Everybody knows that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in need of linebackers. With a very disappointing year from SirVocea Dennis and the potential retirement of Lavonte David, it’s likely we see two new starting linebackers next year. It’s undoubtedly the team’s biggest need.
One of those starters will likely be brought in through free agency. It’s a position that isn’t considered a premium role, so it’s cheaper to bring in high end talent. I expect the Bucs to bring in a veteran to lead this position group.Â
The other starter will likely be found in the draft. It’s considered a strong prospect pool of linebackers, so finding a starting level player should be realistic. Even if that player isn’t drafted until the second or third round.
It’s A Buckeye ThingÂ
The top end guys at the position both come from Ohio State. Arvell Reese is an explosive powerhouse who can blow up guards, rush the passer and still be agile enough to be a good coverage player. Sonny Styles is a former safety who rarely misses tackles and moves like he’s 40 lbs lighter than what he actually is.
These are two of the best players in the entire draft and they both fill a massive need for the Bucs. Sadly, I expect both to be gone by the time General Manager Jason Licht is on the clock. So in a deep linebacker draft, we turn our attention to the third best option.
Many believe that player is Georgia linebacker CJ Allen. He’s widely considered the next best linebacker in the draft with some even projecting him to be a first-round pick. Many people I respect think that Allen is going to be a really good NFL player.Â
But Is He?
However, this is my article, and maybe I’m just a skeptic or a hater. But I have questions about how Allen projects to the next level. This is why I believe that CJ Allen is a bad bet for the Buccaneers.
The first major red flag for me is that Allen isn’t a particularly good player in pass coverage. He is capable of doing basic zone drops reliably, but beyond that, when his range is stretched, he gets shaky. Left one on one in man coverage, he could be a liability at the next level.
This was the Bucs biggest weakness last season. Testing the defenses linebackers in coverage, specifically by swinging the ball out to running backs in the flats and forcing the linebackers to track them down and make a tackle was a huge issue. I’m not sure that Allen is a big upgrade in that area.
Part of that is due to Allen’s lack of high end explosiveness. While he can fly down hill to attack the line of scrimmage, he lacks that burst and speed to go sideline to sideline as effectively. Even if Allen does get a good jump, if he has to redirect or power down to adjust to a block or an angle, he just doesn’t accelerate well enough.
Stuck In A Box
This isn’t to say that Allen is totally lacking in strengths or talent. He’s a good box defender who attacks the run with physicality. But if that is the skillset you’re looking for, then it’s already on the roster with SirVocea Dennis and I question how big of an upgrade Allen would be to Dennis.
Frankly, I could get past what I view as an average physical skillset if Allen had high end instincts that allowed him to play faster than he actually is. Knowing where to be and reading and anticipating what is coming. Lavonte David was a master at this.Â
Allen isn’t an overly instinctual player. While I wouldn’t say he is a low IQ player by any means, I also wouldn’t call him more than average in this area. He just won’t typically be that guy to process things at a high level, cut through the line of scrimmage and make splash plays in the backfield.
When I watch Allen’s skillset, I just feel like I’ve seen it before. And I don’t love what it looks like. He is similar to a guy like SirVocea Dennis or former first round pick and current Dallas Cowboys linebacker Kenneth Murray. In case you didn’t know, those guys aren’t doing especially well in the NFL.
Summary
At the end of the day, it comes down to what you value. I value agility, physicality and instincts in my linebackers. Players who can make their presence felt vs the run as well as be a dependable asset against the pass. Allen just doesn’t do enough of those things well for me to value him as an early target for the Buccaneers.
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