Looking For A Defensive End
March 5th, 2015
After a shadowy 2014 season, it is dangerous to bank any hopes on ghostly DE Michael Johnson.
It really is so, so sad that an NFL team cannot find a consistent defensive end since potential Hall of Fame candidate Simeon Rice left its squad. That’s nine years, folks.
And when it looked like they finally found a strong defensive end, they let him walk away for no good reason (Michael Bennett).
Time after time, draft pick after draft pick, free agent after free agent, and the Bucs continually swing and miss on a defensive end. From sackless Kyle Moore to ghostly Michael Johnson.
Unreal!
Defensive ends are somewhat top-heavy, somewhat deep in next month’s draft. Joe is thinking the Bucs may just trade up from their spot in the second round and draft a guy that might slip. But Greg Bedard of TheMMQB.com wouldn’t stop there. Given the Bucs’ history of swings and misses, Bedard seems to believe that if the Bucs swing enough, sooner or later they will make contact on a defensive end.
So Bedard is feeling like the Bucs will take a stab at another DE from another Ohio NFL team.
37. JABAAL SHEARD
Cleveland (Age 26)Had 15.5 sacks his first two seasons but struggled once team moved to 3-4. Would benefit from returning to playing in 4-3. Has shown ability to be a dominating player, but consistency is a problem. Best fit: Buccaneers. With Adrian Clayborn released, Tampa needs some edge pressure to go along with Gerald McCoy on the inside.
Clayborn has not been released. He is a free agent. And given his modest numbers and injury history, he can probably be retained at a rock bottom price. You know, as Joe told his good friend the other day, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, Clayborn had numbers just as good as Ghost Johnson’s. Problem for Clayborn was that he cannot stay healthy.
With a high draft pick at defensive end, this Sheard, Ghost, Clayborn and Jacquies Smith, Joe would hope two guys could shake out from the rest and at least be able to breathe on a quarterback more than once a month.
It’s too early in the morning to get worked up about Da’Quan Bowers.
March 5th, 2015 at 7:25 am
Nate Orchard (#8 Utah), should be there in the 2nd if we dont go Safety or O line.
March 5th, 2015 at 7:59 am
Cheeseburger Bowers? Somehow, he’ll find a way onto this team again….
smh
March 5th, 2015 at 8:00 am
Hardy can put some pressure on quarterbacks.
March 5th, 2015 at 8:03 am
i mean…if you’re really gonna draft Jameis…I dont see how you ignore Hardy. Those two socio-paths will be besties.
March 5th, 2015 at 8:10 am
*(Option)
Derrick Morgan (Age 26.058) DE/OLB
• Height: 6′ 3″ (1.91 m) || Weight: 296 lbs.
• 40 yard dash time: 4.77 seconds
• Drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 1st round (16th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft
(Career Stats)
• 2012 (23 age) LDE 16 out of 16 (6.5 sacks)
• 2013 (24 age) LDE 16 out of 16 (6.5 sacks)
• 2012 (25 age) OLB 16 out of 16 (6.5 sacks) ←Ray Horton Defense
March 5th, 2015 at 8:11 am
*2014 (25 age) OLB 16 out of 16 (6.5 sacks) ←Ray Horton Defense
March 5th, 2015 at 8:12 am
*6.0 sacks -2013…smh geesh
March 5th, 2015 at 8:59 am
@ LUVMYBUCS
Good job copying and pasting those stats. Next time dont include a guys 40 time from 5 years ago if you want people to take your opinion seriously.
March 5th, 2015 at 9:05 am
Greg Hardy. That is all.
March 5th, 2015 at 9:11 am
Profootball talk just reported we are bringing Trent Cole in for a visit.
March 5th, 2015 at 9:13 am
Like to see the Bucs give Adrian Clyborn one more shot at his natural position of RDE.
7.5 sacks in his rookie season were respectable stats. Why this team felt compelled to move him to LDE and put him in pass coverage as well is beyond me.
I believe, but am not sure, it was because Teo Nasham was from Rutgers.
Chip Kelly now has 8 Oregon players on his Eagles roster.
March 5th, 2015 at 9:22 am
Trent Cole for a few years is not a bad idea. For eff sake just dump that non-football player Johnson. It was utterly humiliating to watch him “try” last year.
March 5th, 2015 at 9:29 am
Just read where Eagles FA DE Trent cole will be visiting Tampa …..
March 5th, 2015 at 9:34 am
Find one or two DEs in free agency. Value signings that fit the system. No big money deals. Draft a DE in the second or third round. Keep Smith and resign Clayborn and/or keep Gholston. Release the ghost.
March 5th, 2015 at 9:34 am
[…] wrote earlier about yet another potential angle the Bucs could pursue to cut the snaps of ghostly and ghastly defensive end Michael […]
March 5th, 2015 at 9:34 am
if Johnson is a Non-football player, what does that make of Clayborn?
career stats
Johnson 30.5 sacks 154 tackles
clayborn 13 sacks 74 tackles
both of these guys need to be replaced, I would rather have a try-out of free agents and walkups than to sign clayborn to any deal at all. He has ate up roster, playing time and other players opportunities. in other words, the Bucs need to stop wasting time with Clayborn.
March 5th, 2015 at 10:02 am
Realist- you left out key start of games started.when healthy Claybrn has much better season stats. Johnson started 58 games with 30.5 sacks. Clayborn started 36 with 16.5 sacks on much worse defenses. Clayborn actually produces when healthy. Johnson is the worst non-football player for Tampa since Dexter Jackson (the other one)!
March 5th, 2015 at 10:07 am
…key stat*
March 5th, 2015 at 10:40 am
@dallasBuc
the lack of games due to injury makes it worse, not better.
March 5th, 2015 at 10:41 am
“And when it looked like they finally found a strong defensive end, they let him walk away for no good reason (Michael Bennett).”
That’s the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for ya Joe.
March 5th, 2015 at 11:07 am
If that’s the way you feel Connor, why are you here.
Just what this bog needs, another bottom feeding troll who is really a fan of another team.
What’s the matter Connor, you afraid to post on Kurt Schilling’s blog now.
March 5th, 2015 at 11:42 am
Michael Sam – SEC co DPOY – if he wasn’t gay he would have been drafted in the first two rounds. He is worth a workout is all I’m saying.
March 5th, 2015 at 11:48 am
WS99- I am completely agree. Sam is easily a better football player and pass rusher than that embarrassment in women’s clothing we have now.
March 5th, 2015 at 11:52 am
Realist- by that rationale McCoy is a bad football player due to his missed time to injury. Blown knee and torn muscles are so common and unavoidable in the NFL. Clayborn is a football player when healthy, Johnson is a non-football player when healthy.
March 5th, 2015 at 12:25 pm
@dallasbuc
while I agree that Johnson was a non-football player, He still had an 11.5 sack season, ( that is just bearly less than clayborn’s career numbers )
also Clayborn had 1 move, and it work 3/4 of his rookie year until he was exposed. Now that he has had knee injury and lost weight ( power ), and injured every other year. That makes him a flat tire, useless.
( that one move is a 3-4 step bull rush then he would shove the tackle off.)