Fixing The Defense
January 6th, 2019
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Joe fully expected an offensive-minded coach to be hired by Team Glazer. And that’s because of America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston.
Team Glazer has tens of millions sunk into Jameis as an investment. Besides, despite the cries of loud unhinged crowd, Jameis is not Blaine Gabbert.
Saving/resolving Jameis’ issues could pay off big time for the Bucs. Tossing him aside guarantees Team Glazer loses serious cash now and likely for the foreseeable future.
Typing for FootballOutsiders.com, Scott Kacsmar is of the mind the Bucs have much bigger problems than Jameis, whoever is the new coach.
The Tampa Bay offense was a passing yardage juggernaut this season (5,358 yards between Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick) but could not overcome 26 interceptions and a defense that often hemorrhaged points.
The Bucs seemed to have solved their previous abysmal pass rush thanks to three newcomers. Still, a stud defensive end with the No. 5 pick would be an awesome addition.
Yeah, Joe has thrown in the towel on Noah Spence (who?).
In 2017, Joe could make an argument the Bucs would have been in the wild card chase if the defense was not such a horrid mess. Remember, four times the Bucs defense vomited up a lead in the fourth quarter.
Last year, who knows where this team would have been with just a respectable defense. Yeah, things got better under Mark Duffner but it was too little, too late.
If Bruce Arians or any offensive-type head coach is hired, which Joe fully expects, who he will hire as his defensive coordinator will be a critical decision.
January 6th, 2019 at 7:59 am
Not out of the question Buckner stays if Arians is coach. Is he ready for DC? Who knows, but I would like to see him stay. I would love us to sign Greedy Wilson at corner. I haven’t given up on Spence, just he needs a 3-5 defense to shine. He needs to be used like Mack. I think JPP and Nassib are ok plus get rid of Gholston, he is a waste of 7M
January 6th, 2019 at 8:06 am
I woukldnt count out buckner or monken staying if arians is hired. Everyone else will be replaced. Trade mccoy, swich to a 3-4. Move noah spence to OLB.
Yes I would consider a nasty pass rusher at 5, or a long press corner, or a new left tackle.
January 6th, 2019 at 8:10 am
As much as we need defense, we can’t afford to give an average L.T. like D. Smith 14 million a year. We’re already over paying Jensen, and Marpet for average play, if we pay Smith we’ll have over 45 million invested in the same left side of the line that didn’t do a good job. For salary cap reasons alone we should draft Williams LT Bama with our first pick. We’d upgrade the position on a rookie deal for the next four years. Use the money we’d save on Smith to shore up the defense. If you want Jameis to reach his full value protecting him would be the way to go.
January 6th, 2019 at 8:10 am
Agree on giving Spence a shot at OLB. Too much talent to be a bust.
January 6th, 2019 at 8:17 am
I’d give it 65/35 odds the DC will be Bowles if Arians is the coach
January 6th, 2019 at 8:27 am
Joe,
I hope Arians is our next HC and I hope he can get JW’s head fixed…… but to say Jameis is much better than Blaine Gabbert is BS.
They both are career losers, they both turn the ball over way too much and neither is very accurate.
January 6th, 2019 at 8:28 am
I think it’s time for a 3-4 in TB as well….running a 4-3 works but it’s really hard to find the players for it to excell and clearly Jason Licht is unable to do so.
Get rid of Gerald McCoy and move Vita to 3-4 Nose (which is what he is) and get some new players and keep the bright spots.
Kwon And Lavonte would be just fine in a 3-4 scheme, They obviously won’t be full time edge guys but Kwon as a MLB And Lavonte as an OLB/MLB would make the defense fast and aggressive.
I never want to hear the words Mike Smith again.
January 6th, 2019 at 8:37 am
The Bucs not only have to overcome bad defense but the Bucs were also awful Running the ball and on special teams
January 6th, 2019 at 8:37 am
Please god let’s switch to 3-4. It’s more complicated to pass protect against than 4-3 and we can get more creative with the coverages than 4-3.
