PFF: The “Ideal” Bucs Offseason
March 4th, 2025
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Joe truly, honestly believes the Bucs are maybe two solid defensive players away from making a serious Super Bowl run.
The Bucs have the offense, especially if Chris Godwin returns. It’s the defense that needs help.
Provided Lavonte David returns, the Bucs have two, maybe three holes (it seems as if the Bucs are banking on SirVocea Dennis to be a starter). Those two positions would be corner and, all together now, edge rusher.
Put a strong edge rusher on this team to go along with Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey and YaYa Diaby and you’re cooking with gas.
In fact, Thomas Valentine of the PFF tribe seems to think the “ideal” move for the Bucs is to draft an edge rusher at No. 19.
Look, if the Bucs draft Marshall’s Mike Green at No. 19, Joe wouldn’t cry. But Joe wouldn’t do that. Here’s why:
Rarely do rookie edge rushers make an impact. Certainly, it’s unreasonable to draft a guy in the bottom half of the first round and expect him to be Simeon Rice right off the bat. That’s not fair.
Mike Evans (his contract is up after 2026) and Lavonte David may be in their final seasons with the Bucs. That would be two massive holes in the roster to fill for 2026.
“This Joe” has a hard time seeing, short of the Bucs getting two Hall of Fame players to replace Evans and David, how the Bucs could be a better team in 2026 than 2025.
So it is imperative to bring in a legitimate, serious edge rusher this fall. No monkeying around drowning a couple of guys on the level of Robert Ayers or Randy Gregory in gallons of the cologne “Hope.”
The Bucs need a dangerous edge rusher now.
The future is now.
March 4th, 2025 at 12:43 am
The future is now and next year and the year after. Jason Licht has all but explicitly said he’s not sacrificing the future for magic bullets. They’re not giving up draft picks in trade, at least not high end picks. You can pound the table, but Jason knows what he’s doing. We’re going to draft an edge rusher most likely. And there will be be a 3 way rotation between Disney, Braswell, and the drafteee. This is the most probable scenario. Don’t shoot the messenger. I just saying, barring a very bold surprising and out-of-character move, we’re looking at 3 young guys rotating unless they can find a bargain free agent who is more than a scrub… r if they sign Mack.
March 4th, 2025 at 1:03 am
The Joes take & reasoning here, while always inciteful, is beyond sound. What is given indeed beyond this coming season for ME13 & LVD and that’s assuming LVD decides to come back for this year. I believe this is Jason Licht’s make or break season as well based off this take. Back in 2020, the GOAT became available and this team was literally so good around him that he was plugged in and won a SB, dam near two in a row. Licht had enough foresight and took the appropriate “gamble.” Does he still have that kind of foresight let alone enough insight regarding his own team to see the most obvious and glaring hole that all competent Bucs fans can see? All Eyes On You This Season Jason.
March 4th, 2025 at 1:26 am
It would be downright irresponsible not to add an ILB (if not 2 ILBs) that can compete for a starter position. I like SVDs skills but he has not been able to stay healthy. I’m gonna be p!see if we are banking on him and then the middle of the field is wide arse open every single play all season long again.
Yeah we need an edge too. Go buy one.
March 4th, 2025 at 1:38 am
Regardless of his value to the team in year 1, it is imperative to get a young edge in this building to develop with Yaya. I’m really starting to like Donovan Ezeiruaku out of BC to be that guy. Bring him in AND sign a guy like Joseph Assai from the Bengals in an effort to find a good underused and underrated vet vis-à-vis Shaq Barrett in 2019.
March 4th, 2025 at 3:31 am
Can’t agree that this team will ever be legit SB contenders under Bowles unfortunately, as he seems incapable of being able to bring out the best in them on a consistent basis. Do like the idea of Ezeiruaku in the draft, as well as Mack at the right price along with Assai to form a four deep unit that offers a variety of looks for opposing OT’s. Also think adding a solid vet at LB & 2 rookies in the 2-5th to develop as well would solidy the MLB spot for the next few years. Resign Edwards & Hall as well for DB depth.
