“Marked Improvement In Our Pass Rush This Year”
July 28th, 2024
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
How about that Bucs pass rush? It’s a mysterious situation.
Tampa Bay led the NFC with 48 sacks last season, tied with the 49ers. Still, the Tampa Bay edge rush is viewed as a weakness.
That’s because it’s been very inconsistent. So the Bucs hit the market this offseason and signed troubled veteran edge ruser Randy Gregory and then drafted edge rusher Chris Braswell in Round 2.
Speaking on WDAE radio on Friday, Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht was steaming with confidence. Licht predicted “marked improvement in our pass rush this year.”
Licht explained that he expects his unheralded crew of edge rushers will stun their share of NFL observers.
“We’re very excited about this group of outside ‘backers,” Licht said. “José Ramirez, Markees Watts, Anthony Nelson – all of these guys, these backups that we’ve had, they’re really stepping up so far and they’ve done some great things. I think we’re going to surprise some people with this group of outside ‘backers – the depth that we have and the talent that we have.
“We’ve all talked about Yaya [Diaby], and I’ve heard you guys talking about Yaya, and he’s been incredible so far. Our rookie, Chris Braswell, is really coming on the way that we thought he would. Even Joe Tryon has done some really good things. So I’m excited about the group that we have here.”
Joe had to laugh when Licht said, “even Joe Tryon” is shining. Fun choice of words there.
But Licht should be optimistic. Diaby is a terror. Insider rusher Vita Vea, the manbeast defensive tackle, seems extra motivated this season. And second-year DT Calijah Kancey has true Pro Bowl potential.
With all those other young edge rushers in the mix, it’s fair for Licht to assume at least one of them steps up to complement Diaby.
If the Bucs can find a consistent edge rush, Joe would call the team a Super Bowl contender.
July 28th, 2024 at 3:22 am
We are on our way….Diaby and Braswell will lead….big hopes for JTS too
July 28th, 2024 at 4:10 am
Joe … ‘Tampa Bay led the NFC with 48 sacks last season, tied with the 49ers. Still, the Tampa Bay edge rush is viewed as a weakness.’
Nice catch Joe; hadn’t noticed that before (folks have been so negative about last year’s pass rush that I thought we were mid-pack at best).
San Fran got 48 sacks last year … with 16 players recording 1 or more sacks. Their Top-3 contributors got 10.5 sacks (Bosa), 7 sacks (Hargrave) & 5 sacks (Armstead). The other 13 ranged from 1 – 3.5 sacks. Bucs also got 48 sacks last year … with 14 players recording .5 sacks or more. Our Top-3 contributors got 7.5 sacks (Diaby), 6 sacks (Winfield) & 5.5 sacks (Vea). The other 11 ranged from 5 sacks (JTS) to 0.5 sacks (Hall). Total TEAM effort by both teams.
Neither team had a lights-out edge rusher last year, and yet both teams finished in the Top-10 in Points Allowed (49ers at #3; Bucs at #7). San Fran posted a considerably better record (12-5) than we did (9-8), but that was largely because their offense (#3 with 491 Points Scored) outperformed ours (#20 with 348 Points Scored). Neither team has a true super-star franchise QB, and they both use similar offensive philosophies. And yet the 49ers scored 61 TDs last year (27 rushing; 33 passing; 2 other) while we scored only 37 TDs (8 rushing; 28 passing; 1 other). Not too hard to see what we need to do better to catch them.
Point being … IF our Bucs’ defense can replicate what they did last season (#7 or better ranking … 19.1 PPG), and IF our offense can also move into the Top-10 (last season’s #10, the Colts, scored 396 points, an average of 23.3 PPG). Bucs scored 325 points (20.5 PPG) to rank #20. Improve our offensive productivity by only 3 PPG and we could move up into the Top-10. Good things happen when BOTH your offense AND your defense rank in the Top-10. Only the Cowboys (12-5), 49ers (12-5), Ravens (13-4) and Bills (11-6) accomplished that last year.
July 28th, 2024 at 5:04 am
I think our pass rush would improve greatly if we can get out to early leads. We never scored on an opening drive, how many games did we start from behind? We were bad at scoring early, and often. Change that, and I bet we get more sacks from the edge.
