Buccaneers Round Table: Defensive Keep, Trade, Release
Ren Daxt
Cut, keep, trade part duex.
This week we are, predictably, switching over to the defensive side of the ball.
This list of applicants are as follows: Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David and Brent Grimes.
This weeks challenge is a little tougher. Youth or off the field issues are off the board this week as each player is well into their second contract, at least. So let’s get the ball rolling with deciding whose head lands on the chopping block.
Playing the part of Marie Antoinette will be Lavonte David.
Yes David is very good at what he does and yes I’m glad he is on our team, but much like the wide receiver position on offense, the line backer position is extremely deep in top tier talent in the NFL.
There is no other position in the league that has a broader height and weight spectrum among the leagues best than linebacker. The only real requirement is that you are athletic and everyone in the NFL is.
If you aren’t big enough, agile enough, or fast enough and you want to play defense? You play linebacker.
Once again David is very good at what he does, but he isn’t great enough to warrant a kings’ ransom in a trade return and with the depth the Buccaneers have behind him. The line backing corps can absorb his loss.
Moving on.
Keep: Gerald McCoy.
McCoy might be having his best year yet as a Buccaneer. Which is saying something about a player that has gone to 5 straight Pro Bowls and has been names 1st team All-Pro 3 times.
The ability to get constant pressure on the opposing teams quarterback with just your front four pass rushers covers up for a lot of mistakes in the back end of a teams defense. Given that so far this year McCoy has been the best consistent pass rusher it would be foolish to trade him. The drop off in talent from McCoy to the next best defensive lineman. tackle or end might be the largest than any other position on the team. What the Bucs defense needs is help for McCoy and that is exactly what I’m going to give him by Trading Brent Grimes.
The Kansas City Chiefs are going all in this year and they have the talent to make a very deep run. The only thing they are missing is another top tier corner to play opposite Pro Bowler Marcus Peters. Much like when the Buccaneers defense needed that one more piece to put them over the top, which they found in Simeon Rice. Brent Grimes would be that final piece to KC’s defense that made them the odds on favorite to raise the Lombardi Trophy this February.
What the Bucs get in return is defensive end Chris Jones. Selected in the second round by the Chiefs in 2016 Jones only recorded 2.0 sack his first season, but impressed enough to have been selected to the All-Rookie team. Jones has come out of the gate strong with 3.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. His youth would guarantee talented book end pass rushers, when paired with Noah Spence, for years to come.
Yes the Bucs defense would REALLY miss Brent Grimes in it’s secondary, but once again a devastating rush trumps excellent corner back play every time.
It might take some arm twisting by the Bucs front office to pull off the deal, but in the end I’m confident it can be done.
Trading a 2nd-round pick for a Lombardi Trophy is a no brainer. At least that how the Bucs need to sell it.
Thanks for reading.
You can find me on Twitter @Ren_Daxt, I’m always down to talk Buccaneer football.
Until next time.
GO BUCS!!!