Bucs On Pace For Most Sacks Since 2004
December 7th, 2015
Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay pass rush is inconsistent (Joe’s being kind) and is a big reason opposing quarterbacks have completed 68.1 percent of passes this season.
That’s the fourth-worst aerial stoppage rate in the NFL.
So the Bucs need to invest heavily in edge rushers in the NFL Draft, right? Joe is not going there yet. Calm down.
Could the Bucs, with $50 million+ in pending salary cap room, really afford to sit out the chance to get edge rushers in free agency only to hope they get one in the draft? That would be ludicrous.
And what about the current results? After three sacks against Atlanta yesterday, two by Will Gholston, the Bucs are on pace for 38 sacks this season. That total would be the most from a Bucs team since 2004, when defensive ends Simeon Rice and Greg Spires combined for 20 — and Warren Sapp was in Oakland.
Those 45 sacks in 2004 didn’t do the team much good. They were 5-11. Sacks are overrated, but consistent pressure is not. And the Bucs now are desperate for that pressure.
It will be very interesting to see how general manager Jason Licht and Lovie Smith approach this offseason.
Something tells Joe that Lovie might rank cornerback as a bigger need than pass rusher, and Jason Licht might see the value in loading the cupboard with more weapons and pass protection for America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston. There’s no reason to fear an explosive offense.
December 7th, 2015 at 1:27 pm
Our D line has been decimated by injuries. I think the loss of McDonald early hurt more than we realize. Then add GMC yesterday…Jack Smith…we had four guys who were counted on playing a lot out of the lineup.
GMC bashers must not have watched yesterday. We got no push up the middle with our rush and the DE’s were simply routed to the outside giving Matty Ice a place to step up into the pocket.. It could be argued I guess that a truly bad arse DE could have bullrushed or overpowered the tackles but we do not have that kind of DE on our roster..unless Gholston fills the bill.
With all of our DE healthy we’re not bad…but I still want to spend the top choice on a DE unless the BPA is heads and shoulders above the available DE.
I’ll be curious as to how the Bucs use Mike Glennon. If they can’t get at least a second or something great as part of a package I say keep him. We are going to be good next year and if #3 has to miss any games MG8 is clearly the best backup we could have and at 675,000!
If a Revis/Sherman/Peterson level CB..a true cover corner is available I could wait on the DE. What do we think of Hargreaves? He’s definitely a player!
December 7th, 2015 at 1:28 pm
WR is def needed. VJ is still amazing but is on the decline. our 3rd string is injured and not a spring chicken, and Evans has got Clayton Hands.
Even if Evans gets it together we are in desperate need for a speed receiver.
DE and CB first two picks, WR rnd 3. Oline depth and development rd 4.
December 7th, 2015 at 1:29 pm
Give Jameis more weapons, best defense is a offense that makes the other team one dimensional
December 7th, 2015 at 1:39 pm
All the top offenses have multiple weapons. Look at what the Steelers do with their 3 speedy receivers and vet TE. Get Jameis weapons and turn him loose
December 7th, 2015 at 1:40 pm
Geez, soon they’ll be crying to break up the Bucs.
December 7th, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Agree that we are not getting enough pressure even with those sack #s. I stll think D-line should be focus until we have one of the best front 7s in the game but we definitely need another corner; ideally someone who can let Moore play as the #2.
Problem early in the year was terrible secondary play. Which is hilarious considering how well everyone thought they looked in TC & OTAs (or at least all the writers I recall observing).
Realist will call anyone crediting lovie smith with anything “sheep”. He said we will point to a couple good game performances to justify keeping him. Well we are 6-6 sh1t head. Already beyond your season prediction by 2 wins with 4 to go! Suck it! And in 6 games we have allowed 19 points or less. (a little more than a couple decent games.. like literally half of them all)
We are 9th in the league in yards per game we give up defensively and 23rd in points given up. Meeting in the middle (considering how scewed that number is by multiple pick 6’s and red zone turnovers) I think saying we are an average top 16ish defense is not a stretch and exactly what I was predicting all offseason. I predicted with some hope that we go 9-7 this year while “Realist” was on the 4-12 train I believe (or worse).
Does that make me a “sheep”? Or does that just make Realist a moronic butthole? I think the later. I’d like links to all the “sheep” that post as if we are SB contenders? Or the “sheep” that think Lovie Smith is the best HC ever? (only person I can think of is OneLove). People here are pretty damn reasonable even when just being positive. It’s sad realist can’t see that
December 7th, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Jason Pierre Paul, Justin Tuck, Muhammad Wilkerson, Greg Hardy, William Hayes, Jason Jones, Cam Thomas….
