Needing An Edge Rusher
January 26th, 2024
Help.
If Joe had to point to one Bucs area that let the team down Sunday in the loss to Detroit, it was the edge rush.
The Bucs ran better than anyone expected. Of course, the team is built to pass and did it well. Lavonte David was Lavonte David and most of the game the secondary was good.
And who can argue with Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey?
That weak link — no, invisible link — was likely what kept the Bucs from playing on Sunday at San Francisco.
Joe loves Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett to death but take away a few plays, you wouldn’t have known Shaq was on the roster the last nine games.
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka was fully lost against Detroit. He’s gotten to the point Joe doesn’t know how he stays on the roster. And Joe is convinced teams have a book out on YaYa Diaby. Since he was named starter, the rookie’s numbers dropped.
As a result, Jordan Reid of BSPN is of the mind the Bucs have one critical priority in April’s draft: Find an edge rusher.
Draft outlook: The interior of the Buccaneers’ defensive line is set with Vita Vea and rookie Calijah Kancey. YaYa Diaby has come on strong for the team, but the lack of another edge rusher is glaring. Tampa Bay is in range to add one of the top pass-rushers in this year’s class, including Jared Verse (Florida State), Chop Robinson (Penn State) and Bralen Trice (Washington).
The Bucs are so poor at edge rush that Joe is almost to the point where the Bucs may have to do a Mike Ditka and draft four edge rushers (and a couple of corners) and hopefully one rookie can add more to the team that JTS.
It is shameful how this franchise has struggles for decades to draft and develop a top edge rusher.
If Brian Burns somehow hits the free agent market, the Bucs seriously have to discuss cutting him a check.
Still, Joe is of the belief the Bucs have one higher priority today than an edge rusher. That’s the most important player on the field: quarterback.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:09 am
I think the most glaring issue against Detroit…..protecting the QB! We gave up so many ill timed sacks ….
January 26th, 2024 at 9:09 am
Diaby still has time to develop. JTS is a bust and Shaq has lost his quickness so outside linebacker should be a priority. Interior O-line is a bigger need than QB.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:10 am
It starts in the trenches and a glaring need on both sides! That should be our focus…not a QB if Baker resigns!! Reload to win a 4th straight division title and make a SERIOUS run in the playoffs!
January 26th, 2024 at 9:11 am
Plan 9 is an integral part of Bowles Game Plans. He does not rush he Swoops in. He is the key player in Bowles defense.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:23 am
Verse or that kid UCLA would be my top choices out of the draft.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:25 am
The Bucs will probably draft an edge rusher with their first round pick. Barrett is probably done in Tampa and JTS is just a rotational guy.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:25 am
JTS should be finished here. He has shown all he ever will.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:25 am
QB is our biggest need because right now, we don’ have one except 2 bench warmers.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:27 am
Depending on our own free agents we are close to being a solid NFC contender. We just need a few more pieces and this draft we must be aggressive(Pass rusher, guard, ILB, Safety). If we see a game changer go get him. The pass rush was our Achilles heel all season and has been since 2020. We must have some salary restructuring from Shaq, extension of Wifrs, etc. Licht and Bowels are really under the gun now with the Falcons hiring Raheem because he has the potential to do special things with an Already talented and established roster. Being complacent and stagnant with this roster isn’t the way to go.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:29 am
ya know, a decent defensive scheme against the lions. i.e man coverage and blitz, and the pass rush might have had a chance. Their OL was solid. we had to blitz…but we didn’t
the pass rush, or lack of is as much on TB imo
he’s a moran
January 26th, 2024 at 9:31 am
Hey super random and feel free to remove Joe, but I just dropped my first solo album today under the name “LIBRATION” (it’s called “Steps”) which has been years in the making (started in Denver and finished here in St Pete after moving).
I know some of you all from the comment section from following the site for years so if anyone wants to hear what I sound like in musical form please check it out :).
GO BUCS!
Sad to see Canales go 🙁
And I’m all about adding DE
January 26th, 2024 at 9:32 am
We can’t bank on another rookie edge rusher. Yaya is an outlier but they usually don’t make a huge impact their first year. Cut a check to Burns because a good pass rush can cover up a lot of flaws with a defense.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:46 am
Once again, Joe puts out a mindless incoherent pile of slop.
I’m guessing his mom still has to cut his meat for him at dinner.
Perhaps the coach in charge of the defense needs to go?
