The Noah Spence Mystery
October 19th, 2018
What is going on? (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)
There is something strange going on and Joe can’t put his finger on it. But he can sure smell the smoke.
The Bucs are No. 29 in sacks. They have nine, five from Jason Pierre-Paul. That works out to 28 sacks for the season. Not great but roughly 25 percent better than last year’s league-worst 22.
In an effort to boost the pass rush just before the regular season started, the Bucs signed Carl Nassib, a castoff from the Browns if you can imagine.
Last spring at the NFL owner’s meetings, held shortly after the Bucs acquired JPP for a third-round pick (a steal if you ask Joe), Koetter envisioned the starting defensive line on passing downs to be JPP at one end, Gerald McCoy and Vinny Curry at tackle, and Noah Spence at the other end.
Fast forward a few months and the red flag was first waved when the former second-round pick played in the fourth quarter of the fourth preseason game, which is beyond mop-up duty. Those snaps are usually reserved for beer truck drivers, history teachers and insurance claims adjusters. Yet there was Spence, a guy who has yet to have a full healthy season as an NFL player, risking life and limb and his career against a bunch of tomato cans.
Since, Spence has logged a grand total of four plays — four! — in five games and those came at New Orleans to open the season.
So how in the world can a team looking for a pass rush from anyone not nicknamed “JPP” justify keeping Spence on the sidelines?
Koetter was asked about Spence yesterday.
“Noah has worked extremely hard to get back,” Koetter said. “That guy’s as hard of a worker as there is. He puts effort into every single day. When he does get back out there, I think we just need to see more consistency and detail of assignment.”
There is something shady as hell going on here. The Bucs need more of a pass rush. None of the coaches will deny that. Yet a guy who was projected by the head coach only a few months prior to be a major player in the pass rush now is lucky to be on the active roster for a game.
And by all accounts, Spence is thought to be healthy.
Now what are the Bucs hiding? Have they given up on Spence and are trying to save face by keeping him on the roster — this notion was publicly shot down by Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht in August yet Spence has been invisible.
Has Spence really regressed this much? Is Spence butting heads with new defensive line coach Brentson Buckner? Is his surgically-repaired shoulder still giving him fits? Is there something off the field bugging him?
Something simply doesn’t add up here. Joe cannot see the fire right now, but the smoke is thicker than a backyard barbeque gone bad.
October 19th, 2018 at 5:04 am
Jason Licht wasting a lot of Glaizure cash
October 19th, 2018 at 5:32 am
Joe, you know what’s going on with Spence but are unable to elaborate on the subject without burning your sources. So it is no mystery to you lol.
October 19th, 2018 at 5:34 am
Did you see his play in preseason Joe? Here is the answer. BUST!!!!!!!!! One trick pony and he’s not even good at his one trick.
October 19th, 2018 at 5:47 am
Keeping the weight up?
October 19th, 2018 at 6:02 am
Plays scared… Practice hard… Reminds me of the dude in the opening scene of The Last Boy Scout… Check his sock for a gun when he makes it back on the field
October 19th, 2018 at 6:35 am
Another Jason Gump 2nd round BUST or at least a high round pick that does not contribute.
Gumps next pick needs to be a realtor….
October 19th, 2018 at 7:00 am
It must be Buckner’s assessment…..let him play, put him in a game….see what he has….if it doesn’t show….get rid of him….he is taking a roster spot.
It is strange that he forgot how to play.
October 19th, 2018 at 7:01 am
I said this a while ago and here is my theory.
Buckner comes in and sees he is talent but never coached properly, he goes of script and free lances to much to make a play , probably missing his gap or assignment. In college he was pure pass rushing talent but was never coached on proper technique and relied to his talent to make plays. I believe Buckner let him play that 4th game to home his fundamentals because he wasn’t seeing enough and not his fancy moves because if you go off script and miss your gap (he’s not good on playing the run). Which is also why we saw the less performance in those games, I truly believe Buckner told Koetter he is not ready because of this, gotta walk before you can run philosophy.
