Ugly Analysis On Bucs’ DE
December 23rd, 2017
Harsh conclusion.
The Bucs defensive line — sans six-time Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy and always reliable Clinton McDonald — has been straight trash this year.
And it isn’t just Joe who is seeing it. So too has Bleacher Report.
In an article picking the worst valued players at each position in the NFL, Justis Mosqueda believes Bucs defensive end Will Gholston is the worst starting defensive end when factoring in his $7 million salary for 2017.
Despite never recording more than three sacks a season in his career, the Buccaneers gave Gholston a $27.5 million deal this offseason. In 2017, he has recorded as many sacks as you, the reader. In terms of bang for your buck, Gholston has to top anyone’s list.
Joe cannot argue with any of this. However, Gholston’s forte is stopping the run. He’s still decent at that but has fallen off some. Just based on the defensive line results as a whole, Joe has to wonder Gholston’s true value stopping the run.
You can’t tell Joe there won’t be a defensive end on the open market in March who is one dimensional like Gholston — a guy who could be had for half of what the Bucs are paying Gholston.
The contract Mosqueda cites in his story? The lone year Gholston’s contract is guaranteed was for 2017. So the Bucs could cut Gholston loose without any salary cap ramifications so long as he is released by March 18, when Gholston is due a 2018 roster bonus.
December 23rd, 2017 at 1:12 am
History repeating itself some 30 years later. 1987 was the strike shortened season where we had players who wouldn’t normally make a NFL roster much less start. Gm’s across the league put together teams with players that crossed picket lines and they were nicknamed “SCABS”…. That year your Tampa Bay Buccaneers won how many games? Yes, you guessed it just 4 games! Fast forward to 2017. Sitting at just 4 wins and We have a team full of players that wouldn’t normally make a NFL roster much less start! Sure this season is somewhat different. We have a GM who has price gouged the hell out of the owners and the fans. Ticket paying fans and a fans like myself who has moved away from Tampa and the only way to watch History repeat itself for me is through Direct tv’s NFL Sunday ticket. Our GM has made millionaires out of SCABS! What’s Pam Bondi’s number? 2017 THE YEAR OF THE SCAB
December 23rd, 2017 at 1:18 am
“In 20w17, he has recorded as many sacks as you, the reader.”
Lmao that line is hilarious.
One thing Licht consistently gets right is making sure he gives out team friendly contracts. I do acknowledge and respect that. Especially when I see how other teams stay in salary cap purgatory year after year.
December 23rd, 2017 at 1:20 am
You don’t pay a one dimensional defensive end a high salary unless his one dimension is rushing the passer. There are too many serviceable defensive ends that can play the run for cheap. Take into account the fact that we have a six time pro bowl defensive tackle to lead our run defense and the money wasted on a run stopping end is even more egregious. Time to cut bait with Gholston and whoever is the lead NFL scout. Licht clearly has solid scouts in place for college ball but the NFL scouts providing him the information on free agents to sign have been a joke.
December 23rd, 2017 at 1:39 am
One thing that has irked me about Coach’s Koetter was his remark about Calais Campbell and not having enough money. I am not privy to the actual numbers, but most analysts have the Bucs with plenty of Cap space to spare with all the off-season moves. I don’t mind giving Gholston some coin and letting him be rotational because a) his contract is team friendly, B) we still have money to spare to lock others up. As sad as it is, this line was banking on Noah Spence blowing up. Gholston does what he does. And he does it well. Perhaps this individual who wrote the cited article should look at another free agent DL as a waste, you know, the one with the gut who I haven’t seen in a position to celebrate his play on the field. I at least se Will going beast when he seals the edge. Not always, but more then Baker
December 23rd, 2017 at 1:56 am
6/30/17 Fox sports wrote Bucs GM Jason Licht is one of the NFL’s best. Based the story primarily on players drafted and starting or who is still with the team. Factual numbers have Licht even ahead of the Patriots, via the draft that is. Besides the infamous Roberto Aguayo and a few others he has been pretty good on draft day. Difference between winners and The Bucs is the coaching! New England picks up players no one wants and coaches them to fit in. I’m not trying to compare DK to probably the greatest NFL coach ever. But with this coaching staff you can’t take those players no one wants and expect to turn it all around. Licht should’ve went after the ones everybody wanted and paid them and watched them kick A$$ on Sunday’s. Peppers doesn’t need a HOF Coach to coach him up to sack Winston on Sunday! He has 250,000 reasons to bust Winston in the mouth come Sunday! Then he’ll probably knock him down a few more times just for the hell of it!!! Cause he can.
