Buccaneers have a great problem on their hands that's bound to pay off big in 2022
Sure, it may be the first week of the preseason. This time of year is equivalent to playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey when it comes to player evaluations. But don't tell that to Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass rusher Anthony Nelson. Nelson was an absolute terror against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night. The […]
Sure, it may be the first week of the preseason. This time of year is equivalent to playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey when it comes to player evaluations.
But don't tell that to Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass rusher Anthony Nelson.
Nelson was an absolute terror against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night. The fourth-year defender played just 19 defensive snaps, but still managed to notch two solo tackles, 1.0 sack, two tackles for loss, and one quarterback hit.
His best moments came during the Dolphins' third drive of the game. Nelson tackled running back Salvon Ahmed in the backfield for a three-yard loss and then sacked quarterback Skylar Thompson for a 10-yard loss two plays later. The two plays forced the Dolphins into a 52-yard field goal attempt, which they made, but it's the fact Nelson not only ended the drive, but he also put the Dolphins in a disadvantageous position with the long field goal.
Nelson did his job. But the Dolphins did, too. That shouldn't take anything away from what he did, though.
Nelson easily had the best year of his young career in 2021. He, along with former first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, is the reason why the Buccaneers let Jason Pierre-Paul walk in free agency.
Whether or not he takes another step in his development will be a key factor in how the Buccaneers pass rush performs as a whole. Nelson is going to be the third guy in the pass rush rotation and will spell Shaquil Barrett and JTS when they have to come off the field.
Right now, things are looking like they are totally on track for Nelson to have another big year. And the Buccaneers are going to give him every opportunity to shine.
"He knows how to play, he is very savvy and he is a big part of what we are doing," Todd Bowles told reporters Sunday. "We don’t have a problem when Shaq [Barrett] or Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka] go out because Nelson and Cam [Gill] can play just as well. I thought last year was important for him to get a lot of reps. He’s a quiet guy, but he understands football and we depend on him.
"He doesn’t mess up often. He knows what to do, he knows how to execute it, and for the most part, he gets it done every time.”
Tryon-Shoyinka didn't play Saturday against the Dolphins, but the right things have been said about him this offseason. And it sounds like he's primed for a big year, too.
“Some stuff last year coming in as a rookie, some easy stuff he used to mess up on – blow assignments and stuff like that, — this year it’s like clockwork for him," said linebacker Lavonte David. He knows his assignments, he gets the job done and he’s even communicating as an outside linebacker and [laughs] you don’t see that often. It’s definitely a confidence booster for us and for him as well.”
The Buccaneers pass rush has a great problem on its hands
It will be interesting to see how the Buccaneers figure out their pass rush rotation. It'll be interesting to see if they figure out a way to get Barrett, Nelson, and JTS on the field at the same time, too.
Barrett has made the Pro Bowl in two of three seasons as a Buccaneer and is a consistent force on the edge. He's also notorious for logging a ton of snaps, which obviously limits the reps for depth players.
But, he also missed two games last year due to a knee injury, so it may not be a bad idea to take away some snaps, especially now that there are 17 games on the regular season schedule. Add in the fact the Buccaneers are likely to make the postseason -and after making the postseason the last two years- and it makes even more sense.
Nelson recorded career-highs in both total snaps (358) and defensive snaps played (31%) last year. However, it's clear he needs more than that in 2022. It looks like he's on the verge of becoming an all-around defender on the edge and as the saying goes, you have to find a way to get your best players on the field as much as possible.
But the good news is it sounds like the Buccaneers are going to do just that. And they should easily reap the rewards for doing so.
Featured image via Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
