Free agent potential gem linebacker Anthony Nelson will likely leave the Buccaneers this upcoming offseason. According to Bleacher Report, the veteran finds himself as one of the top 50 free agents in March. The free agency is still two months away but it’s never a bad time to start thinking about the future since trade and new signee rumors are heating up despite the postseason still underway. Originally selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Nelson never became a full-time starter in Tampa Bay but he did play some type of role in 2020, helping the organization win a Super Bowl under the Tom Brady era.
Despite being a backup, the veteran still put in 18.5 sacks, five pass deflections and 171 total tackles. Nelson had a quiet rest of his campaign with the Buccaneers until this past season. He’s not necessarily a bad player but Tampa Bay might not be the right scenery in the situation they’re in since Nelson will probably get a better payday elsewhere. The Buccaneers have a better chance of signing veteran Lavonte David than Nelson, who still has numerous years ahead of him after recording 40 tackles, four sacks, one fumble recovery and 13 quarterback hits in 2024.
However, he has several qualities that every roster in the league should be looking at if they’re looking for a rotational linebacker piece. With only missing just one regular season since 2020, Nelson is more than capable of playing for a contender like the Ravens, Chiefs since he has a ton of experience in the postseason.
Free Agent Gem? $10 Million Veteran Anthony Nelson May Leave Buccaneers – Ravens, Chiefs Potential Top Suitors
Veteran Experience in Baltimore
Even though the Baltimore Ravens are still in the playoffs, it doesn’t mean an upset could happen this weekend in their divisional matchup against the Texans. The Ravens have the leverage with a ferocious offense since salvaging the running back corps with Derrick Henry. Quarterback Lamar Jackson continues to play at his peak but the defense performance won’t guarantee they’ll replicate that same success the offense is having. The pass defense has been torn apart for the majority of the 2024 campaign but the pass rush hasn’t been able to hold up its own either.
Roquan Smith and Kyle Van Noy are still the prime pieces for them doing anything to stop the quarterback but since David Ojabo is struggling, they might have to settle for signing a veteran linebacker. Odafe Oweh is improving so perhaps signing someone like Anthony Nelson could finally give the balance the defense is looking for. While head coach John Harbaugh wants to improve the secondary, games are typically won in the trenches as long as they can get some type of pressure on the quarterback.
Rebuilding the Chiefs?
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs will probably rebuild a new team this upcoming offseason since they’ll likely lose several free agents. The team doesn’t have the right salary cap to sign back most of their impending free agents and they include Nick Bolton and Josh Uche. They don’t have to worry as much about losing DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown since quarterback Patrick Mahomes has the skillsets to make anything happen on the field. However, as the defense is getting younger, they might embrace signing a few veterans on one-year deals until they can find a full-time linebacker.
Anthony Nelson might be the temporary fix to fill the gaps and be a crucial piece to stop the run. He isn’t going to check down every play but the team could involve him on fourth and one-type plays.
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