Bucs Hanging On The Edge
June 22nd, 2013
Imagine a list of the best 38 edge pass rushers in the NFL not having a Buccaneer on it.
Well, that’s the situation over at NFL.com, where Around The League guru Gregg Rosenthal has isolated his beasts off the edge and there’s no pewter and red to be found (not even Michael Bennett).
There’s little faith among NFL analysts in Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers. Joe gets it; Those guys are unproven. But the Bucs, in many ways, are hanging their playoff dreams on their unquestioned potential.
Joe hopes someone at One Buc Palace gets a copy of Rosenthal’s piece to Bowers and Clayborn. A little extra motivation never hurt.
June 22nd, 2013 at 7:56 am
pa rum – pa rum – pa rum – pa rum …and the beat goes on. At the end of the day, we may end up, having the best pass rush in our division.
June 22nd, 2013 at 8:09 am
Who needs edge rushers when we can bring Myron in on blitz packages!!!
June 22nd, 2013 at 8:21 am
Much ado about nothing. Clayborn didn’t play last year and Bowers only played half a year off injury in which he didn’t even start. We all know both these men have what it takes to be impact players. We all know the Bucs now have a secondary that will give the D line more time to make life interesting for opposing QB’s. This defensive end rating is about last year, not this one.
June 22nd, 2013 at 8:47 am
I think we have seen enough from Clayborne to have faith that uninjured, he will be really good. Same with Bowers, buts thats just me it appears
June 22nd, 2013 at 8:59 am
NFL.com will be talking about the Bucs being a surprise team of 2013. Surprising everybody except us here.
June 22nd, 2013 at 9:04 am
Rich Eisen has always had a soft spot for the bucs since Schiano took over – it’s a shame the rest of them don’t share his feelings <_<
June 22nd, 2013 at 9:24 am
I linked to Rosenthal’s NFL.com piece and never got to read it. To the right of the article is a more interesting piece on the NFL’s most improved position groups and heading the list is the Tampa bay secondary.
This improvement is going to pay dividends for both Bowers and Clayborn. I expect they will both exceed their previous level of play barring injury! This secondary is going to have a radical and positive effect on the effectiveness of our pass rush!
June 22nd, 2013 at 10:02 am
All stats are from the past but they are a good predictor. In this case this D-line hasn’t played as a unit yet. I can’t blame the prognosticators for doubtiing the Bucs until they prove themselves.
I join the chorus (Donald Penn) that we will “shock” some people.
June 22nd, 2013 at 10:16 am
Seeing you guys support the team so well does the old ticker good. For a long time I’ve felt that Bucs fans were lessening in quality. The 12th man is important. You guys give me hope.
June 22nd, 2013 at 10:35 am
I’m curious to see what the defensive line looks like with a revamped secondary behind it, and a fully healthy Bowers and Clayborn returning.
June 22nd, 2013 at 10:56 am
I see a change in the fan base, way more positive feed for the BUCS! I love it! Lets go TAMPA!
June 22nd, 2013 at 11:35 am
Not to be a Buc homer here, but listen. NFL Defensive Lineman take a couple years to develop. For one instance, Clayborn was a beast his rookie year. He had 7 1/2 sacks, however just watching the games, he was overpowering and very difficult for OT’s. I just see him balling out this year if he’s healthy.
Bowers has excellent potential as well and there was a reason when he was coming out in 2011, that he was the top rated prospect on many teams boards before the injury news came out. Ironically, his injuries have had nothing to do with his knee in the nfl. Just a hamstring strain and then the torn achilles. Last year when he came back, he looked like he was a bit overweight and that was probably due to him trying to keep his weight because it’s easier to get cut down then to regain all that muscle during re-hab.
Look, Defensive lineman normally take 3 years to develop. I think Clayborn and Bowers can be a sick tandem with McCoy inside. However, I do agree that depth might be an issue. Abraham would be an excellent addition as a veteran presence on the outside and spell them. I like the 3 Dlineman in Means, Gholston, and Spence, but they are rookies. Very talented, and will provide depth. But the lack of experience is always a question.
Have to remember: For every Von Miller, Ndamakng Suh, and Aldon Smith (guys who made immediate impacts as rookie pass rushers and Dlineman), there are guys like Chris Long and Gerald McCoy (great players who didn’t really hit their stride til year 3 either due to late development/injury).
June 22nd, 2013 at 11:38 am
The prognosticators are not held to stats. There is no accountability to what they got right or wrong last year. Yet they hold players, coaches and the teams accountable to stats that are so diverse they might include the amount of gator-aide consumed. Speculation 101 was a class I missed. Maybe we should have Sports News and separate branches called Sports Speculation and Sports Opinions.
Or how about, “ASSUME The PROGNOSTICATORS ARE RIGHT Sports News.”
June 22nd, 2013 at 11:44 am
bower and clayborn this year is the best .and (# 93 <<<<<<<
June 22nd, 2013 at 1:05 pm
John Says:
“Speculation 101 was a class I missed.”
Awesome!
June 22nd, 2013 at 1:54 pm
Bowers and especially Clayborn are beasts when healthy. You can’t have starter quality backups at every position. That is what is known as “cap hell”. Just ask some people’s favorite GM Bruce Allen, he will tell you all about it in Washington.
If we signed a vet now then one of the rookies wouldn’t make the roster or Teo. (Who was a pretty good fill in last year.) Then we risk losing a talented, albeit, inexperienced rookie to another team so that we can have a one or two year role player that won’t contribute on special teams.
Gambling on Clayborn and Bowers is certainly risky but so is exposing one of our rookies to the practice squad in favor of an Abraham. (A guy that, quite possibly, could have nothing left.)
June 22nd, 2013 at 2:37 pm
Think Tony Dungy worried about where the media was rating his players when he took over? He knew what he had and it was just a matter of time before they began to show it… I think Schiano is in the same situation now. They’ve got young talent – you have to give them the opportunity to show it, so that’s what they’re doing. John Abraham isn’t coming here. They like Clayborn and Bowers. They like the young guys they drafted. They like Teo-Nesheim and Aaron Morgan. For the first time since Dungy took over, they’re actually building something to last… Unfortunately, the word ‘building’ drives some people nuts. Even if they don’t make the playoffs this year (I believe they will), this team is headed in the right direction. I have great faith that Schiano knows what he’s doing and will get results from a very talented roster.
June 22nd, 2013 at 3:21 pm
Abraham will be the by the end of training camp. If in the preseason the Dline looks like it needs help then the Bucs will look into signing him. For now we should see what we have on our roster now. Who knows maybe with some motivation and more dedication Gholston will be a beast. He showed flashes just not consistency.
June 22nd, 2013 at 3:30 pm
@Macabee
Good thing you saw that because I didn’t. Read it and it all comes down to Revis. I am going out and saying Revis is going to be in Pro Bowl form by the second or third game. I am saying that because since he won’t really play preseason and the Jets won’t test him (Santonio Holmes isn’t real competition) The Saints or Patriots game is where he will start shutting top WR down. Hmmmm Patriots do not have a star receiver except Amedola since both TE will probably be inactive. Larry Fitzgerald game 4 should be the matchup to watch.
June 23rd, 2013 at 2:33 am
Certainly one of our biggest concerns…..but our playoff hopes rest on GMC staying healthy more so than either DE becoming a star.
June 23rd, 2013 at 11:37 am
Summer Sheep fever is spreading like wildfire.
Can the fall shearing be far behind?