Targeting Yannick Ngakoue
January 2nd, 2020
Leaving Jacksonville?
Yes, Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians said this week he wants to keep Jason Pierre-Paul as an outside linebacker/pass rusher. And why not? He’s one of the best.
Of course, JPP is no spring chicken. And since this Bucs organization is allergic to drafting pass rushers (since 2014, the Bucs have drafted as many pass rushers as kickers — let that sink in for a moment), the smart thing would be to keep JPP and overlook his age (he just turned 31) and look at his heart, which is big as the moon.
And he produces.
However, Joe might just suggest the Bucs should throw the Team Glazer vault at another player if his current team is dumb enough to let him walk.
Yannick Ngakoue is a guy the Bucs were very high on when he entered the 2016 draft. For reasons not quite clear, they instead drafted Noah Spence, who turned out to be a colossal swing-and-miss (Joe cannot call the guy a bust because he had a fine rookie season only to see his career derailed by shoulder injuries).
Earlier this year, Ngakoue was clearly an unhappy camper in Jacksonville. Scuttlebutt was that he hated Jags strongman Tom Coughlin, who has since been fired. Does that change Ngakoue’s outlook for his future in northeast Florida?
Scheduled to be a free agent in a few weeks, one would think Jacksonville would slap Ngakoue with a tag of some sort. As it stands right now, per Ngakoue’s twitter this morning, all bets are off on him returning to Jacksonville this year.
Duval, Thank you for all the love and support. No matter where I play in the future you all are in my heart forever. – 91 pic.twitter.com/iua06DgWxN
— Yannick Ngakoue (@YannickNgakoue) January 2, 2020
Yes, Joe would love to see JPP back. But if the Bucs have a chance to get Ngakoue, Joe would throw wads of cash in his lap to get him to move across the state.
So yeah, given the choice, Ngakoue, who will turn 25 in March, might be the smarter signing than JPP.
Provided Jacksonville really is that dumb to let him walk away.
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:10 pm
Yeah..and Joe bags Rachael Watson too…
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:13 pm
Hell if we can grab him go for it.
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:14 pm
Prolly more spendy than JPP.
Has JPP mentioned if he even wants to be back in Tampa?
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:17 pm
I disagree Joe. Yannick will get loads of cash for the same reasons you mentioned you’d prefer him over JPP. We won’t have the luxury to pay him top dollar and Shaq Barrett. All things even, yeah, go get Yannick. But they’re not and we have loads of money that’s practically already spent. If Suh doesn’t return for some reason, then Yannick becomes an option. JPP also provides inside-rush ability as well, so he is more versatile than Yannick in that regards. I love Yannick too but unless Shaq Barrett gives us a sizeable hometown discount, Yannick may be a dream.
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:18 pm
JPP is GREAT leadership, something money can’t buy and the team as sorely been missing. Keep him !
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:19 pm
Yea we will. We got more cap space than people think. You cut gholston and brate now you are up to $95mil. EVERYONE will get paid even #3
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:20 pm
If only Jason Licht drafted josh allen over devin white, then we wouldnt be having this jpp talk
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:32 pm
941 – and we wouldn’t have a rookie with back to back Rookie of the Month honors. Potentially becoming Rookie of the Year!
Enough with Allen. Go White!
In BA I Trust!
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:36 pm
Just the fact he had problems with the coach tells me to move on!! Coughlin has been in the NFL since you were in diapers you big headed idiot!! He coaches, you listen and shut up.. Period!! And I said it before (under a different name lol) and I’ll say it again… Jpp is 90% the reason for the defensive turn around!! Not just because he have Barret better chance either!! His passion is infectious!! And how to even mention his age shows how blind you are to other factors like the passion that he infects the team with…. And also dude came back from a broke neck and still dam near had 10 sacks on the season!! This is a team that went 10 years without that kind of production and now you want some whiner to come here?!? … That’s dumb man!!
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:38 pm
IMO, JPP much is more valuable than this guy. Not only does he come cheaper but he has the mentality we need and he is a veteran leader. We finally have good defensive chemistry with a tough defensive mindset instead of playing soft and y’all want to replace the heartbeat?
Shaq>Yannick, Joe you got to get over this man crush for this guy.
Securing Shaq and JPP should be priority number one, unless JPP just wants crazy money (he did tear up 12.5 for next year).
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:44 pm
Yes drafting a kicker over him was Brain dead things Jameis1of1 would do. But we have to get over it JPP and Shaq are much bigger priorities.
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:44 pm
I don’t know why Joe keeps trying to turn out JPP. JPP has proven he is dependable.
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:45 pm
How about a Dee Ford redux article……maybe we can find $15 million for him…..
How about some suggestions for how to pay for these possible additions?
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:47 pm
Big difference. Jpp has experience. Yannick has youth. Both will command more than 10m.
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:48 pm
Jacksonville will resign or franchise him (or fire the GM for insubordination). I’ll be happy to have JPP back (if he is back).
