E.J. Speed And The Bucs
January 23rd, 2025
Joe’s got the calendar alarm set.
At noon on March 10, the 2025 NFL free agency frenzy begins.
That’s when teams can talk to pending free agents not on their roster, and agree to deals that can be consummated on March 12.
By the night of the 10th, dozens of players will have new teams. The reports will be flowing from Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport and other multi-millionaire media friends who get rewarded with the news because their organizations have massive financial ties the league.
It’s a glorious day.
This year, Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht gets to play in that expensive sandbox.
The Bucs have salary cap room for a change (not a lot), a limited number of in-house free agents to retain, and the ability to craft more cap room with re-negotiated deals to guys like Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs and more.
So where will the Bucs look to fortify their roster with an experienced player?
That’s unclear, but Joe is somewhat confident the Bucs will be chasing an inside linebacker, regardless of what Lavonte David decides.
Might that be Colts tackle machine E.J. Speed?
Speed is an interesting cat, the No. 2 linebacker in Indianapolis alongside NFL tackles leader and Pro Bowler Zaire Franklin.
Speed turns 30 in June but he has very low mileage on his body. The six-year veteran barely played on defense in his first four seasons when he was known as one of the NFL’s best special teams players. He got to start in 2023 and made the most of it with 102 combined tackles in that season and 142 last year.
The 2019 fifth-round pick out of the Division II ranks won’t be confused with a Pro Bowler, but he can play, and he can cover better than K.J. Britt the PFF Tribe will have you believe.
Joe can’t see Speed commanding a ton of money after completing a two-year, $8 million deal.
Perhaps this is a guy Todd Bowles feels he can get more out of?
One interesting red flag on Speed is his podcast with Franklin. It’s R-rated and has generated some controversy, not the kind of thing that fits into Licht’s version of a Buccaneer man. But maybe the podcast ends when/if Speed leaves the Colts.
January 23rd, 2025 at 7:18 am
Podcasting takes a lot of time and mental energy, not focusing on the same thing the rest of the team is.
.02 cents
January 23rd, 2025 at 7:24 am
Trade draft picks for a proven talent, Trey Hendrickson of the Bengals
January 23rd, 2025 at 8:02 am
Dre Geenlaw ILB from SF is my choice.
Love the idea of trading the Bucs 1st rd pick and a depth player (or Jamal Dean) for a proven superstar edge rushers like Crosby or Hendrickson and a day 3 pick.
January 23rd, 2025 at 8:05 am
I would love greenlaw if he was not so injured the last few seasons, guy is a beast. Chris Paul in the draft
January 23rd, 2025 at 8:17 am
Anything to shore up our Pass Defense is a welcome sight. We play mostly Zone with horrible results.
January 23rd, 2025 at 8:40 am
Won’t be a popular take, and he had a great year, but when do we mention that Evans is old? Doesn’t even want to play much longer?
January 23rd, 2025 at 8:45 am
Has anybody heard any feedback at all on the status of Sirvocea Dennis?
Will he be 100% by OTA’s or training camp?
January 23rd, 2025 at 8:58 am
Does Speed also play in a soft as butter wet paper bag pass defense?
If so he’ll fit right in in the Bay of Tampa.
28-27
Fire Bowles now!!!!
January 23rd, 2025 at 9:37 am
Joe, good take on picking up a free agent ILB. I’m not sure who that should be, Speed or someone else. LVD will retire this year or next and we need an experienced player calling out plays on the field.
I also like looking for a free agent edge player, as Bowles and his coaches haven’t shown the ability to draft and develop one. JTS just hasn’t developed, so it’s time to let him go.
In the draft, I would go CB at #19. A CB would start in place of Dean and generally play 100% of snaps, as opposed to edge where players are rotated and play 50% of snaps.
January 23rd, 2025 at 9:55 am
BucU: I’ve heard his shoulder injury was all the way from college. And he finally got to have surgery and recover from it. So I thought it was a good thing he sat out and should be healthy for next season. Fingers crossed obviously.
January 23rd, 2025 at 9:57 am
I don’t know why I’d want anybody from the Indianapolis D.
January 23rd, 2025 at 10:06 am
@ Bucs Guy
I like Dre Greenlaw as well but he suffered a nasty Achilles tendon tear last season. When he tried to return this past season he suffered a calf injury…
I wouldn’t want to pay a premium for his services at this point.
Maybe a one year prove it deal if he can pass a physical.
January 23rd, 2025 at 10:07 am
I like where JBF’s head is at, it’s a great article that profiles a rational and realistic option. I think they know where Licht and the Glazers stand when it comes to how they spend and what they’re willing to give up as far as trades are concerned. We need help, but we’re not going to mortgage that much of our future to land some of the bigger fish out there. I see a little too much free thinking from our fans as if we still have Tom Brady and that every disgruntled stud or high value free agent can’t wait to take a discount to come to Tampa for a chance at the Super Bowl. We need to move on from that way of thinking.
