“The Equalizer” And “The Checklist”
August 27th, 2019
Joe’s combining the takes of 49ers general manager and Bucs legend John Lynch here with those of former Ravens, Browns and Eagles scout Daniel Jeremiah, the draft guru of NFL Network.
Not a bad combo.
Recently, Jeremiah hopped on Twitter and shared his “checklist for building a championship foundation in today’s NFL. Role/number of players: QB (1), pass rusher (2), offensive playmaker (3), defensive playmaker (3), quality offensive linemen (3):
Joe was intrigued by this formula to dissect a roster.
The Bucs have a quarterback good enough to be a piece of a playoff team. But two pass rushers? With Jason Pierre-Paul injured, the Bucs likely don’t have one top-30 edge rusher. That’s one reason Todd Bowles is going to be blitzing repeatedly. Vita Vea, if healthy, and Ndamukong Suh (if motivated) are strong pass rushers.
Tampa Bay will host the 49ers on opening day and Lynch spoke on CBS Sports Radio this week about his decision to load up on pass rushers over the past two years. Lynch called a pass rush “the equalizer” in an era where you can’t physically intimidate opponents. Quarterback hits are about the only way to get that done, Lynch believes.
Meanwhile in 49ers camp, newcomer edge rusher Dee Ford, 13 sacks for the Chiefs last season, resumed practicing yesterday after knee tendinitis shelved him for the preseason. Barring a setback, expect him to face the Bucs in 12 short days. DE Nick Bosa, the Niners top draft pick, is still nursing a significant ankle injury and Lynch has called him “50-50” for Week 1 in Tampa.
Back to the checklist … at “offensive playmaker,” the Bucs hit the magic total of “3” with Mike Evans, O.J. Howard and Chris Godwin. But Joe can’t put anyone else in that category.
Defensive playmaker? Whether the Bucs have three is a huge question mark? Will they even have one healthy for opening day? But perhaps they have four?
Lastly, when it comes to “quality offensive linemen,” Joe can’t answer that now without a clear definition of “quality.” However, Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet and Ryan Jensen have all done it in the NFL and proven their durability. At the least the high-end ability is there with all of them.
Joe’s looking at the Niners-Bucs game and seeing two teams with so much talent and so much to prove.
The 49ers came to Tampa last season off a bye week with a top-10 defense and the Bucs absolutely shredded them with a balanced attack en route to a 27-9 win. Is there a reason the Bucs can’t do that again?
August 27th, 2019 at 6:15 pm
NFL week 1 typically a freak show of unpredictable results and upsets lately. We have looked dominant the first weeks some of the last years while good teams choked early but by week 8 or so good teams usually get their sh1t together and have steadied the course while fluke teams like us last year and our great 2 week start come crashing down to reality
GO BUCS
August 27th, 2019 at 6:16 pm
Wasnt that the same time the niners best defensive player was arrested before the game & niners were playing without their starting qb?
August 27th, 2019 at 6:17 pm
Bucs win 24-20.
August 27th, 2019 at 6:18 pm
Ali Marpet yes, Ryan Jensen maybe, Donovan Smith? Come on Joe bucs fan take off the pewter-colored glasses!
August 27th, 2019 at 6:32 pm
Tom Pelissero
@TomPelissero
Less than four months after suffering a fractured vertebra in a car wreck, #Bucs DE Jason Pierre-Paul has been cleared by club and independent doctors to resume rehab activities, sources say. Still a process to be cleared to play, but positive steps after rare and serious injury.
August 27th, 2019 at 6:39 pm
This site is only place you’ll find “Donovan Smith” and “quality” in the same sentence.
August 27th, 2019 at 6:40 pm
Whoops, paragraph.
August 27th, 2019 at 6:42 pm
@ dusty
Im willing to bet the bucs had signicant players missing as well so what is your point?
August 27th, 2019 at 6:43 pm
Yes Joe there is a reason
Leftwhich
August 27th, 2019 at 6:43 pm
jameis a quality #1 quarterback? time will tell because as of now we have yet to see that throughout a full season consistently.
August 27th, 2019 at 6:58 pm
Joe jameis is not good enough to be a part of a playoff team… he has yet to win games to take a team to the playoffs … let’s not tag the dude as someone he isnt
August 27th, 2019 at 7:00 pm
@Joe
You seriously cannot put Cam Brate into the offensive playmaker category…really??
Big fan of Brate, but too many tight ends are better around the NFL. –Joe
August 27th, 2019 at 7:00 pm
And Donovan smith may have iron man status but he’s the worst LT in the league … he is also the weakest … he’s been getting pancaked so much he could use syrup
August 27th, 2019 at 7:00 pm
Jameis could probably win the grey cup
August 27th, 2019 at 7:08 pm
JPP returns cleared to practice is the news of the day!!
August 27th, 2019 at 7:13 pm
All I know is Week 1 is an absolute must win for our Bucs.
