Bucs “Anxious” To Get Spence Playing Time

August 6th, 2018

Could this be the year?

Obviously, when a team picks a guy in the second round at a position of terrible need, there are high hopes for the guy.

So when the Bucs drafted Noah Spence two years ago, that is exactly the type of guy the Bucs thought they had: talented with a huge opportunity to display his wares.

Initially, Spence showed promise with 5.5 sacks despite at times playing with one wing. Spence blew out his shoulder his rookie year but fought through it. After offseason surgery last year, Spence barely made it to his second game before blowing out the same shoulder which required surgery again.

Now healthy and working with new defensive line coach Brenston Buckner, Spence seems to be unleashing his talent.

“Oh, man he’s a beast!” said new teammate and fellow defensive end Vinny Curry. “He has a motor that can go all day. He’s a Mack truck, too.”

Maybe showing a bit of restraint because he wants to see Spence make plays in the regular season, Buckner was a bit more guarded in remarks on Spence.

“Noah is a physically gifted kid,” Buckner said. “Not big in stature but big in strenth of speed. He has a football aggressiveness that I love.

“He is still a young player trying to get his craft down. He really works hard and hates losing and those are good traits to have.”

And while a day hardly goes by in training camp that Spence doesn’t make an eye-popping play, the elephant in the room is his shoulder. Can he make it to the regular season healthy first, much less can he finish the season healthy?

“If you look at Noah, the guy is all muscle,” Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said. “I think he has the same motor and the same speed that he always has. We’re anxious to see him get out there and do it in real football.”

35 Responses to “Bucs “Anxious” To Get Spence Playing Time”

  1. ndog Says:

    The big difference here it is not him or bust on the dline for pressure. He is a cog in the machine that will be bringing heat from all different directions. But like everyone is saying we are still going to suck despite having much better players up front, why would that make a difference, right Jenna?

  2. 813bucboi Says:

    heard the same stuff last year….still waiting!!!!!

    #NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!…GO BUCS!!!!

  3. Godeep66 Says:

    He will be a force once healed. Let’s go Bucs!!!!!!

  4. Lord Cornelius Says:

    Health is the only thing that has ever held this guy back. Please stay healthy young master

  5. Rocky Says:

    Positive energy folks….. come on, I know some of you are rational and like me believe!! Come on now!! Let’s be the suprise team this year!! For Real guys n Ladies….Go Bucs!!!!

  6. m0j0 Says:

    The league is not ready for Spence. He will be a terror this season!

  7. Pickgrin Says:

    Go get ’em Spawn!

  8. BringBucsBack Says:

    We are waiting too, coach.

  9. DB55 Says:

    He has a football aggressiveness that I love ….. and hates losing and those are good traits to have.”
    ————-
    Oh man, this is going to be fun to watch. Not Spawn, we know he’s a beast but Buckner coaching McIceCream in the fourth qrt. 🍿

  10. Lamarcus Says:

    Tooooo small to make any impact on the dline and too slow to be linebacker. U probably have to get creative with a player like him like in a wide 9

  11. LargoBuc Says:

    So many people are rooting for this kid to succeed, myself included. Few other players have the potential to single handidly turn this defense around.

  12. Lord Cornelius Says:

    “Tooooo small to make any impact on the dline”

    He has easily brought more pressure when healthy as a DE than any other DE on this team since Michael Bennet; and it’s not really close imo.

  13. TouchDownTampaBay Says:

    Lord I would say that offensive tackles have had a pretty easy time holding him back. They easily just push him around the pocket with what seems to be very little effort. He is too small. May be good for depth if healthy but I don’t seem much more than that from him.

  14. webster Says:

    Touchdown

    He is roughly the same size as von miller. As a rookie, spence showed he could get to the qb. I dont think size is the problem. Health has been his problem plus he has put on considerably more weight during his rehab and has not lost any speed. If healthy, spence will be fine. Its easy to push someone around with one arm

  15. webster Says:

    Touchdown

    Remember dunn and barber were considered small. Its not the size of the dog in the fight but rather the size of the fight in the dog

  16. webster Says:

    Brees and russell was considered too small.

  17. Trench War Says:

    Football is a marathon. Play aggressive but within boundaries. He’s had major surgery twice on the same shoulder so the smart play would be to find a way to protect it while not putting himself at a disadvantage. Means, he may have to change his style to maximize his ability to stay on the field. A 3rd surgery could end his Buc career and possibly his future NFL career.

