Bowles “Energizes”
January 3rd, 2020
How limited was defensive coordinator Todd Bowles this season?
Joe asks because of the Bucs’ glaring personnel issues in the defensive backfield and how dramatically the defense as a whole turned things around when those players began to mature.
Early in the season, Bucco Bruce Arians noted how Bowles has incredibly complex options within his defense and the Bucs either didn’t have the horses or the experience to take advantage. The nickel blitzes and the safety play the Bowles defense was known for didn’t really exist in through much of the season.
Bucs fans saw more of it late, but Joe just wonders how much the right personnel changes in the secondary could change the entire defense.
In early December, general manager Jason Licht said the way Todd Bowles game plans “energizes” players. And before the Texans game Licht said the defense had a playoff-like way about them and he expected great things on that Saturday. Licht was right on both fronts. Joe can attest that players certainly buy in to the Bowles way.
In Joe’s mind, now the Bucs need the horses, an upgrade at safety and cornerback. Yeah, the Bucs have young and promising corners, but a quality veteran might go a long way toward making that group more consistent and more competitive.
January 3rd, 2020 at 11:52 am
Be patient Joe, Sean bunting will be that guy he was drafted to be. Everything is a process. The cream always rises to the top-my pops
January 3rd, 2020 at 11:53 am
Give the young guys as much time as they can get.
Agreed on a vet at CB, however one who can play depth and be more of a locker room guy, kinda like McClain from a few years ago. But to take time away from Davis III – SMB – Dean – Edwards would be a mistake.
As far as a safety, give me some Xavier McKinney from Bama in the second round. Or swing a trade to get Jamal Adams out of New York.
January 3rd, 2020 at 11:56 am
Bucs are the second youngest team in theNFL. Keep developing the young talent. Let’s grow our success and happy new year Joes!
January 3rd, 2020 at 12:06 pm
“Youngest team” is lazy journalism and 1 of the idiotic stat
The average age is calculated from all the 53 players in the roster
There are 22 starters that play majority of the time
You can have the oldest 22 starters but have the youngest 23 backups
But we can still be the “Youngest team” littered with 10 year journeyman
Lazy journalism is a leading cause to the extinction of the human race”
Prophet Faker
January 3rd, 2020 at 12:18 pm
We Finally Have A Really Competent Leader Coaching The Defensive Side Of The Ball.
Just gotta give this man more (not less) pieces.
January 3rd, 2020 at 12:51 pm
Kobe the average age of the Bucs starting 22 is 24.9. That figure is lower than the age reported in this article.
January 3rd, 2020 at 12:52 pm
and a pass rush!!! even if we keep our front seven intact for the most part, we HAVE to draft more guys on the d-line. can never have enough.
January 3rd, 2020 at 12:56 pm
They need experienced depth at CB. A difference making safety with speed is a bigger need.
January 3rd, 2020 at 12:59 pm
I think we’re good on corners Joe. We’ve spent what 5 draft picks in the past 2 years on corners? I do agree we may need a safety. But I’d rather invest in a QB, RB, and offensive line.
January 3rd, 2020 at 1:05 pm
Let me get this right, you want to bring in some old CBs so our rising stars can spend more time on the bench?
January 3rd, 2020 at 1:10 pm
“@Mitch
Your nitpicking with Kobe Faker while I am trying to save your life?
Bunker down and get ready for the end of this world
#MAGA”
Tinfoil Faker
January 3rd, 2020 at 1:32 pm
“Competent coaching”! BAM!
Sign Shaq, JPP, heck even Suh, then get a serviceable vet at corner and aim at Safety to upgrade.
I guess Evans is not the answer at this point. Another 2nd rounder!
January 3rd, 2020 at 1:43 pm
need a safety I am not sure how much I could call Evans a bust due to injuries derailing his career
January 3rd, 2020 at 1:49 pm
The defense is just fine just the way it is. At the end of the year theyn were playing like a top defense. Even the backups were playing pretty good.
January 3rd, 2020 at 2:10 pm
I thought our corners absolutely EARNED the right to be penciled in as starters.
I don’t mind adding some competition for them but I do not wish to endanger the cap with a vet or waste yet another high draft pick on DB.
Look at it this way. I’ll give you the 2016 Brent Grimes…his first and most successful season with us. He went steadily downhill the next two years.
But for the sake of illustration take Brent at his best with us as a typical FA DB..actually a very good FA signing for that first year…2nd year not bad…3rd year horrible attitude and locker room cancer…BUT in year one give him his due and excellent FA signing. Can we do better than that?
So here is my point and just my opinion…looking ahead to 2020 would you rather have a Brent Grimes at first year level and sign a player like that?
Projecting of course…but based on 2019 concluding months…in 2020 who would you rather have.
2020 version Carlton Davis > 2016 Brent Grimes
2020 Jamele Dean > 2016 Brent Grimes
2020 S.M.B > 2016 Brent Grimes
Unless you truly believe and are CERTAIN that a player the level of 2016 Brent Grimes will be better than those three why worry about FA corners.
Yeah BA and TB were premature when they pronounced our secondary fixed.
But they weren’t wrong about the talent…just that it would take a half season for them to grow up and learn the NFL. That was actually pretty predictable.
