The Bucs should be active in free agency, at least with respect to the defensive side of the ball. Last year’s struggles showed that Tampa Bay could use an infusion of talent to improve both the top and bottom of their depth charts. Dolphins linebacker Tyrel Dodson could be among the linebackers the Bucs consider signing in free agency.
Lots of conversation will surround the options at the top of the market as fans will want to bring in established starters. Yet some of Bucs general manager Jason Licht’s best moves have been under the radar like Shaq Barrett. While there will be plenty of ink spilled on top linebackers, such as Kansas City’s Nick Bolton, Philadelphia’s Zack Baun and Seattle’s Ernest Jones, there is a stronger likelihood Licht will make strategic moves at the margins to compliment the current roster rather than import expensive talent that form foundational pieces.
One such options could be Dodson, who spent his first four years with Buffalo before being signed by Seattle in 2024 and then was acquired by Miami during the season after he was waived.
Tyrel Dodson’s NFL History
Tyrel Dodson, 26, began his career with the Bills after three solid seasons at Texas A&M. Despite solid pre-draft measurables Dodson went undrafted.
He spent his first season on Buffalo’s practice squad. He played a backup role from 2020-2022 before breaking out in 2023 after taking over as a starter in Week 8. He finished that season with 74 tackles, including eight for a loss, 2.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and two passes defensed. He earned an 88.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus that season.
The following offseason Dodson signed a one-year, $4,260,000 contract with the Seahawks. Dodson would play the first half of the season as a starter with Seattle. His overall play was solid, and he continued to be a plus in coverage. But Dodson was seen as a part of a larger issue structurally with Seattle’s run defense. The team allowed 139 rushing yards per game over that time period and Dodson was released as one of several moves Seattle made to correct the issue.
The Dolphins claimed him, and he finished his season with Miami again struggling as a run defender but excelling in zone coverage. For the season he registered 107 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, six passes broken up, three interceptions and one forced fumble between Seattle and Miami.
Tyrel Dodson’s Fit With Bucs
Dolphins LB Tyrel Dodson – Photo by: USA Today
There are two specific areas of Tyrel Dodson’s game that intrigue me as they relate to the Bucs. The first is his ability as a second-level pass rusher and his effectiveness in getting to the quarterback. Last year he created 12 pressures on 58 rushes, and for his career, those numbers are 32 pressures on 135 rushes. That pressure rate is 20.7% last year and 23.7% for his career.
For comparison, despite all of his faults, Devin White was extremely effective at getting to the quarterback during his time in Tampa Bay. His career pressure rate with the Bucs was 22.1%.
Dodson has solid speed and twitch to work downhill, and bends his rush path to find natural lanes while staying on course to get to the quarterback. He can mug up into the “A” gap or work from a layered position as a second-wave rusher. This is a critical component to the success of a Todd Bowles defense. It also allows Bowles to redeploy Lavonte David as more of a read and react linebacker.
Bowles blitzed David as a pass rusher 148 times last year. That was easily the most David had rushed since his rookie season. Bowles did that because K.J. Britt lacked the burst and feel for blitzing necessary for the role and David was a better option. If signed, Dodson would help re-allocate David’s talents into a better position.
Dodson has also been a good coverage ‘backer the past two seasons. Per NFL Pro, since 2023, Dodson has 658 coverage snaps. He has been targeted 67 times, allowing 48 catches for 435 yards, allowing a 71.6% catch rate. That catch rate allowed was 8.3% below expected and his 0.66 yards per coverage snap is an extremely impressive number, as is the 72.0 QB rating allowed when targeted in 2024.
If Bucs are looking to improve coverage at the LB position w/o playing at the top of the FA market, one name I would really like for them to pursue is Tyrel Dodson. Good feel for route development. Passes assignments well. Can find the ball. pic.twitter.com/QdbOZMjqS4
— Joshua Queipo (@josh_queipo) February 14, 2025
Dolphins LB Tyrel Dodson – Photo by: USA Today
When looking at the whole of what ailed the Bucs defense last year two things stood out as it related to the linebacker position. One the lack of a true downhill pass rusher that freed David to read out the offense and let his football IQ really shine. The second was fluid movement in space and a feel for zone coverage. While not a complete player, Dodson would improve both areas.
But he isn’t without faults. The struggles in run defense are real. He doesn’t diagnose, react and trigger into gaps as quickly as one would like. He struggles to get off of blocks when offensive linemen climb to the second level. To be honest, his efforts as a run defender are not that dissimilar to White. For his career he has a 13.02% stop rate and a 12.13% missed tackle rate. Compare that to the former Bucs first-rounder’s 13.29% stop rate and 13.15% missed tackle rate and he’s as questionable against the run as White was.
And let’s be honest. If White was a better coverage player there’s a chance he still would be in Tampa Bay. The team would have continued to accept an inconsistent and slightly below average run defender for a high-level pass rusher who was a value add in coverage. Dodson provides that kind of upside. And he will provide it at a discount – and likely without White’s ego, which was problematic at the end of his Bucs tenure.
I have Dodson projected for a $4-4.5 million APY (average per year) on his next contract. That’s a reasonable risk for a large potential upgrade in play over last year’s performance by the Bucs’ linebacking group, especially in coverage. And one I am advocating for.
