The Bucs added to their linebacker room in free company. But it surely wasn’t the kind of transfer anybody anticipated. Anthony Walker is coming off of a down 12 months in Miami and isn’t a clear-cut starter like many had been anticipating the group so as to add. But with Lavonte David deciding to return again for his 14th season, and the group clearly excessive on SirVocea Dennis, the precedence within the linebacker room grew to become enhancing depth moderately than discovering a veteran starter.
David’s legendary presence has lengthy been documented when it comes to what he brings to Tampa Bay’s protection, so let’s take a look at the remainder of the room because it stands now.
SirVocea Dennis Is Penciled In To Begin For The Bucs
Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Jason Licht revealed how the group feels about SirVocea Dennis on the NFL Scouting Mix.
“The number one thing is just being healthy,” Licht stated. “If we can get him healthy, he had a role on defense starting out the season, but he got injured right there. So coming back with surgery, hopefully he doesn’t have any more injuries. He’ll be right in the mix to play a lot of plays for us.”
Within the combine to play loads for us suggests the group sees Dennis as a starter. And subsequent to David, the Bucs appear to have their starters for 2025. The offseason precedence at linebacker ought to then be to enhance athleticism. Dennis brings loads of that into the fold.
SirVocea Dennis was drafted with choose 153 of spherical 5 within the 2023 draft class. He scored a 7.28 #RAS out of a doable 10.00. This ranked 723 out of 2652 LB from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/Qtg6dLBpJu pic.twitter.com/J42zjk8NdH
And Dennis was enjoying effectively to begin final season.
61 seconds left within the sport in hostile territory with a 4-point lead. SirVocea Dennis has like 160 profession snaps and triggers earlier than the ball is launched. Huge play in an enormous second from a younger participant. pic.twitter.com/CFU0FrrkQH
Tampa Bay allowed, on common, 86 yards passing in between the hashes from 0-10 yards off the road of scrimmage. That’s the world linebackers are primarily liable for.
After Dennis was misplaced for the season that quantity went up by virtually 34 yards per sport.
Bucs ILB SirVocea Dennis and Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs – Picture by: USA At the moment
Subsequent Gen Stats and Professional Soccer Focus every credit score Dennis with a passing yards allowed per protection snap of round 0.85. And if you happen to subscribe to PFF grading as a measurement of talent, Dennis has graded out effectively in his restricted enjoying time, posting a 72.6 protection grade in 2023 and a 74.3 grade final 12 months.
Dennis additionally pushes David again to a task he’s higher at, dropping into protection and studying out performs the place his expertise and instincts maintain him at his greatest. Britt was not a terrific move rusher and so final 12 months Bowles was pressured to make use of David as his add-on rusher 148 occasions. That almost matched his profession excessive from his rookie season.
Counting on him so closely shouldn’t be with out danger. He has not been capable of keep wholesome for his first two skilled seasons. And he has not been a dependable tackler, with a profession missed sort out charge of 23.5%. Final 12 months the Bucs tried to cut back his obligations by utilizing him on primarily passing downs. It’s doable they want to time share him once more this season. The group as an entire struggled to sort out persistently final 12 months. It stands to cause Dennis would exacerbate these issues.
However Dennis suits the mildew of somebody they might wish to play subsequent to David. His pace and skill to set off shortly make him an ideal match for a mugged-up blitzer that may get downhill and have an effect on the passer as part of head coach Todd Bowles’ pressure-heavy protection. In his last season at Pitt Dennis recorded 32 pressures and 7 sacks on simply 119 move rushes.
If he can stay wholesome, Dennis instantly upgrades the upside of the linebacker room from final 12 months’s mixture of Ok.J. Britt and J.J. Russell.
