Bucs’ pass rush needs some late-season juice, but Jason Licht should pass on four-time Pro Bowler who just became available
The Bucs shouldn’t entertain taking on a veteran who’s dropped off in recent years.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have plenty of issues on the field they need to clean up if they’re going to clinch their fifth straight NFC South title and make any kind of noise in the playoffs.
The Bucs’ offense can’t sustain drives or generate splash plays like they did earlier in the season. They also can’t seem to keep opposing offenses from ripping off big plays over the last six weeks.
Part of the latter problem comes down to a pass rush that disappears for extended stretches too often. The Bucs haven’t gotten enough out of their $14 million they agreed to with Haason Reddick this offseason. Chris Braswell hasn’t lived up to his second-round draft status either.
At this point of the season, there typically aren’t many options available to pull off the scrap heap. However, one name popped up that many fans will recognize. The Dolphins released OLB Matthew Judon on Wednesday.
Miami released veteran OLB Matthew Judon on Wednesday
Judon has had a long and illustrious career since being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He became a stalwart on the Ravens’ defense and later with the New England Patriots. He earned four consecutive Pro Bowl honors from 2019-2022 with the Ravens and Patriots. His best seasons came in 2021 and 20213 with New England, when he generated 15.5 and 12.5 sacks, respectively.
However, those days are well in the rearview mirror now. He totaled 5.5 sacks in 17 games with Atlanta last year and has yet to record one in 13 games with the Dolphins this season. In 150 pass rushing snaps this season, he has only 10 pressures, good for a 6.6% pressure rate, per Pro Football Focus, which helped him earn a 43.3 PFF defensive grade this year. By way of comparison, Braswell has 15 pressures in 120 pass rushing snaps.
The bottom line is that Tampa Bay is going to have to go with what they have in the building to finish the job this season. No matter how it ends, the Bucs are finally going to have to take a serious run at retooling their edge rushing room behind Yaya Diaby for 2026 and beyond.
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