Bucs Holding Steady With Three DEs
October 9th, 2012
An interesting non-move of this bye week involved the Bucs not adding another defensive end to their 53-man roster.
Things could change tomorrow, of course, but right now the Bucs have four tight ends and three defensive ends. That’s a pretty rare combination in the NFL.
Adrian Clayborn was lost for the season against Dallas, and the Bucs seem content to stick with Michael Bennett, Daniel Te’o-Nesheim and George Johnson.
Good for those guys, but that’s awfully flimsy depth.
Joe will be watching to see if Dekoda Watson and Quincy Black get more opportunities to put their hand on the ground Sunday.
Joe also will keep an eye on how Andre Carter does for the Raiders against Atlanta. It will be Carter’s first game of the season. He made the Pro Bowl last season for the Patriots and was signed recently by Oakland — after Clayborn went down. Joe would have been pleased to welcome him to the Bucs.
October 9th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Can Freeman play DE?
6’6” 240 +pounds coming off the edge!
October 9th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Andre Carter’s preference was to stay on the West Coast where he grew up, went to college and has his home. He only would’ve signed with the Bucs if the Raiders showed no interest. Acting like he could’ve easily been a Buc is not accurate as it likely would never have happened.
October 9th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
Maybe we can read into this that Bowers is progressing nicely in his rehab and will be back off the IR list soon!
October 9th, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Reminds me of Bears game last year when Bucs went into the game with 2 Rb’s and 1FB…….after 5 plays were down to 1RB for rest of game…..
October 9th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Earnest Graham tore his Achilles on the first 3rd down of game and then Lorig seperated his shoulder on the punt the next play
October 9th, 2012 at 2:49 pm
Blame Dominik’s ineptitude at putting a roster together for only having a few DE’s on the roster. Pathetic.
October 9th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
They need to start using the tight ends, especially if they’re going to carry four on the books. Dallas Clark has been a relative ghost with 11 catches this year per the local paper. If they aren’t being used, why are they collecting them? Figure out how to use those guys.
October 9th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Our lack of depth is putrid. We spent two # 1’s and two # 2’s in the past 3 years to fill the D-Line.
Dom is to blame, but part of this is bad luck.
Dom and Freeman are going to be vetoed at the end of the season if this keeps up (losses and losses).
October 9th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
I have to think something is being worked on with current players that we have yet to hear of. To have a plethora of TE’s that we don’t seem to use much, yet have only 3 DE’s which we rely on heavily, seems unbalanced.
October 9th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Tbuc, if you include the two injured 1st-rd picks, then there would be 5 DEs on the roster. Not exactly Dom’s fault that two of them went down. Above-average DEs aren’t exactly an easy commodity to come by in the NFL these days. I’m as surprised as the next person that no one has been brought in, but you’d think there has to be some sort of a plan in the FO.
October 9th, 2012 at 3:46 pm
There are strange goings-on at One Buc. Scouts honor, last friday, and over the weekend, Kendrick Adams, DE was listed on the Bucs active roster. Mysteriously today, he is back on the PS. Perhaps it was a misplacement and he was never meant to be listed there – I don’t know, but he was definitely there.
This is no big deal, but similarly DJ Byrant, LB was cut from the PS, but no mention of the cut. I’m sure there is a plan somewhere for DE help because De’s have to be rotated to sustain a meaningful pass rush. 3 will not cut it!
October 9th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Classic anonymous fan BS. @FLBoyinDallas, nice to see you have a pipeline to Andre Carter. Like you know what the guy would have done for 3 months of his life for a paycheckk
October 9th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Interesting chain of events! Two weeks ago the Redskins took Markus White DE, FSU from the Bucs PS, who the Bucs were obviously interested in keeping because they made him the highest paid PS player in the NFL.
Well the Redskins just waived White. Will be interesting to see if the Bucs reclaim him!
October 9th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Why didn’t we pay Mario Williams?
October 9th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
@SteveK
I hope you are joking about Mario Williams.
October 9th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
@ flmike,
Yes and No.
Yes, because no thanks to all that pay day.
No, because our draft picks have not panned out, and we have scary depth. Our Defense suffers, yet again.
October 9th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Yeah SteveK,
The Bills are now having buyer’s remorse. Through 5 games he’s had 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Disappointing!
October 9th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
“Blame Dominik’s ineptitude at putting a roster together for only having a few DE’s on the roster. Pathetic.”
“There are strange goings-on at One Buc. Scouts honor, last friday, and over the weekend, Kendrick Adams, DE was listed on the Bucs active roster. Mysteriously today, he is back on the PS.”
Dominik can sign DE’s all day long but once they sprint 110 yards 16 times, they can’t practice or play until they recover. It takes weeks to recover their “tired legs.”
The gauntlets keep biting them in the ass, week after week after week.
How butch is that?
October 9th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Bowers wiil be back soon ……
October 9th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
@SteveK
That salary he got would killed our cap for next year. I doubt we would be able to resign Micheal Bennett. For $96 million contract he should be putting up more than just 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks with just one tackle for lost.
October 9th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
wish they would have traded a 2nd or 3rd for Osi Umenyora in the off season but then we wouldnt have Martin or David so i guess looking back im glad we didnt make the move but we sure could use Osi now. oh well im sure there gonna figure something out. hate to say it but maybe next year will be their year, im not expecting much this season just wanna see’em play. Lets Go Bucs,,,,,, BUC IT IM OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 9th, 2012 at 6:51 pm
George Johnson looks good. Also, you’re all missing something Joe brought up. Watson and Black have the size and motor to play end. I remember one of the practices I went to Watson spent the entire time with the D Line. I just hope neither of them get hurt because our depth beyond that is pencil thin.
October 9th, 2012 at 6:57 pm
After the first two rounds in 2010 and 2011’s drafts, you’d figure we’d be set on the D-line. Never got to see McCoy, Price, Bowers, and Clayborn on the field together. Sucks…
I hope they don’t rush Bowers back to early out of desperation… But I have a bad feeling they will.
Go Bucs!!!!
October 9th, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Even if they abandoned everything and switched completely to a 3-4 defense tomorrow, it is absurd to only keep 3 DE’s when you have 4 TE’s. ESPECIALLY WHILE APPROACHING THE END OF A BYE WEEK…
October 9th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Sneedy16, the Bucs actulally have quite a bit of cap room for 2013, according to ProFootballTalk, due to carry-overs. Whether they choose to spend it…I for one want to keep Bennett & wave ”Bye bye!” to Trueblood.
October 9th, 2012 at 7:14 pm
Keith don’t be an absolute moron. It was something that was reported, not my own personal opinion. Go away and don’t come back.
October 9th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
Second best pass rushing DE on the roster? Dakoda Watson
Considering Dakoda runs the fastest and shortest arc on the team, Bennett is moire of a power/speed rusher that just needs a little space and doesn’t necessarily run the arc, and McCoy provides instant penetration up the middle, a pass rushing DL of Bennett getting pressure at a 3-5 yard depth, McCoy getting pressure at the 1-3 yard depth, and Watson getting pressure from the other side at a 5-7 yard depth, this line would be more ideally suited for taking opn pass happy teams. Clayborn wasn’t an arc runner either, he was more of a power RDE who did his best work not running an arc.
With Watson running the wide arc, he would force QBs to step up into the pocket, with McCoy getting inside penetration he would keep QBs from stepping up, and with Bennett collapsing the right side of the OL, this is potentially a major pass rushing force. This SHOULD happen!