With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1-5, the next move from the front office may be less about adding and more about trimming. One name that has come up as a possible trade piece is veteran EDGE Anthony Nelson, whose role has shrunk as younger options have pushed their way forward.
Nelson has spent seven seasons as a rotational presence on Tampa Bay’s defensive line, but he is now mostly seeing the field on special teams. He is slated to make about $2.7 million for the rest of the season, and his standing on the depth chart has dipped behind other emerging players in the room.
That possibility gained more attention after the recent comments tied to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who pointed out that Nelson could provide depth to a defense. For Tampa Bay, the idea would be to move on from a player with limited impact and, in Barnwell’s view, recoup a sixth-round pick while opening up cap space.
The numbers behind Nelson’s current role tell the story. Over the past two weeks, he has appeared in just 12 of 139 possible defensive snaps. For the season, he has five total tackles and a sack.
A strong offseason gave him a chance to stay in the mix, but the additions of Rueben Bain Jr. and A'Shawn Robinson made it harder for him to carve out meaningful playing time. The rise of outside linebacker David Walker has only tightened the squeeze.
Walker has become Tampa Bay’s top pass rusher so far, even though he is listed as a backup EDGE. After missing all of last season, his official rookie year, with a torn ACL, he has made a major impression on Todd Bowles’ front seven. He leads the team with four sacks and turned in his best professional outing on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In that game, Walker logged his first multi-sack performance with two, along with a career-high seven tackles. He consistently got off the line quickly and beat the Pittsburgh offensive line to the outside.
As the Buccaneers keep sorting out their best pass-rushing combinations, Walker’s snap count looks like it should stay high.
Bain also got in on the action Sunday, recording his first professional sack. That was a useful step for Tampa Bay’s top draft pick, who has been working through a slow start and injuries.
In Other News...
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The clip reignited scrutiny over Sapps conduct off the field, coming after another widely circulated run-in earlier this year drew a different kind of attention. For a player whose football rsum still carries real weight in Tampa Bay circles, the latest controversy only deepens the sense that his post-playing legacy keeps getting complicated by incidents that have nothing to do with the game itself. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Suddenly Need Help At One Position Before Panthers Game
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In the same transaction window, the Bucs brought David Sills V back from injured reserve, giving them an extra body at receiver at a time when that group is taking hits of its own. The timing matters because Tampa Bay may need him sooner rather than later, which leaves the defense to sort out how it replaces Rozeboom while the offense keeps bracing for more attrition before Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Get Encouraging Injury News With Sunday Still In Doubt
The Buccaneers got a little healthier on the practice field this week, with several players back after dealing with illnesses. Bucky Irving and Zyon McCollum were both limited participants, while Calijah Kancey was able to log a full workout, giving Tampa Bay at least some encouraging signs as it prepares for a divisional matchup with Carolina.
Emeka Egbukas status remains one of the bigger questions hanging over the week, and right tackle Luke Goedekes availability is also still unclear. With both sides releasing full injury reports, the Bucs have some positives to work with, but the final picture for Sunday still feels far from settled. [Read more 🡒]