December 23rd, 2017 at 1:57 am
So the fanatical annual expectation that our average players will become good or great is facing skepticism?
Gholston is a physical freak, but an average at best NFL football player.
I’m honestly concerned about the ‘family’ approach that this team seems to have, as it makes it impossible to cut dead weight.
December 23rd, 2017 at 3:15 am
Remove Doug Martin ($7 million) and Swaggy Baker ($6 million) and there is your cash for Calais Campbell.
December 23rd, 2017 at 6:53 am
@The Year of the Scab … “Difference between winners and The Bucs is the coaching!” Please don’t buy into the ‘Coaching is the Bucs whole problem’ schtick. Is it PART of the problem? Most definitely. Is it the WHOLE problem? Not hardly. Too many media & fans talk about ‘coaching up’ players to perform magnificently on game-days. In high school & even in college I tend to think that’s possible (to varying degrees), but at the professional level not-so-much. These guys get paid millions for a reason: they (supposedly) come in as ‘The Best of the Best’. Bucs as a T-E-A-M simply aren’t nearly as talented as other T-E-A-M-S in our division. And what’s worse is that the other 3 NFC South T-E-A-M-S are getter even better each year while the Bucs are regressing in too many areas (DLine? OLine? CBs? RBs?)
December 23rd, 2017 at 7:09 am
Most of us liked Gholston and were in favor of a nice payday for him but he hasn’t performed and either needs to be cut or have his contract renegotiated with performance incentives.
That not only gives us opportunities to improve the team but it sends a message……If you take Gholston, Ayres & Baker’s salaries and exchanged them for one very high performing player, that would be certainly better.
December 23rd, 2017 at 7:27 am
Really like Gholston’s, effort. I do believe he has gotten a lot more doubleteams
than previous years because he has been so good stopping the run. Hard to tell
if Spence will be able to return and be injury free. I wouldn’t put my money
on it. Licht might, he did it with Doug Martin.
We really need a stouter DE that can play both the run and the pass equally well.
This way you haven’t tied up two roster spots and you will have an extra spot for
depth or other needs on the 53 man roster.
December 23rd, 2017 at 7:50 am
I said it in the off-season and I will say it again, you do not pay a one-dimensional run stopper in a passing league. This one and the Doug Martin decisions were no brainers and the Bucs blew both.
December 23rd, 2017 at 9:02 am
No excuses Which we…seem to be in plenty supply of. If a man is getting doubled team them the pickings for somebody else on the line are ripe as hell. GMC gets doubled, even tripled teamed sometimes. Yet nobody steps up during their single coverage. I’m starting to think its coaching. I know we can get more out of these guys than we are getting. Helll, we can’t even set another man up..for a sack!!!! I say FIRE the ever Smiling..Pressbox sitting, Binocular viewing,Non troop leading, Defensive Coordinator Smitty!! And Fire him…NOW!!!!!!!!!
December 23rd, 2017 at 9:03 am
The defensive line needs the same turnover the wide receivers group got. Only keep 1-2 and flip the rest. Gholston included.
December 23rd, 2017 at 9:33 am
Buc Bonzai. I agree. There may be maybeee 3 0r 4 on the entire Defense we can keep. But other than that..Just Gut it!!!!!!
December 23rd, 2017 at 9:36 am
Yah. They bet on him and lost big. Yah he can stop the run. But he can’t even sniff a qb
December 23rd, 2017 at 10:26 am
The guys I would keep on D-line would be McDonald & McCoy. Maybe Clark & Russell as backups. Get rid of the rest. Need at the very least two DE in draft or FA & go from there. #1 pick has to be a DE.
December 23rd, 2017 at 6:19 pm
Steelers just cut Harrison. He’s a 3-4 LB but a pass rush animal.plus he has a VERY BAD DISPOSITION. I’m praying the Bucs grab him thisvoffseason. He’s old but still productive and better than what we have. A cheap 1 or 2 yr deal wld be great
December 24th, 2017 at 12:29 am
Lots of duds and drugs. Our front office is trash. Has been for years.
Ownership sucks too.
Sell the Glazers!