Devil Lies In Details (Quotes)
August 31st, 2018
Very interesting words last night from embattled defensive end Noah Spence.
The man so many Bucs fans hoped would become the next Simeon Rice has had a rough start to his career seeing his first two seasons wiped out by shoulder injuries that required surgery.
Spence, a former second-round pick, has slipped to the point that he shockingly played deep into the fourth quarter in last night’s AAF job fair with Jacksonville, facing future FedEx package handlers, short-order cooks and junior college philosophy instructors.
Anyone worth a box of used athletic tape to their team had the night off, but not Spence. So asked about his spot on the Bucs’ totem pole, Spence’s reaction was very interesting to Joe.
“I mean, we’re starting over,” Spence said of the defensive line,. “We have a new coach and everything. We’ve got to start proving ourselves over again. I got to do what I got to do, man.”
It sounds like Bucs defensive line coach Brentson Buckner is deprogramming — and reprogramming — Spence from whatever previous coaches planted in his head.
Actions speak louder than words. And while Bucs brass and coaches may publicly laud Spence, the fact the Bucs would put a highly-drafted yet injury-prone player on the field for such a worthless game in garbage time against guys who have no business wearing an NFL uniform suggests to Joe someone or some people in the organization are questioning Spence’s long-term future with the team.
August 31st, 2018 at 3:05 pm
Now THAT is some devil in the details!
Oh yeah, Spence too!
August 31st, 2018 at 3:12 pm
Perhaps Buckner is showing Licht over and over and over …exactly what he sees in Spence…I am totally impartial, I wish I was seeing what I am not seeing…..no flash and a duct taped shoulder……I suspect Buckner wants another horse in his stable
August 31st, 2018 at 3:16 pm
WOW, shaping up to be one of the worst draft classes I can remember in some time…. it Rivals the year we traded our 1st round pick for a one year D. Revis rental and then blew our second round pick on J Banks.
August 31st, 2018 at 3:20 pm
“I had no idea football was rocket science”
Kobe faker
August 31st, 2018 at 3:30 pm
B-U-S-T he will be cut, what’s the old saying joe? i’ll tolerate you till i can replace you, sorry i just don’t see it working for no-ha i mean noah
August 31st, 2018 at 3:39 pm
I gotta pee
August 31st, 2018 at 3:40 pm
bad news…it aint looking good for spence….
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!…GO BUCS!!!
August 31st, 2018 at 3:41 pm
Again…given all the kudos Spence has received in the past…including from those same Jags he played against last night during their combined team workouts last year this just doesn’t make a lot of sense..in fact NO sense.
Remember last year when Simeon Rice gave some pointers to Spence and believed he was the real deal and Spence said he had never had that kind of coaching before and everybody was up in arms? What was Jay Hayes doing? Why didn’t the Bucs have somebody on staff that could have provided what Sim did?
I was smacked down earlier this morning for speculating and I respect Joe’s opinion so I’m not going there…well except to say..the ONLY hope we have now is that Spence has received inferior coaching and Buck can clean it up.
If that’s not it this is a story out of the Twilight Zone. It’s just freakish. Spence played better with his shoulder in a sling in his ROOKIE season than he has this year when he is “supposedly” healthy.
August 31st, 2018 at 3:42 pm
Jason Licht simply can’t draft in even numbered years. 2014, 2016, now 2018. And Mike Evans doesn’t count. Even a blind squirrel could have found that nut.
August 31st, 2018 at 3:45 pm
Great piece Joe. Poor draft choice.
August 31st, 2018 at 4:03 pm
I always do like some of the analysts always say……give a player three seasons before labeling them. Sometimes the patience does pay off. Problem with Spence is that he may not even get a third year. He has been that lousy.
August 31st, 2018 at 4:10 pm
He hasn’t done enough to earn a roster spot. Simple as that.
August 31st, 2018 at 4:18 pm
Jason Licht draft picks are folding like origami.
August 31st, 2018 at 4:30 pm
Yeah right dude. Aren’t you the guy that said you kicked your dog when Licht passed on Spence in Round one?
August 31st, 2018 at 4:55 pm
joe wrote the other day that some of our former dlinemen that were starting for us last year aren’t in the league or are currently back ups…(ayers and baker out)….gholston currently a back up…..
I think as it stands now, you can lump spence in that category as well…..
