The Henry Melton Experiment
September 2nd, 2015
Test run at defensive end.
Joe isn’t sure what has Bucs fans freaked out more: The prospect of America’s Quarterback, Bucs signal-caller, Jameis Winston, being maimed or the continued years-long struggle to find someone, anyone, to get consistent heat on an opposing quarterback.
If Bucs fans can see the problem in a drunken daze on 70-inch HDTV, trust Joe, so too can Bucs officials, including defensive shot-caller Lovie Smith.
With the only respectable pass rusher from the edge on the roster, Jacquies Smith, out with a bum shoulder, he of the robust 6.5 sacks last year (by Bucs standards the past decade, that’s Reggie White territory), it seems Lovie is leaving no stones unturned trying to solve the pass-rush puzzle.
One of those stones is using Henry Melton as a defensive end. Defanged defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier discussed Melton rushing from the edge yesterday.
“We know he has that capability,” Frazier said of using Melton, normally a defensive tackle, at end. “We’ll see as we go. Nothing is conclusive at this point. We just want to be able to take a look at him out there and see how he moved around. He’s done it before. He’s quite an athlete, as you know. We’ll see how it goes as we get closer to September 13th.
“He’s done a good job. He’s a very savvy guy who has real good athletic ability and understands the game well. He’s given us another option. We have some things to talk about as we prepare for the 13th.”
Joe has a hunch — no one has told Joe, but you don’t have to be a physicist to do the math — Lovie understands he needs wins this year. No, Joe doesn’t believe Lovie is in jeopardy, barring another catastrophe like last year.
And Joe is pretty sure Lovie knows if he doesn’t start putting opposing quarterbacks on their backs, the possibility of a repeat of last year isn’t exactly an impossibility.
To hear more from Frazier, click the arrow below. Audio courtesy of Joe’s friends at WDAE-AM 620.
September 2nd, 2015 at 1:16 pm
Should be the best at stopping the run with at end Melton no excuses there. If he draw some help from opposing ol’s and te may allow a fresh platoon at the end position. Wear down opposing teams Ol by halftime.
September 2nd, 2015 at 1:18 pm
If Lovie wants some sacks….he will need to use his LBs, CBs & Ss more often….because he likely won’t get them from the DEs…..
September 2nd, 2015 at 1:43 pm
Allowing the opposing team to keep the ball on offense for 35-40 mins a game might tire them out, but it doesn’t seem like much of a winning strategy. Bucs defense has to do a better job of getting off the field quickly, whether it be by forcing takeaways or getting 3-and-out’s. Defense (and special teams) also has to do a better job of getting the ball to our offense with much better field position. Sustained 90-yard drives are hard to come by, especially with 3-4 rookies potentially starting on offense.
September 2nd, 2015 at 1:51 pm
We seem to have a history with this defense of doing pretty well on 1st and 2nd down…..then getting burned on a 3rd down pass for “whatever yardage is necessary”…..I believe it is because we rely on coverage instead of pressure on the QB…..that strategy has failed. We need to blitz more on third down and cover the TEs better.
September 2nd, 2015 at 1:54 pm
My vote is Winston being maimed.
September 2nd, 2015 at 2:00 pm
I think we should get creative. We have 3 or 4 players capable of playing 3 technique but we just line GMC up there and let people triple team him. Why not use that versatility to move GMC around and create match up problems and 1 on 1 situations. Its easy yo block your best pass rusher when you always know where he is.
September 2nd, 2015 at 2:53 pm
destro44 – right on target! -“We should get creative”- you got it. Now my man, how do we do that? In my oldtimers days we said “coach ’em up.”
Uh, oh, problem. Who have we got that can coach ’em up? All I have seen so far is staff who think like uh, maybe we can trade Glennon for RG III. Give the ticket buyers a break and get some quality at the tippy top.
September 2nd, 2015 at 2:56 pm
@TBBF
I agree completely with both of your posts. And while Lovie’s defense has historically been predicated on the pressure coming from the front four he needs to be flexible.
He certainly changed his approach offensively this year…drafting Fameis…high draft picks all offense…Koetter’s hire…hopefully he can also CHANGE his mindset on D a bit.
I agree with your take TBBF about pressure coming from CB’s and Safeties for confusion sake but I’m really hopeful Lovie will take advantage of the speed and athleticism of our LB’s. Lavonte only had one sack last year after recording 7 the year before when Schiano was not afraid to blitz him. If we could get ten sacks from LVD and Kwon and Lasannah/Carter combined that could be a big help.
