Bucs should be all over that.
Myles Garrett or Trey Hendrickson + Mike Green
For the price of Garrett we can probably get the other two.
I don't think Green will be available at 19.Myles Garrett or Trey Hendrickson + Mike Green
For the price of Garrett we can probably get the other two.
I don't think Green will be available at 19.Myles Garrett or Trey Hendrickson + Mike Green
For the price of Garrett we can probably get the other two.
He won't. I'm factoring in trading up.
Some of that is talent, some of that is injured but MOST OF IT is the coaching staff.
Occom's razor, right?
For that to be accurate, the obvious decline in talent since the Super Bowl would have to be completely ignored AND the defensive coaches who won a Super Bowl would have had to forgotten how to coach . . one year to the next because the 2023 defense was top 10 in scoring defense.
It also was not very injured, in particular at Safety.
2023 AWJ -- 122 tackles, 6 sacks and 3 INTS and 6 FF with 4 FR
2024 AWJ - 60 tackles, 2 sacks, 0 INTS and 0 FF and only 1 FR
That's 1/2 the number of tackles and 10 less turnovers?
I doubt AWJ forgot how to play football between 2023 and 2024. He only played 1/2 the number of games in 2024 and when he did he was pretty injured, right?
Occom's razor says the more likely explanation is the opposite of the way you portray it.
diminished talent
lots of injuries
least of all coaching
forgotten how to coach
It's not about forgetting how to coach. Lovie didn't forget how to coach, he forgot how to adapt.
Chip Kelly went through this too when teams figured out his tempo. He struggled then he adapted.
There's countless examples of coaches going from being elite to being figured out.
The league has figured out Bowles' scheme. He hasn't adapted... So part of that can talent but part of it is not knowing how to use your talent.
Should our fast corners be dropping into soft zone or should they blitz the edge?
Should our large ends be dropping in zone or should they be doing stunts inside?
I'm not expecting Bowles to be elite with this talent I'm expecting a defensive head coach to be AVERAGE.
He only played 1/2 the number of games in 2024
And why did he play half the games again?
Agree, even started running way to early draft simulations of my own - for what they’re worth - and noted how often Pearce/Scourton showed up at 19… I also found it interesting that some are dropping these two - but not great explanations for why they’re dropping? Maybe it’s valid. We definitely need some speed on one side, Yaya seems more of a power edge.While this draft has a healthy dose of edge rushers - the cool shiny ones will go early. By the time we get to 19…we may be reaching on 2nd round guys…Contributing CB/Db’s can be gotten where we’re picking in the first round - so that’s what I anticipate we do in the first round.
I hope that's not the case.
Would be a waste of premium draft capital, IMO.
However, if one of the cool ones drop, I’d be equally ok with trading for/signing a FA Corner…it doesn’t look like an especially deep draft at CB/S.
Got a preference?
I'm seeing mocks where either one of Pearce or Scourton are dropping. They would be attractive guys at our selection.
Even with the breaking news that Myles Garrett wants to be traded, still think Trey Hendrickson is a Buc target. Lots of teams were eyeballing the same trade potential, Garrett’s announcement will divert some interest.
I’d be good with Pearce, or Scourton, but it’s still based on assessment/potential, whereas a trade would get us an immediate upgrade with someone that has actual NFL production.
I’d prefer Myles Garrett, but he’s going to be a really expensive cap hit - Hendrickson wouldn’t be as expensive - and the production is still there.
Dont think we’ll be in a position to break the bank for Garrett, and at this point Hendrickson looks like a more reasonable option. If Pearce or Scourton can be the type we need - take a chance.
However, we’re still back to the issue that Licht/Bowles have never found a dominant edge in the draft, nor have they found one and coached him to be a dominant edge.
Would seem that trading for a proven edge is the better path for this group than drafting one, or finding an over-paid FA malcontent like Reddick.
Yea, we are not trading for Garret or Hendrickson. Pipe dream.
