“We Need… “
April 27th, 2016
Bucs DE Robert Ayers gets some work in yesterday at One Buc Palace. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)
Look, Joe wants Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht to beef up the defensive ends on this team. Been hollering about that for some time.
Now that the Bucs finally have their quarterback, something Joe bellyached and stomped his feet about for years, the laser focus is on improving an embarrassing, Grand Canyon-like hole that has been unfilled for far, far too long,
And while Joe was left lukewarm with the signing of Robert Ayers in the offseason, a high-priced Will Gholston in Joe’s eyes, at least Licht was addressed a critical need.
Will he be enough?
Yesterday, Ayers was talking about the wave of rookies who coming into One Buc Palace next week. Yes, next weekend is rookie minicamp. The NFL wastes no time.
So Joe asked Ayers, good guy that he is, about how at every turn locally intelligent folks on TV, radio and internet, plead with Licht to draft an edge rusher. How does Ayers take that? Just weeks after he signed folks are beating the drum for the Bucs to draft a guy who just might take his job.
Ayers said not only is he good with that, he encourages Licht to draft a defensive end, and other positions.
“I am excited for whoever we take and whoever comes in here,” Ayers said. “It is going to be a blessing for them and it is going to be a blessing for us, to have another guy join us.
“[A highly selected rookie defensive end] doesn’t do anything to me because we need everything. We need a d-tackle, we need a d-end, we need a linebacker, we need a corner. We need to constantly improve at every position to get better and create competition.
“You know, if we took Reggie White in this draft and put him behind me, that will only make me better. He’s either going to beat me out or I am going to beat him out. At the end of the day, we will only get better. The object of the draft and free agency is to get better as a team.”
Joe can see why Licht signed Ayers. His attitude is A+ for sure. That’s the kind of guy you want with younger players.
But at the end of the day, can Ayers finally live up to his salary and get 10 (or more) sacks? That sure would be nice, rookie defensive end pushing him or not.
April 27th, 2016 at 9:24 am
Getting really anxious now.
April 27th, 2016 at 9:28 am
He’ll never see ten sacks again. I will be happy with 8, so long as we draft a stud quarterback killa.
April 27th, 2016 at 9:29 am
i am starting to like Ayers more and more.
April 27th, 2016 at 9:35 am
If we took Reggie White he would not play behind you. You would not beat him out.
April 27th, 2016 at 9:42 am
@Dallas —
I don’t know about that. Sure, White was a very special and capable player, but he just might not be good enough to start at age 55
😉
April 27th, 2016 at 9:44 am
Dallasbuc- read it again. Youve read his statements out of context.
April 27th, 2016 at 9:55 am
From all indications it appears the Buc’s are going to draft Hargreaves at 9. That will pretty much seals the deal when it comes to a ranked pass rusher. I think the Gator CB is a great pick, but ask yourselves where are we stronger, CB or DE? If you think Ogbah or Spence will drop to 39 you better have a good supply of Alka Seltzer on hand. Oh we might really get lucky and find a gem on day 2 or 3 but I think joe is going to have a bellyache for another year. Trading back is a possibility but not something you can really count on. Draft Ogbah, Spence, Bosa (Hopefully), Lawson or Rankins (???) at 9 or wait till next year.
April 27th, 2016 at 10:02 am
@martinii
From all indications?
Please…make your case.
At this point, predicting anything is a waste of time, because the picks above us are so unpredictable.
I’ve never seen the first ten picks be so hard to predict as this year. Sure, various talking heads have made assumptions, and we know the QB needy teams…but beyond that?
April 27th, 2016 at 10:05 am
About 60% of every mock have them selecting VH but I just don’t see it.
Excellent DEs available and that is a bigger need. Give a team a pass rush and the DBs all look better. I just don’t think it’s as prevalent the other way around.
April 27th, 2016 at 10:13 am
We need…..W’s!!!!!!
April 27th, 2016 at 10:13 am
Bosa is going to drop like a rock due to he likes to get high on Mollys. Very addictive. Urban does not run a tight ship at Ohio State. Probably end of round 1 or early two. What GM would want a addict infecting his locker room ? I like the idea of trading back (if we can) and get a big smelly hairy defensive lineman to wreck havoc with McCoy. That would stop the run, put pressure up the middle and free up the defensive ends to do their thing.