July 28th, 2024 at 5:39 am
I laughed too when I saw Licht’s comment “even Joe Tryon” is shining. Yikes, so what were they really thinking… All in all it’s sounding dynamic and strong. Can’t wait for pre-season!
July 28th, 2024 at 6:02 am
I like the above analysis DR. You touched on it but i think the key to our offense is our running game. If we can run and control the ball, that would take so much pressure off of other areas. Hopefully our improved offensive line is up to the task.
July 28th, 2024 at 7:35 am
“…veteran edge ruser Randy Gregory.” Ruser! Brillant play on words! Just brilliant.
July 28th, 2024 at 8:10 am
We’re going to be at least as good as we were last year. We have a shot get to the NFC Championship IMO. With all the Falcons hype they are destined to fail. Final standings, Bucs, Ain’ts, Falcons, Panthers.
July 28th, 2024 at 8:26 am
Sounds like JTS was an afterthought. Licht totally forgot about him until the end of the converstation.
July 28th, 2024 at 8:31 am
Bullshiite! Go watch that video the Bucs uploaded. Spytek said how many times the team needed pass rushers? Ramirez can’t even make the 53! Watts played 40 snaps all year! For a team that admitted on their own website they needed a pass rush, why wasn’t Watts on the field? Ramirez and Watts are so damn good, Licht went out and signed dirtbag Gregory who’d rather sit on the couch, hit bongs and eat Doritos.
July 28th, 2024 at 8:52 am
Credit to Bowles for the defensive results while rebuilding the roster. When you listen to the young guys describe the complexity of this D you understand that to get on the field, knowing what and where you need to be is the key. YaYa took until mid season before he got it. My guess is Watts and Ramirez will start faster. We’ll see how fast Braswell picks it up. Gregory will be gone at some point and I’d be surprised if we bring in someone else so late in the offseason.
July 28th, 2024 at 9:53 am
“Even Joe Tryon has done some really good things.”
He’s had three full seasons of play, he should be doing more than “some” good things. That’s what a rookie does. JTS has been given more than enough chance to prove himself. Hell, compare his 51 games played to Trask’s 0 games played. That’s a huge disparity in development opportunity for two guys drafted one round apart in the same year. smh
July 28th, 2024 at 9:53 am
Bowles claimed there were nine good young ones last year during 🚂 ng camp. Maybe it comes to fruition this year.
Once you get a big sack year it becomes a drag on the roster. Better to have a lot of young ties, maybe.
The DL is where they need another guy.
July 28th, 2024 at 9:54 am
Drag on the payroll.
July 28th, 2024 at 11:02 am
it seems to me that the Bucs prefer or are forced to be creative in how they get QB sacks and pressure, usually bringing one or two more than can be blocked. If the Bucs could find that double digit sack guy, or at least two consistently strong OLB, they may be able to get similar results bringing just four DLs. That would shore up the pass defense and likely shorten the field for the O. The past couple of years if they rushed just four on third and forth down, the results weren’t very good.
New season… New hope. YaYa, Kancey, VV, and Braswell (or perhaps a collaboration of Braswell Watts Nelson). By the end of September, we should know what we have or don’t have. Won’t be long now.
July 28th, 2024 at 11:37 am
Depth at lb and cb have me nervous. They get real thin after the starters.
July 28th, 2024 at 12:30 pm
48 sacks is only 7 off the 55 team record set by one of the greatest defenses ever in 2000 just before our SB run in 2002. So if it’s not the amount it must be the timing. DR please post how many sacks occurred on 3rd down and how many 3rd & long the defense couldn’t stop and that will be our culprit.
Now if the defense was #7 in points allowed and there’s a 143 point differential better the SB losing 49rs offense and our offense then there are 3 culprits that dictate why our record was what it was, mediocre at best even though our qb had a statistically good season;
Todd Bowles:
Conservative on offense and only aggressive when it comes to blitzing playing defenders 10 yds off the los even though the front 4 can’t generate pressure under 3 seconds , demands we run the ball and is more concerned about losing his job than putting points on the board. Too many hats on his head, either be HC or DC he can’t do both so that we can succeed. Doesn’t make many in game or even game to game adjustments. His defense couldn’t get off the field when the offense needed it the most.
Dave Canales:
Could not scheme an opening drive even if his job was on the line nor a respectable run game to keep defenses honest. Pounded a suare peg run up the gut philosophy into a round hole ol that couldn’t block for a rb afraid of contact and only useful in the passing game.