All of our defensive backs are trash, but we need to fix the O-line first through the draft, free agency, and coaching.
We must protect Jamies and establish a strong running game that can chew the clock out when we have the lead in the 4th quarter and score touchdowns on the goal line.
January 6th, 2019 at 8:42 am
My vote would be for best player offensive or defensive line at pick 5. 3-4 or 4-3 not much difference anymore with so many 3 wide out sets on offense so most of the time defense is in nickel which usual has 4 down lineman or combination of DE/DT/OLB. The most important would be whether new DC is a one or two gap guy, one gap 3-4 defense is not really different from a one gap 4-3 defense.
Would rather die blitzing than giving up over 70% completions to opposing QBs.
January 6th, 2019 at 8:43 am
Most teams run a variation of a 3-4 or a nickel defense all the time, but the bucs do not have a legit 3-4 personnel on the roster currently as in LBs & DL, the bucs can stay with their “4-3” personnel but just be more attacking from diff angles and not have corners 7 yds off every play
January 6th, 2019 at 8:43 am
Don’t think defense need fixing fire the secondary coaches call better plays. Duffner improved defense at mid season which is very hard to do..
January 6th, 2019 at 8:53 am
John Elway took three Broncos teams to the Super Bowl on his arm and with his determination. He did this under a regime that failed to build a stellar offenses around him and had decent but not super defenses. They lost all three. When a different regime built an offense around him and improved the defense Elway led two teams to Super Bowl wins. He then retired after 16 years in the NFL.
That is how I saw it.
Winston has some of the traits of John Elway but they are not the same. They are different individuals and played in different NFL eras.
There is still hope for Winston. We will either know one year from now or we may have to wait 12 more years to really know the story.
_________
Go Bucs!!
January 6th, 2019 at 8:54 am
I do believe we have the personnel to run one gap 3-4 which would line up much like a 4-3 under alignment. Wade Phillips converted the Rams which had been drafting “4-3” for years and with few adjustment in personnel Phillips transformed the Ram into a top ten defense.
We do not have the linemen to run two-gap 3-4.
January 6th, 2019 at 8:58 am
If we get Bowles, I’m all for drafting Josh Allen rd 1.
January 6th, 2019 at 9:09 am
@SenileSenior
John Elway first four years 65 int + 35 fumble = 100
J. Winston 58 int + 38 fumble = 96
P. Manning 81 Int + 21 fumble = 102
E. Manning 77 int + 34 fumble = 111
A. Luck 55 int + 32 fumble = 87
As you can see Winston’s career development is not out of the ordinary. Is he the second coming of Tom Brady? So does not look so. Does he extraordinary physical talents such as Pat Mahommes? Oh hell no.
Not all QBs have the equal talents and who coaches you can hinder or excel development.
January 6th, 2019 at 9:09 am
Its now funny to hear all the trade gmc and switch to the 3-4!!!!!!!!!!!! Where were they a year ago, when it was so painfully obvious!!!!!!!! at least they now see, unlike joe and the sheep who thought licht “did his job” and think the roster is “loaded with talent”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its time for the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the “Realist Repost”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Buc Realist Says:
February 20th, 2018 at 10:55 am
Trade GMC for picks!!!! Don’t need the phony captain crying about playing out of position in a 3-4 holding the whole defense back!!!!!!!!!
Draft
1st Mount Vea
2nd Harold Landry
If the Bucs commit fully to switching to a 3-4 front defense, then the “real” fans will give this regime 2 years to get the roster and scheme installed!!!!!! 2 year extension to all coaches!!!!!!
Make the best choice and switch to the 3-4!!!!!!!
GMC better produce big, because I would have traded him for draft picks instead of trying to squeeze the last year or two of production out of him!!!!! He has declined for three straight years!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!
January 6th, 2019 at 9:11 am
Guys, we have like zero personnel for a 3-4. David was already considered very small for a 4-3. There is ZERO chance he could play OLB in a 3-4. 34 OLBS are borderline DEs in a 34. Giants went into 34 and traded JPP because he doesn’t fit the scheme. We can’t just stick players into roles that don’t wkrk, we will fail. If you switch to 34 our entire front 7 would need to change.
