“I See Myself As A Double-Digit Sack Guy”
April 6th, 2015
Lovie Smith thought ghostly, ghastly Michael Johnson was a double-digit sack guy.
Greg Schiano claimed Da’Quan Bowers was double-digit sackmaster.
Raheem Morris regretted not lobbying for his favorite double-digit sack machine.
Now, the Bucs have a guy on the roster who believes he will be the one to make everyone stop praying to statues of Simeon Rice, the last man to record 10 sacks in a season for Tampa Bay.
Joe is calling your attention to a great Q&A with defensive end Jacquies Smith and Joe Kania, the guy grinding out all kinds of copy at Buccaneers.com. Kania’s chat included this exchange.
Q: When you look back at this year, how will you remember it?
A: “I feel like I played pretty good for the chances that I got and made the most of my opportunity to start the last eight games. But I honestly think that I’m just scratching the surface. I think that I can be a whole lot better. I consider myself a double-digit sack guy. I really do think that. That’s one of my goals for the next year – just be a consistent starter every week and give the team what they need every week. I see myself as a double-digit sack guy and that’s why I’m working hard right now. Some people probably still don’t even know who I am. That’s one of the things that I’m going to work on this year – work hard and not to be a breakout guy, but to be a consistent end week in and week out.”
Jason Licht and Lovie don’t get enough credit for Smith, known as “Jack” around One Buc Palace. Smith’s 6 1/2 sacks in seven starts was worthy of a standing ovation. And Joe loves the guy’s attitude.
Smith, 25, showed tremendous energy and speed off the left edge, and the Bucs plucked him off the street in September, before slowly working him into the D-line rotation.
Lovie has said repeatedly that it shouldn’t be rocket science for defensive ends to succeed with Gerald McCoy rushing inside and occupying double- and triple teams. Smith figured that out, and Joe wouldn’t be surprised at all if he got to that 10-sack mark this season.
April 6th, 2015 at 3:37 pm
go jack!
April 6th, 2015 at 3:41 pm
LVD
Banks
Ja Smith
April 6th, 2015 at 3:47 pm
That would do wonders for our Defense. Good Luck Jacq, hope you light em up on game days.
April 6th, 2015 at 3:55 pm
Only 3rd down (or 4th) Sacks matter. Those are the money downs.
April 6th, 2015 at 3:58 pm
@R.O.
You can’t be serious.
April 6th, 2015 at 4:04 pm
I’ll be so happy when we finally get a DE who forces the Bucs to pay him. Michael Bennett was the closest we’ve had since Simeon Rice.
April 6th, 2015 at 4:07 pm
yawn….offseason player speak
April 6th, 2015 at 4:09 pm
I’m thankful.
April 6th, 2015 at 4:10 pm
How is the guy’s work ethic? Does he live and breathe football 24/7 versus singing in church choir?
April 6th, 2015 at 4:13 pm
I’m not praying to any statues or human beings because that’s a sin, you know this Joe why be a part of this nonsense. The media is trying to take football away from me with all this garbage of combining religion and sports. I don’t thank the Lord for a touchdown or consider it a blessing from the heavens that an athlete made a play. Exodus Chapter 20 also sin is the transgression of the law not drinking,smoking, or not going to church on sunday.
April 6th, 2015 at 4:15 pm
I am anxious to see William Gholdston this year as well. We may be pleasantly surprised with some of the same players. I’m not saying that is an excuse not to draft on the O line a D line, they are still the most critical positions that this team needs upgrades at, but we may have some talent ready to break out this season.
Michael Bennett is a good example, only 1 sack in 2009, 1 in 2010, 4 in 2011, and 9 in 2012. Sometimes it takes opportunities plus experience combined to break out. I think we’ve got some guys who will make a name for themselves this season under Lovie. The O-line is a different story. I think I’d use that 2nd rounder or trade back up into the first to nab a solid OL even under Koetter they just looked like ass last year and I’m worried about that.
I’d go QB, OL, OL, DE then whatever falls into place after that.
April 6th, 2015 at 4:16 pm
Is he Youngry ?
April 6th, 2015 at 4:17 pm
We don’t have to have a 10sack DE to be successful…as long as everybody contributes and that includes LBs CBs S……If we can pick up some sacks from the interior….we can have a very successful defense……we don’t need any slackiers….
April 6th, 2015 at 4:26 pm
TBBF..man I hope you are right……I was so excited walking into the home opener last year….have not gotten over it yet….
April 6th, 2015 at 4:30 pm
Smith and Gholston make a great rotation on the left side. If we can get someone to hold down the right side our defense would reach the next level.
April 6th, 2015 at 4:30 pm
“Only 3rd down (or 4th) Sacks matter. ”
——–
Oh boy.
April 6th, 2015 at 4:32 pm
This is all talk from Jack of course, but I really think he could be that guy too. 6 1/2 sacks in 7 games is no fluke and he just looked like a natural pass rusher. My only question is can he stop the run as well, or will he only be a situation/rotational guy.
April 6th, 2015 at 4:56 pm
Well, the Bucs can definitely use a double-digit sack guy.
April 6th, 2015 at 4:59 pm
All this just show you how bad Micheal Johnson was and how bad Adrian Clayborn has been the last 4 years!
April 6th, 2015 at 5:06 pm
unrelated item…..Lawrence Tynes….suing Bucs for that MRSA situation.
