Bucs Can Do What Eagles Did
February 10th, 2025
Needs just one (major) piece.
Sorry, Joe could not root for the Eagles last night.
Maybe if Joe is four glasses of Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey in on a Thanksgiving afternoon when the Eagles play the Cowboys would Joe ever pull for the Eagles. It just isn’t in Joe’s soul otherwise.
The Eagles won the Super Bowl last night the old-fashioned way: alley-beating the Chiefs in the trenches.
The Bucs aren’t far away from being monsters in the trenches like the Eagles. In fact, with the exception of one position, the Bucs are right there.
The Bucs have a top-five offensive line and it’s still young. The entire right side of the Bucs’ line (Graham Barton, Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke) is under rookie contracts.
The Bucs have one of the better one-two punches at defensive tackle in Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey. Even Logan Hall has become a solid player. Not a fancy player. Doesn’t rack up stats. But he holds his own quite well.
So the Bucs are in good shape for January (and February?) football. They have the run game. They have the offensive line. And the Bucs mostly have the defensive line.
Find a guy off the edge who quarterbacks fear and the Bucs are cooking with gas.
The future could be very bright, folks. The Bucs mostly have the needed parts for a Super Bowl bandwagon — just have to get that one final piece to the puzzle.
We will find out with the free agency dinner bell ringing in four weeks if the Bucs plan to attack that massive, elusive empty void on the roster.
February 10th, 2025 at 4:05 am
Kancey has yet to play a full season, Vea isn’t getting younger. Bucs would do well to draft another DT high this draft. Philly never had a drop off with their D line rotation. Keep throwing players at the D line.
February 10th, 2025 at 4:45 am
Totally agree with Joe. Throw in a lockdown corner in the draft and watchout!
February 10th, 2025 at 5:21 am
Can you guarantee that with the right edge rusher the back six won’t still be a sieve?
That is to say if a QB can simply throw quick passes and pick apart a zone or release their deep threats to beat the WEAK one on one coverage the Bucs have to offer the Bucs still won’t get picked apart in the passing game.
IE will moving up from the 7th overall position in sacks to 2nd or 3rd change that much if the QB can simply pick apart Todd’s zone or the JBF fans lamearse man to man with the “men” back there to execute it.
Who is the cover corner on the Bucs? Who is the ILB (besides LVD if he stays) who can cover ANYONE?
February 10th, 2025 at 5:42 am
Looking at the mock drafts, I’ve only viewed a few, none of them have the Bucs going for an edge rusher in the 1st round! One had the cover corner Shavon Revel from East Carolina, Michigan’s Will Johnson is considered the top prospect but some of that could be the aura of Michigan versus tiny East Carolina.
Most however including Walter Football have the Bucs fixing another HUGE problem!! Walter says…
“The Buccaneers had major trouble covering the middle of the field this past season, and it’ll only get worse with Lavonte David aging out of the NFL soon.”
DUH!!
So Walter along with most of the others go with ILB Jihad Campbell from ‘Bama.
But in the second round Walter grants Joe his wish.
“The Buccaneers have some major problems in their secondary, particularly at cornerback. What could help is an explosive edge rusher to rattle opposing quarterbacks.
J.T. Tuimoloau has flashed some great pass-rushing potential, but must be more consistent.”
February 10th, 2025 at 5:48 am
The D need at least one great Edge a safety, ILB, CB and stronger depth. We’re not one player away, Joe.
February 10th, 2025 at 5:59 am
I thought of Todd Bowles during the game, he must have been on cloud nine watching the Eagles defensive line!
It was old school impose your will on the other team and strip away any confidence that the the other team could do ANYTHING. It was a very impressive performance by the defensive line especially. I think Brady said late in the game that the Eagles had only blitzed 1 or 2 times. Mahomes was under relentless pressure. Of course the Eagles linebackers and defensive backs did their part but it was the D line that took control of the game
February 10th, 2025 at 6:02 am
How about we stop having our guys stand around pretending to cover in zone and actually rush the passer or cover in man. Richard Sherman pointing out that the zone coverage in the middle as “window dressing” is burned in my mind. I’m with Joe that Bowles messes with the edge rushers head by having them drop into coverage. I honestly don’t remember it being so prevalent as it was this year.
