Buccaneers Rumors: Three Free Agents Unlikely to Return
The speculation has begun as to free agents that will stay, and free agents that will be allowed to leave. Here are three Buccaneers that are likely not returning to wear the Pewter in 2016.
We are just a little under a month away from that early Christmas present for NFL fans everywhere, the free agency period. It’s the time where all 32 franchises start bidding on players to fill in the holes on their team to strength their bid for the playoffs and beyond. It’s also when decisions are made about the futures of current players on the roster. The preparation begins now, and the Buccaneers are no different.
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Pewter Report released their weekly Fab 5 report, and they had some interesting things to say on three free agents:
"Although no final decision has been made, it doesn’t look like cornerback Sterling Moore is part of the team’s plans moving forward. Moore, 26, signed a one-year deal worth $1.525 million last year and entered the starting lineup in the middle of the season as the cornerback carousel spun in Tampa Bay all season. But by the end of the year, Moore’s play had dipped, and he’s regarded more as a depth cornerback rather than an ideal starter.So why not re-sign Moore? We’re hearing there were some chemistry issues last year that may be behind the team’s desire to move on. Moore wasn’t a bad apple in his only season with the Bucs, rather he just wasn’t an ideal fit."
It’s not terribly surprising that the Bucs would go in a different direction here. We know they were bad against the pass, and Sterling Moore was OK, but nothing really to warrant any special notice from the coaching staff.
Here are two other guys they spoke about:
"The Buccaneers probably won’t be re-signing defensive tackles Henry Melton and Tony McDaniel – both of whom are unrestricted free agents. Both Melton and McDaniel were solid, but not spectacular. The 29-year old Melton made $3.75 million last year after signing a one-year contract. The 31-year old McDaniel signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million last August after being cut from Seattle."
As noted by the Pewter Report, Melton and McDaniel posted 30 and 25 tackles respectively in backup roles, and Melton added two sacks.
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There is definitely a youth movement in play here, with Melton turning 30 this year and McDaniel already in his 30’s. The Bucs want to get younger and faster up front, which plays into their need for a dominant edge pass rusher.
It will be interesting to watch it all play out in just a few weeks.