August 27th, 2019 at 7:17 pm
We’re missing the quality QB.
Formula dead.
August 27th, 2019 at 7:19 pm
Lynch is a traitor to all Buc fans And has tarnished his reputation with this Buc fan. Hope he falls flat on his face!
August 27th, 2019 at 7:31 pm
We don’t have that formula…our O line is straight garbage!!!
August 27th, 2019 at 7:39 pm
Listen to Move the Sticks latest podcast. When Jeremiah talks about the bucs O-line you can almost sense he is about to throw up in his mouth. No way he would agree on the Bucs having 3 quality guys on that line. He seriously sounds like he is going to throw up….
August 27th, 2019 at 7:43 pm
We have no quality guys on the O-line. Marpet is Ok, but the rest are not even starter quality. Bet Jameis is the most sacked, hit, and hurried QB in the league this season.
August 27th, 2019 at 7:47 pm
America’s Vagabond has 1 year to show us he IS the guy for this franchise. My hope is he is
August 27th, 2019 at 7:53 pm
Last game they revealed they have much to work on…
They could not get anything going…
2 weeks is not enough time to fix it all…
24-9 49ers
August 27th, 2019 at 8:04 pm
JPP is allowed to rehab, not practice. Read the article in PR. Rehab is not practice. I appreciate JBF not running with that.
August 27th, 2019 at 8:13 pm
6-10 talent
August 27th, 2019 at 8:14 pm
Fans need to understand what the off season priority was. THE DEFENSE! Of course rightfully so. There is no possible way to fix this sh!t show in one year. The D is at least showing signs of being better we should all admit. You can’t tackle two major project like these in the same year. Next year it’s O line top of the draft
August 27th, 2019 at 8:33 pm
News of JPP is just confirming the initial prognosis – 4 months of recovery and then they believed he begin doing rehab work. It’s just going along with what we’ve already heard – IT IS NOT A HYPE STORY!!!!!
August 27th, 2019 at 8:34 pm
As for the game and 49ers – Since the Bucs don’t have a max protect package they want to use, Winston had better duck, twist, slide and throw it to his hot read early and often. He won’t have time to scan the field against their defense.
August 27th, 2019 at 9:12 pm
Two thoughts: QB has yet to prove that he can stop turning ball over. And hasn’t won on the road since the stone age. All the potential and best wishes in the world for him, but Joe making quite a leap…
Secondly, it is comical that OJ is listed ahead of Brate. OJ may very well surpass Brate this season or soon, but Brate has league-leading numbers over the last three seasons (some of which injured, now coming back to full health). OJ is a good youngster still trying to prove he is worth his draft status and better than the other two first round TEs that year. He has gained most of his big chunks of yards on busted coverages. Good player, yes, playmaker, sure, but ahead of Brate?… That’s just Joe doing Joe things.
August 27th, 2019 at 10:16 pm
With all due respect to Daniel Jeremiah (whose work I really admire), his formula for building a championship team is much too myopic. He could get exactly what he wants and yet have a 5-11 team as opposed to a Super Bowl champion. Winning TEAMs require much more than just a collection of 12 supposed stars as Jeremiah seems to be proposing. For instance, if the remainder of the roster lacks DEPTH, the team still won’t go very far. If the coaching stinks, it still wouldn’t go very far. I know that Jeremiah’s focus on the QB and pass rushers supports out bottom-line beliefs about team construction Joe, but his cookbook approach to success doesn’t guarantee anything.
August 27th, 2019 at 10:23 pm
John Lynch is a traitor? Grow up!! I agree with you though, I hope we kick their Arses!!! Everyone is trying to get rid of Brate, dude has been a TD machine. If he has 12 catches this year and they are all TD’s- you will all be crying like school girls, yet he will again be in the top 5 in TE touchdowns. If Arians uses him right, it could happen if he stays healthy.
August 27th, 2019 at 11:41 pm
We’ve already demonstrated what we’ll be like against a great pass rush! Best hope is our D also holds them, and its a low scoring field goal game that Matt wins for us.
August 28th, 2019 at 5:33 am
kwon’s looking at lynch like:
“aight, i’ll give the dude a cool handshake…he just paid me 50 million”
August 28th, 2019 at 6:58 am
So how is John Lynch a traitor? Yea I hope we beat his team too but calling him a traitor come on some people need to grow up
August 28th, 2019 at 9:39 am
This team will never be competitive as long as Licht is running the show.
August 28th, 2019 at 12:40 pm
John Lynch can kiss my a$$ he is a traitor to all things Buc Says:
August 27th, 2019 at 7:19 pm
Lynch is a traitor to all Buc fans And has tarnished his reputation with this Buc fan. Hope he falls flat on his face!
Really the dude played his a$$ off for the bucs just for Gruden to dump him cuz his ego made him get rid of all Dungys defense to prove something he couldnt do but yeah lynch is a traitor thats some quality BS ur spewing SMMFH