February 10th, 2025 at 6:10 am
Leopold , only one dependable, versatile linebacker, the back 4 were constantly playing with new players.
Not that TB is not without criticism in general but last season was not a good example of how TB would call a defensive game
February 10th, 2025 at 6:18 am
I am told that the Bucs can’t afford Garrett, won’t part with draft capital and refuse to hire a legitimate DC. Not sure how they can ” Can do what the Eagles Did”. The Eagles have done well with draft picks, as have the Bucs. The Eagles have also traded draft capital (AJ Brown, Gardener -Johnson)and hired great coordinators. I hope that I am wrong and Todd’s way gets us back to holding the Lombardi Trophy.
February 10th, 2025 at 6:24 am
Eagles have one thing we don’t
A Head Coach
February 10th, 2025 at 6:33 am
The Eagles generated a good pass rush with their front 4, not blitzing.
It has been a long time, back to the Tony Dungy defense and a year with Gruden since we have seen the Bucs Defense generate a consistent pass rush with the front four.
This defense also does not have the pass defense the Eagles have.
The defense is not near where the Eagles are. If they were, the Bucs would have at least beaten Washington last month. Instead they got manhandled again like many times this year in a 4 min / last possession drive that sealed another loss.
February 10th, 2025 at 6:36 am
Bowles will have ANOTHER chance to fix this garbage pass defense/scheme this upcoming season. If it’s the same ole same ole he’ll be gone.
February 10th, 2025 at 6:43 am
I really want to watch the first half again to focus on that defensive line performance. It was a thing of beauty!
I was just casually watching the game and really didn’t care who won, but that first half defensive performance was on par with Doug Williams second half performance in that Super Bowl, just not as exciting so it wasn’t until it was over that it sunk in what a historic game that was.
I absolutely loved seeing old school football.
February 10th, 2025 at 6:53 am
Not to worry, Joe. I was rooting for the Eagles.
Worst half time show ever, by the way.
Yep, we need an edge nd Dean needs to go.
February 10th, 2025 at 7:02 am
Cooper DeJean!
I knew of him last draft and he was touted as a special player.
4 years ago he was a few months from playing with his high school teammates
Fast forward and he pick six’d Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl on his birthday!
What a memory he created for his friends and family back in his hometown
February 10th, 2025 at 7:07 am
4th from last in interceptions last year. You have to have both sacks and turnovers to be considered a monster. Hope the Bucs get the edge rusher and make Joe happy but it won’t matter if the ball isn’t taken away.
February 10th, 2025 at 7:23 am
I would say we’re more than one player away. OLB, ILB, CB & S. Between free agency & the draft it’s entirely possible we can plug these holes.
February 10th, 2025 at 7:53 am
Eagles turned Carson Wentz into a mountain of players
February 10th, 2025 at 8:14 am
It was so weird to be rooting for the Eagles last night, but I totally was.
That was the 3rd-mpst enjoyable Superbowl ever for me last night, right after the 2 Bucs’ Superbowls.
Now, we get to hear Kelce etc whine and cry and make excuses all off-season again for why they got dominated again, just like the Bucs dominated them in 2020.
Sore Losers, they never give the other team their flowers.
PH*CK the Chiefs
February 10th, 2025 at 8:16 am
Eagles were not blowing doors in on the Chiefs O-line. They were covering the quick routes like a blanket forcing Mahomes to hop around in the pocket until the rush did win. Don’t be surprised when we augment our d-line and see the same next year when mid QBs keep roasting our D hitting wide open recievers in the middle of the field.
Bucs need to get better at man and especially zone coverage and need a new DC. Better edge rushers won’t help much.
February 10th, 2025 at 8:22 am
The key is getting pressure with the 4 man front.
February 10th, 2025 at 8:27 am
Yep, Cooper DeJean was one of my hopes for the Bucs draft last year. Kudos to him for his SB pick on his birthday.
February 10th, 2025 at 8:33 am
I remember when Joe didn’t believe Cooper Dejean couldn’t play because he’s white and falsely called him undersized. Now look at him. Elite slot CB in year 1
February 10th, 2025 at 8:38 am
The Bucs will NEVER sign a big money edge rusher. Glazer boys are too cheap.
