Bucs Bargain Building: Edge Rushers

The Bucs are cap strapped for the 2023 season. It appears they are going to absorb the entirety of Tom Brady’s dead cap hit (among others), and rely on a young core, a new offensive system and a seemingly down NFC South to try to three-peat as division champions before placing themselves in a more advantageous cap position in 2024.

In order to accomplish this goal, the Bucs will need to fill out their roster with non-obvious free agent signings. Players who have shown in the past they can contribute to a viable roster, but due to age, injury, or recent performance history are available for a value. Considering Vita Vea led the Bucs’ defense in sacks last year, head coach Todd Bowles highlighted edge rusher as an area the team has to get more production from in 2023. With outside linebackers Carl Nassib and Anthony Nelson set to become free agents, it is a position Tampa Bay will undoubtedly look to help fill via free agency.

Here are a few names that stand out as potential “buy-low” candidates the Bucs could target.

Melvin Ingram III/Justin Houston

I am grouping these two together because they are in very similar situations. Both players will be 34 when the 2023 season opens in September. Both have a track record of success that includes recent seasons. Ingram logged 509 snaps as part of a pass rush rotation that included Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Emmanuel Ogbah. Despite his advanced age, Ingram still showed he could be productive, logging a Pro Football Focus grade of 70.3 and a pass rush grade of 78.6. His six sacks weren’t a mirage either, as Ingram had an 11% pressure rate, notching 35 pressures on 311 pass rush snaps.