Is Anthony Nelson On Cut Watch?
February 27th, 2024
OLB Anthony Nelson.
This would surprise Joe if the Bucs cut Anthony Nelson.
The outside linebacker is a nice guy off the bench and a spot starter. But he’s not good enough to justify a salary over $5 million, types Frank Schwab of Yahoo!
In looking at potential Bucs moves prior to the draft, Schwab thinks both Russell Gage and Nelson are prime targets to be cut.
Why they might be gone: Gage missed last season with a torn patellar tendon and is due $13.35 million against the cap in 2024, money that could go to re-signing Evans. Nelson, meanwhile, is scheduled to make $5.4 million next fall and is less impactful than other defenders the Bucs might want to bring back.
Here is why Joe doesn’t think Nelson will be cut. The edge rush for the Bucs sucks. And today the Bucs cut their sacks king, Shaq Barrett.
Yes, rookie outside linebacker YaYa Diaby showed serious flashes that he may be that guy the Bucs need so badly. But after he was named a starter, Diaby cooled off. Is that because of the rookie wall or did teams get a book out on him?
Until the Bucs find an edge rush, Joe isn’t sure Nelson is expendable. No, Nelson is not good enough against physical offenses for Joe’s taste. Still, Nelson does provide a reliable spark off the bench. He had three sacks last season.
Joe thinks Nelson falls under the Raheem Morris saying of, “I will tolerate you until I can replace you.” The Bucs simply don’t have the edge rush to afford to wave Nelson goodbye.
February 27th, 2024 at 9:06 am
Agreed!
February 27th, 2024 at 9:25 am
Gage will probably go bye-bye but I would be surprised if Nelson was cut.
We just cut Shaq and the Bucs only have a limited number of draft picks to replace everyone we cut.
Plus – Nelson is still owed @ $3.5M in bonus money. So the savings would be minimal…
February 27th, 2024 at 9:27 am
he’s good,,,but not great…trust the team on this one
February 27th, 2024 at 9:27 am
he’s a solid rotation guy…come on, he’s staying at that salary
February 27th, 2024 at 9:29 am
Hes got a perfect salary for his position and production. So I think he is safe…
February 27th, 2024 at 9:39 am
Would make no sense to me, I don’t see that happening, would be a surprise…
February 27th, 2024 at 9:42 am
Nelson is productive in limited minutes.
He is under utilized, because the Bucs insist on playing the useless and unproductive Joe TS.
Hopefully, Licht and Bowles finally own up to JTS being a bust, find a real pass rusher, and give Nelson More playing time.
Im really tired of Watching JTS get pushed past the QB every play, then stumbling around looking at the Clouds.
Priority one- Get some Pass rushers
Priority Two- fix Gurad and Center on O-Line.
Take care of that, sign our Free agents! Voila! Bucs rule the South!
February 27th, 2024 at 9:45 am
Nelson was just re-signed last offseason to a deal that reflects his worth as a 3rd OLB. $5 mil is what he’s worth and he did nothing to prove otherwise positive or negative. Todd Bowles loves him because Nelson is assignment sound and according to Bowles, has never bit on play-action. You have to have X’s and O’s guys in addition to the freak athletes. Nelson is a decent enough athlete with good size and height and smarts and won’t hurt us. He’s great as a 3rd or 4th edge rusher.
February 27th, 2024 at 9:46 am
Only makes sense if Licht is going to make a trade for a veteran edge rusher which he might. It feels like him and Glazers are thinking about going all in again while Mike Evans is still younger.
Gage is a near certainty to be cut. He’ll have to be restructured at a very minimum in addition to them knowing his rehab is going very well.
February 27th, 2024 at 9:48 am
They like Tryon and Diaby and Watts. I could see them trading for a veteran for sure to add to that very young mix. Watts is very quick but raw.
February 27th, 2024 at 10:02 am
If they start him, he’s a serviceable bargain. He knows the system, shown he can be productive…..i would still want help brought in but I think Nelson can be serviceable. Reality for the Bucs is considerable resources will need to be dedicated to the offense. The league is geared to favor offense, it really makes no sense in overallocating funds to the defense when the deck is stacked against them AND the vast majority of the defensive unit was avg. Shaq, Davis, Dean, JTS, Neal, White…..all grossly overpaid for the production they put out in 2023. Vea is worth his contract, same for LVD, Winfield…i have no problem paying those guys but to pay $30 million per year for two CBs that sit in zone 75% of the time and rarely produce a turnover……something has to give.
February 27th, 2024 at 10:10 am
Cutting Nelson would be just plain stupid.
February 27th, 2024 at 10:10 am
He’s not going anywhere. You don’t cut affordable and proven backups on the D line.
February 27th, 2024 at 10:34 am
“I will tolerate you until I can replace you.” Exactly.
He’s got a proven track record so unless they have a sure-fire (and affordable) replacement, it makes no sense to gamble.