October 19th, 2018 at 7:09 am
@TBBF … “It is strange that he forgot how to play.” Couldn’t we say that about the whole defense TBBF?
October 19th, 2018 at 7:13 am
here’s the deal.
I truly believe he goes of script to much, relying on talent and missing gaps or assignments and minimizing the effect of our front 4 (he plays the run horribly). Buckner see’s this he has talent but not technique or fundamentals, so he tells Koetter to play him the 4th preseason so he can work it hence the poor play, walk before you run Philosophy, this makes sense, and Buckner needs to see more before he plays him, and relates this to Koetter. I think in college he relied to much on talent and was never coached on technique or fundamentals like Buckner expects.
October 19th, 2018 at 7:14 am
this is my first time having posting problems, weird, if it goes through sorry about the 4 posts that will probably show up later. =)
October 19th, 2018 at 7:19 am
I think Buckner is all over this. He see’s his talent but he goes off script trying to make plays too much missing his assignment or gap decreasing the front 4 efficiency. Buckner probably made him play that 4th preseason game to work on his fundamentals hence the poor production ( he also plays the run horribly). Noah was all talent in college but probably never coached properly on technique or fundamentals and Buckner wants him to walk before he can run and lets Koetter know this.
October 19th, 2018 at 7:25 am
i watched the 5 game 2016 win streak again, where the d balled out…spence was a vital part of the rush…this is uber perplexing…spill the freakin’ beans joe!…now joe
#HookedOnJunkLikeJoshFreebird ???
maybe they are waiting to see if they are in the playoff hunt to play the guy, since his shoulder is still semi-shot???…
#MeanwhileKeepFeedingHim —10k calories a day and lots of gatorade…
#TheBucsChefBeHatingOnThisMofo
October 19th, 2018 at 7:43 am
So he put on tons of weight (muscle) in the off season.. then lost it all in a few weeks of training camp.. The things that make you go, Hmmm….
October 19th, 2018 at 7:44 am
they cut aguayo and will be cutting rojo soon enough…lol…so if they cut spence the media is gonna have a field day on licht…so they just hold a mofo on the bench till they all get canned…
licht told spence:
“hang tight brother, we got a ticket for you on the flight outa town too”
that 2nd round flop life:
sears
sabby
bowers
banks
asj
and so on…
and the all time 2nd round league flopperooski goes to 2008 wr dexter jackson out of appalachian st.
October 19th, 2018 at 7:51 am
Anyone else with shoulder separation history requiring surgery? This idea of what happened is straightforward- dude got really hurt. Twice. His upper body strength is not is not good enough to get around offensive linemen now- maybe it will get there maybe it won’t. No one is like wow that running back lost a step after he tore his acl. His 2017 season ended with not just surgery but MORE surgery, after he had surgery after his rookie year. Well if I told you the running back had 2 acl surgeries you would be like well of course he lost a step. The nfl is brutal to bodies think about that after your next dadbod weekend warrior not-even-close type of injury.
October 19th, 2018 at 7:58 am
This smells of a Doug Martin situation. Benched before he actually got popped with the whiz quiz. I’m guessing drugs or he was taking something to bulk up. Maybe explains the rapid weight loss. I cant wait to watch him play OLB for a 3-4 team and ball out. That will be the cherry on top for this mess of a team.
October 19th, 2018 at 8:20 am
Or he can play but only when he’s juiced up on Adderall like Martin!
October 19th, 2018 at 8:24 am
Jason Licht wasting a lot of Glazer cash
October 19th, 2018 at 8:34 am
Maybe Nassib can shed some light on the offense of the Browns ?
October 19th, 2018 at 8:49 am
maybe another jason licht poor draft that doesnt fit with what the bucs want to do schematically
October 19th, 2018 at 9:11 am
Maybe a scheme change is in order then.
I remember hearing pre draft that Whoever ends up picking Vita Vea will surely be running a 3-4 scheme.
He is an obvious NT.
