New Buccaneer Takes A Shot At “His PFF Grade”
March 19th, 2025
PFF grades are a laughing matter at One Buc.
Joe’s no fan of the Pro Football Focus player grades, though they’re symbolic of one of the great pay-per-read hoaxes of the modern era.
Another guy who isn’t a fan is new Bucs inside linebacker Anthony Walker, Jr. The Bucs signed the eight-year veteran inside linebacker in free agency last week and he took a shot at PFF today during his introductory Bucs news conference in Tampa.
It seems there has been criticism — bad grades? — of his pass coverage, but Walker says don’t believe it.
“I see all the stuff on social media and everything where people be like, ‘Oh, his PFF grade,’ and all that. I’m here to tell you can watch the film,” Walker said. “The ball does not get completed behind me or in front of me in the middle of the field.”
Joe stood and applauded, and not just because the Bucs fans are desperate to heal the trauma of a season filled with watching inside linebackers K.J. Britt and J.J. Russell in pass coverage.
It was great hearing a respected player figuratively urinating upon the PFF Tribe for its grades. Keep in mind Walker
was the Browns’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee in 2023, and an alumnus of Northwestern. He’s no clown.
To make his PFF jab even more fun, Walker described himself today as a student of the game, a former high school defensive back and receiver whose father was his high school coach. Yeah, Joe is confident Walker knows more than the tribal graders.
March 19th, 2025 at 3:14 pm
Great article as always Joes,
But you kept referring to him as Anthony Nelson, not Walker. Joe must still be on cloud nine because we signed a pass rusher. Haha
March 19th, 2025 at 3:21 pm
Are you talking about Anthony Nelson (who you named) or the new LB Anthony Walker? I’m sure you mean Walker.
March 19th, 2025 at 3:22 pm
WALKER JR?
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 19th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
Walker Je…..No worries Joe, mistakes happen, and we undertand what you meant
March 19th, 2025 at 3:43 pm
You left out Devin White
March 19th, 2025 at 3:44 pm
Glad to see some new blood next to LD54!!!
March 19th, 2025 at 3:51 pm
Joe seems distracted and confused…definitely confused.
March 19th, 2025 at 4:08 pm
Joe’s screensaver came on while writing this article. It’s a picture of a certain former Swashbuckler whose name we shall not say aloud.
March 19th, 2025 at 4:17 pm
i simply cannot wrap my head around the complete downfall of devin white…
it makes no sense…
he is the kind of like the ben simmons of the nfl…
yes the ben simmons of the nfl…you know – the nba player who flopped out in philly, then with the nets
i thought we possibly had the next lawrence taylor here in devin…then poof he turns to dust…
you know why we had linebacker problems last year…….?
mostly because of devin white…
(if he was here and at the top of his game)
there was no real plan for him not to be here, and they didn’t prepare years ahead with drafting for his weird departure
March 19th, 2025 at 4:19 pm
Brain fart alert! LOL! Gettin’ old, my friend. Sure as heck, or Heck beats the alternative.
March 19th, 2025 at 4:23 pm
Devin White wants to raise horses I think. Football was a way to fund that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I know the guy, but that’s the only thing that makes sense to me.
Regarding PFF: none of the players are going to like them. People rarely like being evaluated and assigned a score. Also, of course PFF numbers are going to be inaccurate in the beginning. It’s a work in progress. They are better than nothing right now and getting better all the time.
March 19th, 2025 at 4:24 pm
Nelson…or Walker?
March 19th, 2025 at 4:30 pm
Joe started drinking early.
March 19th, 2025 at 4:33 pm
Adam, I agree. With all of those millions on the line you would think he would get better and better and become our next Brooks/David. Regardless of money, some people just don’t like football as a job enough.
And I think the plan was Dennis to take that spot, but it’s very hard to prepare an injury. Look how hard it was to replace Winfield Jr. If they knew it would play out like this, maybe they would have drafted differently when Dennis’s case? He seems like a solid player… probably should have had that surgery on the shoulder done sooner rather than later. Hopefully he’s not fragile in any other way and will have a solid upcoming 2025.
Impossible to have studs backing up studs. The cap just doesn’t work that way.
March 19th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
the one real concern with dennis would be that the league doesn’t let you lead with your helmet any more…
so that leaves defenders to lead with their shoulders – which linebackers often do…
a surgically repaired shoulder would be of utmost concern…
that’s why i constantly mention grabbing up kyzir white…
along with walker jr., deion jones, maybe jj russell, lavonte and a draft pick – we should then be solidified at the position and be able to play thru guaranteed seasonal injuries, towards a successful playoff run…
we need a high ILB draft pick and one more very solid linebacker via free agency…
can you even really count on jj russell and deion jones…i dunno at this point…if they make the team we’ll find out…and in fact, russell isn’t even on the team now…
can you really count on sirvocia dennis’ surgically repaired shoulder to last the entire season — i don’t know
March 19th, 2025 at 4:50 pm
and yes dennis was beasting early on last season before the injury…he looked like a top linebacker…he was flying around like a superhero out there
March 19th, 2025 at 5:12 pm
Joe’s at Hooters slamming wings and pounding beers apparently. Maybes he will run into Anthony Walker Nelson Jr?
March 19th, 2025 at 5:36 pm
Now we wait. If he’s 35% better than Britt and can cover, okay just kidding about thirty five percent thing lol.. I really think Todd Bowles needs not make Reddick drop back, he’s already th best OLB we have and all the film to show it. . Get The Quarterback that’s All like a pitbull !!!
March 19th, 2025 at 6:44 pm
I looked at walkers stats and grades and he right. Last years was an anomaly. He has been elite in coverage 3 years straight before . This looks like a solid pickup!! Lets go! He may elevate the defense a lot.
March 19th, 2025 at 6:55 pm
I love PFF, it’s a great way to easily compare players. If their system is flawed then it’s flawed for all of the players which makes it a fair system.
March 19th, 2025 at 7:49 pm
Walker will be an upgrade over KJ Britt…
And guess what?
PFF has Walker as the 161st rated ILB and KJ Britt as the 171st rated ILB.
LOL!
Let’s be real – we found Walker on the clearance rack. If he was so great he wouldn’t have signed such a cheap deal. He was so great the Dolphins wanted to sign KJ Britt. HAHAHAHA!
He should stop worrying about his “PFF grade” and do something on the field.
March 19th, 2025 at 9:39 pm
Is he a better linebacker than what we’ve seen since the superbowl season? That’s all I care about because it has been painful to watch so much booty given up by one position
March 20th, 2025 at 6:49 am
“””and yes dennis was beasting early on last season before the injury…he looked like a top linebacker…he was flying around like a superhero out there”””
He really did. That season ending injury hurt big time. Surely by OTA’s or training camp he should be good as new no?
March 20th, 2025 at 9:58 am
I think Dennis will be fine by the start of camp, he was shut down early last year so should be good to go.
March 20th, 2025 at 10:00 am
And he was flying around, I was trying to figure out who this “Dennis” was until it dawned on me. He looked really good.
March 20th, 2025 at 11:15 am
Why has Walker fallen off so much since leaving the Colts?
Personally, I think SirV starts along side LVD. Great speed and playmaking and promise shown