DE Injuries Spooking Coaches
September 5th, 2015
Lovie preparing for what he refers to as the second draft this weekend.
It was common for Bucs fans to pace so much at night that they wore a path in their bedroom rug fretting over the edge rush.
There really wasn’t much to fret about because there wasn’t much of a rush to even get worked up over.
But now things are getting dire. With edge sack rush leader Jacquies Smith down with a bum shoulder, fellow defensive end starter Fatinikun also with a bum shoulder, and second-team defensive end Larry English blowing out a knee, the edge rush of the Bucs has gone from smoldering ruins into a full-blown five-alarm fire. General quarters sirens are being heard as far as New Port Richey.
And Lovie is feeling the heat from the injuries.
“Yes, it is concerning,” Lovie said yesterday. “It’s reality to us. Some years you have certain positions that are hit a little bit more with injuries. We have especially, of course, at the defensive end position. Hopefully we can get a few guys back soon. We feel like that will be the case. For us, that is why this weekend is so important when you have injuries like that. We are first up. We are the first batter. We just have to be ready. I feel like we know the group. We added [Jacquies] Smith last year at this time. You look at what we are able to do sometimes at the end. We found our kicker, we found our punter the last week before the season. We are going to hope that that momentum continues.”
Yes, some will call this dumpster diving, but occasionally a diamond ring like Michael Bennett can be found (uh, oh).
The waiver wire it is for the Bucs, unless they want to swing a trade. Likely, teams would try to mug the Bucs into overpaying since the need is so crying.
September 5th, 2015 at 10:17 am
Didn’t see any recognizable names yet on the NFL Roster Tracker Cuts site in either the OL or DE categories as the teams start getting down to the magic 53. But I’m sure they’ll be some guys with decent potential who get cut today … it always happens. Just hope that the Bucs are patient and let it all play out a bit, rather than diving into the dumpster head-first before they have a feel for what’s in there.
September 5th, 2015 at 10:18 am
Possible Trade Targets
Defensive End
• Willie Young (Chicago Bears)
DE- Willie Young
Bears OLB Willie Young is on the roster bubble. Young is coming back from a Week 16 torn Achilles’ and trying to adjust to a 3-4 defense after spending his entire career in a 4-3. The scheme change is what’s hurting him. Young led the Bears with 10 sacks !!! last season, but Chicago is getting OLB Lamarr Houston back from injury and signed OLB Pernell McPhee. As long as Young is healthy, he’d be a hot name should he be part of final cuts.(source: Rich Campbell Chicago Tribune)
*On the bubble (Possible waiver claims – if released)
Defensive End
• Devin Taylor (Detroit Lions)
• Anthony Chickillo (Pittsburgh Steelers)
• Kenny Anunike (Denver Broncos)
Note: In 2013, the Kansas Chiefs claimed seven players off waivers as they attempted to load up with talent after a league-worst 2-14 record in 2012. (Five of those players are still with the Chiefs)
September 5th, 2015 at 10:21 am
Damn damn Damn damn… uh trade Glennon for a DE maybe lol i don’t know. Damn
September 5th, 2015 at 10:26 am
Flexibility Lovie!!! The edge rush does NOT have to come from a DE in a down stance. I’m aware that Lovie’s defense is predicated on getting the pressure from the front four. But even in the “Tampa 2” Ronde got a lot of sacks blitzing.
LVD had SEVEN sack two years ago when Schiano let him come off the EDGE!!!
Last year that number dropped all the way to ONE!
We have some great athletes in the back seven now including mean dudes like Swearinger. While it might be DESIRABLE to get a great DE for that edge rush it’s really not mandatory if we simply want to get pressure.
If LVD simply matched his numbers from two years ago there is seven sacks.
What might happen if we actually worked hard on getting some edge pressure from LVD and any combination of LB’s or DB’s(again think Ronde’s success)?
September 5th, 2015 at 10:37 am
Like treasure hunting in a junkpile, or finding a usable part in a auto salvage yard, Lovie and Licht will find something to bring home to patch things up.
September 5th, 2015 at 10:43 am
Luv: Good point about KC. I suspect we can pick up 2 or 3 meaningful players. Should be a fun watch today.
September 5th, 2015 at 10:46 am
StPeteBucsFan
If you start blitzing your LB’s in the cover 2 – Your going to have gaping holes in coverage. Strong & Weak side curls routes are going to be open. The flats are going to be WIDE OPEN.
Remember Ronde Blitzed from the slot, when we were in nickel defense – not base
September 5th, 2015 at 10:48 am
Casual Observer
Thank you Sir – Can’t wait to see, how it all plays out.
September 5th, 2015 at 10:48 am
DE Ben Gardner cut yesterday from the Cowgirls. A surprise cut from what I hear. And he knows the system.
September 5th, 2015 at 10:50 am
You continue to call Fatinikun a starter……he’s only a starter if Smith can’t go…..the other starter is Johnson….no big deal….but we are down a couple of DEs at least temporarily.
