“Dude, This Guy Is A Stud”
April 12th, 2018
Iconic Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber calls NFC games for FOX and performs pregame deep dives into film to prepare.
On top of that, two days before a game Barber interviews coaches, team officials and top players from both teams so he can soak in as much as he can and deliver intelligent analysis.
Barber called three Giants games last year, so he’s got a firm opinion on Jason Pierre-Paul.
“Whenever I’m preparing to do a Giants game, I’m like, ‘Dude, this guys is a stud.’ He can still rush the passer. He plays with passion,” Barber said on WDAE-AM 620.
“I think what Jason Licht and Dirk Koetter, these guys making decisions on free agents here, they’re looking for guys that want to love football, to come in and change your football team because of how they approach their game. And from what I know about the Giants and from what I know about him as a person, he loves football. And he’ll change your locker room and that helps immediately. He still has sacks in him. I think he’s a perfect match for this football team. I hope it’s a perfect match for this football team.
“There was guys that were here rushing the passer that just didn’t pan out and then they got injuries. You know, you finish in the league last in sacks in the NFL, you’re not going to win. I don’t care how good your secondary is, how good your linebackers are. This league is built on guys that can rush the passer, and if you don’t have them, you’re not going to win.”
Joe’s pleased to hear Barber’s take on Pierre-Paul. How encouraging is that!
However, Joe will take a quick minute to remind Barber that one or two teams makes the playoffs every year with a miserable sacks total. Last year it was Buffalo with 27 sacks, just five more than the Bucs. Heck, the last good team Ronde played on, the 10-win Bucs of 2010, had just 26 sacks and won 10 games (that should have been 11).
Regardless, Pierre-Paul should take the Bucs’ pass rush from pathetic to at least below average, which should mean significantly more wins for Tampa Bay.
April 12th, 2018 at 10:04 am
🍻 to below average!!!
April 12th, 2018 at 10:07 am
JPP was our best option amongst a sea of mediocrity for available DEs this year.
Bad FA choices and any DE drafted this year aside from Chubb at the top of rd 1 will be a reach.
Bucs were desperate and Licht really pulled this deal and this player out of his a$$
Nice job Jason Licht!!
Now go find us some secondary help along with a RB and an OG and this 2018 Buccaneers team will be ready to Rock & Roll.
April 12th, 2018 at 10:07 am
the additional pressure created by our rebuilt d-line should also enable our d-backs to blanket the receivers, creating more turnovers and 3 and out situations….these upgrades should turn into wins…and the playoffs baby!
April 12th, 2018 at 10:18 am
We are fortunate to have JPP. He is the best DE we have had here since Rice. We only had to give up a 3rd round pick to get him. That being said I am keeping my expectation low… If he gets 8 sacks plays tough against the run and gets steady pressure on the QB it will be a great deal for us.
April 12th, 2018 at 10:20 am
Tampa getting JPP was a brilliant move by Jason Licht, that has finally given us Fans something to really cheer about for the upcoming season.
I can not think of a better use of our 3rd round pick, can you ?
April 12th, 2018 at 10:20 am
“He can STILL rush the passer”. Is Jpp being questioned??
April 12th, 2018 at 10:21 am
LOL!
Sack totals upgraded to…”below average”
Now THAT’S AKick’nTheBucNuts!
April 12th, 2018 at 10:24 am
Joe
Not to be a nitpicker but Buffalo is not benchmark of a playoff team…and neither is JAX. Both teams improved and had good seasons for them….I want more this year out of the Bucs.
The Buffalo Jax playoff game was just abysmal. It totally reinforced all those arguments out there that the NFL draft system which pleases most of us because it DOES produce close competition…also produced mediocrity.
Mediocrity is the best I can say for Buffalo or Jax. They were as desperate as us and I realize if we back our way into a spot in the playoffs we’ll be happy even if it’s one and done. We’ll all be preening and primping our Buc colors and say what improvement. Yeah I’m sure I’ll be at the head of that parade.
But in my head as well as my heart I just do not enjoy rooting for mediocrity.
If the Bucs get in the playoffs and are one and done….not enough.
April 12th, 2018 at 10:28 am
The pressure JPP WILL create alone will be a huge help…..whether or not he gets his hooks into the QB…
April 12th, 2018 at 10:51 am
I like JPP I’m just curious as to why every giants fan I talk to acts like we did them a favor? No one is saying he can’t play but they darn sure aren’t upset about losing him. I’m chalking it up to a money issue. 🤞🏽
April 12th, 2018 at 10:53 am
DB55…Giant fans are whistling past the grave yard….sour grapes….rationalizing their loss….sure they had his best days and suffered the past 2 seasons dealing with his injury….for the Bucs it will be a HUGE help….
