For as great as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been the last two seasons, punching playoff tickets and refusing to relinquish the NFC South crown, there’s still a fatal flaw that needs to be fixed.
The Bucs have won four straight division titles and haven’t missed the playoffs this decade, but have only one Super Bowl to show for it. One thing that has been holding the team back is the lack of pass rush, which has sanded off the edges of Todd Bowles’ defense.
It’s something the team addressed by signing Haason Reddick and drafting both David Walker and Elijah Roberts, but they might not be done making changes.
Pro Football Network's Sterling Xie tossed out Von Miller as a potential option for the Buccaneers as the team puts final touches on its offseason roster. It’s not a report, so don’t get too excited, but it’s a nice jumping off point for a discussion about whether the Bucs should add the two-time Super Bowl champion considering the need for pass rush help.
Buccaneers adding Von Miller should be a no-brainer move
Miller is past his prime, but the Bucs don’t need to rely on him the same way the Broncos, Rams, or even the Bills did when he was with those teams. Tampa Bay simply needs Miller to provide depth on the edge, which would be a total steal considering his credentials as an elite defender.
Last year the Bucs ranked 11th in pass rush but it was the situational failures that really hammered home how much the team needed to improve. Tampa Bay couldn’t close out games thanks in large part to not getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks in clutch situations, something that played into the team going 2-5 in one-score games.
Tampa Bay also doubled up on rookie cornerbacks with Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish, which further puts pressure on the pass rush to take a step forward. It doesn’t matter who is in the secondary if the Bucs can’t get hands on the quarterback, something Miller would no doubt help with.
Just the idea of adding someone of Miller’s talent as depth feels like a steal. It’s adjacent to when the Bucs brought in Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett to help win a Super Bowl back in 2020, as Miller fits the mold of a seasoned vet who can help a young position group develop.
It’s a move that makes sense on paper, but whether or not the Bucs want to spend is another question. There’s a lot of new pass rush talent on the roster, but that shouldn’t preclude Tampa Bay from potentially adding a championship cherry on top.
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