March 4th, 2025 at 4:41 am
Joe … ‘Provided Lavonte David returns, the Bucs have two, maybe three holes (it seems as if the Bucs are banking on SirVocea Dennis to be a starter this fall). Those two positions would be corner and, all together now, edge rusher.’
So in terms of ‘holes’ Joe, you vote for CB, Edge with a ‘maybe’ to ILB (depending upon LVD & Dennis’ status). And the Edge should preferably be a veteran. Am I close?
Agree with you on CB & Edge, but we need a lot more improvements than that or 2025 will be a replay of 2024 (lack of depth).
o ILB: I still feel that this is our greatest need right now, because we never replaced ‘the old Devin White’. We need that MLB who can generate that level of productivity that Devin provided back in 2020 & 2021. Britt wasn’t the answer. Dennis isn’t the answer either, and not just because of his lengthy injury history (17 games in 2 years?). His coverage skills aren’t any better than Britt’s (career 82.4% completions allowed for Dennis versus 72.7% for Britt). Bucs NEED to draft a starter-capable ILB in Rnd 1 or 2 this year. If Bama’s Jihaad Campbell (6’3″ & 235 lbs running a 4.52 sec 40 at the Combine; he definitely stood out as being the best ILB) is available when we pick, I’d definitely spend our #19 pick on him. I’d also be looking for a SECOND ILB (preferable a starter-capable veteran); our ILB depth really sucks.
o CB: I’d draft a quality starter-capable CB someplace in Rnds 1-3 (depending on who was available when we pick). I’d keep Dean this year, and definitely re-sign Bryce Hall (assuming he’s back 100%). That’d give us 4 starter-capable CBs with McCollum ad that should tide us over.
o Edge: Agree wholeheartedly that we need a veteran Edge (as opposed to drafting another Edge). Kahlil Mack isn’t the answer IMO (age & productivity), but I’d love to see us trade for the Titans’ Harold Landry (6’2″ & 252 lbs). I’m convinced that Landry’s got the capability to explode in our defense just like Shaq did in 2019. There are others out there who meet the criteria, but Landry stands out IMO.
o DT/NT: Adding a beastly DT/NT to rotate in with Vea is critical IMO. Vita has averaged slightly more than 560 def snaps per season in his 7 seasons (and he’s getting older). That’s only about 55% game-to-game, leaving a ton of snaps when we’ve got smaller guys in there. When he’s fresh, he’s an absolute beast. Keep him in there too much, and he wears down (understandable for someone his size). I wouldn’t mind drafting ‘a beast’ in the top 3 Rnds, although there are some quality veteran DT/NTs available in FA this year.
o Depth: We saw last season what happens when multiple injuries to starters force us into using young depth players (we ended up compromising the whole defensive scheme at times IMO). I couldsee a lot of new faces on this year’s defense.
March 4th, 2025 at 4:47 am
Someone with NFL turf under their feet. Simple put the investment has to be made right now. There is an experienced Edge Rusher out there that can jump on the pirate ship and tug on some sails. Come on Jason work your magic. On draft day concentrate on Lavonte’s successor, he is not on this team at this moment.
March 4th, 2025 at 5:03 am
Khalil Mack is exactly the answer for many reasons and I will enumerate them below.
1. Productivity-Mack has averaged 10+ sacks per year over the last 3 seasons
2. Durability-In his last 3 seasons Mack has played 17,17, and 16 games.
3. Talent level- Mack is a 1st ballot HOF’er and his value is only enhanced by his ability to share his knowledge with your incoming draft class and Braswell.
4. Desire- Mack wants to play 2 more years and win a ring.
5. Affordability – 15 mill for 2 years-heavily incentive laden.
These facts are why Bucs should act quickly to secure Khalil Mack so they can move on to considering other pieces of the puzzle , because they will know that edge rusher has been unmistakably addressed.
March 4th, 2025 at 5:33 am
Bucsfan … Mack’s productivity is misleading.
o 2021: 6 sacks (7 games … 315 def snaps)
o 2022: 8 sacks (17 games … 861 def snaps)
o 2023: 17 sacks (17 games … 934 def snaps)
o 2024: 6 sacks (16 games … 616 def snaps)
So in 3 of his last 4 seasons he’s averaged 7 sacks per season, but his monster 2023 season (17 sacks) brings that ‘average’ up to about 9 per season. Reminescent of Shaq back in 2019 when he got 19.5 sacks but only hit double digits (10) one more time in his career?