  18. Stanglassman Says:

    All speed DEs get stood up or pushed back at times. Games played healthy he gets results. Just maybe he got pushed around because he was 25 lbs lighter playing in pain with one arm. Robert Quinn (28yr old) is playing 255, a full 3 pounds more than Spence(24). I wonder if their fans are questioning his ability because of his size. Mia.’s Charles Harris (250 lbs) plays the wide 9 tech, I have no problem with Smitty situationally playing Spence in that formation.

  19. D1 Says:

    Webster,

    Derrick Brooks and Ray Lewis

  20. Lamarcus Says:

    I’m with touchdown tamp bay

    Joe Thomas blocked Spence with his forearm while blocking a defensive tackle. During preseason of last year

  21. BucEmUp Says:

    He’s a young von miller clone. Too bad Smitty looks at him the same way a young boy looks at a playboy for the first time..He knows he sees.something special but has no.idea what to do with it lol!

  22. BoJim Says:

    I think we’re all anxious to see him, in a good way.

  23. gilhealy Says:

    This kid’s dying to show what he’s got. Great attitude. With Bosa getting all the props, he’s ready to show out. Healthy, I think he’s better than Bosa. Not by a little.

  24. BucfanBF Says:

    Lamarcus,

    You say Spence is to small to play DL. Do you remember a DL by the name of John Randall? He was to small too. But there is one thing that you cant measure and that is a mans Heart. John Randall had that in abundance and went on to have a spectacular career with the Vikings and ultimately ending up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame!!!.
    I like to hear Buckner say that he sees a lot of these same attributes which happen to match up with John Randall’s. Me saying that not Buckner.
    If this kid can stay injury free with Buckner coaching and the skill of those players next to him I see this kid getting 8 sacks.

    Go Bucs!!!!

  25. uckinator Says:

    One more shoulder issue and he’s toast. Just the truth. Hoping him well. Not optimistic.

  26. BucNole Says:

    Hey Im rooting for the kid. . . if he cant stay healthy for 16 games he will contribute. . . go bucs

  27. Owlykat Says:

    I have liked him from the start. He is an excellent speed rusher and has proven it already in practice by beating our Turnstyle Smith. How many football players do you know who had the guts to play through a season in the NFL with a bum shoulder and produce 5.5 sacks? His attitude and motor are the best and he has really built up his body for this season where we really need him to star!

  28. reality-is-a-beotch Says:

    D1

    would that be the same derrick brooks who road Sapp’s coattails his entire career…. yeah the derrick brooks captain of the underachievers and their pathetic 5 playoff games in his entire career…. bucs ring of honor is nothing more than the ring of underachievement or ring of mediocrity. outside of selmon and sapp all just underachieving coattail riders.

  29. Kobe Faker Says:

    No where Spence, the Training Camp Paper Champion…lol

    Every TC, Shoulder Harness fools the Buc Sheep into wetdream fantasy

    1 trick pony is an easy block to an average off tackle. Gump over spent 23 million with 2 def ends because of this bust and the Buc Sheep still believes No where can play…

    “No Where Spence will not get 6 sacks in 2018 season… Kobe Faker will bet any JBF poster (Kobe Hater)….loser will permanantly ban himself at JBF”

    Kobe Faker

  30. Joe Says:

    would that be the same derrick brooks who road Sapp’s coattails his entire career…. yeah the derrick brooks captain of the underachievers and their pathetic 5 playoff games in his entire career…. bucs ring of honor is nothing more than the ring of underachievement or ring of mediocrity. outside of selmon and sapp all just underachieving coattail riders.

    FYI, Brooks played in more playoff games than Sapp.

    And Sapp was never named Defensive Player of the Year.

    Calm down.

  31. Joe Says:

    He’s a young von miller clone. Too bad Smitty looks at him the same way a young boy looks at a playboy for the first time..He knows he sees.something special but has no.idea what to do with it lol!

    Hard to use a guy that’s always hurt.

  32. Proudbucsfan Says:

    Sapp was defensive player of the year in 99 just to let you know.

  33. Buc1987 Says:

    Godeep66 Says:

    “He will be a force once healed. Let’s go Bucs!!!!!!”

    Do you know anything about MY team or do you just hate Jameis Winston?

  34. G8r Says:

    Sapp was Defensive Player of the Year in 1999

  35. webster Says:

    Sapp also made all decade team in the 90’s and 2000’s. Come on joe!!! I do not agree brooks rode sapp’s coattails. DB was clearly the man. You dont ride coattails and become a 1st ballot HOF. As I always say, tampa has the DUMBEST fan base period.