Many Pieces, Many Holes
March 5th, 2023
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Let’s shift our focus off Kyle Trask for a moment, shall we?
Replacing Tom Brady was never going to be a simple task. Let’s see what Dave Canales can do to play to the strengths of the new guy under center this fall.
The Bucs need a couple of running backs to complement Rachaad White and this offensive line is about to undergo significant changes.
But enough on that side of the ball for the moment.
Let’s take a hard look at the pride and joy of Todd Bowles, a defensive unit that faces an overhaul in the next two months.
There are some foundational pieces in place and there are some major question marks for a group that failed to show up in the playoff debacle against Dallas.
Carlton Davis
Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Carlton Davis are all comfortably under contract. They’re not going anywhere. They’re the outliers because Tampa Bay has a rather sketchy recent history when it comes to selecting defensive players with high draft picks.
If you define a premium choice as one within the first three rounds, the Bucs have chosen 14 such defensive players since 2014. Davis and Vea are the only members of that group so far to earn a second contract with Tampa Bay.
Devin White, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 draft, figures to be next in line, but the Bucs want to see more. So does the fan base.
White was spectacular during the 2020 championship run, but he hasn’t matched that impact level in the subsequent two seasons. Still, Bowles remains quite bullish on a 25-year-old linebacker with rare physical tools. White could potentially be an unrestricted free agent in 2024, so he should be highly motivated to showcase his skills.
Buc fans are understandably queasy about Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Logan Hall. They both have a lot to prove on a defense hungry for a young quarterback hunter.
Hall played 403 snaps during a forgettable rookie year, posting 2 1/2 sacks, 6 QB hits and 12 tackles. He figures to receive more opportunities in 2023, but Bowles isn’t going to put him on the field just because he was the 33rd pick in the draft.
After two NFL seasons, Tryon-Shoyinka remains a mystery. He’s fast and he hustles — but he doesn’t finish. One more nondescript season and he could be finished as a Buccaneer.
Here’s the full list of Buc defensive players drafted with premium picks since 2014:
Former Bucs cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, their 2016 first-round pick.
Noah Spence, Vernon Hargreaves, Kendell Beckwith, Justin Evans, Davis, M.J. Stewart, Vea, Mike Edwards, Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting, White, Winfield Jr., Tryon-Shoyinka and Hall.
At best, that’s a mixed bag.
Spence, Hargreaves and Beckwith are out of football. Evans was a backup safety in New Orleans last year while Stewart served as a reserve defensive back for Houston.
Edwards, Dean and Murphy-Bunting are set to soon hit the free-agent market, with Dean having the best chance to cash in. Edwards has been a disappointment in Tampa while Murphy-Bunting dealt with an assortment of injuries.
A Buc defense that overwhelmed the Chiefs in the 2021 Super Bowl is in the midst of a startling transformation. The defensive starters that enchanted evening were: Rakeem Nuñez-Roches, Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett, Lavonte David, White, Dean, Davis, Murphy-Bunting, Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead.
Vea played against KC but did not start.
Suh, JPP and Whitehead are long gone. Like David, Will Gholston, Dean and Murphy-Bunting, Nuñez-Roches looms as a free agent. Barrett is coming off a torn Achilles. You talk about ch-ch-changes.
Everywhere you look on this defense, there’s a chance to compete.
Inside Job
The Bucs have major expectations this season for DT Logan Hall.
Bowles is hoping Hall and Tryon-Shoyinka emerge as starters he can count on. Bowles is hoping White plays so well that a contract extension becomes a no-brainer. Bowles is hoping Zyon McCollum develops into a reliable corner.
The cavalry isn’t coming.
Don’t expect any splashy additions in free agency. Jason Licht says the accent will be on “value,” which is code for we’re not going to be big spenders.
That makes sense at this juncture. Licht and his staff need to hit on draft picks who can demand some significant playing time on a defense in transition.
Buc fans who grew up with Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Rondé Barber appreciate Hall of Fame defense. Bowles is looking for a few good men. A new season is only six months away.
Yes, opportunity knocks. Who will answer?
Yes, that warranty includes USED vehicles!
Ira drives a 2020 Ford Escape (cherry red).
March 5th, 2023 at 10:59 am
Bucs D is fine up the middle with Vea, White and Winfield which is big.
They need EDGE bad! should draft two edge rushers including using their first round pick for best one on their board.
