Chauncey Golston And The Bucs
February 17th, 2025
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
The Bucs need upgrades at edge rusher/outside linebacker.
Joe assumes the team is aware of this.
No more chatter about the legendary practice play of José Ramirez and Markees Watts. No more tales about how Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is a multi-talented chess piece but fans can’t see it.
Joe wants fresh bodies, including a beast of a proven edge rusher. But do the Bucs want to pay a huge price to get a proven beast? Doubtful.
So Joe has been studying available edge rushers that might fit into the comfort zone of the Tampa Bay front office.
Pending Cowboys free agent Chauncey Golston could be one of those guys. A late third-round pick by the Cowboys in 2021, Golston played in college at Iowa with Tristan Wirfs and Anthony Nelson. Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht surely saw plenty of college film on Golston and has great intel on what kind of guy he is.
Golston was a durable backup with the Cowboys until last season. Then DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons got hurt early and Golston made 13 starts and walked away with 5 1/2 sacks and an interception.
His stock went up at the right time, and he turned 26 years old this month.
At 6-5, 270 pounds, Golston seems to fit the recent Bucs mold of preferring big dudes off the edge — guys that can mix it up well inside against the run.
A Golston signing wouldn’t generate much applause from Bucs fans, but it might be a kind of quiet upgrade the team is seeking.
February 17th, 2025 at 1:06 pm
My wishlist; I would like the Bucs to bring in at least 2 additional edge rushers as well as retaining who we have now; Nelson, Shaq (Minus JTS). Resigning Barrett for depth/coaching and elevate/put more on Braswell. Would like a Full time starter via Free agency/Trade and another depth piece/possible breakout candidate via free agency/trade I like this guy Golston Joe, I think you are spot on with what Licht wants to do. So get one of these guys and a Starter like Sweat/Garret/Mack/Hendrickson/Crosby to go with Yaya on the other side……
February 17th, 2025 at 1:18 pm
Five and a half sacks over 13 games isn’t bad considering Lawrence and Parsons were out for the season. Florida and Texas are no state income tax which is an added financial advantage for players to want to play here.
LIGHT and Company seem capable evaluators of talent. An Edge rusher is the only thing in the way of the Bucs reaching the Super bowl.
February 17th, 2025 at 1:19 pm
No thank you. HOF Edge Khalil Mack is available and looking for a 2 year deal for about 15 mil and he has averaged over 10 sacks per year in the last 3 seasons-SIGN HIM.
February 17th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
Todd … Is Mack really better than Hall at this point in his career. I like Mack but I don’t see him taking the Bucs to the next level. Garrett, Maxx, or Hendrickson are game changers. Mack would be a nice rotational guy.
February 17th, 2025 at 1:35 pm
Pass
February 17th, 2025 at 1:43 pm
10 sacks a year plus average over the last 3 seasons speaks for itself.
February 17th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
Still JTS territory
February 17th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
Joe … ‘At 6-5, 270 pounds, Golston seems to fit the recent Bucs mold of preferring big dudes off the edge — guys that can mix it up well inside against the run.’
I like your idea of signing Golston Joe. Bucs want to get bigger and meaner. Look at the size of our OLBs if we keep these 5:
o Golston (27): 6’5″ & 268 lbs – 5.5 sacks – 791 snaps
o Diaby (26): 6’4″ & 270 lbs – 4.5 sacks – 785 snaps
o Braswell (23): 6’3″ & 255 lbs – 1.5 sacks – 329 snaps
o Nelson (28): 6’7″ & 271 lbs – 4.0 sacks – 573 snaps
o Shaq (32): 6’2″ & 250 lbs – 0 sacks – 12 snaps
All of them are excellent at playing the run. All of them are pretty big for OLBs (I expect that Braswell will put on about 10 lbs of muscle this off-season). If the Bucs add 1 mean SOB of a DT/NT to replace Gholston and go with Vea/Kancey/Gaines/ Brewer, our defensive front will be as tough as any in the league.
February 17th, 2025 at 1:47 pm
And we have a jersey with his name on it already 🤣
February 17th, 2025 at 1:48 pm
Mack is about to collect social security
February 17th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
Mack is two years younger than David, and the only thing he is about to collect is a Gold jacket when he goes into the hall.
