Noah Spence Is Cut
August 31st, 2019
Gone
Now you can officially put Noah Spence in the bust column on the resumé of general manager Jason Licht.
The No. 39 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft was released by Tampa Bay today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
After a 2018 season completely buried on the bench, Spence was cast aside by a second Bucs coaching staff in as many years. His last sack came on opening day of the 2017 season, when he came off the left edge to put Bears QB Mike Glennon on the turf and force a fumble. You can watch the play here.
Spence played every snap of defense against the Browns in preseason. It was almost like the Bucs were saying to him, “Would you PLEASE make a play because we want a reason to keep you.” He was invisible.
Spence’s Bucs tenure was bizarre. He got off to a great start, notching 5 1/2 sacks as a rookie while playing with a bad shoulder that was harnessed and required surgery. Then he blew the shoulder out again early in 2017 at Minnesota and was never the same. Spence’s weight was always up and down. He routinely appeared to be trying to re-craft his body type and yes, there was a load of chatter that his off-field activities were affecting his performance.
Licht declared this offseason that Spence was finally at his natural and best position, linebacker, in Todd Bowles’ 3-4 defense. It was an odd proclamation about a guy drafted so early to play in a 4-3 defense under Mike Smith.
Bruce Arians said repeatedly that he wanted to see Spence play the run effectively. Apparently, that never happened.
Joe suspects Spence will get another shot in the league. If he doesn’t, then it would really make Joe question why he got chance after chance after chance from this organization.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:04 pm
No tackles, penalties and serious shoulder issues. He may get a shot in the league but unlikely to catch on elsewhere.
Long overdue. Had to many shots in this organization.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:05 pm
Joe question why he got chance after chance after chance from this organization.
you know the truth Joe but you can’t handle the truth!
August 31st, 2019 at 4:05 pm
I was onboard with that pick too…
August 31st, 2019 at 4:06 pm
Licht sucks. Where all all the OL upgrades you guys have been yapping about come cut down day?
August 31st, 2019 at 4:07 pm
Feel bad for him. He was never a 43 d end. Finally was in a 34 and was cut. Undersized players at 43 d end rarely work out.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:09 pm
Damn didn’t see that one coming. Maybe someone else can help him develop that second move.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:10 pm
Incoming “the sky is falling, we have to rely on Nassib” article…
August 31st, 2019 at 4:10 pm
Why on earth can’t this organization draft a decent pass rusher?
They should be drafting one within the 1st 2 days of the draft, every single year!
We had a chance at Josh Allen… SMDH!
August 31st, 2019 at 4:11 pm
Now it is official…
BUST.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:11 pm
In an unrelated topic, the Chargers are allowing Melvin Gordon to seek a trade. Do we go after him?
August 31st, 2019 at 4:12 pm
Not a surprise to anyonen who actually follows the bucs. Funny they call him starting OLB. Since when? Dunno if he’s so much a bust as he is a player whose career destroyed by injury.. Maybe attributed to playing out of position. . Coukd say possibly mistake was drafting into the wrong system.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:12 pm
Just another Bud licht screw up…pathetic!!! Oh, but I’m real excited about the trade today….NOT
August 31st, 2019 at 4:13 pm
I think the shoulder injuries killed him….
Sorry he didn’t work out…
3-4 is the right place but he has no power anymore to shed blocks…
August 31st, 2019 at 4:13 pm
Such a shame. I had high hopes for him. Just another day in the league.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:15 pm
Thank you Bruce for trying to erase Lichts mistakes. One down, many more to go.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:16 pm
Cleaning up the roster…
August 31st, 2019 at 4:18 pm
Why would Golden-Corral-busboy-masquerading-as-a-GM Licht…just now cut Santos when supposedly they were getting “multiple calls on kickers” in the “Booty” thread here just 2 days ago?!!
I swear…Licht couldn’t sell water to a tribe in the desert dying of thirst!?! What a waste this character is…
August 31st, 2019 at 4:19 pm
Yet another in a LONG line of 2nd Round Jason Licht bust picks.
Sean Murphy-Bunting, in 2-3 seasons, will be next.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:22 pm
So much for all the ” coaching them up”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2019 will reveal answers to the sheep, that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 31st, 2019 at 4:23 pm
That blazing 4.86 speed didn’t work out for him
August 31st, 2019 at 4:26 pm
If he can’t make this team…..so be it….BUT….
All of you who are chastising Licht for the pick……I would like for you to revisit the 2016 draft……
Noah Spence was considered a first round prospect…..and, when Licht picked him up in the second round, there was a consensus positive reaction…..not all but most thought we had a steal.
