Can Rueben Bain be another Ndamukong Suh?

When is the last time a Bucs defender actually scared an opposing offense? It’s been a while, but Joe believes not that long ago.

Oh sure, Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks scared teams. Probably so too did Ronde Barber. Those guys not only scared opposing teams, but changed games by themselves.

The last guy Joe can think of that actually scared opponents was Ndamukong Suh. When he was at the tail end of his career with the Bucs, he not only had significant influence on the rest of the defense, but offenses feared him.

Look how Suh’s physical play helped the Bucs beat up Aaron Rodgers in the regular season in 2020 or even Pat Mahomes later that year in the Super Bowl.

Joe remembers former Bucs guard Ian Beckles say that Suh was so good, he actually changed defenses. Think about it: Did Suh ever play on a lousy defense? A soft defense? He turned around not just games, but the defensive makeup of his teams almost by himself.

To hear former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger talk on NFL Network, that describes new Bucs rookie defensive lineman Rueben Bain.

Baldinger used to attend Miami practices and saw how Bain thrived under his position coach Jason Taylor.

And Baldinger said in the national championship game against Indiana, despite Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza being picked No. 1 overall, Baldinger said there was no question who was the best player on the field that night: Bain.

“This guy is ready for the NFL,” Baldinger said of Bain. “In the national championship game against Indiana, he was the best player on the field and he was the most disruptive player, making those kinds of tackles for losses.

“He’s going to fit in perfectly [with the Bucs]. I just think that when you get a player like this, other players gravitate around [him]. He’s going to make other players better.

“And when you put [Bain] in Todd Bowles scheme, where he’s going to pressure in a variety of ways, he’s going to get a lot of one-on-one pass rushes this year.”

Joe sure hopes Baldinger and all the other sophists are right about Bain blowing up in Bowles’ defense. Not many rookie edge rushers do.

Joe is thinking if Bain can get eight sacks, that will be a good rookie season.

.@Buccaneers @CanesFootball @ruebenbainjr is a Buc….Jason Licht said there was a 1% chance he would be there at pick #15…#BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/yfTA1euZOw

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) May 1, 2026

Rolled the dice.

Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht is stingy with his draft picks, specifically in the first round. [read more]

After having lunch with Bucs first-round draft pick edge rusher Rueben Bain, YaYa Diaby came away with a distinct impression. [read more]

Bucs GM Jason Licht.

Man, Joe hasn’t seen Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht get this excited for a fourth-round draft pick since edge rusher David Walker last year. [read more]

Rondé Barber

Joe loves when Bucs super insider and Hall of Fame cornerback Rondé Barber starts talking all things Tampa Bay. [read more]

Seems scared of Rueben Bain.

When he played for the Titans, former left tackle Taylor Lewan, who was a three-time Pro Bowler, was a nasty SOB to tangle with. He backed down from no one. [read more]

New draft strategy?

Joe remembers a story former Bucs general manager Rich McKay often told. [read more]

Lots of football people are obsessed with quarterback pressures. Many are not. [read more]

Still out there.

One, two, three… (four?) edge rushers is not enough, says a man who has a large platform on the Tampa Bay airwaves. [read more]

A delicious plate of Hooters wings and their great salads, sandwiches and shrimp make for a heck of a lunch or dinner! Get it done! Lots of great lunch specials today. Locations are across the Bay area and online ordering is always easy from Joe’s great friends.

Bucs GM Jason Licht.

Fans are still jumping up and down about Rueben Bain, the Bucs’ first-round draft pick last week. Now the real test is here: Can Bain overcome Bucs coach Todd Bowles’ indifference about an edge rush? [read more]

Six-time Bucs Pro Bowl DT Gerald McCoy talks Rueben Bain.

Six-time Pro Bowl Bucs defensive tackle Gearld McCoy is the biggest Tampa Bay cheerleader — figuratively and perhaps literally. [read more]

Bucs rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain.

This was a rare year in which Bucs officials could say “we got our guy” in Round 1 of the draft without people thinking they were floating a few ounces of BS. [read more]

You’ve seen Dolman Law Group here daily since 2010.

Learn more about them today.

An interesting dynamic is headed to the Buccaneers’ cornerbacks room. [read more]

Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht continues to get the same question about extending Baker Mayfield’s contract. [read more]

Home run?

When it comes to draft guides, there are so many to choose from. But one is well above the rest. [read more]

Guard/center Ben Bredeson.

So what’s been happening at One Buc Palace since the early stages of the offseason program kicked off nine days ago? [read more]

Rookie Bucs third-round pick receiver Ted Hurst.

Joe’s good friend Ross Tucker decided to share this video snippet Monday. But it sure seems to be old. [read more]

No thanks.

Boy, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht does not like the slimy Saints. At. All. [read more]

It seems — and Joe doesn’t fully know why — that the big knock on Bucs’ second-round pick Josiah Trotter is that he allegedly cannot defend the pass. [read more]