Julius Peppers And The Bucs
March 8th, 2017
In a football world where sacks are gold bars and the Bucs general manager says an enhanced pass rush will push Tampa Bay over the hump, Joe thinks minds should be open at One Buc Palace.
Is there a crime in desiring part-time help pressuring the likes of Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton?
This turns to Joe the concept of an old, crafty super-talented pass rusher. Joe’s seen how Dwight Freeney has helped his last two teams — Arizona and Atlanta.
Joe also saw Jason Licht chase but miss DE Trent Cole in free agency last year.
So that brings Joe to defensive end Julius Peppers, a can’t-miss Hall of Famer and one of the best athletes to every wear a helmet. His time in Green Bay appears done. The 37-year-old has 143 1/2 sacks under his belt, including 7 1/2 last year. Peppers hasn’t missed a game in 10 years!
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 draft is just the kind of old warrior a team looking to make a championship push might sign. Do the Bucs see themselves in that light? That’s a key question here.
Perhaps Peppers wants to get out of the cold and line up as a nickel pass rusher alongside a stud disruptor like Gerald McCoy? Joe doesn’t think the idea should be dismissed completely.
The Bucs need to get younger on their D-line, but adding a Peppers-type guy doesn’t mean they can’t.
March 8th, 2017 at 10:38 am
I’m down. It looks like Carolina is going to go after him hard. I’d rather us get him than them.
March 8th, 2017 at 10:40 am
Glad you referenced Dwight Freeney in this article Joe. That is the exact role he will be filling for any team that gets him, not just the Bucs
March 8th, 2017 at 10:43 am
Thanks but no thanks
March 8th, 2017 at 10:48 am
He’d be a very short term rental. Nothing else.
March 8th, 2017 at 10:49 am
Julius Peppers is one of the few post 30 players I would love to have…but at 37???!
Are you insane??????
March 8th, 2017 at 10:50 am
I realize there have been few more durable, but nothing lasts forever.
March 8th, 2017 at 10:50 am
I’m fully expecting us to bring in a DE that I’ve never heard of, but has loads of “potential”. Please prove me wrong Licht.
March 8th, 2017 at 10:51 am
O give the guy respect….he has fought father time hard….but i think father time wins this year…i think Carolina brings him back and he retires a panther
March 8th, 2017 at 10:51 am
Nah. He will resign with packers or panthers option 2
March 8th, 2017 at 10:51 am
@Bonzai,
Did you see what he did last year? Nobody is saying he’s going to get us 15 sacks, but do you really not think he can rush the passer better than Gholston? Everybody keeps writing of Dwight Freeney, but he just keeps on doing his thing year after year.
March 8th, 2017 at 10:54 am
Hawaiian Buc Says:
March 8th, 2017 at 10:51 am
@Bonzai,
Did you see what he did last year? Nobody is saying he’s going to get us 15 sacks, but do you really not think he can rush the passer better than Gholston? Everybody keeps writing of Dwight Freeney, but he just keeps on doing his thing year after year.
—–
So much this.
March 8th, 2017 at 10:54 am
Plus keeping him out of the hands of a division rival is added bonus.
March 8th, 2017 at 10:56 am
Good luck trying to stop him with Dotson or Cherilus or even with the rook Caleb. If he does go back home we better buy a Good RT immediately.
March 8th, 2017 at 11:04 am
Doesn’t Joe say to be careful of what Yoda doesn’t want anymore? 😉
March 8th, 2017 at 11:21 am
Peppers is god for spurts here and there. His days of consistency are long gone. HE spends more time with antics on the field and sidelines than anything these days. I’d avoid him like the plague. Especially at what he will be asking.
March 8th, 2017 at 11:33 am
DB55….us debbie downers need to relax we dont see the mastermind’s inner workings of the 3rd tier FAs as he lets the top tier guys go and build winners….i got xtra bbq sauce for thursday for mine too
March 8th, 2017 at 11:46 am
Dusty
Mine is soaking in a brine for 24 then I put on the rub. Lmao
March 8th, 2017 at 12:12 pm
Sign JP? You’re HIGH!
March 8th, 2017 at 12:31 pm
Those same nay-sayers said the same thing last year, the year before that, the year before that……..
Some were clamoring to retain an average DE with ZERO pass-rush skills, now we’re saying no to a stud? SMH
March 8th, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Take him in a heartbeat. Would be a one year deal that could only help the pass rush. Nothing bad would come of it and he would only help mentor the younger guys on the team.
March 8th, 2017 at 2:06 pm
Hawaiian Buc Says
“@Bonzai,
Did you see what he did last year? Nobody is saying he’s going to get us 15 sacks, but do you really not think he can rush the passer better than Gholston? Everybody keeps writing of Dwight Freeney, but he just keeps on doing his thing year after year.”
He was inconsistent for one thing. But that’s not the problem I have. The issue is that his healthy cannot last forever, and even you have to admit that 37-38 is pushing it for a defensive end.
March 8th, 2017 at 2:23 pm
The Bucs aren’t looking for contractors.
March 8th, 2017 at 2:38 pm
Im all for peppering the QB from time to time… Noah would benifit more than anyone… DO IT DO IT…. HECK YEAH DO IT NOW…
March 8th, 2017 at 3:05 pm
Nope…..he’s done. 37 years old. No way…move on.
March 8th, 2017 at 4:31 pm
Who on the roster do you want to displace for 1 year of Peppers? Not Ayers, Spence, or Gholston. Jacq Smith, if he remains healthy, could put up 8-10 sacks easily, and he’s still young. I also fully expect them to draft another DE. So where exactly does Peppers fit?
This kind of thinking is why Joe has the 2 year window idea. If you make moves purely for the short term, you cripple yourself over the longer term. If you don’t use roster spots to develop players, instead relying on short timers, then the cupboard is bare when the old timer leaves.
The window is open as long as you have a franchise QB and your team keeps a good balance of drafting well, developing young players, and sprinkling in free agents that strengthen the locker room and can perform for a few years.
Joe is not a GM, thankfully.
March 8th, 2017 at 8:23 pm
I love peppers. He always has a positive impact on games, making plays when they need to be made.
With that said, i would prefer to develop Noah Spence as our pass rush specialist. I would also like to see what we can get out of jac smith as a pass rusher. With gholston, ayers, spence, and smith i don’t see any reason to add peppers at this point. We need to plan for the future as much as the now. Pepper maybe goes another year before he hangs up the cleats. Develop Smith and Spence. They show promise.
March 8th, 2017 at 8:26 pm
I totally agree with 365. It is foolish to think the bucs only have a 2 year window. This team is young and on the rise, oh and we have a ton of money to play with. If we continue to draft well, there is no reason we can’t build a dynasty.
March 8th, 2017 at 9:10 pm
Might as well sign Roddy White as well lol
March 9th, 2017 at 7:53 pm
Don’t sleep on Ryan Russell. He has potential.