Best Pickup
May 18th, 2018
Golf clap.
No, Joe isn’t writing some sort of marketing pitch for a Ford 150.
In surveying the NFL land not quite a month after the draft, Zach Kruse of Bleacher Report decided to pin down the best pickup each NFL team had this offseason.
Kruse narrowed the Bucs down to two players, both defensive linemen: Vinny Curry and Jason Pierre-Paul. In the end, Kruse believes Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht made a bold if not intelligent move in landing JPP.
Instead of banking on the draft, which was light on impact pass-rushers, the Buccaneers acquired both Jason Pierre-Paul and Vinny Curry, providing a veteran rusher for each side of the defensive line.
Pierre-Paul figures to provide the most impact. He delivered 8.5 sacks over 16 games for the Giants in 2017, and he’s remained productive in disrupting the quarterback and stopping the run despite suffering a serious hand injury in 2015.
Finally, it looks like the Bucs have serious talent next to Gerald McCoy along the defensive line. Pierre-Paul, Curry and rookie Vita Vea have reshaped the group, with Pierre-Paul likely providing the edge rush the Bucs have been missing for years.
As Joe wrote yesterday, all this talk of adding mean and ornery players to the roster is starting to wear thin. Though it is a good three months from the regular season kicking off, Joe wants to see some (legal?) WWE moves on opponents — and oddly enough, wins — before buying that the Bucs are the Hells Angels of the NFC South.
At least when Warren Sapp stomped though opponents’ pregame warm-ups and began kicking pylons, he backed up all of his hollering and woofing.
May 18th, 2018 at 5:27 am
I don’t know if this defense still be any better than last year’s Joe but I know we will have done a complete 180 degree turn on DLine and we will look different. At least if it doesn’t work out the GM can say he tried and throw mike smith under the bus.
May 18th, 2018 at 6:38 am
The JPP shocker 🤙
May 18th, 2018 at 6:58 am
These guys all keep overlooking Beau Allen and Mitch Unrein. That’s a mistake. They’re both going to be animals in the run game, even though they aren’t too flight pass rushers, they’ll still contribute in a big big way.
May 18th, 2018 at 7:03 am
Hopefully when these guys hug trees….they’ll take them down.
Our Dline depth is fantastic….that will make a huge difference late in games.
May 18th, 2018 at 7:08 am
I love that Licht signs guys who are used to playing in cold weather…
Unrein, Chicago
Allen, philly
Curry, philly
JPP, New York
Jenson, Baltimore
I’m not sure if it’s going to help or hurt, but it is a little interesting.
May 18th, 2018 at 7:19 am
So Joe thinks that the roster is not “set”???? That we need to see all the new players that hopefully fix the roster that has holes!!!! I am glad that some see that the roster is still a work in progress!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!
May 18th, 2018 at 8:16 am
Oh my Bird…I nearly spit out my coffee. That’s funny.
May 18th, 2018 at 8:26 am
Jpp really looks great at OTA. Oh wait….
May 18th, 2018 at 9:05 am
@Kruse … “Finally, it looks like the Bucs have serious talent next to Gerald McCoy along the defensive line. Pierre-Paul, Curry and rookie Vita Vea have reshaped the group, with Pierre-Paul likely providing the edge rush the Bucs have been missing for years.”
Let’s see. JPP, Curry & Vea get mentioned, but NOT Allen & Unrein. JPP is a beast, but folks don’t even mention that Mitch Unrein had just as many tackles & sacks, yet only played in 12 games (vs 16 for Curry). And everyone’s gaga over Mount Vea, but Beau Allen is also a beast & I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get more snaps than Vita does. The real challenge for Smitty & Buckner will be getting the right DLinemen on the field at the right time in the right situations. Have a hunch opponents will use an awful lot of hurry-up offenses to keep that from happening.
May 18th, 2018 at 9:08 am
Defense
Why dont you be so kind to point out the actual number of wins this new dline combination has so far?
May 18th, 2018 at 9:10 am
Bird Says:
May 18th, 2018 at 6:38 am
The JPP shocker 🤙
__________________
Congratulations you won the internet today……sit back and relax.
May 18th, 2018 at 9:19 am
Meanwhile Curry is practicing his butts off with his teammates while JPP is buying watches and doing something somewhere.
So many FA came to tampa and stunk. They came to collect a check and retire. JPP was traded he didn’t even choose to come. Him maintaining his nyj standards next year is not a given
May 18th, 2018 at 10:13 am
IsrBuc
Be careful sir djax is the only player bucfan is allowed to question for missing team functions.
Jpp and GMC will play less than 8 games each but they both are free pass recipients from low standard bucfan so the excuses will be far more entertaining than the on field product as usual.
May 18th, 2018 at 10:57 am
@Reality
wtf is wrong with this person…
To be predict injuries for no reason to your supposed favorite team’s players (McCoy hasn’t missed more than 1 game a season the last 3 years; and JPP has missed 8+ games once in 8 seasons 3 years ago by the way).
To say you’re entertained more by online posters making excuses when your favorite team sucks; than watching an actual game…
I mean just f*cking weird and sad. I can only imagine what kind of weird f*cking life you live
May 18th, 2018 at 11:13 am
I roster is basically set….all of our starters are on the roster currently…..licht may add some camp meat and depth but not much will change barring injuries….
I think joe is like many of us and isn’t buying the hype until the real bullets star flying…..
“real fans” are in wait and see mode…..show me better than you can tell me mode….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
May 18th, 2018 at 11:21 am
We should have gone after another DE in the draft. What happens when or if JPP goes down for any length of time? Its great for a carnival to have a one trick pony..until that pony goes down huh?
May 18th, 2018 at 11:51 am
JPP will be fine.
Let him enjoy his life.
May 18th, 2018 at 12:06 pm
JPP played college football here and is familiar playing at RayJay. Our defense will be alot better teams now have to game plan for McCoy,Curry and JPP. QBs will have less time to pass on us.With the veterans in the locker room that also have won Superbowls our dline will be very much improved.
May 18th, 2018 at 3:41 pm
Would be nice if JPP bothered to show up for offseason workouts… Looks like he and D-Jax are big-timing it… I mean, seriously, with all the money these guys make, and the lack of contact, there’s no excuse for not coming out to work with the team. I get these guys basically work 6-7 days a week and get beat up for about 5+ months (more if playoffs), but after a few months off to unwind and heal, how tough is it to show up part-time for your team? Selfish, entitled athletes.
May 18th, 2018 at 4:58 pm
All Set? Curious to see the roster activity after June 1st, not sure if a couple of our higher priced vets are still going to be around. Stay tuned!
May 18th, 2018 at 5:33 pm
GMC has been double teamed every play of every game his entire career. Bucs finally realized to make that change now that he’s 29. JPP also gets double coverage quite often. Plus gigantic Vea, Curry, and Spence. Other teams just don’t have enough o-lineman by a long shot to stop this d-line if Buck can turn them out.