There was a lot wrong with the 2022 Bucs, which makes trying to pinpoint one weakness as the cause for their struggles a fool’s errand. The offense has rightfully shouldered much of the blame for the team’s 8-9 record and first-round playoff exit, but the lack of a consistent pass rush on the defensive side of the ball can’t go unnoticed, either.

The Bucs’ leading sacker last year was nose tackle Vita Vea, who finished with 6.5 quarterback takedowns. Behind Vea, inside linebacker Devin White and rotational outside linebacker Anthony Nelson both notched 5.5 sacks. That’s simply not good enough, and the Bucs know that they need to get more from the outside linebacker position in 2023. General manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles said as much when speaking with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday afternoon.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Matt Matera/PR

Bowles was specifically asked what his reaction would’ve been had someone told him before last season that Vea would go on to be his leading sacker. His response said a lot about the state of the team’s pass rush as it stands right now.

“I wouldn’t have believed you,” Bowles said. “This is the first 3-4 [defense] team I’ve been a part of where the outside linebackers have not led the team in sacks. We’ve got to get better in that area, I think. No disrespect to Vita – I’m glad he did and we had some good interior rushes with Vita, ‘Nacho’ (Rakeem Nuñez-Roches), [Akiem] Hicks and Will [Gholston] and all those guys.

“But when Shaq [Barrett] went down, it was kind of a letdown. I thought [Anthony] Nelson did some good things as did Joe [Tryon-Shoyinka], but from an experience standpoint, just getting back there consistently – I think we’ve got to get better there.”

Can New OLBs Coach George Edwards Unlock Improvement From Bucs’ Pass Rushers?

Bucs OLBs Coach George Edwards – Photo by: USA Today

One hope the Bucs have for getting more sacks out of their outside linebackers is George Edwards, who was just hired to coach the position for Tampa Bay. The 56-year-old is replacing the recently retired Bob Sanders, and there’s a lot of buzz about what he’ll bring to the table. Bowles, who has worked with Edwards twice before, praised the newest addition to his defensive staff on Tuesday.

“Any time you can get a chance to get another bright guy in the room, you try to get them,” Bowles said. “George has been a coordinator in this league. He’s been around a long time, he was part of that great Dallas defense last year. He helped draft Micah Parsons and shape him. Hopefully he can do some of those things for Tryon.

“Again, he’s another bright guy in the room, so you can’t have enough smart guys in the room to bounce ideas around and bounce off of. Me and George were together at two other stops. I know what he brings to the table. I think he’s a good fit for us and he’s a good fit for the coaching staff.”

Edwards actually interviewed for the Bucs’ vacant head coaching position in 2019 before the team decided to hire Bruce Arians. Now, he’s made his way to Tampa and will be charged with getting the most out of a Tampa Bay pass rush that massively underperformed last year. There will likely need to be some reinforcements this offseason – possibly by drawing from a talented NFL Draft class – but the Bucs will also be hoping that Edwards can work some magic with their top two outside linebackers.

Questions Loom About Bucs’ Top Outside Linebackers

Bucs OLB Shaquil Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs do have two talented pass rushers leading the way at outside linebacker, but both guys have significant question marks surrounding them heading into next season.

The first, of course, is Barrett, who has proven before that he can get the job done. He was the NFL’s leading sacker in 2019, posting 19.5, before turning in an eight-sack season in 2020 and a 10-sack campaign in 2021. The worry with Barrett, though, is that he’s going to be 30 years old soon and is coming off of a torn Achilles. Bowles, for his part, didn’t sound worried about age being a factor for the 6-foot-2, 250-pounder.

“Well, 30 doesn’t seem bad,” Bowles said. “Tom [Brady] played until he was 45. It’s not a bad thing being 30 [laughs], but we will see how he comes back. He is where he needs to be right now. We will see going forward. It doesn’t have a bearing on what we will do or won’t do. You can’t have enough pass rushers regardless of who it is, but hopefully Shaq makes it back and we will see what happens.”

Licht reiterated that Barrett is where he’s supposed to be in his recovery right now, but noted that it’s too early to say whether he’ll be ready to go for training camp.

Bucs OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

On the opposite side of Barrett is Tryon-Shoyinka, who badly needs to take a tangible step forward in 2023. He posted four sacks as a rookie in 2021 before repeating that total this past season. He’s still missing more sacks than he’s making, which has proven problematic for the soon-to-be 24-year-old.

“Yes, it is [a big year for Tryon-Shoyinka], but I do think that he will [prove himself],” Licht said Tuesday. “I know that we are all excited about adding George Edwards to our staff. He did some great work in Dallas last year with their pass rushers. I do think that he has got it in him and I think he will rise to the occasion.”

Tampa Bay needs Tryon-Shoyinka to play up to his draft status this year. If he can do that, it’ll at least give the Bucs somewhere to start as they start to retool and rebuild their pass rushing unit in the next few offseasons. Otherwise, they’ll have a complete overhaul to deal with sooner rather than later. It would be a huge help if Edwards can raise the athletic outside linebacker’s level in 2023. The Bucs brass certainly hopes that will be the case.