The Best (At 32)

July 9th, 2019

Ranked.

So do the Bucs have any players considered to be the best in the NFL? One national NFL scribe believes so.

Now Mike Evans is one of the best wide receivers in the game. But there are a few wide receivers some consider better. Let’s just say Joe considers this to be a very, very short list.

Tight end O.J. Howard? Perhaps, but injuries hampered him in this category. He has yet to finish a season healthy.

Kevin Seifert of BSPN believes the Bucs have a guy on defense who is the best in the NFL. Yes, really. But no, not linebacker Lavonte David. Rather, Seifert believes the best player in the NFL at age 32 is Bucs defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh.

With no clear-cut winner among this age group, Suh gets the nod for his durability and still-present disruption skills. He hasn’t missed a game in seven years, and his 845 snaps in 2018 ranked second among all NFL defensive tackles. In other words, his physical conditioning remains elite. Pro Football Focus credited him with 66 quarterback pressures, including the postseason, serving as a reminder that he can still wreck a play when he wants to.

Now in the same article linked above, Mike Clay, also of BSPN and a spreadsheeter, projects Suh to have 55 tackles and 5 sacks this season. That’s nearly double the tackles Gerald McCoy had last year but one less sack.

If those numbers bear out, that’s a fair swap.

18 Responses to “The Best (At 32)”

  1. SteveK Says:

    I’ll take the complete game: run support, pass rush over GMC. Also the attitude.

  2. WestChap Says:

    Exactly! GMC should have been traded when there was a chance someone else would value his narrower skill set. This is an upgrade on all fronts (ability, attitude and value). Anyone (Joe?) who still pines for GMC over Suh is simply out of touch.

  3. Bird Says:

    Yup. Fair swap I would take 5 sacks from him as he is more run stuffer / taking up 2 guys.

    Not really the sack artist these last few years

  4. doolnutts Says:

    At the end of the day, we need a culture change. I like McCoy but it was simply time for a change. We should consider ourselves lucky… The roster house cleaning I expected didn’t happen. I expected many more fan favorites to get booted and it simply did not happen. McCoy was just 1 guy on a team BUT he was one of the leaders in the locker room so to me he is somewhat to blame for this playoff drought. Personally, when I saw him and Kwon dancing down by several touchdowns I knew I wanted a change. Even if McCoy somehow outplays Suh I am still happy we made the change. I had seen enough.

  5. Todd Says:

    Can’t remember the YouTube source…but you’ll find it if you search for Suh highlights. Some dude was breaking down film on Suh last year and noted how he would intentionally gobble up an OL-man and hold their jersey…pulling him away from a lane where Aaron Donald pulled to rush. Admittedly Suh was holding…but it was an intelligent hold where the likelihood of him getting penalized was small.

    What a totally selfless way to play the game!

    Suh is not a stat whore…simply a winner.

    Major upgrade.

  6. Buccernutter Says:

    Double the tackles and 1 less sack is a fair swap?

    Na that is an UPGRADE.

    SMH.

  7. DB55 Says:

    Fair? Gimme a break. That’s a gargantuan plus.

  8. Kobe Faker Says:

    “The Bucsfans never learn

    2019 JR Sweezey award winner

    Doesnt play well and loaths around with a 16 game winning team and a superbowl winning defensive coordinator…

    And he is going all out with the bad news bucs?

    4 sacks for 10 million

    Lol the gullible bucsfans”

    Kobe Faker

  9. ATL Bucs Fan Says:

    [Insert slight against Bucs fans]

    [Insert slight against player mentioned in article and/or Jameis]

    [Insert generic reasoning behind above slights]

    [Insert final slight against Bucs fans]

    Kobe Faker’s Template for Success

  10. 813bucboi Says:

    SUH is an upgrade!!!!…PERIOD!!!!!

    GO BUCS!!!

  11. Magadude Says:

    My how times change. I was in Detroit for Bucs vs. Lions in 2014 sitting next to Marianne Smith when Lovie’s QB, Josh McKown, got his clock cleaned big by Suh and boy, did she go off on ref and fans around her howling at what she called a dirty hit.

    Now that Suh is with us, that hit doesn’t seem so bad. Who knows, maybe even Suh and Evan Smith hang out on weekends now (doubt it).

  12. D-Rome Says:

    I’m going to guess that Adam Vinatieri is the best 46 year old player in the NFL.

  13. Jean Lafitte Says:

    55 tackles is more than triple of McCoy’s 16 last season.

  14. Destinjohnny Says:

    Suh is a violent player.
    It will set the tone.
    I think the back half of the year (last 8 games)our defense will
    Rank 15-20th.
    First 8 games???? 30-32

  15. Nick2 Says:

    What they slighted GMC again????? No way!! Mr brittle biceps now resides with the soft Panthers. Maybe when he plays against us he will play like we have been wanting him to for umteen years. Showing my age but I watched Leroy Selmon play and yes hes a DE and GMC is interior but Leroy would wreck games plain takeover. I saw him sack Ron Jaworski 3 times on the final drive to put the Bucs in the NFC Championship game. That was a game wrecker and Suh is in that mold.

  16. Allbuccedup Says:

    Suh will get suspended for three games and it will be on Gholston shoulders I feel a lot better now. HAHAHAHA.

  17. Malcolm-Reynolds Says:

    ATL – You’re killing me. Lol

  18. Gerald McBezos Says:

    In 12 of 16 games last year, Gerald McCoy had one tackle or less.

    Let that sink in.