April 12th, 2018 at 10:58 am
AlteredEgo Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
April 12th, 2018 at 10:53 am
DB55…Giant fans are whistling past the grave yard….sour grapes….rationalizing their loss….sure they had his best days and suffered the past 2 seasons dealing with his injury….for the Bucs it will be a HUGE help….
April 12th, 2018 at 11:12 am
Only 5 more sacks but ~20 more pressures; at least per some PFF graph on total pressures by a front 7.
Eagles lead the league at 309 pressures.
Bucs were at 179; just slightly ahead of the Giants (172); and Browns (142).
The Giants & Browns were getting blown out most games so teams didn’t really need to pass much in the 3rd & 4th quarters as they were just killing clock. I’m guessing that’s the only reason they are worse than us – as they likely faced maybe 50-100+ less pass attempts or more due to game script.
April 12th, 2018 at 11:15 am
No doubt he improves an anemic pass rush, but was he worth a 3rd rounder?
April 12th, 2018 at 11:21 am
DoSome…if he plays 3 years …yes he’ll be worth a 3 rounder…he is already a proven NFL commodity …unlike a 3rd round draft pick most certainly not able to contribute next September
April 12th, 2018 at 11:31 am
The teams that made the playoffs with a few more sacks than the Bucs got more QB pressiures though.
April 12th, 2018 at 11:47 am
LC- Good point! Sacks are just part of the equation. Pressure can lead to mistakes and those can lead to points.
Last I checked, Buc defenders not named Gerald McCoy haven’t even been in the same zipcode as a QB! I heard that Drew Brees ordered JimmyJohns TWICE in the SAME game last year!!!
April 12th, 2018 at 12:09 pm
he’s better than anything we have….point blank period……
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
April 12th, 2018 at 12:32 pm
AE and the many others who have found themselves in “moderation”.
Joe has to protect his investment and his work in JBF and so they have filters.
Computers are great but they can’t make human decisions and they don’t have critical thinking skills all though with all the dang frightening AI work being done they’re real close.
I get in moderation a few times a week. It’s almost always a word that I forgot or a link that I’ve placed. Joe has to make sure he’s not stealing other product with any illegal links so I respect his need to check it out first.
IMHO JBF is more than fair about “moderation” and my experience is Joe or his interns do a great job of checking these out and putting them up online pretty quickly if they clear.
April 12th, 2018 at 12:48 pm
StPete….I have NEVER posted anything inappropriate ….NEVER….and it certainly would be helpful for everyone to know just what boundaries are….easy enough for Joe to comment or flag a post as getting close to the edge so everyone can see or have a link to page of stored examples of inappropriate posting…
April 12th, 2018 at 2:21 pm
I’m not resigned to improving to “below average”… I want to go all the way to average! I think we might even be able to go to slightly above average if we can get a healthy Noah Spence rolling.
April 12th, 2018 at 3:14 pm
I have seen comments on several different sites with bad talk about trading McCoy. I like McCoy but I really would like to draft DT Ed Oliver out of University of Houston in the 2019 draft. This guy is a stud. Reminds me
a lot of Ndamukong Suh. Get him next year n draft Bradley Chubb this year then we r set on defense for the next 10 yrs. With constant pressure n or sacking the qb, then we only need mediocre corners to take up the slack.
April 12th, 2018 at 3:29 pm
JPP is good. But..he is NOT what he use to be. And Curry is very sporadic. He will play hard. And that might not equate to many sacks. Double down Buc Mngt. Get another quality De in this draft. We need him. You can never have enough of them. Besides, a good pass rush will take mega pressure off of your Defensive backs. Don’t for one minute think we have the pass rush problems solved. Yes, we are better..But not yet..Better enough!!
April 12th, 2018 at 4:57 pm
Trade down and get Vea or Davenport and hopefully Hernandez in the second. These players don’t come off as busts to me. These guys could make the trenches on both sides go from six to midnight.
April 12th, 2018 at 5:19 pm
Mike Johnson
Depending how round one and two go, I would love to get DE Okoronkwo (OU) if he’s available in the fourth. I think they were talking to him at the combine or senior bowl but I don’t know if they’ve brought him in for a private meeting yet. He’s so fast at getting to the QB and good hand motion.