Bucs Defensive Line A “Treasure”
June 27th, 2012
If Brian Price can put heat on more quarterbacks as he did Matty Ice, the Bucs could develop into a fearsome defensive front.
The folks in Bristol, looking to fill air time in the downtime of the NFL just a month before training camps open, are mining the NFL for what it calls “hidden treasures.”
So ESPN NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas picked up the baton and points to the Bucs defensive line as a treasure, albeit, hidden.
Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the third overall draft pick in 2010, has been slowed by injuries his first two seasons. But he did show some promise when healthy. The new coaching staff believes McCoy can be a dominant player and cornerstone of this defense. But the obvious key is he needs to stay healthy. If he does, he ideally will line up next to fellow third-year pro Brian Price, who also has dealt with some injury issues. But the Bucs went out and got Amobi Okoye and Gary Gibson in the offseason and the hope is to use them in a rotation that can help keep McCoy and Price fresh.
If McCoy and Price finally can blossom, that should provide a tremendous boost for second-year defensive end Adrian Clayborn. He recorded 7.5 sacks as a rookie without much around him. The Bucs believe Clayborn can hit double digits in sacks. The line suffered a big blow when Da’Quan Bowers tore his Achilles tendon in the offseason. At best, Bowers could return around midseason. At worst, he’ll miss the entire season. But this still has a chance to be a decent defensive line because Michael Bennett can start opposite Clayborn.
Well, Joe believes Yasinskas may be on to something, but perhaps a year too early.
Yes, GMC must stay healthy. Yes, Price has to somehow bounce back from an injury that would put most people in a wheelchair, or at least crutches.
The Bucs defensive line could be a treasure at full strength. And Joe firmly believes Clayborn will be a stud for years to come.
But until GMC, Price and Bowers can stay on the field, Joe doubts that the promise of the Bucs defensive line will be met.
June 27th, 2012 at 1:10 pm
The value of our “treasure”:
Dead last in sacks and qb pressure stats, almost dead bottom in rushing stats – worst scoring defense in franchise history.
Oh yea, that was 85% RahRah’s fault.
June 27th, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Everyone could take the next step and blossom and the Dline could be awesome, but Price may not get right phsically and mentaly, Mccoy might never stay healthy, and Bennett may just be average. Its boom or bust! It would be sad if after putting all those high draft picks we would have to start over!!!
June 27th, 2012 at 1:51 pm
So, a line that might be decent is a treasure? Yasinskas is talking circles around himself again.
Bennett has improved, a lot. If he can get a second move to go with his power moves, he will be excellent.
June 27th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
This is the year for the D-Line to come to fruition.
Is GMC going to earn the pay day?
Is Price?
What about Okoye?
Roy Freaking Miller?
Mike Bennett and Adrian Clayborn seem to be the closest to consistentcy we have on the D-Line.
Our success this year will directly coincide with GMC, if he can stay healthy and become a nuisance in the backfield, I like our odds. If he fails to stay healthy, then BYE BYE!!!! $11,0000,000.00 can be better spent.
June 27th, 2012 at 2:21 pm
I think Okoye and Gilberry are going to help a lot. Both are strong pass rushers.
June 27th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
If our offense would take the lead it would help free these guys up from playing “defense” and let them line up and play “offense”….I.e. go after the QB, making the opponet more 1 dimensional etc. basically what they did to us last year.
June 27th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Pat just happens to be on vacation too.
June 27th, 2012 at 4:03 pm
Well, he is Vacation Man
June 27th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
@Have A Nice Day,
Right on! I am hopeful for Gillberry to do well.
It is just a blessing to not have Fat Albert Haynesworthless on your team.
That should have been an inexcusable addition to the Buc’s roster, and Dom should be ASHAMED.
June 27th, 2012 at 4:51 pm
Yasinskas is probably on something. However I stopped smoking that 4o years ago. Proof is in the pudding, speculation has little to do with anything.
June 27th, 2012 at 4:58 pm
you have pudding? can i have some? for some reason im reaaaly hungry.
please?
June 27th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
Read a good article on buccaneers.com, it looks like maybe aqib talib is trying to become a better person off the field. Good read and I hope that Talib is starting to realize he is extremely blessed and needs to take advantage of the gifts he has been given.
Bucky, as hard as it is sometimes, try to stay on point in the comments. Joe will be addressing the Talib story tomorrow morning.–Joe
June 27th, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Just caught the “Hey Rookie”series on NFL Network from 07 season with Adrian Peterson,Ted Ginn,Ryan Kalil and #10 overall pick Amobi Okoye. Great look at the kid.I think he is going to be a real stud for this defense.I cant wait to see what he can do in Pewter and Red.Could be one of, if not the best pick up of the off season when we look back years from now.Really bright,great mobility.
June 27th, 2012 at 7:14 pm
I saw GMC at International Mall today. He stopped and said hello and I asked him how he was feeling (he said great and couldn’t wait for the season). I’ll tell you one thing: he looked like he had been hitting the barbells because his arms looked HUGE… Enough to notice. Nice guy.
June 27th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
Thomas, that which you mentioned above is most likely why Keith Millard also lost his job.