Baker Mayfield: As the qb he touches the ball on every offensive play and is the only one who can scan the defense completely before getting the ball. Could not for an entire season put the ball into the end zone on an opening drive to save our season. He was the beneficiary of some great defensive plays that masked some of his deficient play(Chicago, Atlanta and Carolina to name 3) that would have given us a losing record if they hadn’t happened thus no playoffs and probably no Pro Bowl alternate for him. Played poorly in the first half of too many games only to force the HC and OC to abandon their conservative play calling to play more aggressive in the 4th qtr where he padded his stats in games already lost. Even though he didn’t turn the ball over much sometimes they came at a time when we needed to score points to win.
One part of this trifecta of win some lose some has been replaced. We know because Bowles is so stubborn and hard headed he’ll never change so the defense has to play even better in spite of him and give up less than 19 pts per game. Even though Coen is new, he has more experience and if he improves what Canales couldn’t, we will add thru the subtraction of Canales and have more productive drives which will end up in more opening tds which will result in more wins. Now with Mayfield he has to break from his track record of good every other year or any good he does won’t be any good. This is his off year according to his track record. How he goes this year will be relative to how far we go.
July 28th, 2024 at 12:30 pm
Ooh so sorry didn’t realize wrote a novel
July 28th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Wow, what a shot at Shaq. What was that all about?
July 28th, 2024 at 6:43 pm
Jimmy Says:
July 28th, 2024 at 8:31 am
Bullshiite! Go watch that video the Bucs uploaded. Spytek said how many times the team needed pass rushers? Ramirez can’t even make the 53! Watts played 40 snaps all year! For a team that admitted on their own website they needed a pass rush, why wasn’t Watts on the field? Ramirez and Watts are so damn good, Licht went out and signed dirtbag Gregory who’d rather sit on the couch, hit bongs and eat Doritos.
^^^^
Isn’t that pretty much the same thing Ira said in his podcast ? Tell him to get his own material Ira.
July 28th, 2024 at 8:10 pm
Jimmy Says:
July 28th, 2024 at 8:31 am
Bullshiite!
Hmmmm. This sound like the same things said by a certain podcaster with a name that begins with L.
I don’t disagree. That’s why I made the case for trading CG and JTS for HR. As difficult as it would be to see CG go, we do still have M.E. and a good supply of talent in the receiver room. With creative accounting (maybe that’s why Wirfs contract isn’t done yet) we could get a proven 10 sack OLB and maybe even a proven RB and set up for a really good cap situation next year. The Bucs are in a good position either way they decide to go. HR or not. I don’t think the Bucs want to pay CG the huge money he will want next year as a slot receiver. Especially with JMc perfectly suited for the position.
July 28th, 2024 at 8:40 pm
CG for HR and JTS for any draft pick they can get.
Give HR a 3 year deal for about 54mil with about 35mil guaranteed.
We will then have an open roster spot left by JTS.
As creative as Greenberg is, we should be able to get a proven commodity at running back with savings from the difference of CG contract. CG 2024 Cap# is 23.75mil. That’s perhaps 5mil to the good. Some of that could be used for Wirfs (ie. 3mil for Wirfs & 2mil for a running back).
HR should be happy. He’ll be with a good stable team with playoff prospects and no state tax. He’ll have a new 3 year deal paying him top 10 OLB money. He’ll be in Tampa.
That gives Braswell time to develop and for good depth.
That gives the Jets a first rate slot receiver for their “slot machine” offense and a serviceable OLB.
July 28th, 2024 at 9:03 pm
And finally to address the Rick Stroud question (which no one else has done) I think it is quite plausible even likely that CG was moved outside to protect him from injury. Stroud has been around, he knew. Perhaps Jason was looking down the road (I think) anticipating a scenario like my advocated trade. It is also possible that Canales wanted to move him outside and the two aligned perfectly. CG’s wife should have kept her mouth shut. Keeping CG protected as best possible from injury last year has set him up for a huge payday. That move proved to be in his and the Bucs best interest. Regardless we now have a tip top shape proven slot receiver that represents a yellow $500 poker chip on the table.
July 30th, 2024 at 1:00 am
Future drafts and acquisitions should consider bolstering the pass rush even further.