#NOEXCUSESIN2018!!!…#PRESSURESONTHECOACHES!!!…GO BUCS!!!
August 31st, 2018 at 5:06 pm
813 you can probably add two Olineman to that group as well. I think Phampile is set up to be a bench player for Tenn. and I’ve heard no good coming from J.R. Sweezy so he might be a backup this year also.
August 31st, 2018 at 5:08 pm
813…..Think you can add two Olineman to that list also. Phampile and Sweezy. I’m not sure but I think both are benchwarmers this year.
August 31st, 2018 at 5:09 pm
Ayers, Baker, Gholston, Phampile, Sweezy(not sure if the Olineman are benchwarmers)……. Who else? I think we can get a full 11 if we try.
August 31st, 2018 at 5:14 pm
Jerel Worthy looked far superior and far bigger
August 31st, 2018 at 5:22 pm
The guy barely played at all last year, ore game time and snaps can only help his confidence, hopefully.
August 31st, 2018 at 6:12 pm
Here’s reality….teams have to make decisions factoring in players benefits once the player has 3 credited seasons. Once they have 3 credited seasons, you have to show value for them to be willing to fund your pension, HSA, annuity, etc…..Its all fun and games the first few years as a top pick because you’re “developing”….Then the business side kicks in and its “what have you done for us lately”. What has Spence done? He’s injury prone and has one skill set that’s not even dominating 2nd stringers…..On top of that, the line has upgraded considerably and there’s better players in other positions with more upside. I believe technically Spence is one season away from 3 credited seasons but he’s shown nothing and they have to make tough decisions somewhere.
August 31st, 2018 at 6:17 pm
He’s never going to get it. Need to release him.
August 31st, 2018 at 6:31 pm
So Jason first 3’picks in the best defensive line draft in 20 years
Hargreaves who is a below average slot corner
Spence
A bleeping kicker he traded up for
August 31st, 2018 at 6:32 pm
Can he play tackle or guard ? Maybe linebacker? Have we tried him anywhere else? Look at mark Barron?! Maybe?
August 31st, 2018 at 6:35 pm
Despite being labeled a McCoy hater by Joe and others. I’ve defended McCoy during his earlier injury issues. While many McCoy lovers can him a bust.
So now I’m going to defend Spence in this situation. It very hard to judge a player that is hurt the firs two season. In each one of Spence two season he put up sacks number and got hurt.
This may be a case that his body wasn’t ready to play on the line at the time. Also, I personally think he would be better at 34 olb for his size.
August 31st, 2018 at 6:35 pm
In the deepest defensive line draft in 20 years and that being a position of need…..
We draft
Hargreaves a below average slot like guy who can’t play outside
Spence
And trade up for a kicker……….
Grades on that draft would have to be an F
August 31st, 2018 at 6:40 pm
Sounds to me like Buckner is a loud mouthed moron-
Our wonderful 32nd ranked staff tells this guy that he needs to bulk up to be an every down player- why? because they are too incompetent to draft, obtain or develop every down players around him-
LET THE GUY BE A FAST OFF THE EDGE WRECKING BALL SPECIALIST
Bunch of micro-managing incompetent morons for coaches one after the next- should all be FIRED
This guy Spence is more focused on eating 20 meals a day and becoming some ****ing “chessmaster” than just being a freak specimen who seeks and destroys- Now he’s in his head and overweight- too bulky
Do you think that all the Jags lauded him and we hear other players saying this guy could break the sack record for no reason?
Only TEAM INCOMPETENT could destroy yet another players mindset.
This whole staff is complete garbage-
Do I have to become a freaken multibillionaire and buy this freakin team in order to right the ship myself
I’ve had about enough-
P.S.
Forrest Gump was much smarter and a heck of a lot luckier than Captain Winghouse-
Stop showering him with such accolades
Fire the cannons when they clean house
August 31st, 2018 at 6:43 pm
i like gunslingers Says
“B-U-S-T he will be cut…”
I really doubt that. Not this year.
August 31st, 2018 at 6:43 pm
Is it possible to post an article that doesn’t absolutely sh!t on the fringe players that are trying to live out their dream of being in the NFL?
There’s being cute with words and spicing things up….then there’s just being a douche bag.
With all due respect, this site isn’t close to what it used to be.
I know, I know, if I dont like it I can go kick rocks.
