Blending In
June 4th, 2019
As important as ever.
What Bucco Bruce Arians said about Jason Pierre-Paul late Friday wasn’t exactly encouraging.
Oh sure, people hope JPP can mend well and so does Joe. Let’s JPP does heal quickly and the Bucs can get him by early November? What kind of shape will he be in? Joe is just going to take a stab in the dark and guess while wearing a neck brace, JPP isn’t workout out like a wild animal in the weight room like he is known to do year-round.
The JPP the Bucs may get this year might be half the JPP we know.
And if the Bucs keep JPP, by the time he returns will the Bucs still have a prayer for a wild card berth?
So the Bucs not only need newcomer Ndamukong Suh, they need the guy who played like a freak in the playoffs last winter. They need that guy to play like that all season long, not the guy too many analysts claim was coasting through the season.
Jenna Laine of ESPN takes a look at what the Bucs may get with Suh as mandatory minicamp starts this morning.
He won’t be tackling guys to the ground, but he can be disruptive. That would go a long way in easing concerns over Jason Pierre-Paul’s injury. It’s also worth watching how Suh interacts with the team. Suh has been criticized for not being a team player, and he now will be teammates with Evan Smith, who received Suh’s infamous stomp in 2011. Head coach Bruce Arians isn’t worried about any of that. “I hope I still see that look in his eye,” Arians said. “I can handle the rest; that’s easy. I just want to see that look in his eye. I’ll be happy.”
Well, the fact Suh has experience playing in a 34 defense will help somewhat with the learning curve. And frankly, the Bucs don’t need Suh now. They need him in September. Joe doesn’t care if Suh is invisible in minicamp and/or training camp and preseason so long as he dominates in the regular season.
Suh’s play in the first two months of the season could go a long way to ease the void left by JPP.
That is, if JPP even comes back.
June 4th, 2019 at 8:06 am
#tankfortua
June 4th, 2019 at 8:08 am
The Yucs will be looking up at the others teams in the NFC South from the cellar again in 2019. Their defense will stink the field again!
Bottom Feeders
June 4th, 2019 at 8:21 am
“Joe doesn’t care if Suh is invisible in minicamp and/or training camp and preseason so long as he dominates in the regular season.”
Amen.
June 4th, 2019 at 8:41 am
@Joe … “That is, if JPP even comes back.” I was getting concerned Joe that you’d avoid The Abyss for at least 1 article this year, but you pulled it out with the very last line. Kudos.
All us Bucs fans ever have at this time of year is HOPE. Every year it’s like a reenactment of a bad soap opera like ‘As The Stomach Turns’. Destroy that HOPE and all we’ve got left is making fun of Jason (Not So) Licht.
BTW, looking at that current photo of Ndamukong Suh, he just doesn’t look as fearsome in Buccaneer Pewter. I never cared much about uniforms, but he actually would’ve looked better in Buccaneer Orange. Please tell the Glazers to (1) get a decent uniform; and (2) change their fight song from ‘Kumbayah’ back to ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’.
June 4th, 2019 at 8:44 am
I’m sure Bruce is already looking for a veteran DE that can step in for JPP. This roster isn’t even close to being set and would expect a lot of changes in training camp.
June 4th, 2019 at 8:46 am
I will never understand the fan mentality that since McCoy was the best player on a horrid defense then he was horrible, and without him that unit will be stronger. What about the other 10 starters who also played on that defense?
June 4th, 2019 at 8:47 am
Suh = Upgrade, mentally and physically!
Arians & coaches = Upgrade on multiple levels!
Overall talent = Upgrade
June 4th, 2019 at 8:49 am
Actually, I do care about Suh showing up before September…..he has no history of injuries (knock on wood) and the team needs his presence….
It would be good if JPP hung around for moral support….that is the least he can do if the Bucs are standing by him….
The way I look at JPP…..he is essentially a loss for this year…..and I hope he is a force for next year and a couple more……he is the type of player like Julius Peppers who can play longer than most…..it’s between his ears.
June 4th, 2019 at 8:52 am
“Overall talent = Upgrade” ???? I wanna drink what he’s drinkin…..
June 4th, 2019 at 9:08 am
One is a DT, one is a LB in this defense, how can Suh make up for JPP they play a different position? The Giants traded JPP because he didn’t fit in their new 3-4 D, and Licht was an idiot for giving up a high 3rd round pick for an aging vet. Now we have an aging vet with a cracked neck, and a bad fit for the defense, eating up 14.5 million in cap. This decision should be easy. Move the hell on! If JPP was in his twenties, I’d say hold on, but he’s at the end of his career. He’s made his money, human nature he’s not coming back from this. Why would he risk further injury, he’s had his career?