This group has the CHANCE to be SPECIAL!!!! Let’s not monkey with success.
I agree with Koetter that you can never have enough good players but there is a salary cap….we need to find DB depth from UDFA’s.
January 3rd, 2020 at 2:24 pm
Let the young guys grow up together. We aren’t ready for Simeon Rice -like finishing touches.
January 3rd, 2020 at 3:14 pm
We had our vet and we dumped him and the secondary got better…..
Let’s go with the young guys……we simply don’t have the money to be spending on more FAs…..it will take all we have to sign our current ones….
January 3rd, 2020 at 3:17 pm
the team needs to be prepared for injuries after SMB was helped of the field a few times and Jamel Dean had some big injuries in college. i’d set it up for the kids to lead the way in snaps and just bring in a guy who can be a #2 in a pinch but has seen and done everything a CB can in the NFL
January 3rd, 2020 at 4:06 pm
@Joe … “In Joe’s mind, now the Bucs need the horses, an upgrade at safety and cornerback. Yeah, the Bucs have young and promising corners, but a quality veteran might go a long way toward making that group more consistent and more competitive.”
I like your thinking Joe, although I’d much rather have a vet Safety than a vet corner. Money won’t allow us to have both (quality starter-capable vets cost $$$). At this point, many of us are ASSUMING that Bucs’ management has FINALLY figured out that a strong DEFENSE is essential to us making the playoffs, and that strong defenses cost money. Fortunately we’ve got about $10 mil carry-over going into 2020 AND relatively little dead money for 2020 (at this point).
There’s no reason in the world we can’t allocate $85-$90 mil to our DEFENSE, plus another $5 mil to our S/Ts and STILL be able to spend at least $100-$105 mil on our OFFENSE (hopefully keeping about $10 mil in ‘reserve’ for ‘contingencies’). With $85-$90 mil, Bucs SHOULD be able to re-sign our beasts and pick up next year where we left off.
January 3rd, 2020 at 6:15 pm
Hmm. Haven’t heard from the trolls lately that were calling BA an old, fat re-cycled re-tread who the NFL had passed by, our DC a past failure (as HC form the Jets….how is that relevant to being a DC?), and our OC a guy that had no clue in AZ and expect the same now in TB. Back when we were losing several close games in a row. they were loud know-it-alls. Where are you clowns, and where have you been, under a bridge? I hope so….stay there and hate all you want!
January 3rd, 2020 at 6:31 pm
I’ve read some mock drafts that have us taking safety Grant Delpit from LSU at 14. I’d rather we sign an above average veteran safety in free agency and draft an offensive or defensive lineman.
January 3rd, 2020 at 6:32 pm
Get another cornerback and another safety, I agree. Whether through the draft or free agency, those guys are needed. You need at least three competent cornerbacks every game you play with this passing league. It is impossible to think that you won’t have injuries at that position during the season. Therefore, even if you like Davis, Bunting and Dean, we need another.
Even if you think Edwards and Whitehall are decent, you need a third safety – Justin Evans or someone else that you count on.
An aggressive trade would be to get Jamal Adams who is one of the best 4 safeties in the NFL. Now the problem is we would need to get him to sign immediately and would likely have to give up a 1st round pick. Read PFF December 27, 2019 on examining the NFL’s best safeties.
Personally, I want us to get a right tackle in the 1st round but you already know that Jamal Adams can play at a high level so I would not mind this being an elite defense.
January 3rd, 2020 at 9:53 pm
LMAO
Poor Joe. His IT gerbils are out of control.
Joe has patiently explained that sometimes people get moderated because of the software and he has to spend time to free us….which in my case he’s always done, so I have no reason to disbelieve him and I appreciate his going through what must be a tedious boring chore. Thanks for taking the time to clear me Joe.
So I thought perhaps my IP doomed me. Today on a brand new computer I signed in with a new email addy and voila it made it right through with no hold.
However my post on this thread is under the name Anonymous. LMAO
Sorry Anonymous…wasn’t my fault…the IT gerbils are angry,
January 3rd, 2020 at 11:16 pm
Agreed with you DR, I’d go after a vet safety more than a CB.
January 4th, 2020 at 3:37 am
Safety Kyler Dugger in the 3rd.
January 4th, 2020 at 10:22 am
Once the young DBs gained experience the need for a new vet became less important. O line is the biggest need. Jmess interceptions were partially due to the fact opponents new a big pass rattled him into poor throws. They can win with Jmess and Rojo with better blocking up front. Oline and young DBs were the two biggest weaknesses this year.
January 4th, 2020 at 10:36 am
Bucs are getting Evans and Dixon back at Safety. They shouldn’t even be looking at S in the draft unless it’s in the 5th or 6th rd. Maybe consider a veteran FA.
January 4th, 2020 at 10:50 am
^^^^^^Can’t count on Evans.
January 4th, 2020 at 11:25 am
I commend Tod Bowles. HE did a good job considering the way his secondary started the season. IF..we keep fortifying this Defense, It is possible for these guy to reach top 5 status in the NFL. I see lotsa upside to our defense.
January 9th, 2020 at 12:47 pm
It pays to be patient, sometimes. Trust is important, too.