Paging Noah Spence
May 8th, 2019
Big chance with last chance.
Noah Spence, it is now your time to shine.
Thus far in Spence’s three-year NFL career, Joe will sadly remember the heralded pass rusher the Bucs drafted in the second round in 2016 for two things:
The first is being injured. Spence blew out a shoulder twice in a span of three games. The initial injury came in the final game of the 2016 season and after having offseason surgery to correct the injury. Spence blew the same shoulder out in Week 2 at Minnesota, ending his 2017 season.
The second memory of Spence that is in the final game of the 2018 preseason, the fourth game, Spence was on the field in the fourth quarter. In a game and a time usually reserved for future accountants, philosophy teachers, Taco Bell managers and tree trimmers, there was Spence, a former second-round pick. It was sad.
Now entering the final season of his rookie contract, Spence is pretty much in a do-or-die situation. If he doesn’t make a dent in a game, he will likely be playing elsewhere next season, or perhaps the XFL come February.
At the NFL combine in Indianapolis in February, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht announced Spence would be an outside linebacker. Essentially, he is a designated pass rusher.
Now with the news yesterday that Jason Pierre-Paul’s days with the Bucs are in jeopardy as a result of a neck injury from a South Florida car accident, Spence not only has an opportunity to prove he belongs but to make serious coin if he can rise to the occasion.
The Bucs need Spence to splash quarterbacks now more than ever. And given the crossroads of his career, he needs production more than ever to secure a coveted second contract in the NFL.
For Spence, luck is converging on opportunity. Will he be able to take advantage?
May 8th, 2019 at 12:04 am
When was the last time a Bucs player that has been terrible for a long time all of the sudden rose to the occasion to fill a need?
May 8th, 2019 at 12:11 am
That’s a helluva point. Here is one Joe will throw out there:
Quincy Black had played his best football with Schiano. He had really turned the corner when he suffered nerve damage in his shoulder/neck area that ended his career.
May 8th, 2019 at 12:13 am
When was the last time we actually had the coaching to make that happen?
May 8th, 2019 at 12:25 am
Noah I love you man especially having been through what you have with surgeries (Failed Surgeries) I know what it’s like, I am gonna be sincere for once and say a pray for those shoulders brother, hopefully God has healed you, and now is the time for your comeback….. just remember buddy it’s thenNFL so none of us would be upset 😡 at you if you take steroids…. just do what you gotta do brah.
May 8th, 2019 at 12:35 am
Good point D-Rome… if you want to try on some of Chucky’a shades(the future is so bright), you could ask when was the last time the Bucs had an u productive player under an inept coaching staff who then went on to have success under a decent staff elsewhere….
Many answers for that one
May 8th, 2019 at 12:40 am
Too many.
May 8th, 2019 at 1:42 am
He may give the Bucs as many sacks as Will Gholston
2 to be exact
May 8th, 2019 at 2:41 am
If Noah stays healthy and gets his fair share of snaps, he will without a doubt have his moments in this scheme where he looks much more comfortable and able to pin his ears back. Shaq Barrett is kind of the same deal, most of the fans really are underestimating that guy’s arsenal of pass-rush moves.. they’ll be fine, there’s a few different methods they could use to free up quite a bit of cap space really quickly and there are still decent football players out there as free agents. Ansah, Suh, Wilkerson, Derrick Morgan, Jamie Collins… and those are just the linemen/edge rushers. JPP’s situation might not even be that tragic. Even if he has surgery it’s a 5 to 6 month recovery, so we’re talking an october/november return. Nassib, Barrett, Spence, (probably)McCoy, Vea and (insert camp signing of said FA/preseason waiver here) can hold it down and get after it until he comes back.
May 8th, 2019 at 3:19 am
I think this coaching staff will be the best thing that’s ever happened for Noah Spence.
May 8th, 2019 at 3:23 am
I think the cap situation is about to get cleared now. It’s time to move on from McCoy and JPP now. Soon we may need to let LVD walk as well. Shaq Barrett will get snaps or A. Nelson if they move him to OLB like they should and pair him up with Nassib at either DE or OLB. I’mma over N. Spence fellas sorry but he’s a bust. LVD is the last hope. It’s time to move on from JPP and McCoy seriously.
May 8th, 2019 at 5:10 am
As much as some of us love the Bucs, reality is that they’re an unknown quantity right now on offense, defense & special teams. None of us can know at this point exactly what we’ve got, what with a new coaching staff, many new FAs & draftees, and a number of ‘holdovers’ (yes, like Jameis & Donovan & Spence) who’ve been rather inconsistent during their time here. We can HOPE for the best, but odds are pretty good that it’ll work out for some but not for some others. That’s football … next man up.