I think as fans we should temper our expectations about guys like Greenlaw, and edge rushers such as Garrett and Crosby…Would love nothing more than to see these studs here in Tampa, but if any/all of these guys are under contract, not only do they come with huge cap hits, but high draft capital that Licht will not gamble on. ILB Speed is a great example of a solid ILB, he’s at the right age where he won’t break the bank, he can give us the 2 years we need from him which fits perfect for what we should all believe to be our 2, maybe 3-year championship window. I also think Khalil Mack is very realistic option. I can see him chasing rings with bigger players like the Eagles, Bills, Chiefs, and Ravens, but we can offer a bit more than them, and Licht can pretty much sell him on how close we are in Tampa.
I’m grateful that we can move on from the coaching discussion and talk offseason reload. Free agency will tell us a lot about if Licht and the Glazers are serious about 2025. LFG!
January 23rd, 2025 at 10:40 am
If we can’t swing for a big name edge I hope we look at CB Reed (Glenn prolly won’t allow that) and Bolton or Dodson at ILB. That’s probably a lot of dough, but now is the time to push some money and go for it imo.
January 23rd, 2025 at 10:51 am
I don’t see Licht trading draft picks for anyone, we have found real talent in the draft. People still calling for Bowles to be fired are morons. A fresh set of f eyes on the defensive sideline would definitely help . We resigned Coen thank God, with a strong linebacker room I think we will be set. Dean sucks and needs to go , as does JTS
January 23rd, 2025 at 10:55 am
Is that his real name? He’s definitely got the best name for a LB I’ve heard in a while. Anyway, let’s go get him! I’m not worried about the podcast thing. Bucs locker room thanks to Todd is strong and anyway they’ll vet his character before any offer is made anyway.
January 23rd, 2025 at 11:13 am
My two cents:
There is no guarantee we can get a top-tier pass rusher in the draft. It is a fairly hit and miss position whereas getting a top three corner in the draft likely will lead to a day one starter and a mini year starter on a roster that is in desperate that position.
Has mentioned above we have not had a great track record of developing outside linebackers. I would rather go after somebody establish in free agency. I think Chase Young from the saints would be a good addition as he is still young has not quite lived up to his draft billing so would not command a super high contract.
I would love to see us draft cornerback in the first round best insight linebacker out there in the second or third round as well as another receiver in the top three rounds as well and then round out the rest of our needs in free agency so depth at corner inside linebacker…
January 23rd, 2025 at 11:15 am
Signing a proven FA Edge rusher should be a priority and there are plenty of great/good ones available-Edge rush has to be a priority-No more draft whiffs needed.
January 23rd, 2025 at 11:35 am
If you want elite talent, have to pay up. Myles Garrett or TJ Watt can be had for a 2025 1 and 2 pick. Nothing Licht can do with those picks in the 2025 draft that will have as more of an impact on defense.
January 23rd, 2025 at 11:52 am
At last a thread full of thoughtful excellent posts.
Some guys prefer to read the 1-3 liners and I get that. Time is precious.
I have time so I enjoy the longers posts when the guys put in the effort and have some information I don’t know, which is pretty easy since there’s a LOT I do not know, especially about draft projects, I just do not follow college ball.
And so Zoocomics and Canabuc thanks for your thoughts and “two cents”.
January 23rd, 2025 at 12:31 pm
We aren’t looking for edge rushers to get to the qb. We are looking for edge rushers to cover down the field unfortunately.
January 23rd, 2025 at 1:06 pm
The weakest part of Licht’s general management/signings revolves around free agents. His strengths are the Draft/UDFAs. He’ll tread carefully here. I’ll be watching to see what CG14 does. Thank god, his agent is NOT Drew Rosenhaus! (sp?)
January 23rd, 2025 at 2:54 pm
@ orlbucfan
“The weakest part of Licht’s general management/signings revolves around free agents.”
The past few off-seasons Licht has focused on signing our own free agents…
– Evans
– Mayfield
– LVD
– Wirfs
– Winfield
– Barrett
– Jenson
– Godwin
– Dean
– Davis
– Nelson
– Vea
– LVD
Have all been re-signed and he was able to do this with very little cap space. Some of these signings didn’t work out due to injuries (Jenson,Barrett) but the rest of these signings have kept the Bucs competitive the past few seasons.
I agree Licht’s philosophy in the past is to stay loyal to his core higher performing players but that might change now that the Bucs are starting to clear out all the dead cap space from their ledgers…
Go Bucs!
January 23rd, 2025 at 2:58 pm
kyzir white…arizona…now fa
his pass pro rating is poor, but i say still an underrated backer you can land for like 5 mil per
January 23rd, 2025 at 4:13 pm
Whoever it is, the presence in the locker room is important. Not to mention we need a team that is not injury prone. Spytek also was the master behind scouting and new trade recruits, so we will have to wait to see who is the next genius behind shifting cap space and adding commodities. Right now it seems our worry is losing our coaching staff. Are we looking at a new era for the Buccaneers?
January 23rd, 2025 at 4:21 pm
Some whales can blast water a couple hundred feet in the air from their blowholes.
January 23rd, 2025 at 5:49 pm
When I mention Licht’s weakness is free agent signings, it’s my opinion based on what I read. They are FAs from other teams, not the ones here.