The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the league's best at stopping the run. According to StatMuse, the Buccaneers allowed the third-lowest amount of total rushing yards (1,573) and the fifth-fewest rushing touchdowns (11) in 2021.

Running backs were able to find some running room, however, as Tampa Bay finished around the middle of the pack in yards per carry allowed, ranking 15th in that category (4.3). But, overall, teams still didn't run on them very often in 2021, evidenced by the Buccaneers having the fewest rushing attempts against them (366).

All of this is due to the foundation they have built on the defensive front and at linebacker. The duo of Vita Vea and Devin White anchors the run defense, and the rest of the guys typically fall in line behind them.

In regard to the linebacker position, the Buccaneers have one of best duos in the NFL with the aforementioned White and Lavonte David. While they are one of the best, the Buccaneers could certainly use more depth at that position. Especially considering the fact LVD missed five games due to injury in 2021.

This off-season, the Buccaneers could add some serious depth by picking up a guy who can help keep the defense strong if anything were to happen to the starters.

Could the Buccaneers sign Deion Jones this off-season?

According to ESPN, Jones could potentially be cut this off-season. The former Pro Bowler is in a weird spot with the Falcons. He recently underwent off-season shoulder surgery and will miss the entire offseason, but he's also been the subject of trade talks and potential cuts, even before ESPN published their recent article. Jones will also count just a tick over $20 million against the salary cap in 2022, which has been another foundational topic when it comes to how his future pans out.

Obviously, the Buccaneers have two good linebackers in White and David. Both players rarely come off the field, too.

For example, White didn’t miss a game last year, and in fact, played 95% of the total defensive snaps with 1,079. David's entirely healthy 2020 season saw him play 99% of the snaps that year and he still played 96% of snaps when he was healthy last year.

But, this is the NFL. Injuries happen. If White or LVD were to go down, it would be a big blow to the defense, as we saw last year. White clearly wasn't the same player.

K.J. Britt and Grant Stuard showed some promise in Year 1, but both players are still more effective in the special teams-regard and it's unknown as to whether or not they can be counted upon as reliable depth in 2022. That's not to say they can't be – we just don't know yet.

Jones would be an excellent depth piece for the Buccaneers, if he desires to play that role. The guy can still probably start for most teams in the NFL, so it'd be a long shot to land him. But, a year to reset and chase a ring may be what Jones needs to revive his career.

According to Pro Football Focus, of all players who played at least 864 defensive snaps, Jones had the sixth-most stops with 32 last year. He also played the fourth most run defense snaps of those 32 players with at least 864 total defensive snaps played at 459 total.

His pass coverage isn't the best and he's not asked to blitz often, but Jones still has the sideline-to-sideline speed and a ton of athleticism – two traits the Buccaneers covet at the inside linebacker position.

Outside of what role Jones wants to play, the biggest obstacle in making this happen is money. The Buccaneers are in good shape with just a little under $12.5 million in the bank, but it remains to be seen how much Jones would command. The Buccaneers would very likely sign him to a one-year deal, so unless they add void years, Jones' salary would come straight off the top, which could hamper things.

While the Buccaneers definitely don’t need Jones, he would add some major depth and would fill out the roster even more than it already is. He would also stay in the division and get to play his former team twice. How much better does it get in terms of getting revenge than having two chances, on a better team? And let's not forget, he'll have a legitimate chance to win a Super Bowl ring.

It's certainly a long shot. But we've seen the Bucs add quality vets for more supporting roles (Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette at first, and Richard Sherman, even) and those moves worked out pretty well, for the most part.

You can read ESPN's NFL Nation article, here.

Featured Image Credit Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports