“The Light Finally Came On For Him”
January 21st, 2025
Given the events of this week, Joe feels this is a fine time for a Logan Hall post.
The Bucs’ run defense was excellent this season and third-year starter Logan Hall was in the thick of it at defensive end. He also found 5 1/2 sacks, which surprised Joe and man other fans.
Bucs defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers, now a busy free agent, applauded Hall’s transformation during a wrap up of the season on the Buccaneers Radio Network.
“Year 1 was kind of feeling his way. Year 2, you was kind of seeing [him] turn the corner but we weren’t having any production. He wasn’t producing the numbers we needed,” Rodgers said of Hall. “Year 3, it’s just I feel like the light finally came on for him. I feel like he had a tremendous offseason. And now you’re seeing him.”
Rodgers further emphasized Hall wasn’t bad in 2023, just not posting the stats.
Rodgers stressed that Hall is very underappreciated as a pass rusher, and now a sack artist, because he’s often off the field in passing situations.
However, per Rodgers, Todd Bowles adjusted and put Hall in more positions to affect quarterbacks. “We created another package where Logan, Vita [Vea] and Calijah [Kancey] stayed on the field on third down,” he said.
Development! It’s a beautiful thing. Joe still tosses and turns in bed at night hoping the Bucs can find this kind of magic when it comes to edge rushers.
January 21st, 2025 at 12:49 pm
Hall was my “most improved” defensive player when having end of year Bucs discussions with my buddy.
January 21st, 2025 at 1:03 pm
Hall needs to go to SUHS camp with Kancey and VEA
January 21st, 2025 at 1:08 pm
“Todd Bowles adjusted” Oh noes!!!
Some people take longer than others. The Champ at this has to be Kurt Warner! After going undrafted and before the shelf-stocking job and Arena football gig, Warner added to his narrative by being cut from the Packers in 1994 after training camp as a rookie.
Wes Welker, WR, Patriots/Broncos. The undrafted Welker made the 2004 Chargers regular-season roster but was cut after Week 1 to make room for another player. He went to Miami for the next three seasons, then was picked up as a free agent by New England. You know the rest.
Perhaps the one that shocked me most was James Harrison!
He was undrafted out of college and was cut a total of four times in two seasons by two teams, the Steelers and Ravens, before finally sticking with Pittsburgh in 2004. Four years later, he was the NFL defensive player of the year and had the legendary 100-yard end-of-half pick-six in the Steelers’ Super Bowl win over the Cardinals.
There are some other Bucs who still might figure it out!
January 21st, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Dude has always had the talent. It’s just taking him longer to develop. I’d say he’s definitely showed more signs of life than Tryon.
January 21st, 2025 at 1:12 pm
Hire Suh!
January 21st, 2025 at 1:22 pm
Yet Kaci Rogers is leaving ?
January 21st, 2025 at 1:34 pm
I honestly don’t understand what this meant. Typo: man was meant to say mad?
“He also found 5 1/2 sacks, which surprised Joe and man other fans.“
January 21st, 2025 at 2:00 pm
Stanglassman Says:
January 21st, 2025 at 1:34 pm
I honestly don’t understand what this meant. Typo: man was meant to say mad?
“He also found 5 1/2 sacks, which surprised Joe and man other fans.“
“which surprised Joe and other fans”.
January 21st, 2025 at 2:15 pm
“He also found 5 1/2 sacks, which surprised Joe and many other fans.“
January 21st, 2025 at 2:18 pm
Hall was drafted at #33 but graded to around #44 as a DT5T so a little bit of a reach (Draftek). With a defensive pick at #33, you can bet that Bowles approved the pick. The Bucs got him stronger and bigger to play DT3T and that took a couple years. Still his production hasn’t been great until this year, that’s partly on Rodgers and partly on Bowles. Bowles still favors run defense over pass defense and it’s cost us games and Hall’s development. The NFL is a passing league and Bowles needs to adjust his thinking with draft needs.
JTS was drafted a full round early, at #32 when he was graded at #65. Licht and his scouts totally misread JTS desire to play football. Still with a #65 grade, Bowles should have been able to develop him as a pass rusher. With JTS an upcoming FA, will the Bucs keep him with a cheap contract or cut their losses?
January 21st, 2025 at 2:21 pm
Pretty sure man was meant to be many as in “many other fans”*
January 21st, 2025 at 2:27 pm
“the licht finally came on for him”
😉
January 21st, 2025 at 2:29 pm
To date his signature play was in training camp destroying Big Red’s knee and career. He’s got a long way to go to prove he’s a worthy Dlineman.
January 21st, 2025 at 2:29 pm
Vea – 7
Kancey – 7.5
Hall – 5.5
That is good production from the interior.
Yaya had 4.5. That needs to jump to 10 next year. Hopefully Braswell or someone new can be effective on the other end.
January 21st, 2025 at 3:18 pm
JimBobBuc Says:
January 21st, 2025 at 2:18 pm
Look, teams hit and miss all the time. Yes, the Bucs have probably reached successfully sometimes in the past and have reached and looked like bozo’s other times. That is the NFL draft. Let’s be clear. There are no NFL teams that goes with those pre draft charts that us fans see. Teams clearly value things a lot differently than we do as fans.
