Who Shaq Barrett Really Is?
November 11th, 2023
Data tells a story.
Last year, Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett was in his eighth game of the season when he blew out his Achilles and landed on injured reserve.
Now, Shaq has completed eight games of the 2023 campaign after major surgery and rehab, and the year-over-year statistical parallels are striking.
Shaq had three sacks and 20 solo tackles in eight games last season. Those numbers are the exact same this year in the same number of games. Shaq also has six quarterback hits this season, and he had six before the major injury last season.
It’s almost like Shaq is the same player he was right before he got hurt. That’s sort of good and sort of bad for a 31-year-old edge rusher who appears past his prime.
Yes, Shaq has an interception and a couple of force fumbles this season, more than he had last year in those categories. But he also has just one tackle for loss in 2023, which is way off the pace of his previous years.
Shaq definitely is a good player and not everything he does shows up on the stat sheet. Joe holds out hope for Shaq to continue to improve this season as his Achilles injury gets smaller in the rear view mirror.
Still, Joe is wondering if Bucs fans already have seen the best Shaq has to offer. And what beautiful music it was for three seasons, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
November 11th, 2023 at 1:59 pm
I was a bit surprised to find that Shaq was among our highest rated defensive starters on defense behind Winfield and Vea.
LVD is #4 in the low 70s.
Everyone else is graded as below average.
November 11th, 2023 at 2:04 pm
Im not sure Shaq is 100 percent yet from his injury. It took Godwin a whole season.
November 11th, 2023 at 2:13 pm
Licht may have to make a tough choice regarding Shaq this offseason. First approach him and see if he is willing to take a paycut. If not then the next choice maybe tough. Hope I’m wrong, and Shaq improves this season going forward. Bucs definitely should keep David though. David doesn’t even look like he is 33. He is playing like vintage David. And he is a class-act leader for this team. You would think DWhite would try to imitate David’s leadership but that doesn’t seem to be happening. Goodbye DWhite.
November 11th, 2023 at 2:14 pm
Barrett is becoming the new Gerald McCoy where he’s invisible most of the game then gets an occasional sack in garbage time.
November 11th, 2023 at 2:54 pm
The Bucs have too many holes in their defense for Shaq to just rush the passer.
One of the holes he has to fill is the place where Devin White is.
He would also do better if the center of the line got more consistent penetration.
It would also help if we didn’t face so many mobile QBs. Shaq has to set the edge on his side, something he is doing much better than the guy across the line.
November 11th, 2023 at 3:26 pm
Love me some Shaq. Beautiful player in his prime. Nuf said
November 11th, 2023 at 3:35 pm
YES JOE YOU FINALLY GET IT were in full rebuild mode! cant wait till next season
November 11th, 2023 at 5:38 pm
He’s a one trick Pony that’s gone out to pasture .
November 11th, 2023 at 6:35 pm
I keep wondering what actions this coaching staff should take to make us more competitive in our remaining 2023 season. The BYE is past; the trade deadline is past. We’re 3-5 with 9 games to go … 3 games against teams with winning records (at 5-3 San Fran; 6-2 Jaguars here; 5-4 Saints here) plus 6 games against teams with losing records (at 3-5 Titans; at 4-5 Colts; 1-8 Panthers here; at 4-5 Falcons; at 3-5 Packers; at 1-8 Panthers).
The way I see it, we have a chance to go 1-2 at home and 5-1 on the road for the rest of the season, assuming that we beat teams with a losing record but lose to teams with a winning record to date). That’d give us a winning 9-8 record this season (whoopee), probably result in us missing the playoffs, and causing us to pick in the middle-of-the-pack in the next draft.
But HOW do we go 6-3 the rest of the way? Since the ‘status quo’ has gotten us to 3-5 thus far, logic would say that we need to change some things. With no cavalry in sight, I’d personally like to see us do the following (then hope for no injuries):
On defense:
o Move Izien back to Safety in place of Neal.
o Plug in Delaney at Nickel CB in place of Izien.
o Get Diaby on the field a lot more (in selective situations though).
o Get Nelson on the field a lot more (again, in selective situations though)
o Get Gaines on the field a lot more in place of Hall (in packages with Vea & Kancey to try to get more inside pressure).
o Get Dennis on the field more as a 3rd LB with LVD & White (probably in a more traditional 4-3-4 alignment for select situations).