We can play Sidbury & put Melton at DE for a couple of games…hopefully that’s all.
I’m sure we will pick up a really good prospect….but they still may not be starting material.
September 5th, 2015 at 11:00 am
Coaches Spooking Fans!!!!!
But like the sheep say, Lovie should get many many years to build an average team!!!!
September 5th, 2015 at 11:07 am
The bucs would still be dumpster digging even if those mentioned no names were healthy
September 5th, 2015 at 11:11 am
Realist – I got 4 letters for you – STFU!!!!
better yet – how about theses 6 – GO AWAY
September 5th, 2015 at 11:13 am
Now is the time when our scouting staff REALLY gets to show how good they are….
September 5th, 2015 at 11:17 am
With our linebacking corps and our injured DEs….we should design a brand new NFL defense…..the 2-5…….
September 5th, 2015 at 11:39 am
How come we don’t run the Double A Gap blitz? That would be awesome, we have it in our playbook in Madden 2016
September 5th, 2015 at 11:52 am
@Bucs Fan #7423
because it is not in Lovie’s Tampa 2 commandments!!!!!!!
Thou shalt be Passive!!!
September 5th, 2015 at 12:02 pm
What about Dockett who got released yesterday. He could help out for a year until we use our top 5 pick next year to select a stud DE.
September 5th, 2015 at 12:12 pm
Justin Babin was just released… He is 35 but may have a season left…
Matt Shaunessy is also available…
September 5th, 2015 at 12:25 pm
Realist go away please we can send the short bus to pick you up!
September 5th, 2015 at 12:26 pm
Don’t forget your helmet!
September 5th, 2015 at 12:33 pm
Update: Bears edge defender Willie Young is on the trade block, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). It’s not clear whether teams are calling Chicago about Young, or whether the Bears are shopping him, but perhaps it’s some combination of the two.
September 5th, 2015 at 12:41 pm
Formula for a Realist post:
(Insert insulting comment about McCoy/Lovie/Winston)(Insert insane amount of exclamation points)…repeat.
September 5th, 2015 at 12:45 pm
@warren
LOL, pretty much, except every 10th post I will throw in a good joke, Just to keep everyone on their toes!!!!
September 5th, 2015 at 1:02 pm
@Luvmybucs
The flats are going to be WIDE OPEN.
Not if the DC accounts for that and slides someone else over into coverage there.
It’s always a chess game. Everybody is trying to get a mistmatch in either talent or numbers and position.
Somebody is always open on every defense. it’s up to the D to confuse the QB.
But of course IF LVD or any blitzer gets to the QB who cares which routes are open. A QB on his butt cannot hit even the wide open receivers. That’s the point of blitzing.
If the QB gets time…any QB..even backups as we saw last year…gets time there is NO defense that can cover the receivers.
September 5th, 2015 at 1:49 pm
True – blitzes can be affective if they are done right
Note: In 2008, The Chicago Beats blitzed 38.6% of the time, utilizing their big, fast, aggressive linebackers in order to generate pressure. Sad part is that year the Chicago Bears Passing Defense gave up 3859 yards (30th in NFL)
Another Tampa 2 team in 2008, the Detroit Lions, blitzed 31.1% of the time for similar reasons. With similar results-The Lions Passing Defense gave up 3716 yards
(27th in NFL)
So you see the more you blitz those LB’s –the more run a chance of getting – Lit Up like a Christmas Tree.
September 5th, 2015 at 1:50 pm
*The Chicago Bears
September 5th, 2015 at 2:40 pm
Lol Realist glad to know you have a sense of humor 😀
September 5th, 2015 at 3:16 pm
@LuvmyBucs
Point taken but I do not believe we’ll ever get to blitzing more than 30% of the time. I can’t imagine blitzing 1 out of every three plays.
No doubt though blitzing is a gamble no matter who does it. Gotta pick your spots and QB’s. Blitzing great QB’s is an even greater gamble. Again somebody is always open against every defense and if a QB reads the blitz and gets the ball out quickly it’s ugly quick for the D.
I think the threat of the blitz can also help, make OC’s account for it and not simply release all TE’s and RB’s.
But there is no doubt that blitzing is a gamble and it can be feast or famine.
But thanks for that stat. I couldn’t even imagine blitzing 1 out of every 3 plays, that’s basically a blitz ever series. Talk about putting your chips all on one number!
September 5th, 2015 at 4:16 pm
I know many of you are concerned about the DE position but Tim Tebow just become available! I say sign him and move him over to the D-Line.
If divine intervention has any bearing on the outcome of football games then Tebow will hook us up for sure.
If he cannot rush the passer than we’ll be no worse off than we are now. Besides, his presence on the field will fill up the stands, increasing the power of the “12’th man”. The opposing offense won’t be able to hear anything at all other than “TEBOW! TEBOW!!”