Upgrades? What Upgrades?
October 18th, 2018
Still a part-timer.
The Bucs (read: AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht) spent a lot of draft capital and Team Glazer loot trying to upgrade two woeful areas of need in the offseason.
Those two areas were running attack and pass rush. And Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report isn’t feeling it. He’s watched the Bucs play enough this year and through five games hasn’t seen the upgrades upgrade anything.
Thus, he’s of the mind the Bucs won’t be much of a factor in the NFL in the remaining 11 weeks of the season.
The Buccaneers will remain a tough out this season, but nothing more. What’s frustrating is that they put so much effort into upgrading their running game (Ronald Jones) and pass rush (Jason Pierre-Paul and others) in the offseason but still can’t run the ball or rush the passer with any consistency.
Well, with Ronald Jones, you can’t do much if you are not on the field. And Jones first has to earn his snaps. And frankly, during training camp, Joe did not see a special runner, or at least a guy who can unseat Peyton Barber.
Jason Pierre-Paul on the other hand has been a gift from the gods. Joe frankly thinks Licht robbed the Giants like a dude making off with five cases of Bud Light from a gas station. JPP has been everything the Bucs sought.
The fact the Bucs still have such a poor pass rush despite adding a guy who is on pace for 16 (!) sacks might just be a tip-off to how rotten the Bucs pass rush was last year — and it was really rotten.
The Bucs — even with a guy who could register the most sacks since Warren Sapp racked up 16.5 nearly two decades ago — rank No. 29 in sacks.
This is also a tip-off to Joe that something is really shady about Noah Spence’s struggles to be on the gameday active roster. The Bucs still have a bad pass rush and Spence cannot get on the field?
That screams something is wrong with Spence.
October 18th, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Well to be fair Peyton Barber was nothing special and couldn’t get on the field either until this year. Rookie season doesn’t define players, he will get it
October 18th, 2018 at 1:11 pm
and the rest of the line also, the batman and friends, as always no matter who is paired with the dark knight, do not elevate his nor he their play, amazing don’t ya think, thanx and props to the real superman on the line JPP the rest of them i would go fishing and cut bait, that includes a certain undersized linebacker
October 18th, 2018 at 1:16 pm
spence is yet another player that has regressed and has been ruined under smitty……player development on the defensive side of the ball has been horrible….this years example is kwon who has regressed and doesn’t even look the same as he did as a rookie…..
real coaches will get production out of what we have…..not this staff….clean house 01/01/19…..
#hirekrisrichard
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
October 18th, 2018 at 1:29 pm
Bucboi
Kris Richard for DC?
October 18th, 2018 at 1:38 pm
It’s soooooooooooooo much less than what its made out to be. One decision can have a domino effect on the entire team. The running game is restricted by the team always having to play catch up and abandoning the run. The defense is always forcing the offense to play catchup by constantly playing soft cushion zone with no jamming wr’s to throw off routes, disrupt timing or blitzing EVER!!!! Because the defense has ban ran by IDIOTS who can surprisingly put their shoes on the right feet every morning there is no pass rush when EVERYONE IS OPEN BY TEN YARDS ON EVERY PLAY!!!!!!!!
Start pressing the wr’s and jamming them, start blitzing and the run game will benefit from it. I’d rather see a corner get beat playing press than the entire defense looking clueless for 20 yard gains all day. This is a joke.
October 18th, 2018 at 1:47 pm
That’s exactly right.
Where is all the, “Mike Smith ruined Noah Spence and Vernon Hargreaves” rhetoric like we heard so often about Lovie Smith allegedly ruining Johnthan Banks and Alterraun Verner?
I’m afraid that as this season keeps moving along we’re going to find out how bad a GM Jason Licht really is.
October 18th, 2018 at 1:55 pm
Not there yet Says:
October 18th, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Well to be fair Peyton Barber was nothing special and couldn’t get on the field either until this year. Rookie season doesn’t define players, he will get it
_________________
Good point @Not there yet
October 18th, 2018 at 1:56 pm
Kris Richard would be a great choice for DC, but he will probably be talked about as an HC soon
Bottom line licht is a horrible talent elevator and it is getting national attention, its good the press likes him so much so he can get a job being a talking head but he is terrible as a GM
October 18th, 2018 at 1:59 pm
jmark
clean house then hire Kris Richard for HC….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
October 18th, 2018 at 1:59 pm
real coaches will get production out of what we have…..not this staff….clean house 01/01/19…..
what’s the excuse for the last 4 staffs that were run off and could not get crap out of cancer93 and his side kick… every year it’s excuse after excuse yet the intelligent fans realize that you can’t win when you two highest paid captains and face of the glazer franchise are quitters, soft and the two most mentally weak players on the field for each team on sundays.
