So, How Many Outside Linebackers Will The Bucs Keep?
August 25th, 2024
What will the Bucs do?
Bucs coach Todd Bowles has stated he is very happy with the depth of his outside linebackers. We’ll see.
The trick is, how many does he keep? Bowles could keep four or he could keep six. As always, the bottom of the roster is also shaped by all positions.
“We haven’t made a decision yet whether we’re taking four or five or six, but all of those guys made splashes in camp,” Bowles said. “I thought [Chris] Braswell made great progress, mentally, from understanding the scheme.
“I thought Jose [Ramirez] came a long way as far as understanding the scheme and making big splashes. I think [Markees] Watts has gotten better, holding up on blocks and playing the run game. All three got better, technically, as the weeks went on with YaYa [Diaby] and Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka] out.
“Depending on how many we keep or who we keep or how we keep them, I think they’ll help us.”
Joe isn’t trying to take a whack at low-hanging fruit here. Joe is being very serious. It’s pretty clear to anyone not legally blind (and maybe to those who are sight-impaired) that Joe Tryon-Shoyinka has to have a major turnaround in his career to be brought back to the Bucs on a second contract in 2025. He has not come close to living up to his salary or first-round draft status.
Hell, the Bears on Friday traded a sixth-round pick for a backup outside linebacker who has 30 percent more sacks the past three years than JTS.
And for Joe, there may not have been a more invisible player than JTS this past camp. Joe hoped JTS would be on fire this summer, given it is probably his last shot to stay with the Bucs.
Joe barely noticed JTS this summer. He was hurt, didn’t make plays and often only was working with a trainer on a side field or warming up.
Bad timing for a guy who simply hasn’t produced.
Assuming the Bucs also saw the same thing Joe did (or didn’t see?), would the Bucs flat give up on JTS now? Just go ahead and cut the cord? That would be a surprise. You never know when it may finally click for a guy and the Bucs have a lot of Team Glazer loot sunk into JTS.
Markees Watts is another guy who disappointed Joe and disappeared this summer. You could argue he needed a whole lot more snaps than 45 on defense last year. When he was on the field, he was always around the ball.
Joe is sort of thinking José Ramirez made it, but Joe isn’t totally confident in that assessment. YaYa Diaby, Anthony Nelson and Chris Braswell will make it. After that?
Always remember, the last player or two at a position very likely comes down to special teams. Years ago an NFL general manager told Joe that if a backup cannot play special teams, he’s an endangered speices.
August 25th, 2024 at 8:04 am
Waking up to the sun rising in dot on the map, Ovando , Montana
Yep ….to those observations JTS has been a flatliner …
August 25th, 2024 at 8:05 am
No offense Joe but I rust Bowles judgement more
August 25th, 2024 at 8:05 am
Trust
August 25th, 2024 at 8:25 am
Joe says, “We know YaYa Diaby and Chris Braswell will make it. After that?”
No mention of Anthony Nelson? I would suspect he is #3 or #4 on the depth chart.
August 25th, 2024 at 8:36 am
Trade JTS for whatever, maybe a 2026 7th rounder. Go young and maybe get lucky on the waiver wire for a veteran that can give us one good year.
August 25th, 2024 at 8:42 am
JTS has been a big disappointment, he will probably make the team unfortunately, then after this season he will be gone. Trying out for the UFL or Canada
August 25th, 2024 at 8:56 am
In a nutshell, Coach Bowles said the quiet part out loud, it all depends how many they are going to keep. Down to the deadline I guess. Only a couple of days to go.
August 25th, 2024 at 9:22 am
I think there is more than a 50 percent chance JTS will be back with the Bucs. They didn’t pick up his option..because that would be over paying for average skills. Not first round talent. However, JTS is good …just not GREAT. I think he will be back on a team friendly contract. I still expect Yaya and Braswell to be the starts by the end of the season.