Now….that didn’t work out but I don’t blame Licht for making this pick….he can be blamed for others…..but Spence, at the time, was a good pick.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:28 pm
Meh.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:30 pm
The proverbial tweener with no position at the NFL level ultimately – our history with 2nd round picks is abysmal…
Too small for run game support, not enough pass rush strength and limited repertoire of moves – too slow to cover or play SAM lb
Tried and tried and tried, but he just doesn’t have it
August 31st, 2019 at 4:33 pm
dont let the door it you
August 31st, 2019 at 4:40 pm
That 2nd shoulder injury obviously did him in. He was never the same after that.
Tough break for the kid.
Still too much of a liability in the run game, even with our new scheme I suppose.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:41 pm
Tampa Bay Vipers, here he comes!
August 31st, 2019 at 4:43 pm
Spence was a terror in under wear football, according to Little Joe!
Maybe there’s a place for Noah in the Lingerie Football League.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:44 pm
If you wish to speculate the the shoulder destroyed his career, I will speculate that he had a history of perhaps being cognitively deficient. He got booted out of OSU for making poor choices… he didn’t seem to be picking up moves and developing his game very quickly… had foolish penalties, didn’t seem to understand the urgency of showing up in the last few preseason games, etc… Everyone isn’t bright enough to play in the NFL, with of course, some positions requiring more cognitive ability than others.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:46 pm
Thought this would’ve been his break out season, however, wasn’t meant to be. He showed a alot of promise his rookie year and it just went down hill after that; injuries and a lack of production sealed his fate. The bucs gave Spence every opportunity to prove himself, just couldn’t do it.
August 31st, 2019 at 4:55 pm
Can we finally put to rest this BS mantra that Licht admits his mistakes quickly and moves on?
Spence had absolutely no reason to be on the roster last year beyond his draft status. Street free agents were playing over him and being more productive. Licht still held the roster spot on his draft mistake so that he could get another shot this year and he failed yet again.
How does a guy in Licht, of the worst record of any Bucs GM in the Free Agency Era get a single pass over anything is beyond me.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:00 pm
If Hargreaves stays healthy and can play well (huge if’s) the 2016 draft can still be somewhat salvaged. I believe that this has been mentioned by one of the Joe’s, but we seriously need to just trade all of our 2nd round picks as long as Licht is gm. History has shown that he has no clue what hell he is doing in the second round. Ali Marpet is the only above average player that Licht has drafted in the 2nd round (No, I don’t think that either Smith is above average). That’s gosh damn awful and Licht should hit the road no matter what Bruce Arians wants.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:01 pm
@mark 2001
LOL, most college kids do dumb things when they are immature. In fact there were multiple players at OSU that got caught doing exactly the same / similar stuff, but didn’t get the boot.
Anyways in regards to the shoulder: Yes, I think the fact that he got 5.5 sacks as a rookie, playing only part time, with a bum shoulder, showed he had a skillset for rushing the passer. Injured his shoulder again the very beginning of the next season and was never the same.
BTW, what penalties are you talking about? A quick search shows he’s had exactly 1 penalty called against him in games during his (short) career.
Meanwhile Dotson and D Smith average 5 – 10 penalties per season…. (each)
August 31st, 2019 at 5:05 pm
This is on Spence like ASJ. Talented but apparently not all there either in mentality or too many outside distractions. Happy to see how Nassib progresses
August 31st, 2019 at 5:09 pm
Jason Licht sure is a genius when it comes to the draft that dude sure can pick em!! We should reward him! Oh wait we already did.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:11 pm
Before all the know nothings light Licht up for the Spence pick, he was routinely mocked as a 1st round pick and one respected draft analyst had him going to the Bucs with their FIRST ROUND pick. Most draft analysts saw the 2nd round pick of Spence as a steal. He didn’t work out. That happens.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:14 pm
I liked him coming out of college and liked the pick. The kid has the physical ability to be a really good player but just seems like his head aint right. Oh well moving on.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:14 pm
Spence was making $2m this year… the guy they replaced him with is making min wage, so even with a $600k cap charge, and Harris making $590k, they still freed up over $800k.
Going to guess that had a lot to do with it, $800k when you’re in a cap crunch (but not even close to cap hell) can help quite a bit.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:14 pm
mark2001 that take is asinine.
“didn’t seem to understand the urgency of showing up in the last few preseason games, etc… ”
Do you think that anyone, when they’re not starting and put on the field in preseason, doesn’t give it their all? Suggesting that Noah Spence purposely loafed in preseason is a ridiculous take. He didn’t show up, he was bad, but on purpose? No.
The rest I can agree with.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:17 pm
“BTW, what penalties are you talking about?”
VH111’s pick was called back because of Spence’s hands to the face penalty. BA called him out on it.
He was probably on BA’s Accountability List and wasn’t making the right corrections.