Chargers had the #1 defense last season, and yet he only produced 6 sacks in that defense. At 34 years old not sure I’m willing to expect 10-15 sacks per year out of him for 2 years. And especially with a Market Value of $23.6 mil
March 4th, 2025 at 5:52 am
Gosh golly how did the bucs end up with such holes in the defense…..
March 4th, 2025 at 6:12 am
Agree with DR and his analysis.Landry over Mack.
Trade for Landry. Get Greenlaw on a proven it deal in FA. Re-sign Hall for CB. That gets starters with proven production. Then go for t the future with Campbell in the 1st, Edge in 2nd and CB in 3rd. Assuming we traded the 4th for Landry, go DT or WR depth in the 5th and 7th.
Bucs also need to keep WR Godwin and RG Bredeson. I would like the Bucs to go after Cappa, but maybe not be able to afford him.
March 4th, 2025 at 7:05 am
What is misleading is your lack of accounting for the quality of his line mates in Tampa with Vita Vea and Kancey- Chargers had nothing like the Bucs Dline quality and that is one of the main reasons our Bucs manhandled them so easily last year.Sorry DR your argument doesn’t hold water.
March 4th, 2025 at 7:24 am
Light told you it’s not about winning championships, it’s about staying relevant. He’s actually proud of these meaningless division championships. Win 8-10 games, lose in the playoffs, and the Glazers are happy. Just make sure the Glazer boys get that home game. They want that money!
March 4th, 2025 at 7:31 am
Not one draft pick on the edge has ever helped us. I don’t want to draft one at all. We need to go get an established edge rusher and fill the rest of the needs via the draft. I certainly don’t want an edge rusher from Marshall. Those small school studs never pan put for us on the defensive line. Didn’t we learn with Logan Hall?
March 4th, 2025 at 8:02 am
SPOT ON !!
The Bucs Edge is bottom 5 and the whole defense suffers !! Too many schemes the players clearly can’t execute, to cover for the terrible edge situation in Tampa .
March 4th, 2025 at 9:29 am
“This Joe” has a hard time seeing, short of the Bucs getting two Hall of Fame players to replace Evans and David, how the Bucs could be a better team in 2026 than 2025.”
Plus another year of miles on Vea.
THIS is exactly why I wanna go all in right now and am scared about Bowles ability to get the job done.
March 4th, 2025 at 10:59 am
With the coaching changes on defense, I’m more confident in an edge player drafted in the 1st round.
March 4th, 2025 at 12:46 pm
LANDRY
And draft the Alabama kid Jihaad Campbell.
We need CB help but not Slay, he’s washed and wants to finish his career with the Lions .
We should be good at safety if we bring Edwards back and if Bryce Hall recovers 100% from the injury and didn’t suddenly get old during his time off, that’s a big plus.
Agree that LB is a huge area of need, depth and talent wise, LVD or not.
March 4th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
Aqualung … Spot on analysis. Landry in FA & Campbell in the draft are the 2 keys. We’ll be OK at CB if we keep Dean (and McCollum obviously), re-sign Bryce Hall & draft a starter-capable CB in the Top-3 Rnds. Plus of course Izien at Nickel.
Don’t see Safety as a critical need with Winfield & Tykee Smith starting, Merriweather & Edwards as backups (both need to be re-signed).
Overall we could keep as few as 9 Secondary, but I think we’ll go with 10. Excellent chance we’ll draft a Safety in Rnds 4-7.
March 4th, 2025 at 4:23 pm
Joe’s,
All excellent points. Only disagreement would be it is more like 4 players needed on defense. OK, maybe 3 assuming David returns and Bucs get a proven EDGE to plug in. Bucs definitely need another safety, ILB, CB. Also, 4-2-5 defense makes the most sense if they can find the right EDGE.
March 5th, 2025 at 1:13 am
Landry + Campbell would be sublime