According to Draftnek Vernon Hargeaves III and Noah Spence were “value” picks while Vita Vea, Alex Cappa and Jordan Whitehead were “reach” picks.
Even this year Barton and Bucky Irvin were slight reaches. But the way they played, each of them could have gone way earlier and still actually been value picks for this Bucs team and the way they fit. Further, Tykee Smith was apparently also picked a round early but the dude flat out played way better than our 2nd round Braswell.
January 21st, 2025 at 3:50 pm
JimBob…..” With JTS an upcoming FA, will the Bucs keep him with a cheap contract or cut their losses?”
Why would the Bucs continue the loss of a mid-high pick? Roster spots are critical. JTS’ spot could have been filled by a taxi squad from another team. Could had been season changing if that guy taking JTS’ place was a decent DB.
HOW COULD IT BE WORSE?
January 21st, 2025 at 3:53 pm
Yeah, I agree. He seems to be coming along quite nicely. Hopefully, with a lot of dedication and hard work with his (health/body/mind/technique), that he will be poised to really breakout and POP for next season. He’s becoming pretty solid. Time to take that next step up and take it to another level. Would be SO HUGE for us.
January 21st, 2025 at 4:05 pm
When will the light come on for Bowles?
Looking at his record as a HC in the NFL tells me we have about 100 years or so to go.
28-27
Fire Bowles now.
January 21st, 2025 at 4:15 pm
Now if Bowles would just stop dropping DL into coverage so much!
January 21st, 2025 at 5:07 pm
Dropping linemen into coverage is pretty smart. When the o-line plans to double a guy and he drops into coverage it confuses the o-line (not the QB) and creates opportunities for others. Weather they take advantage of those opportunities is another story.
January 21st, 2025 at 5:34 pm
Sean Sullivan NEED to do some research on the Ole Miss edge rusher Princely Umanmielen this offseason.
He is an absolute beast, projected to be there in the late first round and reminds me of a young Danielle Hunter.
Get him name into the Bucs brain trust … he is the gift we have been waiting for since Lee Roy Selmon
January 21st, 2025 at 5:45 pm
Hall was very green coming out of college – and was very much a project. The problem with that is you only have 4-year deals then these guys get very expensive if they’re any good – and if they take 3-years to develop, that’s a bad combo.
Overall Licht has done a fantastic job, but when it comes to the defensive line and edge rushers, I really wish he’d focus more on production and getting guys who are ready for the NFL. The project players just take too long to develop, and by the time they’re any good, they’ve only been good for a short period of time and it’s risky to give them new deals since you’re only seeing perhaps a single season of good production.
January 21st, 2025 at 5:54 pm
Dropping linemen into coverage is only smart if they can cover.
January 21st, 2025 at 6:14 pm
Not talked about part of Hall’s development problem was his position. The 5 in Todd’s 3/4 is an edge setter and run defender, kinda like Will Gholston. There aren’t many JPPs and he ain’t one. But Hall has come to do what’s required for a 5 and seems to be growing out from adequate to good.
It’s a long way to great. The Bucs don’t need, and could never afford, 22 greats. Just a little unfortunate that their first pick has a lower ceiling.
Here’s hoping he proves me wrong.
January 21st, 2025 at 6:50 pm
If they can fill CB1, Edge, ILB, backup Safety .. we can work w Hall and still be elite
January 21st, 2025 at 7:06 pm
Rod, I agree. Choosing NFL ready guys was the philosophy employed by Rich McKay and Dungy and it worked beautifully, at least for the defense. I’ve never been that big on projects since they probably also fail at a higher rate than the ready guys. You’re not going to be able to keep all the projects that pan out big anyway so get some ready guys and cut them loose.
January 21st, 2025 at 7:27 pm
Jack Burton Mercer Says:
January 21st, 2025 at 7:06 pm
Rod, I agree. Choosing NFL ready guys was the philosophy employed by Rich McKay and Dungy and it worked beautifully, at least for the defense.
———-
I think it’s more about the position. For example, Licht hit a home run with Zyon, who as purely a project player and took a couple of years to develop, but for his draft position is a remarkable find. But in particular with the defensive line, and edge rushers, the Bucs seem to draft guys with tons of promise, and they repeatedly don’t seem to work out. Meanwhile, look at Kancey, a proven guy – lots of production – big school, steps in and contributes right away (at least when healthy).
Later round picks I’m fine with drafting for potential, you’re better off going after a ILB with NFL speed and quickness than taking someone like Britt who had tons of production but is clearly too slow for the NFL game. But 1st, 2nd rounds, those premium picks should be production guys, ideally from big schools in my opinion – and only once in a while do you stray from that and take a athlete – again, talking about DL and edge as those guys just take so long to develop.
January 21st, 2025 at 8:19 pm
I gotta laff. Just posted a so-called “controversial” comment in an earlier post on here. I know my Bucs history, and Joe knows it. Licht is the best GM Bucs have ever had, and Rich McKay would be one of the first guys to tell you that! This Bucs team will scare the league next year. I am hoping I will be strong enough to see one more Bucs game at RJS.