February 10th, 2025 at 8:42 am
Erik, I could have made the same post. Never pulled for the eagles before and never will again. Very likely. But last night… The only thing I wanted was a KC loss. And I got it. The game at first looked like a mirror image of our super bowl. Any icing on the cake was that the garbage touchdowns the chefs got later made horurs, the more dominating performance overall.
February 10th, 2025 at 8:47 am
Bucs can’t pressure with just 4
Bucs don’t let their best defensive players play to their strengths
Bucs don’t believe in an edge rush
Bucs do not have a defensive coordinator that can scheme up pass defense
So NO the Bucs cant do that
February 10th, 2025 at 8:56 am
Bucs need to break the bank and sign Josh Sweat. He was an absolute monster and is still young.
February 10th, 2025 at 9:05 am
Joe has earned the right to say i told you so, but i’m grateful he pointed out how much better we are than people seem to think.
and we did beat the eagles this year, and with kansas city we were within the margin of fraud on.
February 10th, 2025 at 9:07 am
Looks to me like the Eagles just played a 4 man front and didn’t blitz at all last night. Bucs need to go back to a base 4-3 with dedicated DEs. Not like our OLBs who are not good at anything. Yeah I know Bowles rotates in and out of a lot of formations, but he doesn’t have the players that can apply pressure against the better O lines in the league.
JTS and his friends are a failed experiment, time to get guys that can apply real pressure from the edge. You know, like Sim and JPP.
February 10th, 2025 at 9:08 am
Some people fail to realize Bowles is the one who lead a superbowl winning defense just 4 years ago….
Todd Bowles didnt forget how to call a defense….the Bucs need TALENT, not a DC.
February 10th, 2025 at 9:12 am
Need 2 more legit pass rushers to go with Yaya. Starter and rotational playmaker (this could be braswell) and would be great to bring back Nelson and barret too.
February 10th, 2025 at 9:14 am
Friendly reminder. We beat both the Eagles and Lions this year. We were very close! If the Bucs had Godwin back during the playoffs I think it would have been a different outcome. All teams were beatable for sure.
February 10th, 2025 at 9:18 am
Dumb everything into defense, we do not need any help on offense except maybe another WR but I truly think Trey Palmer needs to put on some weight and step up or we need to learn to use him better. We could stomp any team
February 10th, 2025 at 9:18 am
Bucs won their last super bowl with a pass rush, and have ignored pass rush since then.
A good pass rush can mask a bad secondary and the last two years have shown how bad Todd is at scheming pass defense
February 10th, 2025 at 9:22 am
Isnt Bowles running a 3-4 vs the Eagles 4-3.
Different skill sets.
I think it’s a big reason why our pass defense sucked.
February 10th, 2025 at 9:23 am
Greg, I agree that we are close.
But in all fairness, we beat the Eagles this year without AJ Brown or D Smith in the lineup.
So, that doesn’t really count in this context, in my opinion
February 10th, 2025 at 9:26 am
Oldguy – you should probably rewatch the game if you think the secondary was the reason for the Eagles success. That pass rush was ferocious and had the greatest player in the game scared and antsy. That four man rush for 60 minutes was incredible. I watched thinking the entire time that Licht needs to go all in to try and work a deal with Cleveland.
February 10th, 2025 at 9:48 am
The way some Bucs fans can get triggered by a single game is unbelievable. We had more sacks than Philly this year and we are better up front. Josh sweat has a hell of a game but breaking the bank for a guy who had a 8 sack season? Logan hall had a better sack season than Jalen carter. Yea we need a pass rusher but not sure why there’s so much denial about Bowles garbage scene on the back end
February 10th, 2025 at 9:55 am
Jihad Campbell- he would solve our inside linebacker issue and would make a great tandem with Levante David with Dennis rotating in and out. Additionally he showed he was good rushing from the edge as well so there could be some creative packages on certain downs such 3rd and long where he is playing with Dennis and Lavonte comes off the field for a break.
