Buccaneers Free Agent Decision Report: Chris Conte

Why Conte Should Go

Yes, yes, the numbers, at times, look good. But, what about the eye test? Everybody knows that when evaluating a player, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Over the two years he has been here, how has Conte looked on the field? Other than part of 2016, the answer is “not great”.

One of the few evaluation systems we have access to as fans is Pro Football Focus. For 2016, Conte’s grade was 42, good for 90th at his position. They only ranked one player behind him. Let’s ask Bucs Nation. Over the last two years, how often have you complained about this guy making a bad play, being out of position, …etc? My experience with the fans is that the answer would be “often”.

Don’t forget the emergence of his partner in crime, Keith Tandy. How well did he play at the end of the season? He came on like gangbusters to tie for the team lead in interceptions with four. He only had 12 less tackles than Conte. Tandy was the 24th safety overall with a Pro Football Focus grade of 82.4.

Do the Bucs really need Conte next year and beyond?