Bucs Can Do Better Than Matthew Judon
February 22nd, 2025
He’s not a magician.
A stathead on Twitter compiled a research graphic on good edge rushers and how they produce year-by-year as they age.
Joe can’t find it, unfortunately, but Joe remembers it well. When edge rushers hit 30 (sometimes a year or two before), their production plummets worse than Tesla stock, with rare exceptions.
And Joe thinks we are seeing this with edge rusher Matthew Judon. The free agent from the Dixie Chicks will be 33 this summer. In 2021 and 2022, Judon had 12.5 and 15.5 sacks, respectively, when he was 29- and 30-years old.
Why is Joe bringing this up? Because one of the PFF tribe missionaries thinks the Bucs signing Judon would be a dream scenario.
Seriously. This comes from the fingers of Mason Cameron.
Enter, Matthew Judon, who struggled in his time in Atlanta but still possesses the upside that warranted a third-round pick when the Falcons traded for him.
Upside? Think about it: The only team that may be worse at edge rush than the Bucs is the Dixie Chicks. And they’re likely letting Judon go. So the Bucs are supposed to pick up a castoff from a lousy defense and pretend they just signed Reggie White?
Hell, White’s corpse might be a better signing. What, is Randy Gregory too busy burning blunts?
Of course, Cameron may be onto something. Joe has the sneaking suspicion/dread the Bucs will shop for an edge rusher at a Pinellas Park flea market and then bank on good ol’ hope rather than bring in a legitimate pass rusher.
Speaking of hope, Joe really, truly hopes the Bucs prove Joe wrong.
February 22nd, 2025 at 11:13 am
My Bucs cannot help themselves from going Dumpster Diving. The article is straight up spot on. To get a quality DE, we are gonna have to pay..Period. That is, if we want quality. Edge rusher is the wrong place to be taking on a project and a prayer. JTS proved that. Go out and get us a Kick A..Pass rusher Please?
February 22nd, 2025 at 11:20 am
Our GM has a tendency of doubling up at areas of need in the offseason- I expect the first week of FA will shed a lot of light on the plan LOL
It’s an interesting time of year for sure!!!
February 22nd, 2025 at 11:43 am
I thought I saw Mathew Judon and Randy Gregory at the wagon wheel flea market !!!! Buy one get one !!!
February 22nd, 2025 at 11:51 am
I’m all for it if they think Judon, or whoever they chooses skill set wasn’t be used properly or fits their system better. I don’t know enough to disagree. We’ve all seen players blossom in different systems. Or a change of scenery. I’m not advocating for any particular player. Just pointing out that the coaches know a heck of a lot more than we do and players taking off in different systems happens all the time.
February 22nd, 2025 at 12:29 pm
I agree with @Stan. Sometimes a change of scenery makes all the difference.
If the Bucs sign Godwin, will Licht think the Bucs have a short term window to the SuperBowl? Will Licht think short term and spend money on high impact, expensive vets? I think this free agency will tell us a lot about Licht’s (and the Glazers’) view of a short term SuperBowl run.
February 22nd, 2025 at 12:47 pm
This beats the days of us canning a coach because he was to much of a players coach and youngry . Then bringing in toes on the line to compensate for the lack of discipline. My point is our GM has figured out how to build & keep a competitive team and we just need a few tweaks here and there to try and get over the top . I wouldn’t mind getting judon in here in the cheap along with a drafted DE and another . Get speed at linebacker and finally a corner opposite mccullum. They know what they need and I have faith they can achieve getting it . Now coaching might be a problem but time will tell
February 22nd, 2025 at 1:15 pm
If we are bargain hunting, I would like to see Ojulari or Baron Browning brought in. Younger, hungrier guys.
On the flip side, if we are gonna bank on hope a bit, I would like to see Mack or D.Lawrence signed. Old guys like Judon but I think they have a better chance at 7-10 sacks than Judon.
February 22nd, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Not sure if I really trust Bowles to know what to do with a top shelf pass rusher if he had one.
Shaq had 20 sacks on the right side and they immediately screwed that up by putting him on the left side so JPP could be happy. Not saying JPP wasn’t a good player for us, but he wasn’t the pass rusher Barrett was.
February 22nd, 2025 at 2:57 pm
We can afford to bargain hunt options at wr. We need play makers on defense above all else
February 22nd, 2025 at 2:59 pm
The elevation of Foote to outside linebackers coach may make a big difference. Bigger than we even think. He did a great job before. And with the exception of JPP who was already here, he was the guy that coached Shaq Barrett his first year here. Judon was coming off an injury and went to a team with a terrible defensive base. A year removed with better coaching? He may do something.
February 22nd, 2025 at 3:22 pm
Signing old dude’s is why we’re in cap hell to begin with. Would I trade the Super Bowl year of course not. If we’re not Super Bowl contender (yet) then enough of the dumpster diving. Continue doing what you’re doing and draft your way out of it.
February 22nd, 2025 at 4:23 pm
Could make Yaya better.
February 22nd, 2025 at 4:25 pm
Isn’t Judon 32 or 33. He’s past his prime, Bucs must get younger.
February 22nd, 2025 at 4:28 pm
Randy Gregory? You are scaring us, Joe.
Q. Could Kalijah Cancer move to edge? DTs are cheaper to n free agency and go later in the draft
February 22nd, 2025 at 5:46 pm
Kancey would be a bad as$ edge rusher. That is a great idea!
February 22nd, 2025 at 9:01 pm
He had JPP. And Bucs shut down, in order, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Pat Mahomes to win a Super Bowl.
February 22nd, 2025 at 9:03 pm
Todd Bowls/Buccos:
Bowles has Kancey rush from the edge from time to time when it’s a good matchup. Most tackles aren’t used to that sort of size and speed coming at them.
February 22nd, 2025 at 10:59 pm
Joe, how long do we hang onto to that super bowl in the rear view mirror?
yeah…it’s forever but has very little to do with today’s team
February 23rd, 2025 at 12:53 am
I don’t think we should be renting players anywhere close to that 30 number. Except maybe a kicker or a HOF QB.
30 ish Free agents are almost always a huge gamble. They are free agents for a reason. Sure, cap casualties happen but even those guys are a gamble and would have gotten a restructure if their old team truly wanted to keep them. See tree humper Baker…
Go Bucs!
February 23rd, 2025 at 4:40 am
Thank you for the “Dream Scenario” article. Really interesting looking at other teams too. It would be nice to get an edge rusher in the draft. Judon will be 33 in August. It’s a pass on him.
February 23rd, 2025 at 6:55 am
I still think Devin White could be a good and cheap choice as a situational pass rusher at OLB.