August 31st, 2018 at 7:01 pm
spence will make room for Worthy
August 31st, 2018 at 7:01 pm
@StPete … “the ONLY hope we have now is that Spence has received inferior coaching and Buck can clean it up.” I’m sure that was music to Joe’s ears StPete, but the fact still remains that Noah got 5.5 sacks in 2016 plus 3 forced fumbles playing with a banged up shoulder (played in 16 games but only started 3 games). And besides, maybe got more out of Spence that Buck has been able to thus far.
Interestingly however, I went back & relooked at his 2016 year. Noah got 572 defensive snaps in those 16 games, out of 1,063 defensive snaps total on the season (he was on the field for 53.8% of the defensive snaps IOW). All but 1 of his sacks & FF’s came in a 6 game span in the middle of the season … and in those games he was on the field for almost two-thirds of the defensive plays (over 62%). In the other 10 games he had pretty much zero impact even though he was on the field for about half of the defensive snaps.
Obviously this year (assuming that he sticks) he won’t get anyplace close to that amount of time on the field. My guess is that with less playing time he’ll have close to zero impact (certainly not double-digit sacks). Not sure we can afford Spence AND Gholston taking up TWO of our DE slots and still expect to make the playoffs.
August 31st, 2018 at 7:04 pm
Oops, last sentence, first para … ‘Hayes’ disappeared (Should’ve read ‘maybe Hayes got more out of Spence that Buck has been able to thus far.’)
August 31st, 2018 at 7:37 pm
Didn’t Spence gain 25-30 lbs this year to be bigger? Maybe he’s just a tad slower at that weight. If he is going to be a situational pass rusher his weight shouldn’t be an issue. The only issue is can he get to the QB. Maybe at the lighter weight he can. He has in the past.
#Get After It!
August 31st, 2018 at 8:54 pm
Sounds like Spence needs a fifth pre-season game!
August 31st, 2018 at 10:06 pm
While i have been unimpressed by what i have seen with Spence thus far in preseason, the question really is what do you replace his roster spot with? We need a backup DE and unless you have someone in mind after cuts tomorrow, he will likely be on this team.
He’s shown enough in limited time over the past couple of years to let this play out a bit.
August 31st, 2018 at 11:07 pm
Spence is ready for a scenery change. I bet Licht is shopping him and a few of our bubbles around. We’re looking for upgrades and Spence is a rotational backup at this point, and not untouchable.
August 31st, 2018 at 11:45 pm
They way you fools spew about buckner you would think the league would be considering renaming the Lombardi after this guy. Let me remind you Buckner and his soft arse dline have not WON a single game yet. Buckner will be just another failed coach during the gmc era. Rest assured he will get his basement title
August 31st, 2018 at 11:47 pm
They way you fools spew about buckner you would think the league would be considering renaming the Lombardi after this guy. Let me remind you Buckner and his soft arse dline have not WON a single game yet. Buckner will be just another failed coach during the gmc era. Rest assured he will get his basement title thanks to captain blowout
September 1st, 2018 at 12:04 am
Sad. This is the type of guy that needs another 2-3 years to heal up and perfect his craft. We’ll cut him (and rightly so in the short term) but he’ll stay in the league for another 10 years.
September 1st, 2018 at 1:58 am
When u are a bulked up, slow, undersized defensive end with one move, it’s hard to make it in the nfl.
Vh3
Spence
Roberto A
Ryan smith
F grade
September 1st, 2018 at 7:52 am
Could be as simple as him trying to do to much and trying to be too fancy and Buckner asking Koetter to keep him in to work on his basics, you can’t start running before you can walk. Can’t be all show and no go, it’s probably reprogramming. Get your fundamentals down, learn run defense and where to be, take advantage of different looks and your one on ones.
They have stated time and time again they want them to be able to learn different positions and schemes why not have him be able to play the run too not just passing downs. Buckner probably wants him to be better in the run, period.
My 2 cents.
September 1st, 2018 at 3:19 pm
Undersized defensive ends with a bum shoulder don’t work in the NFL. I don’t believe he had shoulder problems in college. Can’t blame the draft pick on that. When drafted, he was to be a DL end/linebacker hybred. Sorry it didn’t work out.
September 1st, 2018 at 3:21 pm
I like the little hottie. She can come to my Halloween party anytime. Probably have to turn the AC down though.