Pewter Plank Mailbag: Should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Consider Sedrick Ellis?

Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

It’s time for yet another edition of Pewter Plank mailbag, and this time reader Robert has asked us if the Buccaneers might be in the market for one of the remaining big names on the free agent market:

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Another excellent question from one of our readers, as this is a move that would seem to make excellent sense for Tampa Bay. Ellis was a very promising player coming out of college, seemingly lacking only size and durability and possessing a very long list of strengths. But since entering the NFL, he’s never been consistently productive, but has flashed brilliance from time to time.

Ellis actually had some numbers similar to the Buccaneers’ own Gerald McCoy last season, for what it’s worth. Using Pro Football Focus’ run stop and pass rush productivity metrics, Ellis finished just a bit short of Gerald in both categories. Ellis certainly did not have the same kind of disruptive season that McCoy did, but there are metrics in place that show Ellis is able to get after the QB, and that he isn’t awful as a tackler.

This past season he was a part of the Saint’s awful defense, so his value is likely at an all-time low. And it would have to be for the Buccaneers to be interested. Akeem Spence is likely going to be given every chance to win the job next to Gerald McCoy, and Gary Gibson and Derek Landri are both decent backups. Ellis is better than Gibson and Landri, but the cost to acquire him may be too high considering he would not have a full-time role on the defensive line. It’s also unclear which position Ellis would be best-suited for, as his size is similar to Roy Miller’s, and in watching some film of last season, I noticed he moved around on the line a bit. If the Buccaneers think he could compete for snaps at nose tackle, and could also spell Gerald McCoy from time to time, then he may be worth signing at the right price.

So if the price is right, the Buccaneers may do well to bring in Ellis. But with guys like Spence and Landri already in the fold, he’ll have to provide the right value for Mark Dominik and his team to offer a contract.