I think he made another stupid penalty in the Dallas preseason game.
Other players out played him.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:19 pm
Had high hopes for him this year. Kinda disappointed.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:21 pm
If a Jason Licht draft pick is cut in the forest, does anyone hear about it? Let’s face it, Bucs draft picks released the last few years are not exactly highly coveted.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:37 pm
I thought he had a chance this year in TB’s 3-4, but I watched him closely against Cleveland and ya know what?
He’s a one trick pony and not even great at that one trick.
I called it during that game.
Good luck, sorry it didn’t work out.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:42 pm
Joe was right! I think it’s a mistake but I also wonder if this coaching staff just didn’t want him in the building. Imo, he was flying off the edge this year and causing sacks for other peeps, but to be fair other guys were doing what he was doing, actually getting sacks, and were maybe just better dudes. When Ohio St gets rid of you, you really might be a problem.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:51 pm
dude flamed out hard…when he came in for us he looked like a real player…pathetic long drawn out story with noah…some never bounce back from injury…and his weight fluctuated…guess he never figured it out…he got all the team support though…sad long drawn out storyline on this bustature
August 31st, 2019 at 5:59 pm
OMFG. Thanks Licht. Thanks Arians.
August 31st, 2019 at 6:35 pm
How many more chances will licht get to prove his ignorance???!
August 31st, 2019 at 6:57 pm
Another great 2nd round draft pick by Licht My Balls.
August 31st, 2019 at 7:10 pm
So BBF…you telling me he didn’t have the talent… or ability. Say what you will, seems he was a one trick pony. And couldn’t develop his game enough to be successful. Everyone that has seen him the last few years marveled at his raw talent. Almost all predicted he would succeed. No one said he lacked talent or physically was lacking. So again, I think the problem was between the ears. And to brush off his being kicked out of OSU, by Urban, which in itself was a unique occurrence, says something. Something isn’t right with him…and I don’t think it is the shoulder. Had it been a knee like Beckwith…or a chronic turf toe or something of the sort…I buy it. But did you see him in the game with the hit to the head of the QB in the preseason? How he did pretty well otherwise…and disappeared in the other games? It is either his head or his heart…and seeing how he manned up his rookie year, I don’t think it is the later.
August 31st, 2019 at 7:13 pm
There will be no SPAWN….not here anyways!!!
August 31st, 2019 at 7:19 pm
Gee, where are all the people claiming Spence was going to thrive in this defense? Where are the people who defended Licht on this pick?
Worse yet, all the people who said the issue on this team has been coaching all along….uhhh, pump the brakes. This roster is not as talented as some of you think and that falls squarely on the backstabbin’ GM.
August 31st, 2019 at 7:25 pm
Whatever this kid had – disappeared after the injuries.
Good luck in your future endeavours son.
In other new Jets release Jachai Polite.
August 31st, 2019 at 7:47 pm
He figured out he could live comfortably on the money he’s made just like the rest of the check cashers.
August 31st, 2019 at 7:58 pm
Bond takes his spot because he is a better football player.
August 31st, 2019 at 8:30 pm
Good all preseason he was on the milk carton dude was gone
glad he is off the team, tired of caring about him, hope Jameis plays lights out or I’m gonna be glad to see him go also.
August 31st, 2019 at 8:35 pm
@JimmyJack
In the limited time Bond played OLB during the preseason he flashed more than Spence.
August 31st, 2019 at 9:04 pm
Noah Spence wins the JBF honor of having the most unearned articles written about him of all time.
If there is one thing I’m glad of it’s that this will be one of the last.
August 31st, 2019 at 9:28 pm
tmaxcon Says
“Joe question why he got chance after chance after chance from this organization.”
He got chance after chance because he kept getting injured, and they wanted to see what he could do when healthy. It was nothing more than that.
August 31st, 2019 at 10:56 pm
*ammit Finally! He should have been cut 2 yrs ago. Please..Somebody help me..WHY? Do We? hold on to assets we know are not winners? WHY? He would not even make Bellacheats practice squad! I’m so sick of this franchise. At least Arians saw it. Grow a pair Bucs. Winners do the necessary surgeries immediately.
We are tired of losing. Find us a DE Arians. We need one desparately.
September 1st, 2019 at 11:13 am
All teams swing and miss on high draft picks… Dah Stop player hating on Light… Just because you have zero game & couldn’t fight your way out of a paper bag…
September 1st, 2019 at 11:17 am
Either you can play or you can’t. At least we can put this argument to rest.
Good luck Spence!
September 1st, 2019 at 12:04 pm
The Spence facial structure does not match the pumped up upper body and arms depicted in other photos. This indicates to me now that his overall strength was overrated.