The Search Continues
June 2nd, 2015
A preseason highlight DE Larry English last year. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)
Joe likes the promise of “Fat” and Jacquies Smith, the Bucs’ young defensive end finds of 2014. Will Gholston, 23, is maturing and growing.
But Joe gets queasy on the DE front after that.
Sure, George Johnson had a nice season — the first six sacks of his career — in Detroit last year, playing part-time for the NFL’s No. 2-ranked defense. But Joe remains leery.
The Bucs’ brass also references Larry English and Lawrence Sidbury as part of its rotation of pass rushers, and that’s where Joe gets especially tense. The pair of 29 year olds have done little in the NFL, and English was one of the big busts of the 2009 draft for Sand Diego.
Perhaps this is why Jason Licht told NBC Sports Radio last week that he’s still looking for pass rushers. Loads of GMs say that, but in the case of the Bucs, Joe is quite sure Licht means it.
Joe hasn’t heard a peep from anyone associated with Tampa Bay about how they’re still looking for quality cornerbacks, for example. In fact, Licht talked during that interview about how impressive the Bucs’ defensive backs have been so far this spring, and how quality improvement is projected.
Pass rushers don’t escape teams and NFL scouts too often, but there is hope as rosters pare down in September. Just look what Smith pulled off last season.
June 2nd, 2015 at 1:25 pm
Joe they could try and swing a trade for Michael Bennett whose said to be unhappy with his pay. That could solidy our Pass Rush and could allow Leslie Frazier to be creative
June 2nd, 2015 at 1:33 pm
That’s why we can have patience on that front joe. And the first dibs in the waiver wire helps us tremendously.
After I broke the team roster down, I felt two other positions are glaring weaknesses. Those are Safety and Center.
I’d love to send you my breakdown from one fan to another and to hear your feedback.
Keep doing your thing tho joe.
June 2nd, 2015 at 1:34 pm
DE being our obvious defensive hole, but I’m still shaky on our Safeties as well. Wright is old, McDougald is hardly proven, and I’m not the biggest Chris Conte believer either.
June 2nd, 2015 at 1:35 pm
In a bit of a coincidence, the New Orleans Saints just re-signed Cameron Jordan to a 5-year 60 million dollar extension today. Jordan has had 7.5 sacks or more each of the past 3 seasons (including 12.5 in 2013).
Why is the Jordan extension relevant? Our “rockstar” GM passed on him in favor of Adrian Slowborn in 2011, he of the deformed shoulder. Scouts Inc had Jordan rated as the 9th overall prospect and Clayborn the 28th overall prospect. But obviously our GM knew better. Sometime I wonder why we don’t have a better pash rush. But hey, at least we have Michael Benn…um, nevermind.
June 2nd, 2015 at 1:42 pm
Joe,
I know you listen to a lot of NFL Radio. But yesterday Moving the Chains has been going thru each division and ranking the front 4. Yesterday they did the NFC South. Really no surprises though.
1. Panthers
2. Saints
3. Bucs
4. Falcons ( cause of clayborn, Kirwan said it, not me!!!)
June 2nd, 2015 at 1:46 pm
Gators vs. FSU in the Super Regional in Baseball. Go Gators!
June 2nd, 2015 at 1:52 pm
we can’t address every position in one year. I’m sure their relying on the DT’s to get to the QB, but you can expect a lot of outside run plays and screens.
I think gholston is about to come to life for us, er I hope anyway
June 2nd, 2015 at 1:57 pm
With the failures of Slowborn and Bowers. Would it be a bad time to tell Joe that only two of the “rockstar’s” five first round picks are still with the team(McCoy, Martin)? And Martin is possibly in his last year here? Just for fun, the rockstar had five second round picks as well, only two of which are still with the team (David, Banks). He also traded 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th round picks for two other players who aren’t presently on the team (Revis, Winslow).
But I saw that Joe posted an article proclaiming Dominik’s drafting skills were second only to…Jeff Ireland once. So I’m sure it’s a coincidence that we are rebuilding. He must be have been better than we all thought.
June 2nd, 2015 at 1:57 pm
Im sure our 1st pick in the draft next year will be DE. As for now its good to see what we have on this roster now. We have had these guys under our system for a few years,..it’s time for some of these DEs to make the jump or jump ship. With our DTs being a stronger position, lets hope they create mismatches to let the DEs get to the QB. In the first game against the Titans I’m sure some of them would like to get to Mariota. Rip his ears off!!!!