So much for being a defensive guru.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:52 am
JTS is finally finished. Bad draft choice. Shaq needs to retire and White is also gone. Need to go back to a 4-3 base and get some big defensive linemen. Bowles doesn’t hold players accountable. Bucs need a HC that will demand excellence.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:53 am
Ugh Joe you are such a troll. JTS tries really hard and plays with his heart. The Bucs should be lucky to have quality young gentlemen like JTS. I constantly see him rushing the passer and he looks GEAT!
The Bucs would be foolish to let this young man walk. He is so good. He trys really really hard. I really like that about him.
You know what I feel the same about Baker. He is such a great guy and teammate. The Bucs should sign him to a 50mil a year deal because of the hard worker he is. He also lead the Bucs to a playoff game victory so that should tell you everything right!?!?!?!?!?
Also About TODD BOWLES. HE IS A GENIOUS. HE PROVED ALL YOU TROLL DOUBTERS WRONG WITH JUST HOW AWESOME HE IS. HE WILL WIN MULTIPLE SUPERBOWLS NEXT YEAR.
Bakerfan, NeFan. You all are true Bucs fans and the rest are just haters. KEEP IT UP!
January 26th, 2024 at 9:56 am
I’d go after a FA like Dainielle Hunter from Minnesota, or Bryce Huff from the Jets!
January 26th, 2024 at 10:02 am
Newsflash… Diaby hasn’t shown he can use his elite speed to run the arc and beast a tackle with his bend and burst… the majority of his sacks came on stunts where he looped back to the middle and was schemed open. I like him. I like his motor and strength and speed… but i’ve yet to see him show he can speed rush despite all of that speed. If he is to get to the next level, he has to show he can threaten tackles to the outside.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:07 am
Needing an edge rusher? You kiddin ,me? We need 2 edge rushers. Shaq is just about done and Joe T is history. We lost every single game this season because of no pass rush.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:11 am
First rd pick should be one of the top five DE/OLBs from.
UCLA
ALA
FSU
PSU
Wash
Personally, I like Verse from FSU
January 26th, 2024 at 10:18 am
Verse then powers-Johnson in the second would be awesome. Knowing licht though there’s some scrappy tackle at a d-3 school that no one’s ever heard of selected in the 3rd round to start at center this year.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:22 am
Spot on, Joe! Edge rush is the team’s biggest challenge. If the Bucs had their SB DL for Detroit the Bucs would have won in a blowout. Pass rush is everything in the NFL. Light is starting to get it. Better late than never. There are free agents to be had. Bucs must make a pass rush a FA priority
January 26th, 2024 at 10:24 am
Who will be there at 26? Even 25? I see the Packers going Nose Tackle, CB, or possibly edge rusher. Who knows who will be there. But that is one position I would prefer a FA, already developed and proven…especially as we seem to have problems doing that here.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:26 am
JTS sorry soft sweet as needs to be cut IMMEDIATELY!
January 26th, 2024 at 10:31 am
Personally, I think I was one of the first to go off on JTS. I missed the Bear game (thanks YouTube( POS)) so I guess that’s his best game his had. What I saw the rest of the year is showing up at the end of the play. Watch, he usually shows up on the video replay AFTER the whistle blows. With his reported speed he should be a TE. He is worthless as a DL! Cut him.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:33 am
I totally agree Joe! Edge rusher has to be the Buc’s top pick in the draft!
That is probably what cost them the Lions game, no freakin sacks off the edge!
January 26th, 2024 at 10:33 am
We should sign Bryce Huff, could be a lowkey master stroke like Shaq in 2019
January 26th, 2024 at 10:34 am
Joe, I could agree with you more, except the higher priority is qb. From my limited view at FF, the DL is a shell. Between the feather dusters on the edge and the resting “star” (it truly is mind boggling how much a professional athlete, VV, spends resting on the sideline at crucial times in games), it is hard to imagine how you can pen with a straight face that Shaq is “king” and Todd is “genius.”
There is no greater need on this team than to replace past performances with present production… on the DL. Shaq has been MIA for years now, VV only earns half a salary (awesome when in), and Bowles is the “genius” behind JTS and this unit.
In fact, I believe we’d be talking dynasty if not for Todd Bowles. From his boneheaded blitz on Stafford, donkey stubborn 2022, inability to adjust game planning or in game, right down to his many questionable decisions (e.g. no time out, not going for it on 4th, soft zone, unable to find a way to use/motivate DW effectively, clock management,etc, etc), he defines entropy.
January 26th, 2024 at 11:00 am
Absent the personnel, there’s only so much schemes you can do. When Dean went down we were utterly unable to stop them. I really thought McCollum had progressed more than that
January 26th, 2024 at 11:01 am
Diaby will get better.
