Get Your Head Out Of A Spreadheet!
March 9th, 2018
No.
Joe is convinced some folks just don’t watch games.
Now Joe is big fan of Football Outsiders because, though they are stat geeks, the head honchos of the operation are not slaves to stats. They often use common sense and clearly watch games.
But there is this Charles Robinson character who has put a dent into the good reputation of Football Outsiders in Joe’s eyes. Typing a piece for the four-letter, he came to a foolish conclusion that nearly had Joe falling out of his chair.
Besides Gerald McCoy, the Buccaneers don’t have any playmakers along the defensive line. They already have cut ties with free-agent bust Chris Baker, leaving the unit razor-thin. Their lack of defensive line talent was a major reason they finished the season 32nd in defensive DVOA. Tampa Bay ranked dead last in total sacks and adjusted sack rate. They also were the worst defense in the league when it came to runs coming off the side of the left tackle.
Luckily, Tampa Bay has $71 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap. A reunion with former Tampa first-round pick Adrian Clayborn would make sense, as would spending the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft on a defensive lineman.
Now this is just ridiculous.
Joe understands the Bucs could use a defensive tackle, but with stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy already on the roster, is this a crippling need? Hell no. Did the Bucs lose 11 games because they didn’t have a decent player line up next to GMC when Clinton McDonald was hurt? Of course not.
And to even suggest stiff Adrian Clayborn is the answer to the decade-long prayer of this franchise finding a defensive end who could breathe on a quarterback is simply absurd.
“Oh, I looked at a website that documents salaries and Adrian Clayborn fits.”
How about looking at a website that documents production?
How about looking at a website that demonstrates Clayborn is an overpaid loafer?
Knock it off!
March 9th, 2018 at 5:09 pm
No. Thanks.
March 9th, 2018 at 5:11 pm
He is better than what we have today.
March 9th, 2018 at 5:12 pm
Joe
Our best DT was McDonald btw.
March 9th, 2018 at 5:18 pm
We should be targeting Poe or Richardson….or both.
March 9th, 2018 at 5:35 pm
I feel ya joe… feel the same way when y’all sleep on Derwin James and hype up minkah.. it’s like you watching the same film? Daniel Jeremiah mocked us Derwin James at 7 post combine, former NFL scout. Had him going in the 20″s prior. The combine didn’t sell him that much he talked to someone…. weird how connections work but I’m just a random posting right? Who knows trace IPs 🙂
March 9th, 2018 at 5:45 pm
McDonald is solid but wasn’t better than McCoy. McCoy had 9 tackles for a loss to McDonalds 1 for example if anyone wants to go beyond the sack stats.
Joe I’m pretty sure you know that DTs are part of the pass rush as well… This year one of hte main quotes coming out is that QBs HATE pressure up the middle much more than from the outside; since they can still step up against an outside rush; but a collapsing pocket through the middle? They’re f*cked.
DE/DT/CB/OG/CB are our biggest needs imo in terms of what we need to add to cover for our biggest weaknesses.
Pass rush = our biggest weakness. A DT = 1/4 of the pass rush on a 4 man line. Yes DE is much bigger of a need. But right now McDonald isn’t under contract and we have a 30 year old as our only capable DT. I’d say it’s a pretty big F8cking hole right now
March 9th, 2018 at 5:46 pm
meant “RB” not CB at the endof that list of needs
March 9th, 2018 at 5:46 pm
Ya, no thanks.
We don’t need Realist to go back to being tmaxcon 1.0.
March 9th, 2018 at 5:47 pm
I saw Clay play one game last year …and the guy flat out got after it like no DE on this team last year…No loafing that game!…and yes he is better than what we have now !!!
March 9th, 2018 at 5:55 pm
Maybe Suh will be available soon. ….
March 9th, 2018 at 5:57 pm
adrian slowborn helps the Bucs the most taking up a roster spot in the NFC South that is not the Bucs!!!!!!
I still can’t believe that some of the sheep try to claim that this guy was a “beast”!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 9th, 2018 at 6:02 pm
Stats may be for losers. But Clayborn is an improvment over our currnet group of Defensive Zombies. Our sad Defense needs help anyway they can get it.
March 9th, 2018 at 6:39 pm
With that “roster spot” not being on the Bucs …he is assured not to be a bottom feeder!! Ha ha ha ha ha!!
March 9th, 2018 at 6:55 pm
6 sacks in one game… same as McCoy all year
March 9th, 2018 at 6:57 pm
He gets 8 sacks. He isn’t Reggie White but I will take a de that at least get close to the qb
March 9th, 2018 at 7:05 pm
No Clayborn. I agree with Joe. One fluke game is the same reason I wouldn’t sign David Irving.