April 27th, 2016 at 10:16 am
Lou.- for this team a 55 year old Reggie White can start!
Mitch- read it fine….but thanks for your concern
April 27th, 2016 at 10:18 am
Mr licht pull the trigger on spence he’s the only plus 10 rusher in this draft… Just like jameis was the only franchise leading qb in his
April 27th, 2016 at 10:23 am
uckinator- he could just be a college kid partying a bit and experimenting. Doesn’t mean he is an addict and will not be a good football player.
If he passes the standard vetting that goes on with high draft picks then I’m fine with drafting him and will not hold a little illegal drug use in college against him, if it is even true.
April 27th, 2016 at 10:39 am
MDMA has no physically addictive components.
April 27th, 2016 at 10:52 am
Loll Love…………..Neither does Cocaine.
April 27th, 2016 at 10:55 am
@martini….this de/dt class is loaded…there are so many quality player at those position some are bond to drop….players like nkemdechi, Floyd, rankings, billings, Lawson, dodd, robinson are projected to go in the first round and that’s not including bosa and buckner….a player like spence, ogbah, bullard, chris jones, jarred reed will be there when we pick in the second round….imo de is the stronger position on the roster currently…de-j.smith h.jones ayers, gholston vs. cb-grimes, robinson,verner, banks….I think the de quality is average at best but our quality of cb are below average and that’s being nice….when we take vhg in the 1st, be on the look out for a surprise pick in the second much like last years second….that player would be jon bullard who is often compared to Michael Bennett with his size, explosive first step and versatility followed by carl nassib in the third….GO BUCS!!!
April 27th, 2016 at 11:23 am
@Bonzai
I’ve never seen the first ten picks be so hard to predict as this year.
Agree completely! Partly due to the fact that the QB’s this year just don’t excite like the two Heisman’s available last year but the QB desperate teams still have to try. Good luck. I suspect 1 or 2 might pan out but there is no QB on the board that excites me.
Pretty much the same for the other positions..good players for sure but hard to see a real world beater…I’m sure one will turn up though and I hope we are the lucky guys who grab him.
I have confidence in Licht. And he is a consensus builder. So along with Licht’s abilities…and his scouting staff…Smitty and Koetter will have plenty of input as well and it’s not like they haven’t been around the league long enough to have a pretty good feel. Put it all together and I like our draft team.
April 27th, 2016 at 11:26 am
Still cringe when Joe was SCREAMING for the Bucs to draft Johnny Manziel……would have missed Jameis and been totally without a quarterback….just frightening had Joe gotten his way back them…..
April 27th, 2016 at 11:33 am
We Need….. Good Football players in this draft!
Position is not nearly as important as getting quality players who will turn into starters for years to come. Go get em Jason Licht.
April 27th, 2016 at 12:01 pm
@ Tom Edrington
No kidding, the Joe’s seem to think if they keep beating the drum to their beat it will somehow hypnotically cause it to come true, when all it really does is give headaches like that dripping water torture test of a by-gone era.
April 27th, 2016 at 12:29 pm
Captain Obvious cape on – so you guys know that a 55 year old Reggie White wouldn’t make this team right? Because he’s deceased?
April 27th, 2016 at 12:44 pm
I think y’all are taking Dallas out of context, or worse, taking it literally.
@Bonzai
There is only one QB Killa!
April 27th, 2016 at 12:51 pm
@BucSince —
Per @Dallas, for this team a 55 year-old Reggie White would start. A bit on the bony side, but his overall fat content is impossible to beat.
And we all would know WHY he prays over quarterbacks upon sacking them.
😄
April 27th, 2016 at 2:06 pm
What else is he suppose to say.
April 27th, 2016 at 6:22 pm
Lou…Reggie White is dead.
April 27th, 2016 at 7:16 pm
Ayers has a good attitude. But I see him as average at best. Our Bucs should take a DE at 9 if a high rated one is there. There are about 4 in this draft who can really help us. We need to get a pass rush. And we need one bad. Our rush last year was almost..nonexistent. And that’s Pityful guys.