June 4th, 2019 at 9:10 am
Panthers applied the cancer to their team, we got Suh…helps our division prospects, Panthers will be sh*t
June 4th, 2019 at 9:15 am
TBBF … Totally agree about JPP. Neck injuries are nothing to rush back from, but if anyone can make it back from that, I’d put my money on JPP. I have no clue how the Bucs will choose to work this from a financial perspective, but I do hope that they keep him on the NFI list for the entire season, give him a chance to get back into football shape, and like you I hope he plays for us for several more years. He’s a beast, and we need all of those that we can get.
June 4th, 2019 at 9:25 am
Not sure how keeping him makes a whole lot of sense at this point. He has made his 7.5m and we should just cut our losses and get the 7.4m left for some cap relief. Im sure we can cut a few others as well to get enough to sign draft picks – maybe pick up a FA DL and have some money for emergencies during the year.
GO BUCS!
June 4th, 2019 at 9:37 am
bucnole I guess the thought is why cut him now, wait and see how he does before making any decision.
June 4th, 2019 at 10:07 am
An individual player in a team sport. Getting lots of love for being the first guy since rice to get double digit sacks but none of those sacks made a difference if people going to keep admitting how horrible the defense was last year. The talk about suh needs to be is kinda silly to. Geraldine played hard every single snap and it was irrelevant effort and still didn’t matter when running the ball, easy to see him getting pushed clear across the screen every time you watch the tape. People just refuse to criticize him but I think that will change when this defense improves without him.
June 4th, 2019 at 10:16 am
Bucnole … We can keep him on the NFI basically for free. No need to pay JPP that $7.4 mil if he’s on the NFI roster. Then use that $7.4 to pay our remaining rookies (looks like we still owe them $6.7 mil). According to Spotrac, we have $13.9 mil right now, plus that $7.4 would give us $21.3 mil. Still owe 4 rookies $6.7 mil and Suh I guess $9 mil at this point. So after all that we should still have $4.6 left. Plus we’ll pick up about $2.4 or so when the rookies & Suh sign (they’ll bump the lowest 4 off of the Top-51 list). So realistically, we’d have around $7 mil to play with … even if we keep JPP on the NFI list (his initial $7.5 mil is considered dead Cap this year it looks like). Lots that the Bucs could do with $7 mil.
June 4th, 2019 at 10:18 am
If Arians is truly making all the personnel moves, then JPP will be cut as soon as other players become available from other teams. It’s not about building right? By all means reload.
June 4th, 2019 at 10:41 am
“Look at those EYES!!!
Kobe dont trust them swifty eyes!!
5 years of Gumps FAs and we watched them all have a R&R vaca while stealing Glazers money and this high character team stomping born leader is going to be the first successful FA?
You Bucsheep that gullible?
This bad apple is the worst selfish team player in the last 10 years! This Faker is going to turn on this team and lockerroom by game 7”
Kobe “U cant fake” Faker
June 4th, 2019 at 11:39 am
I honestly think JPP will return once his neck is examined in late August/ early September I believe. Look forward to Suh and JPP moving around the field. I see more players on this defense that will do the same such as David, B. Allen, V. Vea. JPP will play first game I will gamble on it too that’s how sure of his return date I am. Im happy to have Suh and as far as McCoy I love his fit with the Panthers Batman and Superman on the same team wow. I think the Bucs have become more intense lately. If we had been a playoff team before Arians arrived I would say Super Bowl but let’s just hope for the playoffs and a playoff win for all parties. The defense is definitely better just need the secondary to capitalize. Im hearing there may be a package where Stewart and Bucanon line up as LB either in the middle or the outside for coverage allowing David and White to play either outside Lb and bring pressure..Im also hearing once JPP returns he will be sometimes on the dline with Suh at DE and then he and Suh will have a package where they line up at OLB as well. Gonna be interesting to say the least. I like the potential of it all honesty and we have very seviceable role players as well such as N. Spence, C. Nassib, A. Nelson and S. Barrett to name as well as W. Gholston and B. Allen who can play end or DT in this new defense. I can say anything about the secondary yet though because I don’t have a clue who will be starting. I can see Hargreaves and R. Smith starting right now haven’t heard a lot about Davis in practice so far and J. Evans I feel may be able to return at some point and be a backup FS to Stewart. Whitehead looks to have SS on lockdown though from what I’ve read about him so far. M. Edwards also looks to be the guy to unseat J. Evans but there’s strong depth in the secondary now and we shouldn’t have to rely on street guys if injuries occur this time same at our linebacker position as well good depth. Hopefully Suh makes a huge difference on the defensive line this season and JPP show back up as well after a summer off to form something special with Vea
June 4th, 2019 at 12:50 pm
Pittsshore go away.
June 4th, 2019 at 2:50 pm
Classless move by a classless organization… http://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2019/06/03/got-a-gerald-mccoy-jersey-yeah-you-might-want-to-log-on-to-ebay/?fbclid=IwAR1OYVRQcyC8ows3ChuyHJB14ODfUroKf3NVAnowCIjrIYancNq0snWhwfU