The Bucs made some external additions to their practice squad on the defensive side of the ball. They addressed their run defense with nose tackle Jayson Jones. But Tampa Bay didn’t stop with reinforcements for their defense on early downs. The Bucs also added former Dolphins outside linebacker Mohamed “Mo” Kamara.
Kamara was a fifth-round draft pick for Miami just last year and his release is somewhat of a surprise. I was relatively high on Kamara myself. He was the 11th best edge rusher on my own draft board – ironically, just behind Chris Braswell. Kamara wound up as the 13th edge selected. My notes from his time at Colorado State where he recorded 30.5 sacks and 47 tackles for loss were as follows:
Pros
- Tasmanian devil-like motor
- Quick get off and tries to get into opponents’ chests where he can then drive through with leverage
- Spins up speed quickly and generates targeted power with it
- Uses heavy hands to keep longer-armed lineman off of him
- Intelligent in how he sets up his pass rush plan
- Keeps tackles off guard with a quick inside counter
Cons
- Size/length
- Lateral mobility
- Size prevents him from fitting run well
His build and physical profile isn’t dissimilar to Bucs 2025 5th round pick David Walker as both are short explosive athletes. Both player’s statures are along the same vein as Shaq Barrett, although Barrett had much more bend then either of the younger guys.
Bucs OLB Mohamed Kamara – Photo by: USA Today
Mohamed Kamara As A Pro
The Dolphins already had a deep pass rush with Jaelen Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Chop Robinson. For their fourth outside linebacker they opted for experience over ceiling as they signed veteran Matthew Judon and tried to pass Kamara through waivers. Kamara’s opportunities to get on the field diminished with time.
His most extensive action came during his rookie preseason as he played 69 defensive snaps. Kamara played sparingly during the regular season last year despite injuries robbing Chubb of the entire season and Phillips all but four games. In total, Kamara played just 26 snaps across four games. He was unable to play in Miami’s first two preseason games this year because he was in concussion protocol but was able to factor into their final tilt against the Jaguars.
Watching his limited professional reps, I am not moved much from my initial evaluation of the former Colorado State Ram. Working against Colts left tackle Bernhard Raimann last year he used quick feet to get into Raimann’s frame before elongating himself to generate leverage and create power to knock Raimann back towards quarterback Anthony Richardson. He flashed the inside counter against Braden Smith where he was able to get a quick first outside step before hastily driving back inside and using his speed-to-power to drive through Smith’s left shoulder.
Bucs OLB Mohamed Kamara – Photo by: USA Today
What I am sure Bucs coaches love about Kamara is that he is fully committed to the bit. Once he starts driving his powerful legs forward, he isn’t going to stop until he gets to his target or the whistle blows.
But his lack of length works against him. If he can’t keep opponents with longer arms from getting their hands on him, Kamara struggles to create pressure. And he is a non-factor as an inside player. Due to his smaller frame he gets knocked around like a pinball when navigating inside traffic.
His lateral movement still concerns me. Changing directions for Kamara after his initial effort is a laborious act, as he has to slow his inertia in his original direction before spooling up again along a new path. This creeps up as he reacts to reverses and boots. It also limits his usefulness as a looper running games. He lacks fluidity throughout his lower half to bend through inside gaps using minimal space. And as he tries to get the absolute most out of his six-foot-one frame he can get too far out in front and lose his balance.
Can Mohamed Kamara Help The Bucs?
I like Mo Kamara exactly where the Bucs have him – as a developmental prospect on the practice squad. He wins in very limited and specific ways. His success against Bernhard Raimann was because Raimann lacks arm length as well, evening the playing field. But when he went up against the longer-levered Olu Fashanu he struggled to stay inside.
The release from Miami portends a lack of development. And the chances the Bucs get anything more than a few pressures this year late in games that have long been decided. If Tampa Bay loses one of their top two pass rushers, the odds Kamara adds more than Anthony Nelson, Chris Braswell – or even Markees Watts is slim.
But his explosiveness can be a base skillset to build upon. And for a no-risk flyer on a practice squad player, it’s absolutely good process for the Bucs.
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