Here are five high priced free agent options for the Buccaneers.
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Our Buccaneers are a team on the rise. A 9-7 season that left them just on the outside of the playoff picture has everyone buzzing about 2017. With players like Jameis Winston, Mike Evans, and Kwon Alexander to name just a few, this team has a young core that is growing together. The Bucs are setting the scene for a team that will be good for a long time.
However, there are holes that need to be filled. On both sides of the football, the team needs help. Who is going to be opposite Evans? How can they make the pass defense even better? These are just two of the questions that need answering during the off-season.
March 9th is the first chance to answer those questions. At 4 PM on the 9th, free agency begins. Teams begin to make their plays for the best players on the market, and with cap room, the Bucs will be in that mix.
Just a few days ago, we talked about some inexpensive options that Jason Licht may have to choose from. These were the Walmart and Target type of options. Today we are going high-end. Imagine walking into a fancy clothing store and picking anything you want off of the rack and making that purchase.
Today, we are looking at five top-shelf, high-end free agents who would make good fits with the Bucs.
Alshon Jeffrey
The Bucs need an option on the opposite side of Mike Evans. They could bring back Vincent Jackson, but as of late, neither the production or effort has seemed to be there. That ship has sailed in Tampa. It’s time for some new blood at the wide receiver position. They need a guy that can take some of the pressure off of Evans. They need a guy that can make a catch in the red zone so all eyes aren’t on Evans.
Let’s talk about Alshon Jeffrey. He stands at 6’4″ tall, which is a great size as a target down deep in the opponent’s territory. He’s done well in the red zone throughout his career to date, with 24 receptions and 14 of them going for touchdowns. Just under 1/3 of his 26 career touchdown catches have come in the fourth quarter, showing his ability to be clutch.
Jeffrey is just two seasons removed from a ten touchdown performance. From 2013-2014, he averaged 87 receptions and 1,277 receiving yards per year. 2013 was good enough to earn him a trip to the Pro Bowl. He’s only 27 years old with a lot of football left. Yes, there has been a decline in production over the last two years. Yes, he has been injured and served with a drug suspension.
Even with that, he has posted over 800 yards in each of the last two seasons, which is more than good enough for an effective sidekick opposite Evans.
Eric Berry
Football is rough, but life can be tougher. Surviving any form of cancer is a miracle, I think we can all agree. Surviving cancer and returning to the level of a Pro Bowl NFL football player? Now that is about as miraculous as anything can get. That is the epitome of a warrior that would not let life take him down.
As we all know, that is exactly what happened to Eric Berry. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Berry made it his mission to get back to the game that he loved, and that is exactly what he did. How strong has he come back? Berry has posted six interceptions over the last two seasons and been elected to the Pro Bowl in each year. That would qualify as very strong, wouldn’t you say?
He is already a friend of Bucs Nation. How could he not be? We all saw how he saved the day in the Chiefs victory over the Falcons. By himself, Berry kept the Bucs in the playoff race. See that? It’s almost as if he was already a member of the team. Why not make that happen for real?
The Bucs were better against the pass in 2016 but not great. They were ranked 22nd in the league overall (per NFL.com). Imagine how could they could become with Berry joining Brent Grimes and an improving Vernon Hargreaves.
DeMarcus Ware
Now here is a name that hasn’t been associated with the Bucs as of yet, but I believe should be.
When you talk about winning games, what is one of the major elements you talk about? The pass rush. The team that can get to the quarterback wins games. It’s not just the pass rush, however, it’s also the situational pass rush. Which team can close out games? Take the Bucs, for instance. Think back to the night against Dallas. David Irving got to Winston in the fourth quarter, and the Cowboys were able to close us out.
Look at Dwight Freeney as a prime example of this point. At 35 years old he joined the Arizona Cardinals, seemingly at the end of his career. He was active for 11 games, didn’t start a single one, yet managed eight sacks. How did that happen? Situational pass rushing, that’s how. He came in and helped the Cardinals close out games.
DeMarcus Ware battled injuries in 2016 which allowed him into only ten games and to post only four sacks. The year before, however, he posted 7.5 sacks, and he is just two years removed from a ten sack performance. Ware can still get the job done, and the Bucs have the personnel that would allow Ware to be a situational player. Imagine him coming off of the edge on the opposite side of Noah Spence in the fourth quarter.
There is no reason to think that wouldn’t add up to some additional wins.
Martellus Bennett
The more red zone options, the better. Am I right?
Martellus Bennett stands at 6’7″ tall. That actually is two inches taller than star wide receiver Mike Evans. Bennett’s height is the football equivalent of having a giant Redwood tree with hands looking for the ball in the end zone. How often do we see the “fade” run in the NFL? You know the play, the tall receiver heads to the back corner, the quarterback throws it up there for the receiver to out-jump his opponent for the score. It happens a lot. A guy like Bennett makes it a whole lot easier.
Bennett has been a productive tight end since he joined the league in 2008. Last year, he did post a career high in touchdowns with seven. Some might say that was a product of Tom Brady, but that isn’t entirely the case. Brady does make everybody better, there is no doubt. But Bennett was no slouch to start with. He averaged 69 receptions per year over three years with the Bears, and posted 55 catches in his lone year with the Giants. Back in 2014, he posted 90 receptions and went to the Pro Bowl.
Now this is not taking anything away from Cameron Brate. He came into his own in 2016 and he should not be out of the plans by any means. He became a favorite target of Winston for good reason. But, if we bring Bennett in to join Brate, Evans, Adam Humphries, and everyone else, the Bucs become just that much more potent.
And that will bring a smile to everyone’s face.
DeSean Jackson
James Yarcho talked about this idea recently here on the site, but it deserves repeating. The reason is that he hit the nail on the head. DeSean Jackson would be a great fit.
He’s a different type of threat than Alshon Jeffrey. Jackson only stands at 5’10” tall, so he is not the big red zone target. He fills a very different role. An element that at times is underrated in the passing game is the downfield threat. An offense needs a guy that can take the top off of a defense. If there is no threat over the top, the defensive backs are going to crowd the line and make short passes impossible. A deep threat is essential.
Jackson is exactly that type of threat. Other than his rookie season, he has never averaged less than 15.6 yards per catch, and if you eliminate that year, his lowest output goes up to 16.2 yards per catch. He has averaged over twenty yard per catch on two separate occasions and last year led the league with 17.9 yards per catch. That’s the story of a player that can get down the field and get open.
Now, he has had some injury problems. But when healthy, which he was in 2016, he is a burner. He will open up the short to intermediate passes for all of his teammates. He would be a perfect fit.
Next: The Quarterback is Human, Cut Him Some Slack
These are five high-end free agents that would make a great fit. What do you think? Have others? Do you like these? Sound off in the comments.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless otherwise indicated.