Why would we cut Gholston? He’s not great, but a good role player in our defense who will make under $5 million in 2020. The cap space isn’t that tight that you’d cut somebody you’d have to replace (Joe has talked about creating holes in the roster when we didn’t need to).
January 2nd, 2020 at 1:51 pm
Why not both you can never have to many pass rushers. I know we have a cap but damn we will have money especially if we don’t re sign the 30 million dollar turn over machine at QB.
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:15 pm
Rookie of the month really? Bucs got vita vea who plays 50% of the snaps, and devin white who will need to be 10x better than lavonte to live it to the ungodly high #5 pick he was taken at. How many teams do you look at and say “oh they couldve used a MLB??? Jason licht does not know how to build a team. He drafting devin white too damn high, drafted vea too damn high. Drafted turds for the secondary, cant draft a kicker, and if u somehow BA changes his mind on Jameis and let him go, Jason wouldve failed on The jameis pick also…. He shouldve drafted josh allen, then JPP could be gone and then you can sign this young kid jxville. Imagine this, derwin james, dalvin cook, josh allen. Or even Derwin James, alvin Kamara, josh allen. Instead we sitting here knowing jpp is gonna fall off as soon as we give him another $10 mil.
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:17 pm
Would much rather bring JPP back and draft either Epenesa or Gross-Matos to play with and learn from JPP. Of course this is assuming we won’t need a QB in rd1
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:19 pm
I dunno Joe. JPP played lights out and said he was feeling great when he came back. I’m going to say let JPP play out his final year of his contract or draft Javon Kinlaw. A master all over the 3-4 and a cheap rookie contract for four years.
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:20 pm
the real question is how many games a year does Ngakoue miss due to bad choices and pure ignorance…. that can’t be replaced by just any dumbarse. you have to be a special kind of dump to flush millions down the toilet due to pure ignorance. you can’t count on jpp for a full year between a fragile neck and a long and distinguished career of piss poor choices bucs need to move on from the part time turkey neck. there is a reason the giants let him walk. he is 1 pee brain decision from screwing his teammates again like he did this year by missing half the damn year. Yet,he receives a free pass from the low standard nuthuggers who are so prevalent in the dumbest and most irrelevant fan-base in sports history.
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:32 pm
941bucsfan — According to Spotrac we will have 91 million without cutting Brate or Gholston but the overall point is that we have enough money to basically sign whoever we want. The only reason why we don’t get someone is because BA decided he didn’t want them. I think we get JPP, Suh and Barrett back no question and with cap room to spare.
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:33 pm
@SOE Kinlaw would be nice if he’s still available
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:35 pm
The Bucs saw in Devin White what we saw glimpses of in his rookie year, a MLB who flies all over the field like Ray Lewis/Brian Urlacher who would lead the defense for years to come. Josh Allen might be missing something in the leadership area (the Kentucky players they talked to said that the player they’d like to be teamed up with in the NFL from college was Mike Edwards). Allen is a great pass rusher, but other teams (who needed pass rushers such as Oakland and NY Jets) took other players.
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:37 pm
Add him sure. In place of JPP NFW!!!
JPP will likely be awesome when he is 45. Pay him and keep him for at least the next 5-10 years
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:40 pm
Yes
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:43 pm
Joe is willing to bet his house JPP won’t be starting in the NFL at 45.
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:45 pm
Ngakoue would require Shaq Barrett money. or JPP + Suh money. or don’t-pay-Winston money. Given the number of spots the bucs need long term starters at, and how well the current front seven has played together, i think moving on from a known quantity to YN should only be done if there’s a breakdown in paying the above players.
Yannick has shown some inconsistency and lack of maturity during rough parts of the season, Shaq and JPP have been repeatedly called out as glue guys. Ngakoue feels like a step back to guys like DJax or Kellen Winslow who were well-paide standout talents who damaged the team’s potential with their attitudes
January 2nd, 2020 at 2:59 pm
……..is T troll con really blaming a car accident on JPP’s bad decisions. a not at fault car accident….lol it’s something new every day with him.
January 2nd, 2020 at 3:01 pm
Some of you float the $80-90 million like we are totally loaded……here are some rough numbers for just a few of our players and we have many more to sign….this totals $85mil for just 7 players…..Jameis sucks up a bunch.
Jameis $27
Shaq $ 17
JPP $ 14
Nassib $ 6
Godwin $ 7
Suh $ 8
Perriman $6
January 2nd, 2020 at 3:04 pm
we don’t have to pay Godwin yet and he is going to command a lot more then 8 million
January 2nd, 2020 at 3:07 pm
We will need to rework Godwin’s contract and pay him more next year….and much more the years after that…..thus the estimate of $7 in 2020….
January 2nd, 2020 at 3:09 pm
Sounds good. now if we can just get a good year out of OJ.
January 2nd, 2020 at 3:09 pm
You can nitpick my estimates all you like but I’d wager the total of $85 mil on those seven will be close…..
