Bruce Arians Wants A New Breed Of Defensive Tackle
March 2nd, 2022
Everybody knows what Vita Vea brings to the table, brute strength, power and versatility for a 350-plus pounder.
But what about what the Bucs want next to him?
The 2022 NFL Draft is supposed to be rich in defensive tackles, so Joe asked Arians what he’s seeking at the position.
“For us right now, it’s quickness. You know, we’ve got strength – we’ve got plenty of strength – we need some quickness in the interior pass rush,” Arians said. “We’ve got a good outside pass rush, so for us it’s watching these guys and seeing who [has] inside interior pass rush, but who is still stout enough to stop the run. But we don’t need another Vita. There’s not another one out there anyway, but we need — if we get our guys back, I’m fine too – but something quicker in there.”
Will Ndamukong Suh return for his fourth Tampa Bay season? Joe doubts it (after chatting with various Bucs folks at the NFL Scouting Combine), unless Suh is willing to take a serious pay cut. Suh and Rakeem Nuñez-Roches certainly aren’t known for their quickness, so perhaps this is a tipoff to a true need the Bucs believe they have that can be filled in the draft.
Joe remembers when sixth-round pick defensive tackle Khalil Davis was selected in 2020, Bucs coaches said he had the most explosive get-off on the team, and they lauded his quickness.
March 2nd, 2022 at 10:03 am
Bucs gotta do something. Our weak pass rush exposed the gravediggers last year. The JPP injury hurt us badly too. JTS is quick but cant shed blocks.
Maybe we give VV more snaps this year?
Help Jason!!!
March 2nd, 2022 at 10:05 am
Whatever became of Khalil?
March 2nd, 2022 at 10:11 am
Khalil is on Steelers practice squad now, I believe.
March 2nd, 2022 at 10:11 am
Travis Jones UCONN perfect fit 330 lbs play inside or outside a beast.
March 2nd, 2022 at 10:38 am
Always down for trench warfare prioritization in the draft. Seems to align with our needs-
DT
OG/C
WR
RB
CB
IMO
Go Bucs!
March 2nd, 2022 at 10:44 am
We should try and draft either of the Georgia DT’s in this draft. either one besides Vea, who would you double team?
March 2nd, 2022 at 10:53 am
You don’t have to be a tea reader to see what Licht is up to here. He’s going to put a priority on bringing back Jensen, Cappa, Stinnie to help Gabbert, or Trask as much as possible. In the draft look DT, and another edge, say goodbye to Suh, and JPP. Gholston will come back on a team friendly contract. Our FA’s coming back Gabbert, Jensen, Cappa, Stinnie, Gholston, and Godwin. All the rest will probably be replaced. They can franchice Davis.
March 2nd, 2022 at 10:54 am
Cameron Thomas – San Diego State can play DT and Edge, got 11.5 sacks this last year.
March 2nd, 2022 at 10:59 am
Sounds like bye bue suh to me
He wont play for cheap
March 2nd, 2022 at 11:21 am
I have to disagree Bruce. I’ll take brute strength as a DT over speed anyday. Only your Edges and LBs of yoir front 7 need to be fast. Continue to clog up the middle, prevent the run and get in the QB’s face. Another Vea wouldn’t be met with boos.
March 2nd, 2022 at 11:27 am
Suh’s PFF dropped to 60 last year
March 2nd, 2022 at 11:27 am
Anybody who was not in fantasy land and who watched our Defense this past season knows, It was the reason foe our Demise. We simply could not stop anybody. Our pass rush was sporadic at best and in many games was just not there. If I think whats coming is actually coming? We’d better get a pass rush and improve our secondary in a hurry. If Gabbert or Trask leads us, we’d better be able to stop somebody. Because the points are not comin as easy as they did with Brady.
March 2nd, 2022 at 11:36 am
Build both lines and sign a FA or 2 CB.