March 9th, 2018 at 7:08 pm
Wrong about Clayborn but the rest is spot on
March 9th, 2018 at 7:11 pm
Revisit the Dominick era…..going to say pass. Clayborn wasn’t good in his youth, how does he suddenly have appeal older and more beat up?
March 9th, 2018 at 7:29 pm
Not on the Minkah train, though it wouldn’t be a shock if Bucs picked him at No. 7. Or James. Not sure safety is anywhere close to a pressing need at DE or RB.
The knee injury spooks Joe with James. He wasn’t close to the player he was before the injury.
March 9th, 2018 at 7:37 pm
@Charles Robinson … “Their lack of defensive line talent was a major reason they finished the season 32nd in defensive DVOA.” I’d say that conclusion is dead-on Joe. Signing Clayborn? Not so much. But I sure would love to see us re-sign McDonald, sign Poe AND draft Vea or Payne. Build the DLine from the inside out.
March 9th, 2018 at 7:41 pm
Please not Claiborne…the six sack game he had last year was a fluke. He’s not elite n we don’t need another MJohnson, JaqSmith, CBaker. R we waiting on 3rd n 4th tier leftovers from FA? I can’t believe how other teams r aggressively making an early splash in FA signing while we r just sitting on eggs. Will someone please explain to me what the heck is going on.
March 9th, 2018 at 7:42 pm
But he has “a motor!”
Every year when I hear draftniks beat their chests over a player and rave about his “motor” Joe thinks of Adrian Clayborn.
March 9th, 2018 at 7:48 pm
Stud DEs on the board and the only one we can take about is Clayborn
The Team should be ashamed of itself to take Tampa’s money And put out a crap product
Huge trades going on and we can’t get in on one
March 9th, 2018 at 8:41 pm
Clayborn had 8 sacks yes but 6 came in one game against the Cowboys with a backup tackle trying to block him. Outside of that one game he was as ineffective as our DEs when it comes to sacks. How often he pressured the QB I don’t know but he isn’t great or the solution to our pass rush needs
March 9th, 2018 at 8:46 pm
Clayborn had an anomaly of a year, not surprising is that it was a contract year. He did lead the NFL in QB pressures by DEs in a 43 front when rushing from the right side but it was still above and beyond anything he has done before and if you take out that game against the Cowboys his stats probably drop off sharply without that fluke of a game
March 9th, 2018 at 8:52 pm
Okay here are his stats from that one game 6 sacks and 7 QB pressures, 13 total QB pressures. On the season he had a total of 54 QB pressures (this includes sacks) so, 24% of his total production for the season came from that one game…
March 9th, 2018 at 9:13 pm
We effing suck and they aren’t in a hurry to do spit! So beggars can’t be chooser’s when your dealing with a franchise of lunatics, hell yeah sign him! Who gives a crap! There isn’t going to be anyone left! I’m starting to hate these MF’ers.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:36 pm
Come on Joe, Claybourn isn’t a “stiff”, the guy is a decent starter at DE – the issue is he’s more of an all around DE not a pass rusher, and pass rusher is what the Bucs need badly. The problem with Claybourn is that he’s not an upgrade over Ayers, and the Bucs already have Ayers on the team so you might as well stick with what you have if there isn’t an upside.
March 9th, 2018 at 9:56 pm
No thanks to Clayborn. Remember the play when Jaimeis ran 20 yards for a 1st….
March 9th, 2018 at 10:06 pm
Linked in the story.
March 9th, 2018 at 11:03 pm
Joe must be to drunk to watch games because the defense was the reason we lost seven of the games that were lost.
March 10th, 2018 at 2:12 am
clayborn would be a disaster type move…said dude had 6 sacks in one game…other than that he didn’t do too much…he had a fluke pad your stats type game…inflated stats, sub par guy…pass
March 10th, 2018 at 5:43 am
best DE in tampa right now, he didnt sign joes shirt back in the day?
March 10th, 2018 at 7:46 am
Remember injuries killed us last year our defense might not be as bad as you’re thinking we still held most opponents 20 points now we get our offense clicking we be all alright
March 10th, 2018 at 7:49 am
The Bucs have shown no pattern whatsoever of resigning former players……once they cut you and you go on to a much better career, they’re done with you.
March 10th, 2018 at 1:13 pm
Ramon,
The reason the defense was able to hold, I think, all but two teams within twenty points or less is due to Jameis’ risky play that kept the ball moving. If Jameis had not tried to do to much the opposing teams scores would have been thirty plus. That defense was like wet bread.