Buccaneers' Free Agent Decision Report: Bradley McDougald
Nov 13, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers free safety Bradley McDougald (30) against the Chicago Bears at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers won 36-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
What do the Buccaneers do about Bradley McDougald?
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17 unrestricted free agents. The Buccaneers have their work cut out for them in the coming months. They have plenty of money to work with, estimated as the third highest in cap room (per Spotrac). But they have to make moves that allow for new free agents and draftees. Who stays? Who goes? There is a great deal of work to be done.
With plenty of time between to talk about it, what do you think we are going to do? Speculate of course. What do sports fans do when their favorite teams are in the off-season? Speculate, try and figure out what is going to happen. So, that is what we are going to continue to do here.
Since the season ended, we have gone back to look at the unrestricted free agents, one by one, to decide whether they are best suited to remain with the Bucs, or they should be allowed to go elsewhere. Today, we are going to continue that process by looking at Bradley McDougald.
Nov 13, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers free safety Bradley McDougald (30) takes the field prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers won 36-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Why McDougald Should Stay
McDougald isn’t recognized as one of the best safeties out there, Pro Football Focus only ranked him 42nd at the position in 2016. What he has become, however, is consistent and durable. As far as durability goes, he has been active for every game over the last two seasons, starting 31 of them. There is something to be said about a player that can be counted on each week to be out there. As far as consistency, his ability as a tackler has been solid, putting up 87 tackles in 2015 and 91 in 2016. That is a guy that is around the football.
Don’t count out the ability of McDougald to make a play in the clutch as well. Over the last two seasons, he has clinched a game with an interception. In 2015, it was a 10-6 victory over the Cowboys. In 2016, it was a 14-5 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Granted, the 2015 Cowboys were nothing close to the 2016 Cowboys, but clinching a game is still clinching a game. To know that no moment is too big for a player is huge. It means he checks off one of the important boxes, the one for reliability.
The Bucs are an up and coming football team. They just won nine game and but for a couple of breaks, could have been in double-digits. They need to build around their most consistent players and let them grow together. The argument could be made that Bradley McDougald is one of those players.
Nov 3, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Levine Toilolo (80) carries the ball to score a touchdown past Tampa Bay Buccaneers free safety Bradley McDougald (30) during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Why McDougald Should Go
The Bucs were 22nd in the league in pass defense. 22nd. Both the San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns were ranked higher than they were. Does that trouble anyone else? You know as well as I do that the Bucs are a defensive football team. They always have been and always will be. Even with a great franchise quarterback they will not abandon that principle.
That being said, 22nd is simply way too low. They needed to bring it up higher, and it just didn’t happen. If they are going to become a defense that can stop the likes of Julio Jones, one could argue that they should clean house, other than Vernon Hargreaves and Brent Grimes. Start fresh and build the secondary around the aforementioned two, and create it to play Bucs football the way we know it to be.
It’s not like McDougald has been a shutdown cover guy. He has two interceptions in each of the past two seasons. I admit that a couple of them were big, but he is not a guy that is around the football to make a play on it through the air all that often. Usually, the receiver has caught it already, as he has not been that impressive in pass defense. He was ranked 47th in coverage by Pro Football Focus.
Is it time to say goodbye?
Aug 31, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter and general manager Jason Licht prior to the game against the Washington Redskins during the Tropical Storm Hermine at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Decision
This one is interesting. The Bucs clearly need to improve on this portion of their game. If they are going to take things to the next level, 22nd in the league is not good enough. They must get better, and the secondary is right in the crosshairs for analysis.
McDougald is a player that has not excelled, but he has improved. He is not the first player you think of when looking at the safety position, but he is a solid player. He sticks his nose in to make tackles and makes a play on the ball when needed. Is he guaranteed to start in 2017? Certainly not. But McDougald has provided value as a piece of the pie, and there is a lot to be said for that.
In his free agent report, James Yarcho predicted that the Bucs would retain the services of Bradley McDougald. I agree that the Bucs should do exactly that.
DECISION: BRING MCDOUGALD BACK
Do you agree? Let us know in the comments.
