The NFL has reached the mandatory minicamp portion of the offseason, which means the offseason program is nearing an end. Soon, players will have their final break before returning for training camp in late July and rolling into the season. That means, for the most part, training camp rosters are pretty much set. However, there are still quite a few players available for trade and other free agents that have yet to sign with a team
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coming off a fourth straight NFC South championship, have done a good job to keep the roster intact this offseason, but they still have a few holes they’ll be wise to address with some of the available players. In a recent Bleacher Report article, Moe Moton ranked the 10 best free agents under the age of 30, and also named a couple of ideal landing spots for them.
While the Bucs weren’t named an ideal landing spot for any of the players, there was one player on the list who would make a lot of sense for Tampa Bay. Linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, ranked eighth on the list, would be a good pick up for the Bucs.
Buccaneers should explore signing free agent linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley
Bentley has played his entire seven-year career with the New England Patriots, being drafted in the fifth round by the team in 2018. By his third season, he was the full-time starter at inside linebacker, and became a very productive player. Unfortunately, a torn pec last season limited him to just two games, and now he’s looking for a new team.
"Ja'Whaun Bentley tore his pectoral muscle in Week 2 of this past season, and the New England Patriots placed him on injured reserve for the remainder of the campaign. Before that, he led the Patriots in tackles for three consecutive years, logging five tackles for loss in each season.Moe Moton (Bleacher Report)
Since Bentley earned a starting job in 2020, he's also contributed to the pass rush, recording 10 sacks. Though he has minimal production in coverage, he's a proven asset against the run and has the skill set to be an effective blitzer."
Moton went on to say Bentley could immediately strengthen the defense of a playoff contender, and that makes Tampa Bay the perfect option. With Lavonte David still holding things down in the middle of the defense, Bentley could compete with Anthony Walker Jr. for the other starting linebacker spot. With a top-five offense returning for the Bucs next season, the defense needs to improve, so the team can take a leap and go further in the playoffs. Ja'Whaun Bentley could help with that.