June 2nd, 2015 at 2:08 pm
Pass rushers seem to escape lapdog Licht consistently
June 2nd, 2015 at 2:09 pm
Tom S. Is the man!!
Give him a column joe
June 2nd, 2015 at 2:14 pm
^^^I don’t think The Rock Star faired any better. I just hope L&L got the Franchise QB right this year. I think they did, but time will tell
June 2nd, 2015 at 2:20 pm
mark Dominick thought he’d sign GMC and the rest of the defensive line was somehow going to flourish. the line is the key to this defense and if you don’t have pass rushers it could possibly be a long season. there are only a couple places to find them, the top of the draft or free agency…he better be looking for pass rushers because he’s only got a bunch of undrafted free agents at d end and larry English, that wont cut it for any franchise. you can collect all the players you want but defensive end is like quarterback if you have too many you don’t have any
June 2nd, 2015 at 3:48 pm
If pass rushers seem to evade Licht, then reality and reason seem to evade you Dallas Buc.
Don’t understand why you feel more sure about FAT, .5 sack last year, over George Johnson’s six sacks.
Logic and reason seems to evade Joe as well.
June 2nd, 2015 at 3:56 pm
There is a reason Dominick doesn’t and won’t have a job in any NFL front office and his putrid drafting is the main reason.
Didn’t know that fact about Cameron Jordan but it is indeed interesting.
I liked Clayborn’s heart and will never down talk him because of it, but I was baffled about the selection from the beginning when I heard about his physical limitations.
Dominick’s idiocy did more to set this franchise back than Hugh Culverhouse and his cheapskate ways.
June 2nd, 2015 at 4:48 pm
Again the cowboys had a whopping 28 sacks last season and were a call away from the NFC championship game.
June 2nd, 2015 at 4:56 pm
drdneast- please remind us of when I ever suggested fat was better than George (who?) Johnson? Once again, facts and based argument evades you as you continue to make sht up so you have something to argue against.
Our incompetent HC and his little lapdog GM backed the Brinks truck up to pay for the pass rushing services of one Michael Johnson for all of one shameful year yet you continue to defend that record. Tell us more of this reality and reason you speak of?
June 2nd, 2015 at 6:07 pm
Again the cowboys had the 7 ranked offense , good special teams and a good head coach.
Tampa has none of that!!!
June 2nd, 2015 at 6:57 pm
Cowboys have Kiffin and Marinelli running their D and we have incompetent Lovie Smith and Frazier. Not exactly fair.
June 2nd, 2015 at 7:49 pm
The Bucs have pass rushers, we can get 22 sacks from the interior of our D-Line, we just need the edge rushers to give us the same or more. And I believe they will,maybe our LB’S can give us another 6-7.
June 2nd, 2015 at 10:16 pm
Dallasbuc is a doosh and probably never even seen to a Bucs game in his life. Please go troll another team or atleast another site. You are unwelcome here!
June 2nd, 2015 at 11:17 pm
Buccos- so you are now the official spokesman for JBF? Weren’t you speaking for all of the NFL last week?
You think calling me a “doosh” and troll will make me go away? You do realize that you carry no weight to rescind a welcome and passionate fans with opinions that differ might actually be what the owners of the site want and a reason why JBF is so great?
Nah, you aren’t quite intelligent enough to handle the complexity of diverse thought so go ahead and ban me from a site that you have no actual control over and please continue with your incisive use of “doosh”!!!
Oh, and odds are I have attended more Bucs games over the last 30 years than you have ever even watched on TV.
So since I am not going anywhere you are welcome to find another site if my opinions become too much for you to stomach.
June 3rd, 2015 at 12:39 am
Dallas beat 3 teams with a winning record last year. Kiffin is long gone and the secondary is Swiss cheese . We have more talent on d than they do and a better defensive coach
June 3rd, 2015 at 7:51 am
I seriously wonder when some of you come to joebucsFAN. maybe you need to go be a Cleveland brown fan for a season, hey they had a 7 wins so they are clearly on the rise lol!!! no one talked about dallas only beating 3 teams with a winning record because it’s dallas, they remind me of that little tiny run that Atlanta falcons had a few years ago. we are being set up to be able to sustain a winning record for years, the offensive had no coordinator period so yea they won 2 games