Top-Shelf Edge Rushers
August 5th, 2021
No. 2.
It seems like another century, but in fact, it was four years ago.
The Bucs were a garbage team rushing the passer. They mustered just 22 sacks. Meanwhile, opposing quarterbacks lit them up like a fireworks display.
Coincidence? Hell no!
Joe remembers sitting just to the right of Dirk Koetter at the NFL combine asking him what his team needed to do in order to contend for a playoff spot. Koetter stared right at Joe and without blinking said, “I can tell you what we can’t do: We can’t have only 22 sacks!”
A few weeks later, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht thieved Jason Pierre-Paul away from the Giants for a third-round pick.
Fast forward two years and the Bucs signed a non-descript backup edge rusher for pocket change, Shaq Barrett.
Few had any inkling that for a third-round draft pick and a few Team Glazer shekels, the Bucs would have the best pass-rushing duo in the NFC. But that’s just what Thomas Bassinger, typing for Football Outsiders, documents. Only one pair of edge rushers in the NFL was better.
🏈 Only one tandem of edge rushers (T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree of the Steelers) has generated more sacks over the past two seasons than the 45.5 combined sacks for Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul. No other edge rusher on the roster has more than one. Joe Tryon, whom the Buccaneers drafted at the end of the first round in May, and Anthony Nelson, whom they drafted in the fourth round in 2019, are projected to be the primary backups.
Yeah, it is pretty thin on the edge after Shaq and JPP, but rookie Joe Tryon seems promising.
Let’s put it this way: If Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is spending the time developing packages in which to use Tryon, the guy must be showing the Bucs something in training camp.
Joe thinks with the Bucs just finishing a 20-game season including the playoffs, with a short offseason and now a new 17-game regular season, JPP and Shaq might need to shave their snap totals to save gas.
If Tryon can play adequately enough to allow Shaq and JPP extra breathers, that may go a long way to the Bucs repeating as Super Bowl champions.
August 5th, 2021 at 8:17 am
Sack and Repeat
August 5th, 2021 at 8:22 am
If wishes were fishes we’d all have a fry. So much early hype about Tryon. Hope it’s real.
August 5th, 2021 at 8:25 am
Success is never taking you your foot off the gas pedal. The entire organization from Ownership, management, coaches and players all have a clear understanding of what it takes to repeat. Go Bucs
August 5th, 2021 at 8:27 am
If Joe Tryon can just give Shaq and JPP a break, he will be worth the pick.
August 5th, 2021 at 8:51 am
Tryon is in an ideal situation. He’s not being thrust into a starting role, and he’s going to learn from two of the best in the league. When he spots JPP or Shaq in early games, the sacks will be less important than the real-game experience. By the end of the season, he will hopefully have a solid understanding of the Buc’s defensive scheme, will have honed his techniques, and be ready to step in for the starters without a drop off in performance.
August 5th, 2021 at 9:03 am
Dont forget they can move jpp inside on passing downs
Tryon , vea , jpp And shaq
Again that is if tryon is tryin to dominate
And Give suh a veteran breather 😂
August 5th, 2021 at 9:25 am
Bowles is in his dark lab with that sinister laugh conjuring up ways to makes Tryon look like Julius Peppers
August 5th, 2021 at 9:40 am
I’m looking for more sacks out of the CBs this year…..last year we had ZERO….I think we can improve on that…..
August 5th, 2021 at 10:24 am
Tryon could line up as an ILB for David on some long passing downs. Imagine Barrett, JPP, Suh, Vea, White, and Tryon all getting after the QB…
August 5th, 2021 at 10:49 am
Cobra
Or run a 4-3 set
Shaq suh vea and JPP
With tryon , white and lavonte
Pure filth there !
August 5th, 2021 at 12:01 pm
@Joe … “Fast forward two years and the Bucs signed a non-descript backup edge rusher for pocket change, Shaq Barrett.”
You make it sound like we stole JPP from the Giants Joe, but reality was the Giants were hurting money-wise, and the Bucs picked up JPPs salary to get them off the hook PLUS added in the 3rd round pick. For us it was more a matter of being in the right place at the right time, with plenty of money to get a seat at the table. Not to mention that Bucs had close to zero true pass-rushers at the time.
Timing is everything as entertainers used to say. When I look at some of the 1st rounders we’ve grabbed over the years, it’s obvious that ‘good fortune’ was smiling on us. OJ fell to #19. We got Vea at # 12, and Tristan Wirfs at #13. Even many of our 2nd Rnd picks were a matter of ‘being in the right place at the right time’. LVD was the 58th player taken. Gholston lasted until #126, Marpet util #61, and then much of our Secondary (Davis, SMB until #39 and Winfield until #45. That’s a LOT of talent to be drafting fairly well down the ladder.
Good fortune isn’t the same as good luck though IMO. Bucs were well-armed in having done their homework on those players, and were in a position to pull-the-trigger on the right player at the right time. Pretty much the same goes IMO with some of the FAs we’ve picked up since BA has been here. Being in a good position to sign quality players like Suh, JPP, Shaq, Jensen, Brown, Gronk and of course Brady means that management & coaching is doing their jobs well I think.
August 5th, 2021 at 12:08 pm
Whitehead had an untouched sack in practice today.
The Bucs players are so versatile. They can show a lot of different looks this year.
The Bucs offense is amazing and the defense is even better.
August 5th, 2021 at 3:20 pm
So almost every phase of the game is looking very strong BUT. What about punt and kickoff coverage. That was a glaring weakness last season. Too many opponents starting off from near their 40. I have not seen any reports about special teams so far. Hope the Bucs can make a big improvement there.
August 6th, 2021 at 1:43 am
I think Anthony Nelson will surprise a lot of people… He’ll be better than Tryon… Mark it down now that I said it