2nd round pick -traded to the Bengals with Jamel Dean for Trey Hendrickson. This would solve two issues. It would give us a stud pass rusher and by getting rid of Jamel Dean it would free up the cap space needed to sign Hendrickson. Now we would have a formidable front seven.
Third round I would go best player available particularly looking at guys who could help out in the secondary.
I would look for Jamel Dean’s replacement in free agency either someone like trevarious Ward, Greg Newsome or The corner whose name I forget from the Jets.
Rounds 4 through 7 I would double down on defense and or receiver. Look for high risk reward guys say coming off injury etc who fall but if healthy would be day 1 or early day 2 pick.
February 10th, 2025 at 10:07 am
I wonder what Devin White is thinking now
I can also see Donovan Smith laughing at the Chiefs from his couch.
February 10th, 2025 at 10:35 am
Sure we can be like the Eagles. We just trade for Vic Fangio and we’re there.
February 10th, 2025 at 11:20 am
“Eagles have one thing we don’t
A Head Coach”
Really? Todd has whipped their head coach before!!!
But here is the money announcement about how the league views Todd Bowles. Hint NFL experts must not be as smart as the “fire Todd now crowd”. But who would take the word out of people who actually work in the “League” over a bunch of keyboard warriors right?
Kevin O’Connell of Minnesota was the winner of the “NFL Coach of the year”.
After O’Connell was announced as the winner, the final voting tally was revealed and it had some rather interesting results. Todd Bowles finished 11th, tied with Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and collecting more votes than Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
Tied with Siriani. But didn’t some wizard just say the Eagles had something the Bucs don’t?
February 10th, 2025 at 11:50 am
I may have had a vision with Garrett on the team but the reality is the Glasers ain’t going to spend that much money. Draft again or wait and see if one of the five or six sacks a year guys fall out of the clouds and they jump into yet another learning lesson.. For real though we could use the whole backfield on defense so get something with these picks and hope,pray, lose our minds asking when they’re going to get it. Jason can you dail up another one of those wildly awesome drafts? Go Bucs!!!
February 10th, 2025 at 12:32 pm
“the reality is the Glasers ain’t going to spend that much money.”
Why does this keep cropping up. Aside from the fact that the Glazers haven’t been cheap with this franchise the money will spent regardless of their financial views..cheap or spendthrift. The league mandates a minimum and caps the maximum. It has nothing to do with the owner’s anywhere being cheap.
The days of Hugh Culverhouse have long since gone!
February 10th, 2025 at 3:00 pm
Wow. Celebrating that Bowles finished out of the top 10 in coach of the year voting. This is impressive? That’s just funny!
Let’s have a ceremony for him, give him his 11th place trophy and listen to a great speech about how he couldn’t have done it without Braswell dropping deep and playing ball control defense so the offense wouldn’t be tired .
February 10th, 2025 at 4:26 pm
Aqualung( Dave Pear ), with age Todd Bowles is set in his ways. When he makes a change or makes a decision it is well reasoned. If you looked you’d see that he is constantly making decisions that speak to a winning culture. He’s not taking shortcuts and that oughta make for a mighty strong foundation. He should be getting a new contract and a raise.
February 10th, 2025 at 7:28 pm
Well, this’ll be going into, what?, year two or three where cornerback “should have been” the top priority in the draft, imo, and probably others’ as well.
In the draft aftermath, however, it’s pretty damn difficult to argue that Bucky and McMillan weren’t anything short of great draft picks,
and cornerback’ll just have to wait another draft-round.
After a certain amount of time, though, of which we’ve already waited, maybe just by
the laws of football prospects hit n’ miss , it’s time to get lucky at cornerbacks.
With a serious priority for it in this year’s draft, Jason could create his own luck, kind-a-thing; like with receivers and running backs of last year.
Also, it could be interesting to finally see how Opeta can play: last year, the O-line situation was still up in the air, but worked-out to great success; if he’s good, the O-line backup could start looking like the receiver-bench.
Also, Dennis at LB.
February 10th, 2025 at 10:05 pm
Need corners drafted rds 1-3 to do that Dean is at an age where CBS fall off. I am not big on Zyon. Good cbs that are trusted give confidence to dline.
I had no problem rooting for Philly, AJ has been one of my favorites. Many others I like.