February 17th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
Mack is 6’3″ 270
February 17th, 2025 at 2:01 pm
The other thing to hate about Bowles and his coaching staff, guys sit on his bench for years and he won’t play them and he won’t replace them just a complete waste. KJ Bitt sat then played the last year of his contract and it was as of Bowles had no clue he had no coverage ability
February 17th, 2025 at 2:10 pm
Defense Rules you are pretty astute generally , but suggesting Bucs keep Shaq Barrett around does you a disservice. Khalil Mack graded 5th out of 211 Edge Rushers.
February 17th, 2025 at 2:45 pm
Yay – a reasonable take on adding FA talent to the OLB room that the team can actually afford.
Sign a player similar to this, resign Nelson to a reasonable but fair 1 or 2 year deal – then draft another edge in the 1st or 2nd round
YaYa simply needs help from his counterpart OLB on the rt side to be a double digit sack guy…
Vea and Kancey are about as good as you could hope for as starters inside…
Bucs just need 1 player to step up and start making a difference rushing the passer from the rt side to have a strong 4 man starting unit.
Between Braswell, a highly drafted rookie and the right free agent hungry for playing time – I like our chances of finding our 4th starter up front and having a much stronger pass rush than last year with less blitzing…
February 17th, 2025 at 2:52 pm
And I would definitely consider signing Khalil Mack as our free agent addition – IF the price is right. $10M or less and I’d say he’s our best option for adding real pass rushing talent that the team can afford…. at least for this year while Braswell and a highly drafted rookie develop…..
February 17th, 2025 at 3:12 pm
Plan 9 is Bowles favorite player. He executes Bowles schemes perfectly…he is fast and has long arms to wave around in the flats. He can chase the ball carrier with the best of them. No way Bowles lets him get away.
February 17th, 2025 at 3:12 pm
Oh yeah this dude really sounds like he’d be an upgrade. Come on at least be willing to go out & sign somebody better.
February 17th, 2025 at 3:21 pm
Todd … I have no idea what Shaq has left in the tank, and in any event he’d be the 5th OLB I’d keep in a position group that Todd normally only keeps 4. But Diaby & Braswell might be able to pick up a few tricks from an old man like that, tricks that’d add to their repertroire & maybe result in an extra couple of sacks each. In any event, I wouldn’t plan on giving Shaq a whole bunch of def snaps this season. And I’m quite sure that the Bucs won’t offer him much to play this season (but maybe a few incentives might be worthwhile).
February 17th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
so, like a good year for him is 6 sacks? Don’t we already have guys that do that?
February 17th, 2025 at 3:39 pm
DR says:
“OLB…. a position group that Todd normally only keeps 4”
Bucs kept 6 OLBs on the final 53 each of the last 2 years…. Watts got hurt pretty quickly thereafter in ’24 (or perhaps was already ‘hurt’?) and went on IR for the whole season though.
Its still possible that we have a decent to good player ready to ‘break out’ in either Watts or Ramirez despite Joe’s disclaimer…. Both were touted by coaches and some teammates as having a lot of promise early on for a reason….. Some players just take 2/3 years of ‘seasoning’ before they are able to start playing to their potential in the NFL.
February 17th, 2025 at 3:49 pm
This signing shows plenty of potential. Here’s a line that hit me…
“Golston played in college at Iowa with Tristan Wirfs and Anthony Nelson. Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht surely saw plenty of college film on Golston and has great intel on what kind of guy he is.”
Todd has seen the film and Tristan and Nelson have seen the man.
Three thumbs up and it’s a go!
February 17th, 2025 at 4:08 pm
Hopefully the film shows him covering Cee Dee Lamb like a blanket, as that’s the job he would be accepting.
February 17th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
Hc grover has it correct the Toilet Bowles mantra :”play not to lose then try to win” he is gutless and not a HC. Bend but not break ok. Not give away the farm by having secondary in pasco county. Game is in hillsborogh county.will never win with Bowles
February 17th, 2025 at 5:10 pm
Good info Joe! I with you.
February 17th, 2025 at 5:32 pm
Elite only ….. NO
February 17th, 2025 at 5:40 pm
How about Randy Gregory sign again
February 17th, 2025 at 9:46 pm
Even Stevie Wonder could see that they need some more help.
February 18th, 2025 at 4:40 am
Joe assumes the team is aware of this.
That is a big assumption Joe from what we have seen hahahahaha
Let hope they do
Go Bucs
February 18th, 2025 at 9:31 am
I don’t get excited signing a 5 sack OLB. We seem to have enough of those guys. Why not pay double for a 10+ guy? Double the issues a defensive coordinator needs to deal with!
February 18th, 2025 at 10:30 am
This guy is a good fit. However, we need a great fit at Edge.