Should the Buccaneers go after former Panthers veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson in free agency?

Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers be in line to bring in a veteran linebacker in free agency?

Sep 25, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson (7) and cornerback Myles Hartsfield (38) react in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to fill some holes across their roster this offseason after reaching the Wild Card round of the playoffs in 2024. While the season was promising from an offensive standpoint, the Bucs' defense wasn't, and hasn't, been what the Krewe has become accustomed to under Todd Bowles' leadership.

Free agency isn't here just quite yet, as it is set to kick off at the start of the league year on March 12th, however, we are starting to see teams release or let go of players as they look at how to structure their rosters for the upcoming season.

One of those players that has been told it is time to move on is veteran former Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson, who the Bucs could be interested in due to the performance of the unit this past season.

Dec 26, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn (21) is tackled by Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Shaq Thompson (7) during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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Shaq Thompson to enter free agency

Learn more ⬇️https://t.co/dZSpbb7OFi pic.twitter.com/iyXADdOZRo

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) February 24, 2025

Should the Buccaneers sign Shaq Thompson?

The easy answer here would be yes, but when digging deeper into Thompson the obvious answer is no.

While bringing in Thompson would make sense with the unknown surrounding Lavonte David's future, the injury history of SirVocea Dennis, and the lack of help from others such as K.J. Britt and J.J. Russell, there are plenty of concerns surrounding the veteran linebacker.

Jan 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson (7) after the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

For one, Thompson has had season-ending injuries in back-to-back years, suffering a broken fibula in Week 2 of 2023 before tearing his Achilles in the fourth game of this past season. Add in the fact that he is also entering his 11th season in the league at nearly 31 years of age and that doesn't really make for a convincing move at this point for Tampa Bay.

The Bucs' middle linebackers struggled in coverage over the past two years, and it seemed even more glaring this season. One might think that Thompson could help in this area, but going back to his last full season, his coverage grade was just 56.0 according to Pro Football Focus.

While he has the big name, he isn't the same player that became a fan favorite in Carolina and I think that the Buccaneers will have better luck looking elsewhere in free agency at this position along with the NFL Draft that is set to take place in late April.

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