April 6th, 2015 at 5:17 pm
Jacquies Smith was the Bucs most consistent and productive end last year – by a wide margin. Whenever he was on the field he was creating pressure and making plays and setting other linemen up with sacks as well. He had the “want to” on every play and his high motor was obvious. 6 1/2 sacks playing well less than 50% of Defensive plays last year equates to 12, 13 or 14 sacks as a full time starter.
I have high hopes for this young man in 2015. Good job L&L for finding this guy and developing him so quickly. But the real credit for the production goes to Jack Smith for working hard to quickly earn a starting spot.
Find a player with similar skills and desire on the opposite side and watch this defense start humming.
April 6th, 2015 at 5:18 pm
I wonder what Jack could do on the right side?
April 6th, 2015 at 5:22 pm
@Andrew
Stop the run on the way to the quarterback
April 6th, 2015 at 5:54 pm
Original Kevin,
Sometimes it takes opportunities plus experience combined to break out.
Amen brother!!! And people don’t seem to realize that the NFL is not a true meritocracy. Some guys are GIVEN opportunities…Daquan Bowers and Smith…others hang around waiver wires and can only HOPE they get a chance.
Do we believe the coaches saw Smith’s talent and decided to immediately give him a shot? Or do we believe that their star picks failed and they were FORCED to give Smith a shot.
How much better than Jeremy Trueblood did Demar Dotson have to be before he got his shot.
And at the risk of starting a huge JBF rumble does anybody here really believe that MG8 didn’t deserve to start ahead of Lovie’s boy Josh? When we draft Fameis does anybody believe MG8 if he’s still here will really get a chance. Fameis will be ANOINTED day one!
The best players are not always the ones out on the field. Sometimes there are guys out there to protect GM and coaches reps and not embarrass their decisions!
This is a major reason Licht is looking forward to first pickk off the waiver wire until September.
April 6th, 2015 at 5:56 pm
I’m excited about this kid. If Lovie thinks this kid can do what this kid thinks he can do, then they can move forward and build that line for Jameis.
Protect my brother from another mother at all cost!
April 6th, 2015 at 6:52 pm
From the sample size we got of him last yr I believe it is Entirely possible IF we get another Edge rusher. Back in our day Rice and Sapp made Everyone on our DL look like all pros.
April 6th, 2015 at 7:22 pm
Our defense did look much better in the second half of the year and Smith was a part of that. I’m cautiously optimistic about him. If the offense can actually give the defense an occasional lead they will look even better.
April 6th, 2015 at 7:33 pm
Refresh my memory – what was that streak the Bucs had of consecutive games with a sack?
April 6th, 2015 at 7:38 pm
Soon to be known as Sackin Jack!
I call credit on that nickname!
April 6th, 2015 at 8:46 pm
Just call it Jack Smack!
April 6th, 2015 at 9:58 pm
Joe wouldn’t be surprised at all if he got to that 10-sack mark this season
………………….
Lol sure joe because there’s been double digit sack guys around here for so long. Wow now we’re set on the d line now that we have a double digit sack guy on the outside lol
April 6th, 2015 at 10:21 pm
Me personally I’m more excited about QB pressures. Pressures makes QBs make decisions quicker than they wanted to. Sacks without forcing fumble are just glorified tackles for lost. Keep the ten sacks and give me fifty pressures some of those will result into ints.
April 6th, 2015 at 11:29 pm
This is awesome to see this guy still has alot to prove to be the starter and he knows it like he said not alot of people know who his name. He will be qb hunting hard when the seaon starts and defintely will be looking to start early also on the other side we have gholston who im pretty sure we all have really high hopes for this year. still cant see how we go de with our second pick with our o line so horrible. Safety if we do defense or middle line backer would be a better option than de with the second pick.
Also @ bucs4lyfe just cause we have not had a double digit sack guy in a while does not mean we will never have one Seattle hasnt had good qb in a while but they do now. We had bennett but our staff at the time and our front office did not realize what was going on. Our back field was horrible that the qb had open recievers right away making it easy for the qb to get easy complietions giving bennett and the rest of the dline virtually no time to get the qb. Jack almost averaged a sack a game and you really dont think that he can get 10 in 16 games. Also with the addition of Melton in the middle and mcdonald can come in on third down freash as to tired also gholston hungry to be and stay the starter i really wouldnt be surprised if we have two double digit sack guys.
April 7th, 2015 at 12:17 am
R.O. Says:
April 6th, 2015 at 3:55 pm
Only 3rd down (or 4th) Sacks matter. Those are the money downs.
Exactly. And only field goals and safeties matter too.
April 7th, 2015 at 12:51 am
I don’t see why he couldn’t be. All he has to do is maintain the same productivity through 16 games as he had last season in 8 and he’ll be there. He could even have a drop off and reach the mark. I’d love to see him, our new RDE, and GMC app reach the double digit mark
April 7th, 2015 at 7:34 am
@ hecticbuc
Greg schiano said the same thing about daquan bowers when he let Michael Bennett walk who also wasn’t a double digit sack guy. it’s just talk and if he doesn’t no one will remember this moment. he hasn’t done it yet so theres no reason to expect that he will until he does
April 7th, 2015 at 8:03 pm
You can do it, ” Ten-Sack Jack”!