Then after taking him, they said it appears we know what the Bucs wanna do moving forward.
So we get him and play him in a 4-3 and ALL he does is stop the run.
God please change this D to a 3-4.
Tampa HAS to see something different.
October 19th, 2018 at 9:24 am
Bullcrap! The entire organization is lying about this. He has either done something to violate team rules or he simply is not good enough and Jason Licht is saving face. I have suspected this for weeks and have stated it on numerous occasions. If the Bucs released Noah Spence that would be evidence the entire 2016 draft was a failure.
Lies! When the Bucs signed, and played, Carl Nassib they didn’t know if he had any consistency or detail of assignment. How could they know? He was a FA pickup. They trusted a guy with no experience in the scheme over Noah Spence.
The Buccaneers have an obligation to the paying fan base to put the best 53 man roster together. Noah Spence is taking up a roster spot to someone more deserving. Play him or cut him!
October 19th, 2018 at 9:35 am
Defense Rules Says:
October 19th, 2018 at 7:09 am
@TBBF … “It is strange that he forgot how to play.” Couldn’t we say that about the whole defense TBBF?
yeah players have regressed ever since smitty started running the defense…..VHG, kwon, spence all had solid rookie years and showed promise only to regress and fall off a cliff each year they spent learning from and “communicating” with smitty…..looks like j.evans is following the same pattern but he along with the rest of the defense may be able to rebound thanks to smitty getting canned…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!
October 19th, 2018 at 9:36 am
I think it is as simple as Vinny Curry is a better pass rusher than Noah Spence and Carl Nassib is better at the run then Noah. Bucs are simply saving him till there is an injury. This the same case with Ryan Griffin. He just hasn’t had the opportunity with two better QBs ahead of him. Both Noah and Griffin are high on the bucs ‘potential’ list but their just isn’t any opportunity for them to get playing time.
October 19th, 2018 at 9:40 am
spence is probably begging to get cut….lol….other teams would know exactly what to do with him….obviously our coaches don’t….our DC just got canned and our HC is a dead man walking…..
we have a HC that doesn’t get involved with the defense and had a DC that didn’t game plan….lol…and folks wonder why players either regressed or looked confused on the field….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!
October 19th, 2018 at 9:42 am
I’m going to see what Buckner does with him, mebbe play a hybrid LB/DL style? He is still on the roster for a reason. We’ll find out soon enough.
October 19th, 2018 at 9:43 am
813
Every buc player should be begging to get cut. How would you feel going to work day in and day out knowing damn well there was zero hope.
October 19th, 2018 at 10:51 am
Bucs Fan #7423 Says:
October 19th, 2018 at 8:24 am
Jason Licht wasting a lot of Glazer cash
________________________________________
His salary is 0.54% of the total 2018 cap. I’m pretty sure the Glazers can manage.
🙄
October 19th, 2018 at 10:53 am
The Noah Suspense is off the charts.
October 19th, 2018 at 10:59 am
reality
only players that want to go out and have fun want to stay…lol….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
October 19th, 2018 at 11:04 am
People forget he was kicked out of Ohio St, which is tough to do.
October 19th, 2018 at 11:16 am
D-Rome – agreed. Would Belichek keep Spence? No. Why would we if they aren’t going to play him?
No matter how you slice it, it’s not working out.
Bye Felicia!
October 19th, 2018 at 11:43 am
It’s their nice way of saying, SPENCE SUCKS and until Spence stops sucking then he will be back out on the field.
October 19th, 2018 at 1:59 pm
I’m willing to bet its the same issue that caused him to fall in the draft. Drugs. Probably relapsed on X and lost a bunch of weight. Substance abuse is the only thing that makes logical sense or he really pissed off buckner
October 19th, 2018 at 2:16 pm
Joe has used words like “tonic” and “smoke” in these Spence articles. Read between the lines people!
October 19th, 2018 at 4:12 pm
We’ll see how much they play him Sunday. His disappearence is disappointing and OBP won’t be able to hide the truth much longer.