The Translator
May 2nd, 2016
Clinton McDonald explains
In many ways, the hopes of the Buccaneers lie in the skilled, veteran hands of Jay Hayes, the Bengals’ defensive line coach of the past 13 years who now patrols the Bucs’ sidelines.
It’s not Hayes fault the Bucs tossed aside stud defensive end Michael Bennett for no good reason. It’s not on Hayes that the Bucs couldn’t coach up a 10-sack guy, despite Gerald McCoy’s four Pro Bowls and the angst he causes offensive linemen.
But that’s the baggage Hayes must discard.
He’s got talented, experienced young players in Jacquies Smith (26) and William Gholston (24), plus a guy coming off a 9 1/2-sack season in big-money free agent Robert Ayers. Add wild card talent in rookie second-round pick Noah Spence, and Hayes has sufficient clay with which to mold.
Last week, Joe sought private time with defensive tackle Clinton McDonald, who played for Hayes as a Bengals rookie in 2009, before moving to Seattle in 2011.
McDonald said he was grateful to learn Hayes hadn’t changed an inch.
“Same guy. Same guy. The great thing about it is he hasn’t changed who he was. It’s easy for me to be coached under him. He knows me. I know him,” McDonald told Joe.
“His coaching style is unique in that he played before and understands the players on a personal level. He can relate to what’s going on actually on the field, and is a coach who can relate it to us and translate it to us off the field and how we need to apply it to our game.”
Yes, Hayes played pro ball in the USFL. His coaching resumé? It’s stellar. He’s developed Pro Bowlers, as McDonald noted, and Dirk Koetter has raved about how the Bengals consistently had an effective rotation of pass rushers, not just a few standouts.
If Hayes can take the game just one of Bucs veteran defensive end to another level, and bring along Spence smoothly, then great things lie ahead for the defense this season.
May 2nd, 2016 at 11:43 am
Man I love Noah Spences film. The guys feet are crazy to watch he moves like a RB shuffling and juking o lineman. He may not be an every down player or heavily used year 1 but I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t make a nice impact on D as a situational rusher his first year
May 2nd, 2016 at 11:50 am
I think Tampa will bring the heat this year
May 2nd, 2016 at 12:04 pm
I’m excited. Look at some online breakdowns of what the Bengals have been doing since Hayes came in. Nothing but stunts, double a gap biltzes and deception. You can hear John Gruden get a bone when he’s taking about it on Monday night football. We might create another new defensive scheme in Tampa. Call it the Tampa 2.5
May 2nd, 2016 at 12:07 pm
With all the interior DL drafted there will be plenty of quality cap casualties in the coming weeks. We can add a DT for the rotation like a Clinton McDonald. You can’t get everything you need from the draft.
May 2nd, 2016 at 12:14 pm
In Hayes we trust, in Licht we trust, in Koetter we trust. Im not praising Mike Smith he must earn it, but Hayes will make him look good so doesnt matter
May 2nd, 2016 at 12:15 pm
Don’t rule out Howard Jones. He can be a gamer at times.
May 2nd, 2016 at 12:16 pm
As the GM intoned, the reason he didn’t pick up a defensive lineman during the draft is that none of them were better than what he already had. Like lvbuc said, we’ll stock up on the secondary free agent market. Think there might be a veteran casualty gem or two looking to make a statement ?
May 2nd, 2016 at 12:19 pm
Thank you for this Joe… After the draft hangover this is what matters
We lost a year under He who shall not be named(Lovie = Voldemort)
Koetter said his staff is here to teach, yes our draft wasn’t what we predicted but it was what we needed
We just became a 9-7 team at worst due to our schedule we are 7-9, this is a tough pill to swallow but it’s reality man… This year we get national attention and become a place free agents desire next draft I promise and I know that licht will draft based on positional needs rather than scheme… This is what happens when you have a coach who shoehorns his players you don’t k ow what you have truly… We finna find out!!! GO BUCS!!!
May 2nd, 2016 at 12:26 pm
Connor Barth released. Guess Aguayo is the starter as of today!
May 2nd, 2016 at 12:26 pm
Nice article, Joes.
May 2nd, 2016 at 12:27 pm
Now we have two Spence’s on the Dline…..and plenty of Smiths on the roster and a coach & ex coach……At least with Hargreaves, Benenoch, Vitale & Aguayo….there will be no confusion there.
May 2nd, 2016 at 12:30 pm
Why haven’t we heard anything from Spence?? No pressers no conference calls no photos? Joe, any clue when the pen and mic club will have a chance to talk to him???