In my book….not exactly a mother-load of DEs….available in FA….perhaps a Glennon trade with a pick could secure a top young DE from the right team.
December 7th, 2015 at 2:07 pm
Draft or free agency. 2 CBs and 2 DEs! I stand by my prediction.
December 7th, 2015 at 2:21 pm
And despite not having our “best player” on the field yesterday on Defense we still managed to have one of the best defensive performances this season and 3 sacks. Boy imagine if we had a great defensive lineman on this team?
December 7th, 2015 at 2:45 pm
1st round WR
2nd round DB
3rd round OL
4th round DE
5th round best available
etc
etc
December 7th, 2015 at 2:46 pm
@stpetebucsfan@lord cornilus@bee…i agree with all 3 of you…I would hope Hargreaves is available when the bucs are on the clock but he may be gone…we may have to settle for #2 mackensie alexander who is a elite cb from Clemson even though I know we have a bad history with players out of Clemson….I would like to grab 2cbs and 2de’s with the first 4 picks…after that I say grab an olinemen,wr,dline…we must continue to draft at least 1 olineman every year that we have jameis to protect him and build depth…the free agent de class kind of scares me at the moment because I don’t really see any great de’s besides Wilkerson but he’s more of a 3-4 de….GO BUCS!!!
December 7th, 2015 at 3:25 pm
I agree with Buc1987 draft positions of need, barring that bpa is not overly greater!! The great thing this year is with the Buc’s having a better than expected record beating up on tomato cans, that we get to see if they can actually draft with other teams in front of them!!!!
December 7th, 2015 at 4:09 pm
St. Pete
Please no Hargreaves. He has very good, potentially elite cover skills, but is a soft tackler and has little ball skills. He’s a big name in the draft community now, but I think once the evaluation process really gets underway people will realize he’s a back-end of the 1st round talent, not top-10 the way some are proclaiming.
December 7th, 2015 at 4:25 pm
Yes, consistent pressure is needed. They need edge rushers because the DTs are outstanding.
I will stick with my suggestion
In whatever order is reasonable for the talent –
Draft –
CB
DE
WR
OL
Free Agent –
CB
CB
DE
After that it depends on what they keep but all other positions have good depth, just a matter of whether they can make the depth better.
I would LOVE to get Shaq Lawson in the draft at DE. The dude is big and strong with speed and a motor. I think they are playing themselves out of contention to draft him in the first round though. Probably end up with CB because much more first round depth there.
All I know is they play their cards right at those positions and they are a 10+ win team for the next several years !
December 7th, 2015 at 4:30 pm
@REALIST
Really?
Do you try to antagonize people or are you just this stupid?
Their schedule is not that soft, the league is just watered down with a ton of mediocre teams and just a few real good ones.
And what to you call drafting Marpet and Smith and Alexander? No other teams drafted in front of them then?
You are a moron
December 7th, 2015 at 4:33 pm
Buc1987
No way they take a WR first round. They have two starters and Humphries and Murphy and Dye (and Bell coming back next year ) all as viable 3-4 options and 2 TEs now with Brate and ASJ.
I do see them taking a WR but after a CB and DE.
I hope Murphy comes back healthy. He’s good. I also hope Humphries keeps it up, he could end up being a damn good slot guy.
December 7th, 2015 at 4:38 pm
Hahahahahaha realist with his “if u have the #1 pick it’s easy to hit on all your draft picks” arguments is one of the most insane things I’ve ever read
December 7th, 2015 at 4:54 pm
I know zero about college football and less than zero about the players. So, I follow the comments very closely. I do know we need more defensive help first. Then, whatever comes next. Go Bucs!
December 8th, 2015 at 2:05 am
Resigning guys like Moore and Martin will possibly take close to $15Mil of that alone and then resigning other guys like Mcdougald or Conte and Melton as well will take a little from the cap too. Im hoping they can make another trade to acquire extra picks like trading Verner and his contract which has no guarantees after this season. The first pick should be devoted to drafting Vernon Hargreaves in the first round and find a strong side linebacker in the second or third round. If lovie becomes creative he should draft another big defensive tackle and keep Spence so McCoy can get time at end where he can take on tackles and limit his injury history. Someone thats 330 plus and can eat gaps. Thats our four picks this season in the draft: Hargreaves, offensive guard in the second, strong side linebacker in thethird, and a big defensive tackle one thats over 320 to in order to maximize sacks fro McCoy as a end on third downs.
December 8th, 2015 at 7:38 am
The D-line looked much slower and sluggish without GMC