The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the 2024 season with a 10-7 record, securing their fourth consecutive NFC South title.
The team enters the offseason fresh off a Wild Card round loss to the Washington Commanders and will likely look to add reinforcements to the roster in hopes of making another deep playoff run. One Buccaneers legend has a move in mind that he believes would help the team improve for the 2025 season.
Gerald McCoy Pushes Tampa Bay to Sign Darius Slay
Gerald McCoy, one of the greatest players in Buccaneers history, made six Pro Bowls in nine seasons with the team while establishing himself as one of the NFL’s premier defensive tackles.
McCoy took to X to urge his former team to sign Darius Slay, who was recently released by the Philadelphia Eagles.
HI!! @jasonrlicht Not sure how your Monday is going but just wanted to leave this here……………… Have a great week sir!! https://t.co/jLyT5QoGpC
— Gerald McCoy (@Geraldini93) March 3, 2025
Slay, a six-time Pro Bowler, is fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Eagles. During the 2024 season, he recorded 49 tackles (39 solo, 10 assists), 13 pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 14 games.
Despite still playing at a high level, Slay became expendable for the Eagles after the team hit on two draft selections at the position in 2024: Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Additionally, Philadelphia still has Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks under contract.
What was once a weakness for the Eagles quickly became one of their biggest strengths. With several key players set to hit free agency—such as Zack Baun, Mekhi Becton, and Josh Sweat—the team had to make the tough decision to part with the veteran to free up cap space.
Slay joins a list of free agent cornerbacks that includes Byron Murphy, D.J. Reed, Carlton Davis, Nate Hobbs, Asante Samuel Jr., and more.
How Slay Fits With the Buccaneers
For Tampa Bay, adding Slay would provide a significant boost to a defense that struggled in 2024. The Buccaneers ranked No. 16 in PFN’s Defense+ rankings, with a score of 74.5 (C). But while they appeared to be league-average on the surface, the numbers tell a different story.
“A soft schedule helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ pass defense improve after their Week 12 bye,” said PFN’s Sterling Xie.
“However, stiffer competition in the form of Daniels and the Commanders’ offense exposed the lack of depth in Tampa Bay’s secondary. The Buccaneers allowed their fourth-most points per drive (2.9) all season, failing to force a single turnover or punt against Washington.
“The season-long numbers portrayed a bottom-10 pass defense,” Xie added. “While the Bucs were likely a little better than that by season’s end, it still wasn’t enough to truly compete against a top-10 offense.”
At the NFL Combine, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles emphasized the importance of forcing turnovers on defense.
“We need ballhawks, we need turnovers, we need guys that are very astute in the game,” Bowles said.
#Bucs coach Todd Bowles says his biggest priority in the draft is finding “ballhawks” on defense at every level. pic.twitter.com/L72yNDrVWc
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) February 25, 2025
What the future holds for Slay remains to be seen, but at 34 years old, he may be nearing the end of his career. His next destination will be worth monitoring throughout the offseason, and the Buccaneers could be a potential landing spot.