My personal HOPE this year lies in this coaching staff. I chuckled at first at the sheer size of BA’s coaching staff, but I’m now convinced that there’s a intriguing logic to it that MAY turn it into a trend-setter in the NFL. It looks to be a staff focused on PLAYER DEVELOPMENT, and that’s refreshing in Bucsville. It’s a mix of old & young, experienced coaches & up-and-comers. That’s exciting IF we ever expect to end this coaching carousel that’s become a fixture here. BTW, Tony Dungy used a very similar concept IMO, and ended up creating a ‘coaching tree’ the likes of which we’ve never seen in Tampa.
But BA’s staff also strikes me as being a VERY DETAILED-ORIENTED STAFF. and that’s a very hopeful sign right there.
o We’ve got THREE Special Teams assistant coaches working with Keith Armstrong, our S/Ts Coordinator (still wonder if BA is serious about S/Ts?).
o We’ve got FOUR assistant Strength & Conditioning coaches working with Anthony Piroli, our Head Strength & Conditioning Coach (still wonder if BA is serious when he says this team WILL play hard & fast?).
o BA’s staff also has SEVEN assistant coaches working with Todd Bowles, our Defensive Coordinator (sounds to me like our defensive players will be getting a LOT of individual attention, which can only help in terms of player development).
o He’s also got SEVEN assistant coaches working with Byron Leftwich, our Offensive Coordinator (PLUS long-time OC Harold Goodwin, who’s now Assistant HC, as well as BA himself of course).
Will it work here in Tampa? Who knows … but at least there FINALLY seems to be a PLAN in place. That all by itself gives me a ray of HOPE.
May 8th, 2019 at 6:13 am
Opportunity knocks, can he answer? I HOPE so in a bad way –
Most suspenseful off season in a long time
What look d promising a couple months ago is turning into a frightening reminder we are the Bucs…..
May 8th, 2019 at 6:24 am
Prove it!
I have seen nothing that would indicate he can step into this role.
We’ll just keep HOPING it works out….somehow. We’ve watched this kid. It will be pure gravy if he contributes at all!
May 8th, 2019 at 6:34 am
In his rookie year (with a bad shoulder ) he had 5.5 sacks.
He showed a glimmer of possibly becoming a good player.
And then he got injured again.
I know he has been a ghost since injuries
But his confidence from sitting on the bench has got to be close to zero
Maybe he was trying to get out of Tampa for a fresh start.
So here we are now. Maybe a little kick in the butt by new coaches who believe in him can get this guy going. Again , he doesn’t have to start or play 80 % of snaps . Just needs to contribute in positive way on a rotation.
And get him to the right size. Back to lighter weight he played as a rook
May 8th, 2019 at 7:23 am
This is why when you have the opportunity to draft an edge rusher – Josh Allen- you do it!! Sorry but the Bucs just suck and the bad luck this team is caused by stupid decisions!! 5-11 if we get some luck!!
May 8th, 2019 at 7:24 am
This is why when you have the opportunity to draft an edge rusher – Josh Allen- you do it!! Sorry but the Bucs just suck and the bad luck this team has is caused by stupid decisions!! 5-11 if we get some luck!!
May 8th, 2019 at 8:20 am
Everything is turning to a uphill battle.
Coaching is our only hope.
Time to man up.
Go Bucs!!!
May 8th, 2019 at 9:09 am
“The initial injury came in the final game of the 2016 season”
That is incorrect Joe.
Spence played a good bit of that rookie season in a shoulder harness. The “initial injury” to Noah’s shoulder happened earlyish in the 2016 season and he played through it that year with the harness.
May 8th, 2019 at 9:18 am
get up with the times joe….lol….paging?…
how about, texting noah spence….skyping noah spence….DMing noah spence….
wheres zach when you need him…lol…
GO BUCS!!!!
May 8th, 2019 at 9:36 am
Possible depth signing at DE is JPP can’t go this year. Shane Raye, Dion Jordan or Nick Perry. Shane Raye would have the most upside but either of these guys could flourish under Bowles system. Sometimes all it takes is a new location and a fresh opportunity.
May 8th, 2019 at 11:00 am
Whats the record for the least sacks in a season?Were staring at it if we dont get some outside help.
Lets see Jason Licht blow sunshine and roses after that happens.Uggghhh!
May 8th, 2019 at 1:34 pm
Don’t sleep on Jack Cichy if he is healthy he can flat out play this game.. Go Bucs