Bucs Gameday

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2024 Training Camp Preview: Outside Linebacker

We take a look at the Buccaneers' roster prior to training camp while highlighting potential battles to watch. 

JC Allen

Sep 10, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (9) and linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) and linebacker Cam Gill (49) react during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (9) and linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) and linebacker Cam Gill (49) react during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
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Training camp inches ever closer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and there are still a lot of uncertainties that will need to be answered when players report to the Advent training facility.  Roster spots are up for grabs as well as key battles for starting positions along the offense and defense. A new offense is also being installed that will take time to learn the intricacies. And rookies who are set to have key roles on the team will need to show they can handle the first obstacle in their inaugural season. 

Throughout this series, we'll examine the battles for starting jobs, backup positions, and players vying for final roster spots. Up next is the outside linebacker position.

Starter

Yaya Diaby

Diaby came on late in the season last year overtaking, Joe Tryo- Shoyinka for the starting spot in Week 10. He went on to rack up 7.5 sacks leading the Bucs and all rookie edge rushers in that category. His 12 tackles for loss led all rookies and Diaby is poised to expound upon those numbers with a full offseason under his belt and a full season as a starter.

Battle For The Other Starting Spot

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka

Tryon-Shoyinka is in a make-or-break season after having his fifth-year option declined by the team. Tryon-Shoyinka has just 13 sacks over his first three seasons but has totaled 111 pressures and has never had less than 30 in a season. He is a Swiss army knife in the way head coach Todd Bowles can deploy him and is one of the best coverage linebackers in the league. Underrated against the run as well, JTS does a phenomenal job setting the edge. However, he needs to do a better job finishing if he's going to get the payday he's looking for in 2025.

Chris Braswell

The Bucs drafted Braswell in the second round of the 2024 draft and through offseason workouts, he has impressed. His size and power jump out right away and while it's hard to gauge a player at his position without pads on, he had multiple pressures and would-be-sacks throughout OTA's and Minicamp. He will compete with Tryon-Shoyinka for the starting job and even if he doesn't win it, he should be in a heavy rotation with the veteran.

Backup

Anthony Nelson

Nelson is as steady as they come. He's not going to give you a ton of pressures or sacks, but he's going to be sound in his assignments in coverage and against the run when his number is called. He enters the final year of a two-year contract extension he signed before the 2023 season.

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Vying For A Spot

Markees Watts

Watts came out of nowhere as a tryout player that made the 53-man roster out of training camp last season. When he was in the game and pressuring the quarterback, he did so at a high rate, but those opportunities were limited as he adjusted to the scheme and playbook. He is poised to take a leap this season and could even factor into the starting competition, though he'll need a great camp to fend off other edge rushers in a loaded room.

Randy Gregory

Gregory was signed for veteran depth in April after several stops around the league. He was thought to possibly be in the competition for a starting spot but didn't show up for all of OTAs and had unexcused absences during Mandatory Minicamp. It is unknown if he will report to camp on time and by not showing up thoughout the offseason, he is behind others on the roster in learning the playbook. He'll need to show no drop-off and quickly acclimate himself to the team or he could be on the chopping block if other players overtake him.

Jose Ramirez

There's a lot of buzz in the building on the job Ramirez did last season on the practice squad and throughout the offseson. He has lost weight and gained muscle and has a better understanding of the system and playbook and will be firmly in the mix for a backup rotational spot on the roster.

Shaun Peterson Jr.

Peterson Jr. signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 draft. He was a running back his first three years in college before making the switch to linebacker in 2022. He had seven sacks in his two seasons on defense with two forced fumbles and two recoveries. He will likely be competing for a spot on the practice squad

Daniel Grzesiak

Like Peterson Jr., Grzesiak signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent. He played at three different colleges finishing his collegiate career in Cincinnati where he racked up 46 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 6.5 for loss, and three pass breakups in 12 starts at outside linebacker. He will compete for a job for a spot on the practice squad.

Summary

The outside linebacker room is arguably the deepest on the team. While there isn't a tier-one edge rusher on the team, there are solid starters and depth with a mix of youth and veterans on the roster. Diaby is locked into one spot but the competition across from him is going to be intense and highly contested. It will certainly be one of the position groups to watch as training camp unfolds and is as wide open as any of the competitions on the team. JTS likely has the inside edge but will be pushed by rookie Braswell and second-year players Watts and Ramirez. The jury is out on Gregory until he shows up, but he has never been uber-productive anywhere he has been. With seven players vying for five or six spots, we should start to get more clarity as to who will come away victorious and how the rest of the position shakes out when the pads come on.

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JC Allen

JC ALLEN

JC Allen has been covering the Bucs since 2020. He is credentialed reporter and writer for Sports Illustrated’s Bucs Gameday and is the VP of the PFWA Tampa Chapter. A transplant to the area, he offers unparalleled views and insights on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

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