October 18th, 2018 at 2:01 pm
Do we need a upgrade on personnel or coordinator on defense. See Michael Bennett. Go to a system where he was used at the best position for him top defensive lineman for years. Warren Sapp Dungy come in move Sapp from tackle to nose tackle and you got a top DL for years. All Dungy did was put him the best position for him
October 18th, 2018 at 2:01 pm
I could see DC
But a little leery of a position coach vaulted to HC right away….ICBW
October 18th, 2018 at 2:06 pm
Re: Spence, it’s gotta be one of two things:
1. He just isn’t the same after a 2nd shoulder injury / surgery. Maybe he’s tentative now, maybe he just doesn’t have the strength or mobility in the shoulder to perform, I dunno.
OR
2. Something off the field happened and no one has publicly learned about it yet.
I think it’s #1, but who knows?
October 18th, 2018 at 2:11 pm
unbelievable
whether it’s one or two, how long do you take up a roster spot on a guy who doesn’t even dress for games?
October 18th, 2018 at 2:18 pm
I wonder how we could add a ProBowl DE and have an Elite DT and still not have a pass rush????
With JPP and Superman GMC we should be unstoppable
Either it’s coaching (which a change was made)
Or it’s player. JPP has been all Over the field
Hmmmm!!!
Whats the problem
October 18th, 2018 at 2:18 pm
Everyone was all in on Kwon as a rookie now saying he’s not that good. Ease up because no one on defense has benn consistent under Smitty including Lavonte David who is playing outside where Kwon needs to be. Beckwith is better suited for the middle but I would still resign Kwon to take over for David who’s now 30
October 18th, 2018 at 2:19 pm
I agree jmarkbuc.
Think of it this way, the Bucs owe it to the paying fans and season ticket holders to put together the best 53 man roster they possibly can. Noah Spence as a healthy scratch in games is taking up a roster spot for someone that can help improve the team.
Jason Licht does not want to cut Noah Spence because he’ll have to own up to the fact that the entire 2016 draft was a failure. Whatever is going on with Spence, and I venture to guess it’s an off-field issue, he has no future here. He should be cut.
October 18th, 2018 at 2:21 pm
Throwing money, or draft picks, at a problem wont fix it. The team is broken to the core. Talking about a team that got rid of Derrell Revis because he didnt fit Lovies scheme. Please. These guys they hire couldnt fix.this team in a million tries. They might get lucky one year, then its back to the NFC south basement. Joes, I am absolutely confident that I could do better. Next year they’ll fire everyone, bring a new staff, and just wash rinse repeat.
October 18th, 2018 at 2:25 pm
D-Rome Says:
October 18th, 2018 at 1:47 pm
spence is yet another player that has regressed and has been ruined under smitty
It’s not Smitty that has been sucking the life out of players and causing regression for the last decade that distinguished honor belongs to the only constant and undisputed face of the basement years cancer93. Glazers care far more about the crying clown’s feelings than they do winning…. Until the 3 board members of the losing culture are gone this franchise has no hope…. cancer93, his sidekick and the drive killing walking penalty machine Dotson are the ones keeping the losing culture alive and well. sucking the life out of free agents, draft picks and mentally weak prey…. you could bring in vince Lombardi and joe Montana’s love child and they would fail. the force is strong with the career losers.
October 18th, 2018 at 2:28 pm
DRome
Yup
#DeadDirkWalking
#LichtisNext
October 18th, 2018 at 2:38 pm
i like gunslingers- So, the entire line outside of JPP are stiffs and GMC has not lifted the play of anyone lined up with him right? So has JPP elevated the play of anyone else? See the problem with that statement?!
October 18th, 2018 at 2:40 pm
There are good RBs out there for the taking! Ryan Nall on the Bears practice squad is a 6”2’ 235lb power back…who can also catch the ball pretty well. The Bears are also rumored to be shopping Jordan Howard! Get either of these guys for a solid starter alongside Barber. Get em’ both and watch our ground attack flourish! There are other good players on other practice squads…go get them Jadon Licht!
October 18th, 2018 at 2:42 pm
We don’t run the ball well because we look for ANY excuse not to. I’ve never seen a team so non-committal to the run-game in my life.
It may sound archaic to some but, having a legit FB to block for these guys would benefit the rushing attack greatly, IMO.
October 18th, 2018 at 2:45 pm
Fanman
I think it has a lot to do with the Oline. Benenoch is straight garbage.
His man in ATL was making the tackles on plays run to the LEFT..how does that happen? Benenoch is an open door….
October 18th, 2018 at 2:54 pm
jmark- I agree to an extent but I do feel like we abandon the run far too quickly. I know it’s a bad comparison but the Patriots didn’t abandon theirs in the S.B. even when down more than 2 scores. Other teams as well.
