The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a lot to figure out in the waning phase of the 2025 NFL season. Thankfully, this team still controls its own destiny to an NFC South title and the postseason, but there is almost no room for error for Todd Bowles' squad.
Yes, Baker Mayfield needs to play a lot better. The secondary cannot get gashed as it did against Kirk Cousins and the Falcons last Thursday. But the Bucs could also stand to upgrade their pass rush a bit to take the pressure off the defensive backfield with the season on the line.
As it stands now, Tampa Bay has exactly two players with more than four sacks: Vita Vea and Yaya Diaby, who have 4.5 and 6.0, respectively. It's been a group effort to reach the rest of the Bucs' 33 team sacks this year, which is hovering around the league average. That's not good enough.
Bucs should kick the tires on recently-released EDGE Matt Judon
Every year since 2019, the Bucs have been in the NFL's top 10 in total sacks. That production has dropped off quite a bit this year, and it is hindering the defense. The free agent market isn't typically robust at this point in the year, and if you don't have reinforcements in the building, life can be tough.
On Wednesday, however, the Miami Dolphins threw Tampa Bay a bone. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported that they were releasing veteran edge rusher Matt Judon. Garafolo believes that Judon could be a veteran presence for contending playoff teams. That sounds like the Bucs.
Now, Tampa Bay already has Haason Reddick filling the veteran role, and he recorded a sack in the team's last outing. But Anthony Nelson hasn't taken a quarterback down since the end of October. Neither has Lavonte David or SirVocea Dennis.
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This Buccaneers team has recorded just eight sacks in the last six games. Eight! In six games! They have to try something different, and although Judon is far from the player that he was back in Baltimore and New England, maybe he has something left in the tank.
Jason Licht loves to bargain shop, and Judon won't be an expensive endeavor at this point by any stretch of the imagination. He hasn't recorded a sack this year, albeit playing a career-low in snaps, but he had 5.5 last season, and perhaps a change of scenery could do him some good.
Judon wouldn't have to travel very far, and he could join a team that is probably (hopefully?) heading to the playoffs. If he comes to Tampa Bay and doesn't record a sack, he would be just like everyone else lately. But he could also be a spark and just what the Bucs need.