The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were as bad as anyone in the NFL when it came to special teams in 2025.
It got so bad that head coach Todd Bowles made the embarrassing confession late in the season that his team was purposely kicking touchbacks to give teams the ball on the 35-yard line because he’d lost faith in their ability to tackle on kickoffs.
That’s about as bad as it gets.
The Buccaneers have gone about showing they are serious about improving that aspect of the game this offseason, with the latest evidence coming via a free-agent visit for a special teams ace from one of their most hated rivals.
“Free agent linebacker DeAngelo Malone is visiting the Buccaneers today, per source,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on his official X account on Thursday. “Former third-round pick by Atlanta has linebacker depth and special teams value.”
The Buccaneers not only need help on special teams, but will be a team searching for identity at inside linebacker in 2026 after Lavonte David announced he was retiring after 14 seasons.
Malone has shown he can both play edge rusher and inside linebacker — the kind of versatility that’s been in short supply on the Buccaneers in recent years.
“Malone would largely be a special-teams signing,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account. “Over the last three years, he’s played 111 snaps on defense and 912 on special teams. 25 special-teams tackles in four years in Atlanta.”
DeAngelo Malone Dominated C-USA Competition
Malone left Western Kentucky as 1 of the greatest defensive players in program history — a 3-time All-Conference USA selection and 2-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 and 2021.
In his final season in 2021, Malone lit up the stats column with 99 tackles, 21 TFL, 11.5 sacks, 16 QB hurries, and 1 fumble recovery for a touchdown. He cemented his draft stock with a 4.60-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine and was a 3rd round pick (No. 82 overall) by the Falcons in the 2022 NFL draft.
“Malone’s wiry build belies his toughness and play strength at the point of attack,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in 2022. “He uses quick feet, a flexible frame and unusually successful recovery balance to slink into playmaking positions in the run game. His rush is unorthodox and unpredictable but his burst to close and fluidity inside the pocket are valuable in finishing against mobile quarterbacks. His slender frame will get knocked and he needs to craft a more repeatable rush, but he is competitive and savvy. Malone could challenge for a future starting job as a 3-4 outside linebacker and offers immediate special-teams value.”
Buccaneers Might Consider Position Switch?
If the Buccaneers have been paying attention to recent NFL history, the smart move might be to see if Malone might fit in a more permanent role as an inside linebacker after playing primarily at edge rusher his 1st 4 seasons.
It’s what happened when the Eagles signed edge rusher Zack Baun away from the New Orleans Saints in 2024 on a 1-year, $1.6 million contract and moved him to inside linebacker.
Baun, 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, was an undersized edge rusher like Malone. After the switch, he became a dominant player, earning NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in his 1st season and helping lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl win.
Following the season, the Eagles signed Baun a 3-year, $51 million contract extension.
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