On offense:
o Use some 2 RB sets with White lining up more like a slot WR.
o Use a lot more roll-outs than we’ve been using.
o Use more 6th OLinemen formations (in place of 2 TEs).
o Use even more shotgun formations.
o Run less; pass more on downs 1 & 2.
And if/when those don’t work, keep trying other things until something does work.
November 11th, 2023 at 7:39 pm
Defense Rules. That would require we have a head coach that adapts and adjusts his style, to his players abilities. Unfortunately, “we do what we do”.
November 11th, 2023 at 7:52 pm
We need to cut bait with Shaq after the season, if we can. He’s up there in years and has not produced enough to justify the money.
I love the guy, don’t get me wrong. But business is business and getting him off the cap would help a lot.
November 11th, 2023 at 7:54 pm
Craig Says:
“One of the holes he has to fill is the place where Devin White is.”
Devin White is nowhere near as bad as some people here claim.
November 11th, 2023 at 8:31 pm
Bobby Says:
November 11th, 2023 at 2:13 pm
Licht may have to make a tough choice regarding Shaq this offseason.
———
Not really. You cut him, it’s not really a hard choice at all. Plus the team is going to be in a full rebuild anyways. He’s being paid like a guy who is giving you 15 sacks a year, and he’s giving you 6. So bring out the Turk, he’s gone.
November 11th, 2023 at 9:49 pm
The sad thing was Washington just giving away their young DE for a bowl of crappy soup. Just getting one of them would have been great! We could have sent them JTS so we wouldn’t have to pay for any more MIA milk cartons on him. When Shaq was at his most dominate, he had someone on the other that at least made the Oline think about em. Once JPP hurt his arm, O lines only had to game plan for Shaq. Shaq is on his last legs, but if you want anything from him, get him someone on the other side. It would be fun to see D White line up as a DE for most of a game and help.
November 12th, 2023 at 12:00 am
Buccaneer bonsai
I agree to a point. Part of the problem is we saw what Devon white could be and he has yet to become that consistently. One game he looks like an all pro & the next game he looks lost. That is his biggest problem, he’s out of position… A lot. he also doesn’t get off blocks anywhere near as well as LVD has over his career.
Personally, I would trade him, Barrett. If Jensen comes back, I would trade him too.
Load up the draft picks. Get the QB- Caleb, MAYE, Nix, Pennix…. To name a few.
Then draft OL & DL A LOT!
November 12th, 2023 at 2:41 am
Buccaneer Bonzai … ‘Devin White is nowhere near as bad as some people here claim.’
I agree with you, but that’s no longer the point. To the salary-CAP -strapped Buccaneers, is Devin White worth $20 mil a year? That’s the point, because White is a UFA after this year and that’s what he’s convinced his value is. And apparently he believes that the Bucs coaching staff isn’t using him in such a way as to allow him to showcase his talents, so he probably doesn’t want to re-sign here anyways.
Bucs have THREE key players seeking upwards of $20 mil this coming off-season: Wirfs, Winfield & White. The only QB we’ll have under contract when free agency starts is Trask, so QB could potentially be another big bill dropped in our lap. Our OLine needs beefing up, we need at least 1 preferably 2 new RBs plus at least 1 new beastly TE. LVD will also be a UFA, we’re missing a 2nd starting Safety, our 2 outside CBs are both underperforming, our OLB/DEs are all underperforming, our interior DLine needs beefing up.
Other than that, I’d say we’re in the hunt. Ya right. Actually I’m surprised that Todd Bowles accepted the HC position when BA offered it to him. I doubt that top offensive minds will be lining up to replace him IF the Glazers decide to make a change. That’d be analogous to committing hari-kari.
November 12th, 2023 at 9:44 am
I been saying make d white a left end for the last 2 years..he can cover vs the pass game n is horrible in making reads in the zone