Face it, Spence is a bust and it makes zero sense to change our entire alignment to suit him.
If you switch to 34 You will need to replace
Jpp
Mccoy
David
January 6th, 2019 at 9:19 am
I’m not sure I consider JW an inaccurate passer or a guy who can’t throw deep.
What I do believe is that JW is very inconsistent. When he’s hot he’s just freaking amazing…those two dimes he dropped on ME and then Godwin at the very edge of the end zone were as good of passes as I have seen ALL year in the NFL. If I called those two throws spectacular I wouldn’t be guilty of hyperbole.
But then JW”s detractors will point out games like Cincinnati or throws that were mind numbing.
It just seems when JW is hot he’s really hot and when he’s cold he can be pretty frigid.
If BA can just get some consistency JW will be fine.
January 6th, 2019 at 9:28 am
if those that disagree with you on JW, i.e. the loud unhinged crowd, what does that make you, with your consistent “America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston” rhetoric? Maybe, straight jacket ready.
JW to this point is just about where he is pegged in the ranking of NFL QB’s, 20th.
Does that mean get rid of him, not necessarily? But you should call a spade a spade. Could JW be properly coached, could JW move up in the rankings, could JW become better, Maybe?
He will need to correct many problems to get there.
January 6th, 2019 at 9:33 am
Honestly , I don’t believe our defensive personnel was as big a problem as the lack of coaching…Hince the reason Licht is still here…
Obviously the injures hurt us a lot this year; that said, imho we dont need an huge overhaul on defense because we do have talent on that side of the ball; it just wasn’t being utilized properly…There’s no doubt in my mind that an innovative defensive mind can come in here a work wonders with what we got..
Example: just look what Eberflus did with the Colts…I know for a fact we have more defensive talent than Indy yet we sucked this year and they’ve been playing lights out…
January 6th, 2019 at 9:39 am
America’s qb is rated 20th by the nfl .. WOW .(.I guess for Joe any qb will do) !!
January 6th, 2019 at 9:41 am
14 interceptions is not horrible. in 2016, Jameis had 18 picks, but dropped it down to 11 last year.
His real issue was fumbles. Last year, he had 15 of them. The oline was really bad, letting him get sacked 33 times in 2017.
But this year they allowed fewer sacks on Jameis, and his fumbles were cut by more than half with only 7.
January 6th, 2019 at 9:47 am
Pretty sure Jameis was the only QB in the NFL still taking the 7 step drop from under center…..
January 6th, 2019 at 9:48 am
I’m for drafting Ed Oliver at #5 or trade back a few picks and get Greedy Williams. Oliver brings nastiness and strength, something McCoy never had. He and New could be the cornerstone of a great new defense. The draft is heavy in edge rushers and cornerbacks. Both the Giants and Jags need a QB, flip spots with the Jags and throw in Fournette, whom they are putting on the market. Both teams want the Ohio State Q.B. Just change this losing culture because I’m tired of paying my hard worked money on season tickets to watch them loose.
January 6th, 2019 at 9:49 am
In 2017
Jameis Winston – 11
Eli Manning – 13 picks
Matt Ryan – 12 picks
Cam Newton – 16 picks
In 2018
Jameis Winston – 14
Eli Manning – 11 picks
Matt Ryan – 7 picks
Cam Newton – 13 picks
January 6th, 2019 at 10:01 am
What sucks is this D has talent and potential and Arians coming in will likely switch it to a 3-4. JPP was shipped out of NY because he wasn’t a good fit in the 3-4. Nassib looked right at home at LDE in the 4-3, David, Kwon, and Beckwith are ideal run and chase 4-3 LBs… McCoy, should he stay is far better suited for the 4-3 and I’m not so sure Vita would be a great 3-4 NT, though he might be. I’m just not in favor of blowing up the D, the talent is there in the front 7. I’d really like to see the team keep the 4-3 as it fits the few non sucky personnel they have.