August 25th, 2024 at 9:32 am
I think any gm is a fool for signing a guy who’s only breakout years came when his contract was up. Anthony Nelson had that one good contract year and got entire contract. Want an expensive one but it was a waste of a roster spot.
August 25th, 2024 at 9:37 am
Yeah, he’s a forgotten guy. No question he’s back. Bad news for Markees Watts. And JTS too.
August 25th, 2024 at 9:38 am
Come to think of it see Doug Martin. Dynamite rookie then almost nothing until contract year then…. JTS should be done in Tampa, Mr wizard draft guru ROH Lich can get another no problem since all his draft picks hit.
August 25th, 2024 at 9:38 am
Com on man let’s cut ties with JTS. Trade him for a 6th round. We have his replacement in Braswell n heck, Ramirez had three sacks in one game almost as many as JTS has had in one year. I’d take Watts, Ramirez, n Braswell n let 3 years of JTS garbage go.
August 25th, 2024 at 9:41 am
What most don’t get is JTS isn’t just asked to rush the passer bowels said they ask JTS to do a lot. Prob will be the same with Chris but at the end of the day that doesn’t matter to fans. Fans only want them to produce and JTS hasn’t produced.
August 25th, 2024 at 9:50 am
A backup with 30 percent more sacks the last three years than JTS was traded for a sixth-round pick on Friday. With his contract, Joe is pretty confident JTS is untradable.
August 25th, 2024 at 9:53 am
I think Watts goes to the PS and Ramirez makes the 53. JTS isn’t getting cut.
August 25th, 2024 at 10:00 am
Hoping something finally clicks with JTS is a bad strategy. He is what he is. A JAG. Trade him now and get someone off another team’s
practice squad.
August 25th, 2024 at 10:08 am
However, JTS is good ….K2
Please, please tell me here how you have come to this conclusion? Other than looking good in a Bucs uniform what in the heLL has he done? Constantly ridden out of the play when pass rushing and never seen in tackling when in coverage is what I have seen.
JTS might be Licht’s biggest miss. I wish he would own up to it. Rameirez has shown me more this pre-season than JTS has shown me in his career (I missed the Bear game where I guess he did well).
August 25th, 2024 at 10:29 am
Thank you Jason for drafting Braswell….that will make up for this miss….we hit sometimes we miss sometimes, its all good….you still the guru, ef the haters
August 25th, 2024 at 10:30 am
JTS has sucked, sucks and will always suck. He opted out of playing football his senior year, for crying out loud (no offense to cryers). He was, is, and will be a headless chicken with no awareness who takes himself wide and out of the play half the time. He does OT’s job for them.
Pilgrims Pride chicken might make him an offer to be their spokesman, and the line of cosmetics for men will also need a face to go with the products.
But football? No.
August 25th, 2024 at 10:33 am
Bowles knows more about defensive football than the whole lot on this site. DR knows quite a bit, too. I don’t see a DR comment here though. So, why is JTS still around? Mebbe it’s cos he causes a lot of disruption in opposing teams’ backfields. It may not be spectacular but it sure doesn’t help the opposing offense. If he’s re-signed next year, that will figure heavily into the decision.
August 25th, 2024 at 10:47 am
Jts is a guy in a fight that is going to throw punches but it’s going to be windmill swinging we need guys that know the jab stick and move and get to the target I thought he would be a savage after learning from jpp and shaq he is honestly a waste of a pick Frfr didn’t go to von miller training camp didn’t really bulk up wtf did he do this entire time he’s been with us beside easy lay up sacks i really hope he figures it out or we trade for anything 6th 7th even a udfa lmao joking but not joking
August 25th, 2024 at 11:46 am
Or they could bring in Randy Gregory… Doh!!
August 25th, 2024 at 11:53 am
JTS9 shows up on payday only. He’ll probably be signed by some other team thinking maybe he’ll come around. He’ll show up only on payday for them too. Repeat until no one will sign him. JTS9 then retires from football a rich man.
