The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are no longer talking to Roy Miller about a new contract, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Supposedly the defensive tackle is not satisfied with the terms offered by the Buccaneers. Roy Miller is coming off what is easily his best season in Tampa, playing as a run-stuffing nose tackle and being a major factor in producing the league's best run defense.
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Unfortunately, there are a few reasons why Miller really isn't that valuable. Most obvious among those reasons is the simple fact that he is next to useless as a pass-rusher. He has three career sacks, but none over the past two years. That doesn't mean he's useless. Far from it: he was very important to the team's run defense last season. But it does limit his time on the field and the impact he can have on the field. Per Football Outsider's snap count database, he was in on just 46% of all defensive plays. You don't pay big money to a run-stuffing nose tackle with no pass-rush ability who plays less than half the snaps.
Compounding the problem is that there didn't appear to be a great drop-off when Gary Gibson came onto the field in place of Miller. Gibson is older and he isn't as good as Miller as a run-stopper, but he is more than adequate to start if need be. The fact also remains that the Bucs should be able to replace Miller with relative ease if he does leave Tampa.
Finally, there's one thing to remember: reports like this always leak out in the weeks leading up to free agency, and it's not unlikely that this is just fluff or a temporary hurdle that the two sides will overcome. Despite this report, I would not be surprised to see Miller in pewter and red next season.
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