March 5th, 2023 at 11:00 am
-Devin white gave all he had there is nothing else left.
-JTS is a bust sooner we accept sooner we can move on.
-Logan hall will become “William Gholston” plain and simple, do not expect anything major from him
We really suck at drafting Edge rushers and down lineman
March 5th, 2023 at 11:01 am
Carlton Davis is the worst starting corner out of every starting corner (SOFT as tissue) injury prone and can’t cover
March 5th, 2023 at 11:18 am
Isaiah Foskey is the best pass rusher this year and should be Bucs #1 pick.
March 5th, 2023 at 11:36 am
Bucs should draft Foskey round 1, Hooker round 2 and Cam Smith in third round.
March 5th, 2023 at 11:39 am
Blowzo could coach the 1985 Bears defense into a sieve. Don’t worry. No matter who they sign, draft, trade, or whatever, they will suck worse than they blow.
March 5th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Almost forgot that Logan Hall was on this team! That’s how underwhelming he was last season!
Better hit it out of the park in the first 3 rounds this April!
March 5th, 2023 at 12:14 pm
We need a lot of defensive help, but we need speed on offense too. A TE. A receiver. Tackle. QB. Kicker if we cut Succop.
March 5th, 2023 at 12:19 pm
I’m not opposed to trading out of the first round completely
March 5th, 2023 at 12:19 pm
Our D-Line needs to get alot more beef. If Hall and JTS can put on man weight and start throwing dudes around, theyd be set
March 5th, 2023 at 12:55 pm
Beckwith was turning out to be a good LB till a car accident derailed is career. He most likely would have earned a 2nd contract.
March 5th, 2023 at 1:30 pm
Defense and special teams are very far behind the eight ball this season
We better hope the new OC can keep us in games
We only need 2 starters st DT, 1 at Edge, 1 at ILB, 1 at CB and 1 at SS – oh and the nickel CB is empty also
7 spots to be filled with no cap space
Draft picks and bargain FA’s galore
Heaven help us
March 5th, 2023 at 2:23 pm
At this point what difference does it make? Play the practice squad.
March 5th, 2023 at 2:45 pm
Noah Spence, Vernon Hargreaves, Kendell Beckwith, Justin Evans, Davis, M.J. Stewart, Vea, Mike Edwards, Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting, White, Winfield Jr., Tryon-Shoyinka and Hall.
————
Man, then Bucs have a lot of injury issues.
Spence – Was a high-risk pick because of his injury history – he had a nice rookie season, then injuries took him out.
VH3 – I never understood this pick. You’re drafting a guy who is undersized and not very fast with a top of the draft pick. Made zero sense at the time. If you’re drafting a guy that high, they need to be special, and VH3 wasn’t remotely special.
Beckwith – Really good LB, looked like a great pick, career ended because of a car wreck.
Justin Evans – Looked a he was going to be a good one. Career ended because of injuries.
M.J. Stewart – Why you take a really really really slow corner in the 2nd round, makes no sense. This, to me, is one of the worst picks Licht has ever made. If you can’t run, you can’t play corner in the NFL. VH3 wasn’t fast, but he wasn’t slow. MJ was like a really slow Ryan Smith, always out of position AND he was slow. A truly terrible pick. Way worse than taking Roberto.
March 5th, 2023 at 2:52 pm
LUKAS VAN NESS – if he’s there at 19 its a no brainer.
March 5th, 2023 at 5:08 pm
Rod Munch Says:
March 5th, 2023 at 2:45 pm
M.J. Stewart – Why you take a really really really slow corner in the 2nd round, makes no sense. This, to me, is one of the worst picks Licht has ever made. If you can’t run, you can’t play corner in the NFL. VH3 wasn’t fast, but he wasn’t slow. MJ was like a really slow Ryan Smith, always out of position AND he was slow. A truly terrible pick. Way worse than taking Roberto.
^^^^^^^^^
I remember watching the draft, and when the Bucs took Stewart, I thought they were gonna play him at Safety, that’s the only way I could make sense of the pick. Turns out, he wasn’t any good at Safety either, evidently.
March 5th, 2023 at 5:10 pm
We need a couple more Anthony Nelsons.
March 5th, 2023 at 6:58 pm
Good god…this article is so poorly written it makes my head spin. It reads just like a midterm essay that needed to hit a certain amount of words. What is the actual point??