Buccaneers Could Target Free Agent With ‘Biggest Upside,’ Says Analyst

Todd Bowles

Getty The Buccaneers could target free agent defensive end Trey Flowers.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could target one of the top free agents available with big “upside.”

As the Buccaneers go through their first mandatory team activities of the offseason during minicamp, one free agent who could appeal to them is defensive end Trey Flowers. According to Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, Tampa Bay could be the “best fit” for the veteran defensive end.

“Flowers still has some upside if he can find a contender that will use him as part of a rotation on the edge,” says Ballentine. “His production on bad Lions teams compared to his time in New England would indicate he needs a coaching staff that knows how to utilize him.

The Buccaneers could be a good fit. Todd Bowles knows how to get the most out of his edge rushers, and the Bucs are certainly going to be contenders. Flowers could be the third rusher behind Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Shaq Barrett.”


Why Buccaneers Could Use Flowers

Tampa Bay is entering a new era of sorts after allowing holdovers Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh to walk in free agency. The two proven veterans were staples of the defensive line on the 2020 Super Bowl squad, with Pierre-Paul contributing 9.5 sacks that season and Suh posting six sacks.

While the Buccaneers have replaced Suh with a younger veteran in Akiem Hicks, they have yet to do so with Pierre-Paul. Tampa Bay is entering camp with the expectation that their younger players — 2021 first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is Pierre-Paul’s projected replacement — will fill that void.

However, the Buccaneers don’t have any proven veterans behind Tryon-Shoyinka, with Anthony Nelson having served as primarily a special teams player over the course of his career.

While Flowers hasn’t dominated from a pass-rushing standpoint in recent years, he has a proven resume — he posted at least 6.5 sacks in four consecutive seasons — and has won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. Furthermore, he has served as a starter, starting 64 games for the Patriots and Detroit Lions since the 2016 season.

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Flowers Has Ranked as Top-Tier Defensive End

As Ballentine notes, Flowers has made up for his lack of pass-rushing production with his stout run-stopping ability. That could come in handy for a Buccaneers defense that ranked 15th in the league in rushing yards per attempt allowed.

“Granted, that hasn’t kept him healthy to this point. Flowers has only played 14 games over the last two seasons, taking the quarterback down just 3.5 times in that span,” says Ballentine. “But Flowers will only be 29 this season, and there’s reason to believe he can still produce in the right situation.

In 2020, Flowers was an asset against the run. He only had two sacks after compiling 21 over three seasons but he earned an 83.3 grade from Pro Football Focus.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Flowers posted a defensive grade of at least 80.0 in four consecutive seasons from 2017 until 2020. His 83.3 defensive grade ranked 10th among full-time defensive ends and his 75.5 run defensive grade ranked 15th among full-time players at his position.

Considering the Buccaneers have shown a knack for adding veteran free agents to aid in their quest for a Super Bowl run — Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette and Richard Sherman are just a few names — the 28-year-old Flowers would be the perfect addition for Tampa Bay.

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