Bucs Hoping Gilberry Revives In 4-3 Defense
June 5th, 2012
Joe sees the Bucs signed free agent defensive end Wallace Gilberry yesterday and Joe is forced to take notice.
No, the 27-year-old Gilberry is not a superstar.
However, he had seven sacks in 2010 for the Chiefs as a 3-4 defensive end playing part-time in 16 games. For Joe, any young guy not to far out of a strong season like that has to be taken seriously. Gilberry had a dropoff in 2011 for the Chiefs, but he wasn’t injured and didn’t miss a game over the past three seasons, so it’s not like the Bucs are getting damaged goods.
Joe found this Gilberry analysis from Arrowhead Addict most intriguing.
Gilberry was kind of a victim of unfortunate circumstances. He was picked up by the Herm Edwards regime when the Chiefs were still running a 4-3 defense. The next season, however, Herm Edwards was gone and so was the 4-3 defense. Gilberry was kind of a fish out of water in the 3-4. He wasn’t quite fast enough to play OLB and was too small to handle the run at DE.
Despite all that, Gilberry managed 7 sacks in 2010, which was second highest on the team. He did so as a sub-package pass rusher. He also added 4.5 sacks during the dismal 2009 season.
In 2011, however, Gilberry took a step back. In 2011 he saw his role diminish significantly and he only registered ten tackles and 2.5 sacks. Part of this may have been that Gilberry added some weight for the 2011 season in an attempt to be a better fit in KC’s 3-4 scheme.
Personally, I thought the Chiefs should have tried to trade Gilberry to a 4-3 team following the 2010 season. I feel like they could have gotten upwards of a 4th round pick for him. After last season, however, his stock was lowered.
I expect big things from Wallace in Tampa Bay. Don’t be surprised if he joins Jason Babin as a former Chief who hits hit big elsewhere.
So maybe Gilberry really is a solid 4-3 end who was stuck in the wrong system and made the most of it. Joe can dream, right? The Bucs are aching for defensive line depth since the loss of Da’Quan Bowers.
Undrafted after a first-team All-SEC season at Alabama in 2007, Gilberry clearly has put in the work to prove himself and overachieved. The Bucs are banking on that continuing.
June 5th, 2012 at 8:12 am
Im with you on this one Joe. The more I read about this gilberry guy the more I like this move. He could possibly be one of those low end pickups that Dom makes that end up carving a bigger role during the season.
June 5th, 2012 at 8:19 am
Nice read Joe. I thought they should have brought back Crowder, but this guy’s interesting out of Romeo Crennel’s system. You never know. This could be the end of the George Johnson era.
June 5th, 2012 at 8:48 am
I would’ve hoped for a more veteran presence than Mr. Gilberry but we’ll see what happens. Andre Carter & Matt Roth are available and I think Mike Bennett is our oldest DE * Okoye is our most veteran lineman. *sigh* Everyone has seen the receivers rave about V Jax. I would’ve liked to see similar vet leadership brought in on the d-line.
Small gripes but legitimate nonetheless.
June 5th, 2012 at 8:50 am
I have no confidence in McCoy or Price staying healthy all season, and I’m not very high on Okam or Miller as depth….so I am VERY excited to see us adding all this DL depth. Gilberry, Mitchell, Gibson, Okoye….we needed better depth and competition on the D-line and we got it. Good stuff.
June 5th, 2012 at 9:32 am
How do you make 1st Team All-SEC and go undrafted? Was he hurt at draft time? Bone head?
June 5th, 2012 at 9:49 am
The name alone Wallace Gilberry, sounds like the smartest guy on the team. A 4.3 specialist in mechanical engineering 😉 I love the depth the d line has now. We are now prepared for some injuries and no one has to play sixty snaps a game.
June 5th, 2012 at 10:18 am
I also read an article that referenced FOotball focus … And he is ranked only a few spots behind #1 rated Jared Allen in Pressures per Snap.
June 5th, 2012 at 10:35 am
Nice job by Dominik and the Bucs on this signing.
June 5th, 2012 at 10:47 am
Tom Brady just got done throwing a TD in that pic.
June 5th, 2012 at 10:59 am
Say what you will about The Dom, but he is always on the hunt for better players to make the Bucs better. I expect to see several more acquisitions between now and opening day.
June 5th, 2012 at 11:19 am
Judging by the picture in the story above, JBF is becoming a hybrid between porno and football. Lmao I love it!
June 5th, 2012 at 12:13 pm
@BigMacAttack, I agree. Dom continues to surprise us with great acquisitions!
I am so happy with the teams direction I could scream. I will be surprised if Tampa does not shock some teams this year.