One of the biggest questions surrounding the Bucs this offseason has been about the linebacker position. While Lavonte David returned, folks have pondered whether he will be around beyond 2025, and if he isn’t, who is the long-term answer?

Jason Licht and his staff did not draft a linebacker, like many expected, in the NFL Draft in April. It signals that the team wants to roll the dice on SirVocea Dennis to be the guy alongside David, or does it?

Licht has shown that he loves to take chances on veteran scraps that hit the market. After June 1, many of them hit the market due to contract structure and how it can affect the team’s salary cap. That is where a potential linebacker option emerges in Germaine Pratt, whom the Bengals released on Monday.

The Bucs defense took a beating last year from the injury bug; it treated the team like a little village, and it was Mothra, knowing that Godzilla was not coming to the rescue anytime soon. Fast-forward to the present day, and the Bucs could have a linebacker hitting the market with one of the best abilities: availability.

SirVocea Dennis may be the player the team wants to shape to be the man to replace Lavonte David long-term, but that is a lot of pressure for someone coming off a shoulder injury. Anytime a linebacker has a shoulder injury, it creates major concerns, but if they pursue Pratt, they can ease his return and development along for another season.

Pratt has played 64 out of a potential 68 games over the last four seasons for the Bengals while racking up 451 tackles over that same stretch. He is coming off a career high in tackles in 2024 (143) and has been voted a team captain by his teammates.

He makes all the sense in the world for the Bucs to pursue, now we have to wait and see of Jason Licht and Todd Bowles can find a spot for him and attempt to roll the dice on him.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Could a Bengals release help the Bucs defense during the 2025 season?