I like Lolo Jones and think she would be an awesome pass rusher.
June 27th, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Just read a post on Aqib and Schiano giving back to the community. Aqib has bought in to the what Schiano is teaching. Looks like this young team has a true leader who’ll take them to great heights on and off the field.
Go Coach! Go Buc’s!
June 27th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
This is going to be considered one of Mark Dominik’s best moves because we got a genuine stud in Okoye, he is a natural pass rushing beast who can play both the pass AND run and is just now coming into his own, so he still has plenty of upside, and I feel we dramatically improved our pass rush with just this one signing, every other signing is just icing on the cake!!
June 27th, 2012 at 9:43 pm
Thomas – the whole defense was pitiful last year. Especially in the last 10 games (which GMC only participated in… hmmm, let me see… oh yeah, part of ONE game before he left due to season ending injury). Yes, those last 10 were pitiful. The first 6 we won 4 (in which he played 4, plus part of the 5th before suffering a minor injury that kept him out the next two weeks).
As for the horrible sack and pressure numbers, they were bad. But GMC actually ended the season second on the team in QB pressures with 13 (Clayborn had 26 to lead the team, but Bennett only had 12 for 3rd place). That’s only playing in 4 full games and two injury-shortened games. Yeah, he only had one sack, but that’s more than Haynesworth, Miller, and Okam, McCargo, and Haye combined and they combined to play the majority of the season in GMC’s absence. Price had 3, but he started 14 games and played in the last game as well.
So, looking at the numbers with and without GMC, it’s pretty obvious that GMC did have an impact when he played. When he was out, the whole defense played poorly. The LBs were pretty bad all year. DBs weren’t all that great either (which wasn’t helped by Grimm going down as well).
Not enough for you? How about 2010? GMC was the best DT in sacks and tied for 3rd on the team with 3 (not very good, but again, he didn’t play the whole season due to injury). He was, again, second on the team in QB pressures with 17 (Stylez had 24, but played every game). Again, the numbers aren’t great, but they are better than other players on the roster. If you want to question who the MOST disruptive D-lineman has been over the last two years? I’d probably have to say Clayborn had a great rookie season, but GMC has been overall the best on the team for the two seasons even with the injuries. If he stays healthy? That’s difficult to say, hopefully we’ll find out.
June 27th, 2012 at 9:52 pm
@BamBamBuc,
You should know better than to present facts to Thomas. All he will do is make excuses, and spin your facts out of control. That’s what he does, that’s who he is.
June 27th, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Ok Bam Bam – great argument. Gerald has been great – well worth the investment. LMAO. That argument is like Obama trying to argue how great he has done in the economy.
How did the bucs D do vs the Saints with Gerald and without? BTW – the D fell a part after Cody went down.
Also, I can’t find any support for the claim that Gerald finished 2nd in pressures. How many were vs the Colts when
Gerald drew a no college UFA practice squad player? If it’s true that speaks horribly for the D Line.
Gerald has sucked, maybe he will improve, but to date it’s been straight suckville.
June 27th, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Like I said Bam Bam, he made excuses and spin the facts out of control. I forgot to add that he would put words in your mouth. Great job Thomas, thanks for making me look smart.
June 28th, 2012 at 1:32 am
@ Hawaiian
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink it. In saying that, you will always have negative people that always have that dark cloud over there head’s. Thomas strikes me as that type of person. GMC is the best down lineman we have when healthy. Thomas will be eating his negative words this season. GMC and Co are going to have a break out season this year. Go BUCS!!!!!
June 28th, 2012 at 6:10 am
Watched the Atlanta game yesterday and B. Price made a play that caused my EYEBALLS to pop outta my head. He shed the O-Lineman and got to the QB while the QB was still dropping back!!!!!! and McCoy plays best when shoots the gap.
June 28th, 2012 at 9:14 am
Thomas – in the Indianapolis game, GMC had 5 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack for 6 yard loss, 3 tackles for loss and 2 QB hurries. BTW, the 5 tackles led the team… yep, the TEAM, in that category. Bennett had 2 sacks and was close in tackles playing next to GMC. Bennett also had 1 TFL, 1 QB hurry, 1 FF, and a FR as well. Enough information for you? Need to know about a different game because that one doesn’t suit your need to put him down?
June 28th, 2012 at 10:37 am
Bam Bam,
We almost lost to the Colts on MNF @ home, to Curtis Painter….
McCoy had a decent game bc he was going against a Tackle that was picked up off a practice squad due to injuries…. IMO, GMC, as a # 3 overall pick, should have ate his lunch.
GMC is good when in there, but not in there enough to be good. We need him to stay healthy and make plays.
If he can’t stay healthy this year, then bye bye, we can spend 10%+ of our salary cap better than that.
June 28th, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Yeah, I hate almost losing…. it feels almost like winning, what a bummer.
June 29th, 2012 at 8:40 am
Bam Bam,
You are not getting the picture. GMC is 4th highest paid DT in NFL.
His output isn’t even top 20.
Yeah, I hate paying more for less….. It feels like getting ripped off, and it is a bummer.