Sorry to see Shaq get cut (doesn’t necessarily mean he’s 100% gone tho).
That move may put more of an emphasis on retaining D. White and using him more to his strengths as an inside blitzer or even on the EDGE opposite Diaby.
We’ve needed an upgrade on getting pressure for a couple of years now so we not only have replace Shaq’s (declining) numbers but improve on them. Nelson can do it in certain situations. D. White, while giving up 2 inches in height and about 10 lbs difference in Shaq, his speed and quickness can give a young or “average” RT problems. Problem is….$$$ and attitude.
February 27th, 2024 at 10:40 am
There is zero chance that Nelson gets released.
90% of the commenter’s on this site would be a more credible source of Buccaneers knowledge than this Schwab clown from Yahoo sports.
February 27th, 2024 at 10:52 am
The defense can’t afford to cut him and Barrett, Nelson is a good depth player and makes solid plays time to time. We need an edge rusher in the draft obviously but, unless Watts and Ramirez are making huge stride Nelson should be safe
February 27th, 2024 at 11:15 am
Yeah, Nelson isn’t going anywhere…
His salary is perfect right now for a rotational guy…..
February 27th, 2024 at 11:22 am
Keep Nelson. No dept at edge in this draft.
I guess the Morris quote is the latest hot key insert on Joe’s computer.
February 27th, 2024 at 11:25 am
he needs to take a pay cut or be cut. like him done love him. expendable period.
February 27th, 2024 at 11:36 am
Nelson stays. The guy plays hard and does come up with some plays here and there. Plus..He’s not expensive.
February 27th, 2024 at 11:41 am
I’ve sometimes thought they should fatten Nelson up and make him a 3-4 Defensive End. As far as Edge Rusher, the Bucs need to get better.
February 27th, 2024 at 11:55 am
Keep Nelson, get rid of JTS.
February 27th, 2024 at 12:10 pm
Nelson is better than JTS. If Nelson were a starter he would have 7 or 8 sacks a year. There is no way I would cut him
February 27th, 2024 at 12:23 pm
@John
He’s on a 2 year 5 million dollar deal I’m pretty sure, that’s low for a solid rotational edge rusher. Lol he don’t need to be restructured or cut, he needs more playing time than guys who aren’t worth a darn like JTS,White, and Neal. But I’m sure all them guys will be gone soon
February 27th, 2024 at 12:51 pm
I like Nelson better than JTS
February 27th, 2024 at 12:56 pm
” Is that because of the rookie wall or did teams get a book out on him?”
He was named a starter week 13 or the Panthers game that we won 21-18.
In those 6 regular season games he was a starter, he had 3.5 sacks, 4 tackles for losses behind the LOS, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. That paces for ~10 sacks in a full season on top of all the other disruption with tackles behind the line.
For a rookie that doesn’t seem like he hit any wall to me. I only noticed a visual dip in his play vs the Lions after the early injury. I don’t remember thinking during the Eagles games or any other games in that stretch “man yaya just doesn’t look the same”. If anything the pass rush was better from that streth forward and we were all like amen sister.
It still was not good enough, and when he got hurt vs the Lions it seemed to me that we suffered immensely without a 100% yaya out there.
We need another edge guy but I don’t think Yaya necessarily cooled off and I have super high hopes (god help me lol)
February 27th, 2024 at 2:09 pm
If OTC is correct, he’s not going anywhere, as releasing him only frees up $1.8m – and you’d still have to replace him with someone else.
February 27th, 2024 at 2:31 pm
I realized earlier today that Vita Vea is the only starter left on that Super Bowl d-line.
February 27th, 2024 at 2:31 pm
Keep him. Pretty smart guy who does his job in the scheme, usually sets the edge well. He needs more snaps and I would guess that if you adjusted for snap counts his stats would be very good. Tackled Hurts for the safety by staying wide and not letting Hurts get outside. At his height he could be a force blocking passes.
February 27th, 2024 at 3:03 pm
I’d cut Stinka before cutting Nelson.
February 27th, 2024 at 3:54 pm
Reckon Nelson will probably be around for awhile and re-signed to multiple contracts like a William Gholstson type journeyman.
He’s on a good contract right now.
^^mtn^^
since ’76
February 27th, 2024 at 4:00 pm
Bring out the bulldozers it’s over, turn this thing into a parking lot
February 27th, 2024 at 4:52 pm
Keep him get rid of Plan 9.
February 27th, 2024 at 5:44 pm
Nelson probably was on the hot seat before the salary CAP went up so much because the Bucs wouldn’t been turning over every leaf to find a few extra dollars to pay our Top-5. Now, different story I think, and especially with Bucs just cutting Shaq.
February 27th, 2024 at 8:55 pm
Anthony Nelson, along with Will Gholston, are important pieces to the depth of this team. I’ll even add Cam Gill in the mix of quality depth I would like to stay at low but fair value.
February 28th, 2024 at 2:14 am
Underused talent- if we lose him it’s an organizational/coaching
failure