the Buc FO may have made recent restructures because they may be clearing some space for a trade/post draft roster moves that can bolster the secondary.
was just reading about this. Interesting
@alldaway - if you’re happy with a 28th ranked pass defense and a defense that can’t get off the field on 3rd/4th down enough. Bowles hasn’t had a good pass defense in years. And can’t cause turnovers. Sorry to say it again, but this team doesn’t win more than 4 to 6 games last year without the efficiencies of the offense.
It is not about being happy it is about being realistic in that the Bucs defense has been heavy zone defense the last two seasons because that is what Bowles wants to do. Dean and McCollum can play m2m no problem but he chooses to play them zone. So based on that reality this is the defensive scheme Bowles will run.
Also it is kind of hard for a rookie edge rusher to obtain snaps and with the addition of Reddick why would take Reddick or Diaby off the field unless they need a breather? And then there is Braswell and Nelson without factoring if Ramirez and/or Watts stick on the final roster.
Who knows how the draft goes, but each year 3 or 4 draft picks become starters or serious contributors, right?
That was because the Bucs had a cap crunch the last few seasons and now their drafted players are mostly in place. I am telling you all that you are going to be disappointed if you all think there are going to be 4-5 new starters on defense. I just don't see it to be honest given the Bucs are drafting late in each round and the draft is shallow in round 1 and most of the meat and potatoes is in rounds 2-4.
And while it is pre draft with a lot of subterfuge involved I think I will take what Bowles had said about T. Smith at face value. While T. Smith could shift to S they really like him for NCB because he is scrappy near the LoS.
And it is not the end of the world if Izien starts at NCB or S because the Bucs organization thinks highly of him. Merriweather after being cut, re-signed, and then playing at a competent level probably won over some people in the Bucs FO and coaching staff too.
I am telling you all that you are going to be disappointed if you all think there are going to be 4-5 new starters on defense.
I am not sure there will be that many, but I mean Reddick, Dennis, a new safety or NCB. Thats 4 right there and, as I keep saying, MORE DEPTH particularly at DB
the real thing though is that hopefully the Bucs do not share this mindset:
And it is not the end of the world if Izien starts at NCB or S
I like Izien, but my point is that kind of "its not the end of the world" approach. If Izien beats everyone out in a real competition then great
@alldaway - Realistically, Bowles has consistently relied on a heavy zone scheme since his arrival. This is his forte—blitzing while playing soft zone coverage behind it. Dean has always struggled in man-to-man coverage, and McCollum's performance last year was less than impressive when asked to play that way. Part of the problem is it’s hard to be good at m2m, when you don’t do it often enough. And yes, Bowles is likely to stick with his zone strategy, aiming to force teams to methodically advance down the field while hoping to generate a few sacks through his blitzes.
Getting first-round rookie edge snaps isn't particularly difficult, especially given our current group of rushers. Let’s be clear: Ramirez and Watts should not be included among the players we want on the field. I had to defend this stance throughout last season regarding both players. Our edge room has been filled with just-adequate guys (JAGs) for years, and that includes Yaya, who has managed only four sacks in two seasons against offensive linemen playing pass pro. Meaning, he has a hard time getting home on passing downs. I sincerely hope Reddick can regain his previous production, but there are no guarantees—he played in ten games last year and recorded just one sack, despite the Jets’ front seven being relatively solid.
Braswell remains a total unknown, and while I love Nelson—who might be our best all-around edge player—it’s not saying much about the overall strength of the position. We still need a true difference-maker on the edge. And there are a few potential Edge difference makers that may fall to us at 19.
I should have prefaced this with “I think…”the Buc FO may have made recent restructures because they may be clearing some space for a trade/post draft roster moves that can bolster the secondary.
was just reading about this. Interesting
Because, what do I know?
I should have prefaced this with “I think…”the Buc FO may have made recent restructures because they may be clearing some space for a trade/post draft roster moves that can bolster the secondary.
was just reading about this. Interesting
Because, what do I know?
more then most, but we are all guessing at some level. Part of the fun
No one expected the Bucs to be an elite defensive unit but they had the talent to be NFL average and the failed to do even that.
16th in points, 17th in turnovers, 18th in yards.
The defense was average.
One take from NFL.com
BURNING QUESTION: Can the Bucs fill enough needs to fix that defense?
There isn’t much mystery about what the Bucs must do in the draft: find help fast for a defense that was especially weak against the pass, ranking 29th in that category. Head coach Todd Bowles made clear at the Annual League Meeting that he would love to add depth in the cornerback room. Zyon McCollum is the most dependable player at that position, and Tykee Smith emerged as the starting nickel in his rookie year, but there are questions after that. Jamel Dean is the most experienced and talented corner but needs to stay healthy, while free-agent signees Bryce Hall and Kindle Vildor have made six starts between them in the last two seasons. There’s also a need at inside linebacker; while Lavonte David continues to defy his age (he’s now 35), the Bucs must find younger options. As great as Tampa has been on offense the last few years, you know Bowles wants to return to the days when his defense could impress, as well. This draft should be a big step toward getting there.
from Warren Sharp
"Running backs’ efficiency in the pass game was the worst element of the Bucs’ defense, per Sharp. The Bucs’ pass defense had the third-worst rating when it came to running back efficiency in pass defense."
Lots of zone blitzes leaving edge rusher on back and terrible . . terrible . . LB play and safety play?
Faced the 2nd most pass attempts in the league. Bucs defense was 15th in net yards per attempt, again, AVERAGE.
This is hilarious. If my defense is #1 in net pass yards per attempt, but my defense gives up the most passing yards in the league - my defense isn't a top defense.
You keep getting cuter and cuter making these asinine arguments in an attempt to fluff up the defense. I'm shocked that you haven't been able to persuade one single, solitary person in your crusade against the OC who had a bidding war for his services.
Faced the 2nd most pass attempts in the league. Bucs defense was 15th in net yards per attempt, again, AVERAGE.
This is hilarious. If my defense is #1 in net pass yards per attempt, but my defense gives up the most passing yards in the league - my defense isn't a top defense.
You keep getting cuter and cuter making these asinine arguments in an attempt to fluff up the defense. I'm shocked that you haven't been able to persuade one single, solitary person in your crusade against the OC who had a bidding war for his services.
If a defense is #1 in in net pass yards per attempt but is #32 in yards then they faced approximately 200 more pass attempts than the next highest team. Hope you understand how stupid your example is now.
Hope you understand how stupid your example is now.
The irony is rich.
