Bucs Wave Goodbye To D-Tackle Depth
March 9th, 2016
Unwanted?
Barring a bizarre twist from the football gods, the Bucs will let two defensive tackles walk at 3:59 p.m.
The first is Super-Bowl-ring-bearing Tony McDaniel, who was signed last summer after Akeem Spence weight down with a back injury that needed surgery.
The second his Henry Melton, a former Pro Bowler for Lovie Smith in Chicago who didn’t look like a Pro Bowler in Tampa. Last summer, former defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier told ESPN that Melton was a looming X-factor for the defense because his “fast twitch” and “burst” returned. Frazier was stripped of his duties soon after.
But Melton, 29, was OK, and he’s very versatile, had two sacks and stayed healthy.
He almost seems like an ideal backup, but apparently, the Bucs were in no hurry to bring him back.
Clinton McDonald, Gerald McCoy and Akeem Spence are coming off significant injuries, but apparently, Jason Licht is confident in their health — and his ability to find better depth.
March 9th, 2016 at 12:59 pm
Bucs starting to remind me of my ex girlfriend who became a minimalist.
March 9th, 2016 at 1:00 pm
Could be a sign of a 3-4 personel chnge?
March 9th, 2016 at 1:03 pm
Are they gonna have anyone left to play next season? I keep seeing people waived and cut but no quality replacements being signed.
March 9th, 2016 at 1:06 pm
Probably just clearing a little bit of cap space for ALL those free agents we have been signing.
March 9th, 2016 at 1:07 pm
Hey guys! What happened to “In Licht we trust?”
March 9th, 2016 at 1:08 pm
F&$$$k licht. Disappointed. Figured he have a couple stron targets and come out aggressive. Plus he’s giving up depth for peanuts. Plus Martin unsigned? F##k you licht. So far trying to be patient.
March 9th, 2016 at 1:15 pm
I am almost in tear. This is so sad!!
March 9th, 2016 at 1:16 pm
Jeagan1999, hey don’t forget we resigned Tandy, he’s a top 50 special team player, yes I’m joking
March 9th, 2016 at 1:19 pm
Maybe the Bucs are one of those teams getting ready to play in the UK?..lol..and best to get rid of the team now??
on a good note, my husband lives in Dundee, Scotland and he’ll be happy about that!!
March 9th, 2016 at 1:19 pm
Pretty clear we are drafting D-Line early. DT is now just as much in play as DE with out 1st pick in my opinion. Especially with how good the position is in this years draft. So much negativity sheesh. Im excited for the 1st time in a very long time.
March 9th, 2016 at 1:19 pm
@ Greg
No, if we wanted 34 personal we wouldn’t have gone after C.Johnson
March 9th, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Got the call today to upgrade my seats to club ones..and I didn’t even pick up the phone..
My UK friends and family are seeing this is a disaster in the making..
March 9th, 2016 at 1:23 pm
Sources say Bucs are in talks with….. NO ONE!!!!!!!!!
March 9th, 2016 at 1:24 pm
Good Lord! All of you need to get a life! Do you remember just how awful our defense was last year?? I am all for gutting the fat and finding new blood and talent. However, we all need to remember just how great free agency has worked out for us lately. Ummmm, not so well and just how do we know that all of these high priced FA’s are going to come in and perform at high levels once they sign for all of that money. I truly think that JL is making wise moves and is not to overpay once again to get it shoved in his rear end by someone riding a bloated contract. I think that the Muscle Hampster will eventually sign with the Bucs, but is being smart and playing the field just as Charles Johnson did yesterday. Deep breaths everyone…the sky is NOT falling.
March 9th, 2016 at 1:26 pm
This brings Sheldon Rankins in as a draft target.
March 9th, 2016 at 1:28 pm
This is better than any comedy show I have seen for a long time. One would think there is no plan in place for this team at all to listen to all this crying.
