-highest among all interior defensive linemen in the NFL. His overall defensive grade is nearly as impressive at 85.8, which is the third-best mark in the league at his position.

It doesn't really matter now, but it's still interesting to learn that Robinson was one of (if not the most) desirable trade targets on the Buccaneers' roster ahead of the trade deadline. That being said, once you dive into the impact he's made on the field for his new team, it's pretty easy to see why.

It's also easy to see why the Buccaneers decided to keep him around. If the team hopes to make a push in the second half of the season to take control of the division and make the playoffs, they're going to need Robinson to play a big part in that. Just like he has so far.