August 25th, 2024 at 12:01 pm
If he doesn’t show right away Braswell will take over sooner, rather then later. He’s had his chances.
August 25th, 2024 at 12:07 pm
Just had a thought….Haason Reddick is still out there and we could package a trade with JTS and a WR (Im not naming him) and a draft pick….and thats if we can afford him Jason.
August 25th, 2024 at 12:46 pm
There will be a lot of guys like Watts looking for a job Tuesday. I’m sure we’re looking Need a couple on the inside too.
August 25th, 2024 at 12:48 pm
Let Tryon go & then SIGN GREG HARDY!😀 We usually always throw another boneheaded move in there somewhere.
Maybe SIGN GREG HARDY & SHAWN OAKMAN & START BOTH OF THEM!😀
August 25th, 2024 at 12:50 pm
Launch Plan 9 in to a permanent orbit around the Moon.
August 25th, 2024 at 12:54 pm
Send Plan 9 to ISS he will be sranded there in outer space with the other Astronuts.
August 25th, 2024 at 12:54 pm
I wouldn’t even have faith in Tryon as a bodyguard at any type of club. He’d probably get run over there, too!
August 25th, 2024 at 1:22 pm
That thought i just posted is pounding in my head over and over…it just feels right if we’re serious about getting a SB win again this year and next.
Its time to shine boys….probably uncomfortable for some, but in the long run you’ll see
August 25th, 2024 at 1:22 pm
The Bucs cut Noah Spence after three years of subpar play. Spence then traveled around practice squads for two or three years before getting the home version board game of the NFL.
August 25th, 2024 at 2:50 pm
From a financial standpoint most of JTS’ 2024 salary is dead cap space (3M).
They only free up $500K by cutting him.
But yeah I would still cut him.
1st round edge rusher only 13 sacks in 3 seasons.
Having said that, Bucs probably keep him. He got 5 sacks last year, plus look at the depth chart. He’s top at SS OLB.
What I think happens is Braswell cuts into his PT pretty sharply. By the end of the season Braswell takes over as the starter and JTS goes bye bye.
Bowles ran him out there as the unquestioned starter with the belief that he would develop and come on, but that has not come to fruition.
Bucs can’t put Ramirez on the PS because a team will pick him up so I think they go with 5 and Watts is the odd man out.
August 25th, 2024 at 3:02 pm
Lets just cut bait with JTS.
He’s soft and stupid. Times up.
August 25th, 2024 at 3:09 pm
I don’t see any way they’re cutting Ramirez, he won’t make it to the practice squad. Watts meanwhile, I doubt anyone is going to use a roster spot to pick him up – he can be safely hidden on the PS for now.
August 25th, 2024 at 9:46 pm
Max – I think the Bucs have to be considering, what are they willing to part with but also the contract demand if the dude is not someone an aspiring SB contender is willing to pay. That’s a loud siren.
If Licht can swing a deal and make it work without returning us to the cap hell, it could happen.
We could offer JTS and the trading partner would want more from us to take him.
He’s worthless T this point. And, he doesn’t seem to care.
August 26th, 2024 at 9:19 am
Nah Pear – this is weight around Bowles neck like an anchor. There is no trade deal that can save the Bucs.
The question is what do you do?
You move Nelson to the strong side? You give the starting job to Braswell and slide Ramirez into the rotation to give Braswell a breather?
The Nelson move kind of makes sense, but then what? Now you have Watts and Ramirez both fully in your rotation. You trust Watts over JTS? Bowles doesn’t.
I think we all know by now Bowles sticks to certain conventions. He’s a play it safe guy who doesn’t take personnel risks. You thrust Ramirez and Watts into more prime time roles there is risk there. At least with JTS he knows he’s going to get a certain level of play that he can scheme around.
If Gregory showed up and was worth a darn they would have maybe cut ties with JTS, but he didn’t. Now it’s too late. A guy coming off the cuts isn’t going to step in at 1st or 2nd string here.
We’re stuck with JTS for another season.