March 2nd, 2022 at 11:44 am
Our D struggles last year were mostly related to losing like 3-4 key secondary players IMO.
March 2nd, 2022 at 12:16 pm
Sounds like he’s describing OG Macoy 93. He still lives in Tampa
March 2nd, 2022 at 12:35 pm
Should have NEVER let Khalil Davis get away.
March 2nd, 2022 at 12:53 pm
Oh Joe, you didn’t just play the ‘Khalil Davis Card’ did you? All I remember about him is how he got oversold to Bucs’ fans (great size, fast, quick, the whole package … in a 6th Rounder no less).
Results? Got in 2 games (37 def snaps) in 2020 then poof. Showed up in Indy in 2021 … 1 game, 6 def snaps then poof.
Replacing Suh with someone like that isn’t very likely to happen. And the thought of NOT having him anchoring the DLine concerns me; almost as much as how so many take him for granted.
Suh came to us same year Todd Bowles did (2019). Go back 3 years prior & look at our defense using the Yardage criteria:
o 2016: Ranked #23 overall … Rushing – #22; Passing #22
o 2017: Ranked #32 overall … Rushing – #23; Passing #32
o 2018: Ranked #27 overall … Rushing – #24; Passing #26
And yes, Vea, Gholston & JPP were all on the DLine in 2018. Now look at the 3 years since Suh came in 2019, again using the Yardage criteria:
o 2019: Ranked #15 overall … Rushing – #1; Passing – #30
o 2020: Ranked #6 overall … Rushing – #1; Passing – #21
o 2021: Ranked #13 overall … Rushing – #3; Passing – #21
That’s a HUGE improvement right there, especially in Rushing Defense. Our big addition to explain such a tremendous jump starting in 2019 was Ndamukong Suh. He’s a true generational talent that far too many seem to take for granted because of his age. Replacing Suh will be just as hard on our defense as replacing Tom Brady will be on our offense. Be careful what you wish for.
March 2nd, 2022 at 1:19 pm
Yeah, keep Suh and pick up a 3rd rd. DT….
Trade out of the first for a high 2nd and get as close to A. Marpet as you can.
I still havent researched much….working too much.
I still want rb Brian Robinson jr in the 2nd, cb Alontae Taylor lower 2nd-high 3rd….maybe a magical C who can be moved to LG can be our high 2nd (first pick of the draft)
March 2nd, 2022 at 2:15 pm
I have visions of Vita Vea and Jordan Davis in the middle of this defense consuming 4 O lineman for the next several years.
That would help the edge pass rush, the DBs, and the LBs more than anything else
March 2nd, 2022 at 3:08 pm
Travon Walker
March 2nd, 2022 at 3:24 pm
DE in the 1st, DT in the 2nd, WR in the 3rd, OG/C in the 4th, CB in the 5th and TE in the 7th. RB as UFA.
Obviously all subject to change based on who we re-sign/lose and pick up in free agency.
March 2nd, 2022 at 3:51 pm
We’re getting one of the Georgia defensive linemen
March 2nd, 2022 at 4:02 pm
3 DT that fit…(Day1-Day2-Day3)
Devonte Wyatt, UGA
Perrin Winfrey, OKLAHOMA
Eric Johnson, Missouri State
March 3rd, 2022 at 7:44 am
Last years draft was our chance to build depth! And we screwed it up!!!
We had Scotty Miller and Cyril Grayson. So why did we draft Jaelen “high school” Dardens?
We had Gabbert and Griffin so why did we draft Trask?
We had Stinnie, so why did we draft a slow RT like Hainsey instead of drafting an OG/C to back up Jensen?
Last year,
Instead of Trask, we needed an OG/C.
Instead of Hainsey, we needed a DT/DE.
Instead of Dardens, we needed another OLB or CB.
Last years draft was so shortsighted and illogical, it still pisses me off!
March 3rd, 2022 at 12:48 pm
I want Jordan Davis and Vita clogging up the middle beyond repair for years to come