The FB thing was from watching Monday night and San Fran’s no-name RBs getting chunk yardage running behind Jusczyk the FB. Their plays just seemed less “herky-jerky” and more fluid.
Agreed about Benenoch. He is a liability right now. I can’t believe we don’t try someone else there.
October 18th, 2018 at 3:03 pm
Batman!
October 18th, 2018 at 3:09 pm
#ToTheBatmobile 🙂
October 18th, 2018 at 3:18 pm
The Bucs has a roster full of backups
They may start for the Bucs……anywhere else they will be backups
October 18th, 2018 at 3:25 pm
Light and Koetter should be fixers for their unwillingness to level with the fans about what’s up with Spence.
October 18th, 2018 at 3:27 pm
beotch
the last year staff didn’t have this much talent……that’s not even up for debate…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
October 18th, 2018 at 3:28 pm
the last 4 staffs
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
October 18th, 2018 at 3:43 pm
Bucboi
No way this crappy defense had more talent than the 2013 defense
The problem is…. dumb Licht and Lovie got rid of the talent
And this team has been trying to replace those guys for 5 years
And they haven’t
October 18th, 2018 at 3:44 pm
**has more talent**
October 18th, 2018 at 3:46 pm
I’ll still argue with Dirk all day that Spence is a 3-4 LB.
October 18th, 2018 at 3:52 pm
6 defensive players that L&L got rid of in 2014
Went on to start for PLAYOFFS teams
3 of them started for Super Bowl teams
Let’s see what these guys do , when they’re released
October 18th, 2018 at 4:25 pm
Do you know that of the 12 tackles between Allen Unrein and Curry 10 of them are Curry’s?
VV has 0 stats not even an asst but I’ll take him plugging two holes and knocking the RB back 2 yards to make a stop on 3&2 in the fourth to give the offense a chance ANYTIME!!!
That’s bigger than any 1st qrt sack bullspit ProBowl DT Batman garbage but wtfdik
October 18th, 2018 at 4:57 pm
Lakeland
JPP- 1st round pick- SB champ
GMC- 1st round pick- ALL pro PBer
vita-1st round pick
curry- 1st round pick-SB champ
LVD-PBer
kwon-PBer
grimes-PBer
j.evans-2nd round pick
VHG- 1st round pick
C.davis-2nd round pick
that’s a lot of talent right there……
how many of those players are still in the league playing at a high level?….
revis has been out of football since last year….he didn’t even look like revis with the jets and chief after he got his ring……d.penn had 2 good years in oak after the bucs….now he’s a RT and about to get replaced……zuttah?….c’mon man…..
the same thing you complain about the defense being too old and too slow is exactly what we had back then….a bunch of old and slow players that we would’ve had to over pay to stay like GRIMES vs developing the youth….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
October 18th, 2018 at 5:04 pm
Lakeland
so clayborn and teo’nesheim are better DE’s than JPP and V.Curry?…..
j.banks better than c.davis or grimes?
d.goldson better than j.evans?…..
you cant answer yes to any of those with a straight face…..wjat we have now is better and more talented…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
October 18th, 2018 at 5:18 pm
Bucbucoi
I’m talking about FIVE years ago
Of course some are out of the league
Some are not playing at the level they were FIVE years ago
And also GMC and Lavonte was All-Pro players on that team
October 18th, 2018 at 5:19 pm
There is absolutely NO way, you can compare these crappy players to the players of the 2013 defense
October 18th, 2018 at 5:52 pm
“Little Kwonie, Justin Evans is straight trash…
Worst tackling defensive player in the NFL…
its comical looking at Evans trying to tackle…
Total joke of a player
Amazingly the buc sheep actually thinks this bust is good!
” No defense can ever be good with putrid tacklers like Kwonie and Evans as starters ”
Kobe Faker
October 18th, 2018 at 11:01 pm
With as much talent on this D, I’m pretty sure that points squarely on the coaching. We will see, now that Mike Smith is gone.
But, at any time we have 4 rookies and a couple 2nd year guys making up a big chunk of the defense. The only veteran leadership we have is up front and they can’t cover WRs. Beckwith hasn’t even played yet and I would seriously rotate him to MLB as much as possible. He will make an impact once he heals up.
We are going to have growing pains. Let’s just see how they develop for another 2 years before calling anyone a bust. I wouldn’t expect much from MJ Stewart though. Either he has really bad instincts or he’s just really that slow. Ryan Smith is too inconsistent as well. He would not be starting on most teams. Justin Evans looks good, I think the miscues by the rookie DBs hang him out to dry and make him look bad.