Conference call happened. Search Joe’s archives. It’s easy. Spence will be available Friday at first day of rookie minicamp –Joe
May 2nd, 2016 at 12:58 pm
Ravens scored 4 DEs out of this draft. Bucs could’ve used that. I’m optimistic about Spence, but I just don’t see a 250 DE being an every down player. The Bucs seriously lack size on the DL. Add in the shrimpy LBs and the shrimpy corners, and they’ll probably have the smallest defense in the league. They better be the fastest, the fittest, the smartest, and the most aggressive, or we’ll continue to be punished.
May 2nd, 2016 at 1:03 pm
We took one defensive lineman.
Apparently we have a
Great line and someone forgot to tell me.
May 2nd, 2016 at 1:20 pm
There was a number of undrafted players signed this weekend that look promising. DE and DT. Just can’t recall the names.
May 2nd, 2016 at 1:25 pm
Channing Ward and Davonte Lambert
May 2nd, 2016 at 1:26 pm
I’ sitting here watching highlights of Von Miller and Noah Spence side by side and I can’t wait to see him play. I think we could see him playing more in that OLB position in a 3-4 defense which I think we will see more of this year.
May 2nd, 2016 at 1:27 pm
Channing Ward
http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/537601/channing-ward
May 2nd, 2016 at 1:27 pm
What a difference solid coaching will make.
It took one guy to turn the offense around.
My money is on Mike Smith and Co. to turn the defense around.
I’m firmly in the camp that says the Bucs D has a lot more talent than those has-beens, hanger-ons, friends and spawn that ran it last year brought out.
Scheme does, indeed, make a difference…
May 2nd, 2016 at 1:30 pm
Davonte Lambert
http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/3121601/davonte-lambert
May 2nd, 2016 at 1:30 pm
Last year at this time – the teeth nashing and nail biting was all about the offensive line. Adding some young talent and a legit OC (along with the talents of Warhop’s guidance) turned that “glaring weakness” into an apparent strength almost immediately.
Point being, it’s not that far fetched that we could see a similar turnaround for the DLine this year after adding a talent like Spence, bringing in a real DC like Smith and also bringing in Hayes – one of the best DL position coaches in the whole league.
GMC (when healthy) is one of the best 3 Techs in the league. Clinton McDonald is rock solid as a starting nose tackle IMO. Spence is a very good 3rd DT to have in the rotation and is likely to be going balls out this year playing for his next contract. Ayers had 9 1/2 sacks in 12 games last year and is getting better not worse as he ages. Jack Smith averages almost a sack per start when he is eligible to play and is poised to break out in a contract year. Gholston has all the physical attributes you want to see in a DE and has proven to be a very capable run stopper. He knows he needs to up his game by getting more QB pressure and is also in a contract year so its certainly possible that he can “put it all together” and have a big year. Howard Jones showed real promise in getting to the QB with limited opportunities last year as a 2nd year FA pick up getting his 1st chance at any playing time. Spence was widely considered the most talented pure pass rusher in the entire draft so his promise coming in is Very high. One of our UDFA’s might just be a diamond in the rough. Licht will continue to be on the lookout to add more DL talent in FA and from other team’s rosters as the off-season and pre-season progresses. We will add more DL talent next year in FA and in the draft.
The cupboard is not bare! The chances of a big turnaround from this DL unit in 2016 is more likely than not IMO.
Relax and enjoy one of the most legitimately hopeful offseasons in some time people.
May 2nd, 2016 at 2:14 pm
I will add if McCoy can play 16 games even better things will be in store as well.
May 2nd, 2016 at 2:15 pm
Jack Smith Akeem Spence and Gholston are in contract years they are going to ball out, they also have been ascending players, good thing we didn’t waste all that money on other people’s free agents, we are going to need some cheddar to resign some players, hopefully
May 2nd, 2016 at 2:25 pm
Thanks Joe!
May 2nd, 2016 at 4:10 pm
Guys hate to shine the light of day
But we only have 1. D lineman that anybody would want
We passed on so many guys.
I think jason can evaluate really well but he can’t read the tea leaves
May 2nd, 2016 at 4:41 pm
“Great Things lie ahead for this defense this season”
REALLY JOE?? Last time I checked we had only 3 DT’s on our roster and ALL 3 finished last season either injured or on injured reserve… STILL THINK Hayes will be a savior by the end of the season? We’ll see when GMC is injured by the end of the first quarter of the season because he STILL AFTER & YEARS HAS NO HELP, after which the wheeels WILL FALL THE REST OF THE WAY OFF, and we’ll be back this same thime next year b4 the draft thinking, yep, this is the year for the defense smh…
May 2nd, 2016 at 5:49 pm
The arm chair’s have spoken. The Bucks will have a winning season IF they stay healthy and cut down the stupid penalties. The D might be a bit small but I think fast and bodies will be flying around and people getting hit . It’s going to be fun in Tampa again and fun to see the Bucks win.
May 2nd, 2016 at 6:17 pm
OK…@1 Buc fan
^^^How is this possible
It’s the BUCS, not bucks
Tighten up