What are the Bucs’ Options at Right Defensive End? By Jenna Laine Bucs Insider March 16, 2015, 18:06 PM 
NFL free agent defensive end Greg Hardy After a disappointing first season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers parted ways with defensive end Michael Johnson last week one year into a five-year deal. They did so with the notion that it wasn’t an ideal fit. Going forward, their options are a bit limited at right defensive end — not an ideal scenario heading into the NFL Draft, where the goal is to try and solidify as many positions as possible so the team can draft the best available players.With that being said, the Bucs have some choices. On their current roster, they have T.J. Fatinikun, Jacquies Smith, William Gholston and Larry English. There are also a few remaining players on the free agent market, and some talented prospects in the draft. Already In the BuildingT.J. FatinikunT.J. Fatinikun was an undrafted free agent out of Toledo in 2013. After playing for the Portland Thunder and Orlando Predators, he signed with the Bucs in June and as the season progressed, he started getting more and more reps at right defensive end, cutting into Johnson’s playing time.Head coach Lovie Smith noted last December, “[Fatinikun’s] ability to change direction, to be able to dip his shoulder and put some pressure on the quarterback is something we need.” That was back when he was still a rotational player. Could it translate to becoming the starter on the right side? He might be the closest thing to a starter on the current roster.William GholstonWilliam Gholston is still developing, but his body type and raw tools make him one to keep an eye on. But has to be able to put it all together and thus far in his career, he’s had issues with consistency. He was designated the starting left defensive end once Adrian Clayborn was placed on IR, but Jacquies Smith took over that role and Gholston became more of a rotational player. He can also bring value lining up on the inside on third-down situations.Jacquies SmithCoach Smith called Jacquies Smith’s 6 1/2 sacks from this past year “about as good some of the outstanding pass rushers that you have in the league.” He also contributed two pass breakups and a forced fumble. He’s got good closing speed too, which you could see when he chased down quarterback Matthew Stafford. Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said last year, however, that they liked him on the left side. Would they be willing to try him on the right now? He’s said before that he doesn’t have a preference. It’s worth a shot.Larry EnglishLarry English, a former first-round pick by the Chargers, saw action in 12 games this past season with one start. He recorded 12 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble — decent production but nothing to warrant becoming a starter. At best, he provides some depth and like last year, he’ll have to compete for a roster spot.Outside HelpGreg Hardy There’s no question that Greg Hardy is the top free agent defensive end that’s still on the market. He posted 26 sacks in 2012 and 2013 and Bucs fans are more than aware of the type of havoc (and headaches) he creates. But will he actually be available to play on Sundays? Peter King reported that there’s a “good chance” he’s suspended the first six games of the season.Also, if the Bucs opt to draft Jameis Winston, that alone is going to be seen as a controversial move. Winston was never charged with anything, but the public will still scrutinize it. Hardy, meanwhile, was found guilty of assault and communicating threats to a female. He appealed to a trial by jury. Those charges were dropped when his accuser didn’t show up in court after the two settled outside of court.The Bucs put themselves in a predicament when they failed to land Trent Cole or Derrick Morgan and didn’t re-sign Adrian Clayborn, who just inked a deal with the Falcons. Even with a potential PR nightmare on-hand, if the Bucs are adamant about filling all their needs in free agency and using the draft to select the best available players, they’ll likely have to make this phone call. Will the Bucs be willing to take such a risk? I suspect other teams are pursuing him so the Bucs might not even be able to land him, should they try.Dwight Freeney At 35, does Dwight Freeney have any gas left in the tank? Is he retiring? Does he have any desire to return to a 4-3? He said early last month that he planed to return, but then he was informed by the Chargers that they weren’t planning to re-sign him. So what now? His mark of 111 1/2 career sacks ranks him 20th all-time in NFL history, but his last truly productive season was 2011. Either way, it’s not likely he’s someone you could bring out there on every play to square off against the league’s premier left tackles.George SelvieFolks in Tampa remember George Selvie from his days at USF, where he was the school’s first two-time, first-team All-American. As a ‘tweener’ though, teams didn’t really know how to use him. Be bounced around from St. Louis to Carolina to Jacksonville and even had a brief stop in Tampa Bay when Schiano was here. It wasn’t until 2013, when he signed with the Cowboys and hooked up with Rod Marinelli that things started to click.In Dallas, Selvie played in a scheme close to what he played in college and for the first time in his career, he wasn’t weighed. The result? He moved more naturally when rushing the passer and he made plays, with his best season coming in 2013 when he recorded seven sacks. Last year he had three. He may not be capable of lining up on every defensive snap, and the Cowboys made it a point not to overextend him. They also felt he was better suited to line up on the left, which doesn’t solve this conundrum. His familiarity with the scheme and the fact that he’s held in such high regard by Marinelli does carry weight.The Vikings are one team that has inquired about Selvie’s services after they missed out on landing Johnson.Anthony Spencer Anthony Spencer missed the first three games of 2014 while recovering from microfracture surgery and missed all but one game in 2013. Prior to that, he was one of the Cowboys’ most valuable players, registering 11 sacks in 2012. He saw action in 13 games last season but didn’t start, recording 22 combined tackles, a 1/2 sack, a pass break-up and a forced fumble. He was mostly a rotational guy and some would say he hasn’t been the same since the injury, although he gained steam as the season progressed. He’s also another player who comes in with the benefit of system familiarity.Red BryantBryant was recently cut by the Jaguars as cap casualty, much like when he was in Seattle. Although he’s shown he’s a productive and versatile, player, he’s not really a fit for Tampa Bay’s scheme. You’ll also notice that he’s not much of a pass rusher and more of a run stopper.Bottom LineYou get the feeling the Bucs are going to have to address this position very early on in the draft. After signing Bruce Carter, they won’t really need to draft a middle linebacker. Assuming they take a quarterback first overall, this could be a spot to grab at the top of the second round. This class is rich with defensive line talent, but there are a lot of teams right now that need pass rushers, meaning the ones capable of starting in week 1 could come off the board pretty quickly.LINK