January 26th, 2024 at 11:33 am
ASSUMING we re-sign Mayfield, Evans, Winfield, McGlaughlin and David, and possibly restructure Wirfs.
One thing we don’t know is whether Jensen is done… Hainsey is OK as a backup, but not a starter.
I agree with others that Diaby will develop – he’s showing the skills, just needs some experience. JTS seems to have leveled out – no improvement there – cut him.
A lot of the best pass rusher’s will be gone by 26, I would look for an edge in Free Agency (Burns or Hunter preferably), and look at the top man-man corner with the 26 pick.
Then one of the better center/guards in 2nd round like powers-johnson, or frazer or even zinter from MI.
I would bring back Shaq, on a reduced deal, and with the idea he may be a spot player only – he’s still recovering from the torn achilles, and from personal experience it takes over a year to REALLY get over those.
After 2nd round, pick up Corum from Mi, or the RB from Missouri, or the RB from Wisconsin in 3rd round.
January 26th, 2024 at 12:09 pm
Chop Robinson. Latu is one hit away from being paralyzed. Alabama players are usually maxed out in college. Chop is greasy fast, bounces of blocks, high motor. Very much reminds me of Kancey..
January 26th, 2024 at 12:26 pm
bucsfaninOregon Says:
January 26th, 2024 at 10:31 am
You are 150% correct, JTS usually shows up at the end of the play AFTER the whistle blows. He doesn’t have football IQ. I blame Bowles for not realizing that. He’s been the same since being drafted in 2021. A zebra doesn’t change its colors. Against the Lions he hit the tightend after the ball was deflected off the receivers hand. I was surprised a flag wasn’t thrown on JTS for late hit. After watching the play several times, JTS hand a chance to intercept the pass but his reaction is always in the wrong place. Look at the bengals game last year when he had a potential pick 6 after Burrows threw an underhand soft pass directly to him and he batted it to the ground. Who does that!!!!! I was done with him after that game last year. He simply does not have field awareness or football intelligence.
January 26th, 2024 at 12:26 pm
I had to look up the snap counts to see if Anthony Nelson even played.
January 26th, 2024 at 12:27 pm
LANshark Says:
January 26th, 2024 at 11:33 am
One thing we don’t know is whether Jensen is done…
Well, we don’t know 100 percent but it is over 95%. The gold standard for multiple torn ligaments in a knee is to have surgery. To this day, Jensen never had that done. He hoped that rehab would work. You can hold out hope on Jensen, but it is a very poor bet.
January 26th, 2024 at 12:31 pm
Also, LANshark.
No team plays only man corner. Not sure why at 26, you think a corner that was good at man coverage in college would necessarily be good at all the things you have to do to be a good pro corner.
If you take a college corner that only knows how to play man coverage and think that you automatically can also make him a good zone read corner, you are fooling yourself.
The reason corners get beat so much across the NFL, is that there are very few guys that do both well.
The old days of Deon Sanders taking away one receiver by playing against him just man coverage are long gone.
January 26th, 2024 at 12:38 pm
Lord Cornelius Says:
January 26th, 2024 at 9:31 am
…I just dropped my first solo album today under the name “LIBRATION” (it’s called “Steps”) which has been years in the making (started in Denver and finished here in St Pete after moving).
How cool. Keep the creative juices flowing.
January 26th, 2024 at 12:46 pm
Which would be better?
Baker/JTS
Trask/Chase Young
January 26th, 2024 at 1:44 pm
Larrd: Choice C: Baker/Edge Rusher in the Draft
January 26th, 2024 at 7:57 pm
3 out of the 4 sacks we gave up at Detroit were Bakers fault for not recognizing and changing the protections.
January 26th, 2024 at 11:17 pm
Whinnyjoe says hay was wondering did u graduate 2st grade cause u r post is kindergarten quality
January 26th, 2024 at 11:26 pm
U people post all u r bs bout what & who shud b at this position or that position instead of running u r mouth here go sign up for any rostering the NFL I wud bet anyone there is not 1 person on these sites that wud not even get a call to be the waterboy let alone listen to anyone of u jokers for u r worthless advice so shut u r pie holes cause u don’t know jack sh!,t
January 26th, 2024 at 11:30 pm
It’s also bakers fault cause Evans drops lots of passes he shud have changed the product at the line I’m sure there r lots of plays changed at the line but u can’t hear it
January 27th, 2024 at 2:52 am
I really wish I could disagree Joe.
I would consider trading up for the right guy if he is there and we don’t have to put up too much of this years picks to do it.
Go Bucs!