March 9th, 2016 at 1:34 pm
I’ll guarantee you the pressure is REALLY on Licht now. He screwed up on Doug Martin (so now he is scrambling trying to get him to come back), missed out on guys like Mario Williams and other quality Free Agents that could have really helped this team, and his fingers are still burning from the whole Michael Johnson mess.
So what will he do….probably something stupid like go all in on Vernon with some ridiculously high contract ($16 million a year or more) and claim that “He was the guy we had targeted all along!”
Look, Vernon is a nice player…Im not trying to say he cant help this team. But I am saying that Licht is taking too long to figure out what he wants to do…OR…he is too gun shy about pulling the trigger on these other guys that could really help us.
In the end…we will way overspend to get Martin back. We will way overspend to get Vernon…who no matter how well he plays, cant live up to the huge contact it will take to get him here. And we MIGHT end up with a guy like Schwartz who is a nice addition to the offensive line.
Then we will shift our focus to the Draft and pray to God that the remaining missing pieces to the puzzle are there for us when we pick. Sorry…I hate to be a downer…but I cant help but thinking that Licht kinda blew it on Free Agency.
March 9th, 2016 at 1:45 pm
I admit it, I’m enjoying how so many who said “Trust in Licht” last week are saying bad things about him now.
In an ironic twist…
…I think you are all out of line. Free Agency has not started yet. Why don’t we wait and see what he actually does?
March 9th, 2016 at 1:47 pm
@ Jeagan..exactly how I see things and feel..
I was really hoping when I got up the DM saga had ended..on our side…
March 9th, 2016 at 1:52 pm
I’ve never seen a group of fans give up on a GM and a team before free agency even starts
March 9th, 2016 at 1:55 pm
I think everyone should calm down a bit. I agree with Pillage and Plunder, sometimes the best moves you make in free agency are the ones you don’t make. I think Vernon is a nice player but not at over 12 million plus. I don’t think any of these players are worth overpaying for. Try to find some depth players in free agency and go crazy on defense in the draft. I like Mitchell Schwartz, the right tackle from Cleveland, I hope we can get him.
March 9th, 2016 at 1:57 pm
just clearing/making more cap room to sign..bargain basement players!
March 9th, 2016 at 1:57 pm
I don’t get it.
Most here were screaming for us to revamp the DL. So now we’re not renewing FA contracts and our “depth” is diminishing? BTW, who is to say we won’t resign Melton if need be. It’s not like there are 6 teams bidding for him.
I’m now convinced we’re going very, very, heavy DL this draft. Good.
March 9th, 2016 at 1:59 pm
In Licht I Trust.
I’m just more than a little worried that the Bucs have not been mentioned in connection with ANY free agents.
Wish list as of now
M. Schwartz
D.Martin
O. Vernon
M. Sanu
ANY secondary players
March 9th, 2016 at 2:13 pm
@Bonzai…I just want to say that I have never really expressed an opinion on Licht one way or the other. That being said, I will give him props for some good draft picks…Jameis, Marpet, Kwon, etc.. And PLEASE BELIEVE ME, I want to have faith in him and think that he has things well under control…but what evidence do I have that is the case? How many of the top Free Agents are off the board already? Couldn’t Mario Williams have helped us? Couldn’t a lot of these guys that are gone now? Free Agency started on Monday…regardless of what the league calendar says, and what do we have to show for it as of right now? Kieth Tandy and Brandon McDougal…two of our own guys? Bruce Carter, gone…McDaniel and Melton, gone…Doug Martin, one foot out the door…the 2nd leading rusher in the NFL last season….how do you let it even get this far? I mean its one thing if you think Lamar Miller is as good or better and bring him in…but what happens if Martin walks and we have noting to replace him with?
This is just my own opinion….Licht dropped the ball and the more he scrambles to try to pick it up again, the further back he kicks it. If he wants to gain “the trust” of Bucs fans like me back….he needs to start making the right moves …QUICKLY. Or we will find ourselves sans Doug Martin and with no real upgrades or improvements to speak of on defense or offense.If he is waiting until after the dinner bell rings to go bargain shopping, I think he is doing a diservice to the team and the fans. Just my humble opinon!
