Devin White’s Second Season
June 9th, 2020
Bucs ILB Devin White.
On paper, someone name a better foursome of linebackers than the Bucs have. Go ahead.
Think about this: Jason Pierre Paul, NFL sack king Shaq Barrett, the criminally underrated tackling machine Lavonte David and Devin White.
White was sort of a tease last year. He demonstrated his impressive athletic ability with some tremendous highlights, but one of the mains reasons he was drafted, so the Bucs crowed prior to the 2019 season, was his ability to blitz the quarterback.
Joe will just say White has work to do there.
As a whole, White’s rookie year was pretty good. And Josh Edwards of CBS Sports thinks if White it to take the proverbial second-year uptick, he could be a monster.
During the 2019 NFL Draft, there was a lot of conversation about Devin Bush versus [Devin] White. Bush contributed early but White showed the type of potential down the stretch that should be expected of a No. 5 overall selection. He finished the year with 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and an interception. If he plays an entire season the way he did down the stretch, Tampa Bay has a chance to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon them.
White seemed to be a different player after he came back from a knee injury and flashed what he could be, which is a gamewrecker.
As you will hear (or heard) on the recent edition of the “Ira Kaufman Podcast,” depth is a concern on defense.
That’s true. The Bucs are thin there, seemingly solid if not strong with starters, and then it tails off considerably.
Most reasonable people suspect Shaq is going to cool off. It’s unreasonable to expect Shaq to toy with 20 sacks again this year; Joe thinks it is perfectly fine to expect 12 or so.
Now if White can find a way to be productive blitzing, and say he gets six sacks this year, that would make up for Shaq’s expected dropoff.
Joe isn’t dogging Shaq at all, but be honest, he snuck up on teams early in the season. Now he’s a target to take out.
White sure could take heat off of Shaq.
June 9th, 2020 at 5:44 am
The whole team was learning a new defense. The holdovers weren’t used to the attacking style. Now that we’re returning legit players, and ones who have played in the system, it should lead to better play overall.
We saw Vea wreck the LOS, he’s just going to get better. LVD is just solid. White we’re only seeing glimpses. This was Shaq’s first year starting. JPP when healthy is simply a game-changer. And NOBODY could run on us!
Then there’s the secondary. A group that improved as the season wore on. They’re young and aggressive.
Put all that together and it should be quite the show.
June 9th, 2020 at 6:48 am
I agree
That is a nasty group of 4 Linebackers
Bring in clay matthews – 1 yr for 3 mil to take some “catch my breath” snaps from JPP and Barrett. Matthews can even play inside
Then it comes down to secondary which needs to stay healthy and take another step forward. This defense has a chance to be special ( especially if winfield contributes as a rookie)
June 9th, 2020 at 6:51 am
The continuity….especially on defense has to count for something…..we have all starters plus coaches returning….
Depth doesn’t appear to be quite as good……but the 1 year’s experience for all of the young players will make a difference.
June 9th, 2020 at 7:06 am
I expect Vea/Suh to get more pressure/sacks as teams require doubling JPP and Barret.
I am not overly concerned about major sack production from the MLB’s at this point/
Shelton Quarles was never a sack guy, nor did he have to be.
June 9th, 2020 at 7:26 am
Having a healthy JPP from the jump is also a boost. Not coincidentally, the defense as a whole, even the secondary, started playing better when JPP came back.
June 9th, 2020 at 7:30 am
I’m hoping that Shaq doesn’t have the mentality that 12 sacks will be OK. That mentality will get him maybe 5.
How do I know this?
I have been a Buc fan since inception
June 9th, 2020 at 8:33 am
Vea is trending up but Suh is trending down. I do not doubt Shaq is a top 5 DE, but you have to wonder if last year was a fluke. JPP always amazes me, but he is a player above 30 and getting older. I think the Anthony Nelson will be the key to the Bucs’ success. If he could step up and replace Carl Nassib, the Bucs will have one of the top Defensive lines in the NFL.
June 9th, 2020 at 8:45 am
Defense was poor with Devin White and JPP out. We need to stay 92% healthy on D to be a Top-10 D and if everybody stays healthy most of the season, we will be a Top-3 Defense, I think.
June 9th, 2020 at 9:47 am
better than 70’s version? Lewis-D.Selmon-Wood-Johnson
June 9th, 2020 at 10:35 am
Kevin minter I thought did great when he was out. We need OLB, I’m confident that bowels could develop slme1
June 9th, 2020 at 10:54 am
Cheeeeeeesinnnn!
June 9th, 2020 at 12:57 pm
You are comparing apples to oranges.
Quarles played in a wholly different defense. He was never asked to be a sack guy.
White was drafted in large part because the Bucs thought he could be a sack guy and planned to blitz him a lot to get sacks (remember when people were screaming for the Bucs to draft Josh Allen, this is why the Bucs instead went with White).
Unfortunately, White struggled often blitzing up the middle.
Bowles is a blitz-heavy defensive coordinator. Dungy was not.
Bowles is a 34-defense coach. Dungy was a 43-defense coach.
June 9th, 2020 at 1:01 pm
That’s very fair.
Nelson, the Bucs hope, is the next Carl Nassib and they get a half-dozen sacks from the guy. Helps if he can stay healthy. Only way you can help a team being injured is to pass out cups of water.
June 9th, 2020 at 1:13 pm
Fingers crossed JPP doesn’t have a(nother) self-inflicted off season injury.
June 9th, 2020 at 6:07 pm
Nelson is a beast. Practicing against Iowa team mate best man beast OT in the draft. Waiting to see Nelson bust out also Joe. Be sweet.
June 9th, 2020 at 11:25 pm
Bowles is going to raise the complexity level of his defense by a notch or two. I expect big things from that side of the ball this year. Complimentary football will take on new meaning this year.