Anthony Walker Brings Veteran Expertise, Higher Athleticism
Bucs ILB Anthony Walker – Picture by: USA At the moment
Anthony Walker is an eight-year vet with some fairly strong seasons on his resume. He’s coming off of a down 12 months in Miami the place he battled by means of a concussion and a hamstring harm however nonetheless managed to carry off Tyrel Dodson because the starter when he was wholesome. His greatest days are possible behind him, however he brings one thing the Bucs lacked past David final 12 months. A veteran presence that may set the protection proper and received’t be overwhelmed if he’s pushed into motion resulting from an harm to a starter.
I liken this transfer to Tampa Bay bringing in veteran Kevin Minter from 2018-2021. There’s no sizzle to the pickup, however a gradual veteran hand that received’t kill you if he must play proved to be an enormous miss on final 12 months’s roster that relied on a younger, inexperienced group of gamers that was headlined by Britt and Russell. And Walker provides some motion and protection skills that I’d argue Minter lacked.
Passes off the clear and instantly turns to search for the dig. In place for the INT on the tipped move. https://t.co/RNjGBjm2PA pic.twitter.com/pdDFAeCmY1
Trying on the yards allowed metric I cited earlier, the Dolphins allowed simply 80 yards in between the hashes from 0-10 yards off the road of scrimmage within the video games Walker began and performed the entire sport final 12 months. That will have ranked Tenth-best within the NFL.
He can play a task in protection however isn’t nice within the mugged-up ‘backer role at the line of scrimmage. If Dennis goes, down Walker won’t be capable of fill all the role-responsibilities, and the group could should shuffle David again right into a stress task in the event that they determine to match him with David as starters.
Walker’s veteran presence also needs to assist with the communication points the Bucs protection had been victimized by final 12 months. He has performed the Mike ‘backer function for many of his profession and might get a protection lined up correctly and ensure everybody is able to execute their task. Add in his sound tackling, with a profession missed sort out charge of 11.8%, and you’ve got an actual improve at ILB3 for the Bucs.
Deion Jones Confirmed Promise Late Final Yr
Bucs ILB Deion Jones – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Deion Jones is an fascinating flyer. He’s gone the times of being thought-about some of the athletic and cerebral protection ‘backers within the NFL. However there may nonetheless be some juice there. Out of sheer desperation, the Bucs pressed him into his first motion of the season of their Wild Card loss to the Commanders. It was solely 18 snaps, however Jones appeared good. He even prevented a landing in protection with a move breakup.
Deion Jones passing off the slant/cross to take a seat on the OTB and get the move break up. pic.twitter.com/xfeTTZSsUR
Between he and Anthony Walker, Jones most intently emulates the traits and function that SirVocea Dennis gives, whereas Walker would greatest be suited as Lavonte David’s major backup. Each gamers characterize an improve in protection and as move rushers to Ok.J. Britt and J.J. Russell. Neither is an particularly sturdy run defender. But it surely appears to be like just like the Bucs are re-prioritizing what they need out of their linebackers, if even simply barely.
And the group is probably going not achieved including.
The 2025 NFL Draft is lower than six weeks away. The group is doing its due diligence so far as the linebacker place goes, having formal interviews with six gamers and casual interviews with a minimum of six others.
Oregon ILB Jeffrey Bassa – Picture by: USA At the moment
One of the best linebacker rooms in latest reminiscence haven’t been constructed with premium property. The 49ers used Day 2 and three picks on Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. The Eagles picked up Zack Baun and Oren Burks for a tune, spending lower than $5 million mixed on the 2 gamers. Jamien Sherwood, like Dennis, was a former fifth-round draft choose for the Jets.
In the meantime the Bears spent over $90 million on Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards in 2023 and have been round league common on protection since. The funding hasn’t precisely matched the manufacturing.
As a substitute, it seems the Bucs are elevating the ground and depth by recruiting worth choices that may match particular roles to construct out a useful group with upside, much like the Eagles, whereas sinking vital property into retaining their prime expertise and taking swings on larger worth positions.
The group may nonetheless look so as to add a premium participant through the draft. That they had a proper interview with Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, a possible first-rounder. However I’d not be shocked if the group sees a greater path with focusing on one other participant on Day 2 or Day 3 to proceed to bolster depth with focused upside pictures.