September 2nd, 2015 at 3:12 pm
Ruggyup. For starters why not let him play sone DE from time to time. I recall Reggie White started out as a DT and the change to DE helped open some space for him to be very productive. At the least, it makes offences plan for different looks and identify where he is every play. Maybe we can create some confusion on blocking assignments and get a free rusher from time to time. But right now teams spend all week game planning to neutralise the 3 technique. Obviously that hasn’t been working out for us.
September 2nd, 2015 at 3:24 pm
Melton should hold up at end with Johnson or Smith on the field for first and second down but I think on pass rush situations they should use FAT and Sudbury, jr. They both have that energy coming off the edge and that’s all we really need to send this defense into the top ten is energy and speed off the edges because the interior is great for sacks off the pressure and the linebackers speed we have they will get sacks too. I would make Smith work his way back in slowly seeing as hes nursing a shoulder injury that can easily be reinjured. I think they also should start Bruce Carter at SAM this season. The first defense looked great when he was out there with first team instead of Lansannah.
September 2nd, 2015 at 3:27 pm
Destro and ruggyup
Have you watched the last 2 pre season games????
GMC has lined up all over the line. It was outstanding against the bengals and sucked against the Browns.
Such is pre season and the nature of trying new things.
September 2nd, 2015 at 3:43 pm
Dave. I saw lots of stunts and twists but I don’t recall seeing them try to isolate GMC on a tackle or lined up at end. Ussually is seens the have him push into the backfield and bring the end in underneath him. Perhaps I kissed the movement you are reffering to.
September 2nd, 2015 at 3:52 pm
He gotta play Henry Melton and Will Gholston at DE/DT. We have 3 DTs that only play Dt, Will Gholston has out played all of them this preseason at DT. If we go Henry Melton and George Johnson at DE, GMC and Clinton McDonald and have Will Gholston spotting them. That should be our pass package. Our run package should have Tony McDaniel and Will Gholston at DT. GMC is a liability in the run game, so was Warren Sapp. We should blitz Kwon Alexander, the same way the Bears did with Brian Urlacher. Urlacher got 41 sacks with the Bears, Kwon can get more because of his speed. When Tony McDaniel is at DT, Kwon should be unstoppable.
September 2nd, 2015 at 5:15 pm
Thank you Dave. They do line GMC up all over the line. I love how all these geniuses are telling Lovie Smith how to run his Def. I’d like to see the players get a chance to learn the system and execute it well before any major changes. The Bucs have blitz packages and have been consistently changing things up. The Def will be the least of our worries this season. This team needs run the ball effectively.
LakelandBucfan might be right that Koetter pass happy system won’t work with the Bucs current OL & how missing out on Mularkey maybe fatal. I hope to see a much more creative play calling in the reg. season.Lots of toses to RB screens, hitch passes to WR so they get the ball out of Jameis’s hands faster than they did in the preseason.
September 2nd, 2015 at 5:54 pm
Connor Orr over at NFL mobile called George Johnson a top 20 defensive end today… So there’s that. Even if its not true it feels good to think about
September 2nd, 2015 at 6:47 pm
Stanglassman. I do agree that the coaches have been open to changes but I haven’t noticed McCoy “all over the line” if he was I guess it just didn’t result in any impact. I have to disagree that the defence is the least of our worries. Our defensive system without a pass rush results in long easy drives like Mccown of all people had against us last game. Now that said, its pre-season but given the state of the pass rush last year I’m sceptical about it this year. I just watch teams move their impact players around to create favorable matchups, but rarely see us do the same.
September 2nd, 2015 at 8:27 pm
Speaking of experiments…we should be discussing the failed Incompetent Lovie Smith with his little lapdog GM experiment.
September 2nd, 2015 at 9:06 pm
Maybe we could trade for clayborne in atl. They are ultra stoked with him. Lovie the gm is going to get lovie the coach fired
September 2nd, 2015 at 10:38 pm
Destro44- If you are explaining to me that for in order for the Tampa 2 Def to work consistently you have to get pressure on the QB with your front four? Yes. I agree. I also believe last year the coaches knew that the def was learning the system and asking them to do much wouldn’t be wise. This season we will see Def players moving around in order to get pressure on the QB in unexpected ways. Isn’t that what this article is about?
September 2nd, 2015 at 11:48 pm
canadas QB JW will be there soon. HE has bust written all over him
September 3rd, 2015 at 10:47 pm
We need to leave Melton at DE. We have plenty of DL already. Melton is our best chance to stop the run as a DE and he will get you at least five sacks at the same time because he is both quick and powerful and has good speed to run down the QB. Best of all he can disrupt and run the QB the other way right into Johnson too in order to get him his sacks. Til we get a premium sacker next year this is our best starting Combo. When Smith comes back he should relieve both DEs. When you face a real good running team put Gholston at the other DE position. Hated to see English go down but we will be OK and we really have LBs to make the blitzes work this year.