While this draft has a healthy dose of edge rushers - the cool shiny ones will go early. By the time we get to 19…we may be reaching on 2nd round guys…
One of the Bucs draft challenges for the past few years
Cant see us being able to move up more than a couple spots, that’s not going to be enough to get the shiny ones.Neither Licht, nor Bowles, have hit on drafting a legit edge. There’s a disconnect between what they think they want, and the folks they think can coach them, and the talent they land - whoever is picking them.
So, previously, both mitigated their inability to hit in edge rushers in the draft, by using free-agency. That leg of talent acquisition has been severely handicapped with the Brady-era dead cap.
While we have some work to do on the cap with some re-working contracts, trading low/no contributors and cutting dead wood from the roster - but the idea is we will be able to have some limited room to add that back to talent acquisition this offseason.
But I don’t think we can add more than a couple of FA answers at the 4 critical areas of defensive need - that’s going to have to come from the draft (and that’s going to have to come from the lower end of the draft in each round).
That may mean some trades may have to be used to bring in some quick help…and the only thing we have to trade is draft capital.
I watched SR’s breakdown of Trey Hendrickson - who has averaged 17 sacks in the last 2 years. I really like this idea - but it will be costly. A second rounder (and maybe Jamel Dean?) would be better than any draft selection that we’d currently have access to in the second round.
Contributing CB/Db’s can be gotten where we’re picking in the first round - so that’s what I anticipate we do in the first round.
It’s going to be a layered approach to fill all the defensive holes - and a monumental task to pull it off - but not impossible.
Regardless, the defense should be Licht-years ahead of the 2024 roster.
I am thinking the Bucs trade for a veteran edge because if they can still hold onto a first round pick in a hypothetical trade for a vet Edge. And, unload Dean for draft capital they can use the rest of the draft resources to focus on ILB, DB, DL, OL, WR.
Alternative is to use a first round pick but trade higher into the first round to land the best possible edge but again that is risky.
A trade for Myles Garrett would require a lot of 1st rounders, and an immediate extension. He is underpaid, but that move would also suck up a lot of cap space.
Hendrickson has the same issue - but due to Bengals awful cap & need to renegotiate for their WR it has them amenable to the a trade, which will likely be for at least one 2nd round pick (and they need corners, so maybe Dean?).
That leaves us needing to get ILB/CB in either the draft - and it’s not super deep for those positions. Maybe a FA for one/both of these needs?
its going to be fun to watch!
As much as we all - myself included - want some dominant edge rusher, we'd get more sacks and turnovers (more important) for as lot less just by shoring up our LBs and DBs. Until the Bucs show they can stop the short quick passing game the ball is just going to be going right over that edge rusher's head right after the snap.
Not saying the two ideas are mutually exclusive, just that its much easier to shore up LBs and DBs then to find the next dominant edge
I’d love to refute this - but Hendrickson has averaged 17 sacks for the last 2 seasons AND played with a QB who threw for nearly 5,000 yards this season - and the Cincy defense still cost them any shot at the post season - may have been worse than ours.As much as we all - myself included - want some dominant edge rusher, we'd get more sacks and turnovers (more important) for as lot less just by shoring up our LBs and DBs. Until the Bucs show they can stop the short quick passing game the ball is just going to be going right over that edge rusher's head right after the snap.
Not saying the two ideas are mutually exclusive, just that its much easier to shore up LBs and DBs then to find the next dominant edge
The ILB’s and Corners in this draft are really sparse and front loaded to the top of the draft.
We need pressure and a secondary - but the pickings get kinda slim in the secondary after round one. Feels like we’ll be reaching, again.
Over 1,296 votes on Twitter/X, 44.6% chose cornerback as the early priority for the Bucs’ No. 19 overall pick in April. Next up was outside linebacker at 30.7%, while inside linebacker came in at 21.7%. Only 3% of voters chose “other.”