5 Buccaneers that could be done in Tampa Bay after the draft
By Rob Leeds
The final veteran that will face an uphill battle to make the active roster for the Buccaneers is outside linebacker, Patrick O’Connor. O’Connor has received limited opportunities, but his opportunities haven’t led to much success, and the coaching staff may look to a younger prospect with a higher potential ceiling.
O’Connor could pan out in the NFL, but his role will likely be almost non-existent on the current roster, and a change of scenery could be to his advantage.
As it stands, O’Connor is at best, the fourth or fifth outside linebacker on the depth chart for the Bucs behind Shaquil Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Anthony Nelson as the defined top three.
There is also a very high chance that the Buccaneers will pursue a veteran pass rusher before the start of the season, and that would push Nelson back and O’Connor even further towards a point of limited impact.
When taking into account O’Connor’s role in 2019, the Buccaneers would be better off letting players like Kahzin Daniels, Cam Gill, and Michael Divinity Jr. learn on the active roster as there would be little drop off in production.
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O’Connor has a group of young players that are gunning for his spot, and the best option for Tampa Bay may be to let one of these rookie players take over the role to develop.