March 9th, 2016 at 2:27 pm
We wait for all of the meaningful, impactful free agents to get signed by other teams. Then we..come in and fill in with the leftovers. Fillin them holes with quantity galore. Then our quality of play suffers. Yep..this is the,,BUCCANEER WAY BABY!!!!!!!!!
March 9th, 2016 at 2:40 pm
What is the fascination with Mario Williams and the rest of these has been DE. In my humble opinion they brought in one of two of the best DE’S in FA this off season and he stayed on a team that may win it all. “If your good they will figure out how to keep you”, Derek Brooks.
March 9th, 2016 at 2:44 pm
@jeagan – the right moves according to who? He is the GM, it’s his and koetter’s butt on the line. You want them to make a move that makes everyone happy, or the move they think is best for the team. If they are wrong, they get fired, just like Dom,lovie,schiano,rah,chuckie. Let’s watch and see what they actually put on the field before they are crucified.
And I’m not saying I agree with the moves, just take a breath and let them play out.
March 9th, 2016 at 2:45 pm
Hopefully to me this seems to indicate that the Bucs will be concentrating on DL in the draft. I bet they grab a minimum of 2 and maybe even 3 D-Lineman.
March 9th, 2016 at 3:13 pm
@Mojiska…I meant the right moves based on the needs of the team. You dont have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that we need help in several key spots. Im sure they will (eventually) make some moves on DE, Guard, Right Tackle, WR, OLB, Corner and Safety. My point was just that there have already been several good FA players taken…and the list continues to shrink. I dont want them to just sign people for the sake of signing them…but there were some very strong players out there, who are not there anymore. We have re-signed a couple of our own guys…but so far that is it…unless they are somehow managing to keep a lot of potential signings under wraps!
We shall see what happens this afternoon and in the next few days. I just hope we haven’t waited too long.
March 9th, 2016 at 5:51 pm
Watching all the proven FA DE’s sign with other teams as me worried on what Licht is doing. BUT, should he sign some quality O-Linemen to take the place of Mankins and Cherilus, I will be okay with that.
March 9th, 2016 at 7:05 pm
I have no problem with the DTs. The ones they got are good. I could see Mike Smith trying to land another though
March 9th, 2016 at 10:02 pm
WE HAVE A YOUNG TEAM A LOT OF PLAYERS NEED TIME TO DEVELOP ON DEFENSE. NEED I REMIND YOU OF MICHEAL BENNETT WITH THE SEAHAWKS OR MARK BARRON (WHO JUST SIGNED FOR 45MILLION TODAY BY THE WAY). WE HAVE A FEW HOLES TO FILL WITH THAT PICK. THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS YEARS DRAFT IS THAT EVERY POSITION WE NEED TO FILL IS DEEP. HERE IS MY LIST OF PICKS AND REASONS WHY. #1 A (TACKLE) Ronnie Stanley OR Jack Conklin WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR FRANCHISE QB( DONT YOU THINK) # 2 WE NEED A OLB. WE HAVE ALEXANDER AND DAVID. NOBODY ELSE ON THE OUTSIDE. Darron Lee OR Leonard Floyd THESE GUYS ARE BEASTS. #3 (DB) I KNOW YOU GUYS LIKE RAMESY AND Vernon Hargreaves BUT THEY WONT BE ON THE BOARD PAST THE 6TH PICK(SD,DC,JAX,MIA) NEED DBS. FROM WHAT I SAW AT THE COMBINE I LIKE WILLIAM Jackson III,(FAST MAN TO MAN DB) I HAVE SEEN HIM PLAY MANY TIMES) CYRUS Jones,( PLAYS CB,S DUAL THREAT) AND Jonathan Jones (FASTEST 40 TIME) LOOK THESE GUYS UP ON YOUTUBE AND GIVE ME YOUR OPINION.