January 6th, 2019 at 10:05 am
Cool fact:
Jameis had 14 picks this year.
Brett Favre threw more than 14 picks in a season 14 times.
Second cool fact:
This year was Winston’s 4th year…and he had 14 picks.
In Brett ‘s 4th year, he threw…14 picks.
In Favre’s 3rd year, he threw 24 picks.
Jameis threw 11 picks in his 3rd year.
January 6th, 2019 at 10:07 am
Brandon Says
“What sucks is this D has talent and potential and Arians coming in will likely switch it to a 3-4. “The
How do you make that leap?
I believe the Cards were not 3-4 when he was their head coach.
January 6th, 2019 at 10:07 am
JW 2018. 14 picks in what? 10 games?
January 6th, 2019 at 10:09 am
Here’s what a lot of people don’t get….
Not throwing interceptions does not automatically make you a good QB
Its about production
January 6th, 2019 at 10:14 am
Arians ran a combination of defensive schemes on the Cards, with an emphasis on DIME.
January 6th, 2019 at 10:15 am
Some good DL in the upcoming draft…might be too tempting and could make or break jason gump as GM.
January 6th, 2019 at 10:19 am
The Cards had switched to 3-4 in 2006, but failed miserably at it. Arians changed things a bit.
He had his three best pass rushers and one DT on the line. I believe Bettcher was his DC.
January 6th, 2019 at 12:26 pm
I see Realist has finally returned. Wetting his pants..as usual.
Don’t be surprised if Arians brings along recently fired Jets HC Todd Bowles as his new DC. Todds pretty much like Koetter..One dimensional. But his space is Defense and he knows it pretty good. His defensive units play hard for him.
January 6th, 2019 at 1:35 pm
@Stevbobucsfan … “Don’t think defense need fixing fire the secondary coaches call better plays. Duffner improved defense at mid season which is very hard to do.” Seriously? Our defense doesn’t need fixing? It’s ALL on the Secondary coaches & bad play-calling?
So what I hear you saying is that if we change defensive coaches BUT keep the same players we’ll magically go from worst to whatever? Won’t go down the roster for you, but probably one-third of our defensive roster shouldn’t have even been in the NFL, not to mention that we’ve now lost 4 starters from 2018 (Kwon, Taylor, Grimes & Conte) who all have to be replaced (or re-signed). Yes we need better coaching Stevbo, but we ALSO need better TALENT, especially when it comes to DEPTH.
January 6th, 2019 at 3:02 pm
This draft is better with 4-3 DTs or 3-4 OLBs. I like some of the DTs, with Vea coming along, I would not mind Ed Oliver in the 1st if Greedy or Jonah Williams not available. I also like Gerald Willis who may be available in the 3rd
January 6th, 2019 at 3:09 pm
Fix America’s QB, fix pro bowler, fix Jameis Winston lol. Thats just funny to me. More like give another HC a chance to fix the 1st overall pick
January 6th, 2019 at 3:56 pm
This is why this organization has a loser mentality. Their is no demand for excellence from top to bottom. The roster is mainly filled with has beens and never would bes. Magoo is mediocre (20th ranked, middle of the pack, average) and many think that a new HC/staff/scheme can fix him. Magoo is a head case. Plain and simple. He can’t be fixed. Mark my words.
January 6th, 2019 at 5:58 pm
#1) DT Ed Oliver
#2) CB Greedy Williams
#3) OT Jonah Williams
Likely looks like many others top three. Very hard decision because all these guys will be great in the NFL and we are desperate for all these positions.
January 6th, 2019 at 6:03 pm
GhostofSchiano
“Some good DL in the upcoming draft…might be too tempting and could make or break jason gump as GM”
Oliver in between Vea and JPP. What’s this thing growing rapidly in my pants?
January 7th, 2019 at 3:39 am
Bucs don’t really run a 4-3 .. they run more of a 4-2 nickel/dime ..
January 7th, 2019 at 4:40 pm
I’d love it if somehow Christian Wilkins fell into the second round. Wilkins is a guy whose got a little bit of nasty and will help change the culture.