When it comes to the Bucs re-signing their own players this offseason, it’s not as tumultuous as the year before when they needed to bring back quarterback Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Mike Evans while also signing safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to an extension. Plus, left tackle Tristan Wirfs also got an extension but Tampa Bay had a little more time to accomplish that.

This offseason, the number one priority specifically for having their own return starts and ends with wide receiver Chris Godwin. Second and third in whatever particular order each Tampa Bay fan wants to put them in is Bucs’ legendary inside linebacker Lavonte David and starting left guard Ben Bredeson. Much further down the list is outside linebacker Anthony Nelson. Though Nelson won’t be the biggest impact signing that the Bucs make in free agency if he were to return, that doesn’t mean they should be done with him, either.

Anthony Nelson Provides Important Depth For Bucs

Anthony Nelson has been around for quite a while for the Bucs. He was drafted in 2019 and won a Super Bowl with the team a year later in 2020. Throughout his career, Nelson has never been the full-time starter for the defense at outside linebacker, but does have 18 career starts to his name in 92 career games with 18.5 sacks. Averaging one sack per start isn’t such a bad thing to have return.

Bucs OLB Anthony Nelson – Photo by: USA Today

The biggest thing Nelson has brought to the Bucs in his time in Tampa has been consistency. He hasn’t dropped off significantly in any way or failed to live up to his billing the way Joe Tryon-Shoyinka has. Todd Bowles has called him “Steady Eddie” throughout his career and that shows in the fact that his sack numbers from 2021 on have been five, 5.5 in 2022, three in 2023 and four in 2024.

Nelson’s career high of 5.5 also led all Bucs’ outside linebackers that season. Nelson wouldn’t be described as a playmaker, but his forced fumble on Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard last season in overtime in a way saved the Bucs’ season at the time. That can’t be overlooked.

Let’s set the record straight.

Anthony Nelson should be back with the Bucs, but he shouldn’t return as a starter opposite of Yaya Diaby. Nelson is the right guy to have with some spot starts due to injury and be in the rotation. He does not need to start 17 games, nor he is a solution to the Bucs’ outside linebacker issues if he gets re-signed. But as a fourth or fifth-string edge rusher, he’s a great fit.

Bucs Outside Linebacker Room

The Bucs have a little bit of a dead cap hit from Nelson at $2.65 million. Cap projections have him getting a contract at $3.5 million, and he’s not going to have a big market. It probably benefits Nelson more to come back to the Bucs where he knows how to operate in the defense. That’s no problem from a financial standpoint for the team.

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum and OLB Anthony Nelson and Commanders QB Jayden Daniels – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tampa Bay is going to move on from Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. While Yaya Diaby is penciled in as a 2025 starter, the outlook of the group is murky after that. Chris Braswell has a lot of improving to do in his second season. Markees Watts and Jose Ramirez seem more like practice squad players at this point, so there’s a lot left to fill. There is the possibility that Shaq Barrett returns, though how much he can provide and if the team wants it either remains uncertain.

With many free agents available to sign or trade for at edge rusher, it would not shock anyone if the Bucs went after Josh Sweat or Khalil Mack or tried to trade for Trey Hendrickson. There are also some suitable options in the draft. Tampa Bay should do both of these things to fill out the room and also keep Nelson around.

That would put Diaby and whatever veteran the Bucs bring in as starters with Braswell and a rookie in the mix if said rookie is a day-one or day-two draft pick. Any pick later on makes it a competition with Nelson, and he provides a backup plan if Braswell doesn’t show signs of progression.

Depth is much needed for Tampa Bay this season. Anthony Nelson provides a great deal of it at an inexpensive cost for the team as he can provide consistency while they also revamp the room.