Sign One of the Bengals Safetys?

Both Reggie Nelson and George Iloka of the Cincinnati Bengals are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in March. Both play the safety position which is a need for the Bucs, and either one of these two should be a target for the team. I don't think the Bengals will re-sign both so one should be available, perhaps both if either is looking for huge money which would be good for the Bucs because it would add more to choose from in the free agency market.

Lets start with Reggie Nelson, 32  who had a terrific season in 2015 with 77 tackles with 8 Ints and 14 pass breakups. Nelson is ball hawk free safety (30 career interceptions) with great range plus he is stout against the run as well. It seems Nelson is just getting better with age as his past two seasons have been really good with over 172 combine tackles, 12 ints, and 27 pass breakups. I think he would be a great fit in Mike Smith's aggressive defense and plus he would be coming back to his hometown. I think anywhere from 5 to 6 million a year is fair value for Nelson and would be a solid signing for the Bucs defense. Nelson would bring veteran leadership and a swagger to this defense that it has been missing for quite some time.

Now lets talk about George Iloka, 25 who is completely different from his counterpart in Reggie Nelson. Iloka stands at 6-4 225, bringing power and nastiness as a run-stopping strong safety but also can play coverage pretty well too. In 2015, he had a average year with 47 tackles, 1 Int, and 4 pass breakups in 12 starts. However, he was outstanding in 2014 with 74 tackles, 3 Ints, and 10 pass breakups. Iloka is a big hitter with speed and pretty good range for a safety his size. So with Iloka you get a big guy with speed and is not afraid to hit you, providing that intimidation factor that the Bucs could use as well.

Overall, I think either one of these guys would be a great addition to the defensive backfield for the Bucs. Both would provide playmaking ability, physicality, and a winning attitude. I think Iloka is probably going to get re-sign by the Bengals since he is only 25 with more potential as a player. This is ok, as I think Nelson would be the better fit and then if the Bucs draft Karl Joseph too, then you have a dynamic safety duo with unlimited range and power.

Jay Hayes Will Bring Production!

What is there to say when it pertains to the Bucs defensive line other than it has been pretty pathetic for a while now. Haven't had a defensive lineman with double digit sacks since Simeon Rice in 2005 which was a decade ago. The Bucs have a star in defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who has averaged over 8 sacks the past three years, but have yet been able to find someone to pair with him. I could list the names but it just brings disappointment to my face, however the constant change with defensive line coaches is interesting. 

From 2010 to the present, the Bucs have had 5 different dline coaches with Todd Walsh, Keith Millard, Randy Melvin, Joe Cullen, and now Jay Hayes. The past coaches have failed to produce any consistency with the pass rush, however one could argue the talent has been subpar except for McCoy during this time. But let’s not dwell on the past, the present is what matters and new defensive line coach Jay Hayes is going to bring production to this unit.

Jay Hayes comes from Cincinnati where he was the dline coach for the past 13 years, and has developed that unit into one of the league’s best. The Bengals dline accounted for 37.5 of their 42 sacks on the season, with Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins leading the way with both over 10 sacks on the year. Jay Hayes will make this Bucs dline tough and physical, and relentless which every dline should process.

 I can see Hayes making guys like Jack Smith, Howard Jones, William Gholston, and even McCoy all better players which hopefully leads to an more consistent attack for the dline. Jay Hayes will be a fan favorite if he can bring the production that he had with Cincinnati, and it will lead to more wins which is what really matters.