January 2nd, 2020 at 3:12 pm
any money for a top tier safety?
January 2nd, 2020 at 3:24 pm
@941, quiet 🤫…. Back to back rookie of the month! The NFL season is 4 months long and the guy we drafted owns half the honors for his accomplishments. Be a Bucs fan and root for your guy, the actual better player. Or kick rocks and join a Jagsoff fan site. You notice most of the other trolls have zip their lips on D.White already. You may want to join them because you’re only making yourself look bad.
January 2nd, 2020 at 3:38 pm
RIP Sam Wyche!
January 2nd, 2020 at 3:49 pm
@941….To move on you must learn. The dark side consume you it will.
January 2nd, 2020 at 3:56 pm
Devin white? Really guys… Re draft this draft And I PROMISE devin white wouldnt even be top 10. The guy made rookie of the month… give me a break. Telling me u would rather have a MLB instead of a perrineal 10 sack guy is Horse Sh^*. Literally….. this a passing league. And its only gonna be more of passing league as we go forward. And devin white cant cover a twin size bed with a king sized comforter. So just stop it
January 2nd, 2020 at 4:18 pm
“Horse Sh^*. Literally….. this a passing league. ”
yeah until the playoffz when they all have good passing games and very good running games 2.
January 2nd, 2020 at 4:25 pm
keep shaq and jpp and draft a prospect that can learn from those two and vea……..winning mentality that is as well as technique.
we have mentors now, use them and get a 2-3rd…or 4th rounder with a head and passion.
we NEED a QB, LT. OL depth and RB, but RB we can get from arby’s…don’t wast the draft pick.
January 2nd, 2020 at 5:14 pm
I have become a huge JPP fan after this year!
He overcame a MAJOR injury…he was a leader on the field and played hard.
I had the privilege of covering Reggie White when he played at UT. I followed him through the Eagles…Pack..his last year at Carolina not so much.
Even at the end of his career with Carolina at age 39 White put up 5.5 sacks. The year before at 38 he had SIXTEEN FREAKING SACKS…he had 11 the year before at age 37.
IMHO I take JPP over Ngakoue. JPP has proved himself…
Two seasons with 12.5 sacks including last year with us.
One year he put up 16.5. He put up 8.5 this year in just 8 games…that projects out to 17 for the year!!! He’s still playing at a high clip and he obviously has a huge heart…high pain threshold..and perhaps some great genes when it comes to healing.
The bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. We need to remember this and sign the entire defense! If that means JW is too expensive…boo freaking hoo.
January 2nd, 2020 at 5:22 pm
You can’t go wrong adding a Terp to your team.
January 2nd, 2020 at 5:24 pm
I keep hearing about how this is a passing league. Yet everybody constantly mentions how we need a running game.
Well- which is it dipsht?
January 2nd, 2020 at 5:33 pm
JPP much more versatile and will be a better bargain…..I think if we lost Shaq, maybe they consider this guy but it seems Shaq will be here for a few more years.
January 2nd, 2020 at 5:34 pm
Playing in 9 more games than JPP, Ngakoue had 37.5 sacks compared to JPP’s 36.5. The question is how much more would he be than JPP?
January 2nd, 2020 at 5:36 pm
Actually now that I think of it, JPP would have paced 44.0 sacks with 9 more games. I would rather stick with JPP.
January 2nd, 2020 at 5:42 pm
We have Shaq and JPP (better bring them back)….no need right now. Our needs are QB, RT, Safety and RB.
January 2nd, 2020 at 5:44 pm
@ Joe.. Off topic, but is Licht not doing a end of season presser this year? I know he usually does on black Monday. Thanks ” Joe’s
January 2nd, 2020 at 6:03 pm
It’s perfectly OK to trot out FA or trade possibilities & I’m sure we will have a multitude of them….but unlike last year, our needs are fewer…..we need to resign our good players & I believe we will.
Our FA pickups of Shaq & Perriman in particular were awesome.
Our young secondary picks are developing nicely along with Rojo & Cappa….
January 2nd, 2020 at 7:42 pm
941 you can’t possibly be that stupid. Ask Carolina whether they’d trade Luke K
for Allen. Devin White is going to be a beast and he’s a great pick for our D. You apparently have a very low football IQ which is fine but you shouldn’t post when you’re that clueless.
January 2nd, 2020 at 7:53 pm
Our GM, will find ways to screw up FA, like always…….Bank on It!!!! Go BUCS!!!!
January 2nd, 2020 at 9:35 pm
Weird that you said the Bucs are pretty much inept at ‘drafting’ pass rushers in this article to set it up, yet the article and your comments are suggesting the Bucs ‘signing’ Yannick as the solution.
We’ve already signed and/or traded for 2 quality starters in JPP (8 1/2 sacks in 10 games) and Shaq (led the NFL w/ 19.5).
‘Signing’ a player is not a way to lay to bed your distaste for the Bucs not ‘drafting’ pass-rushers, anyways. You’d think if you are going to start out an article driving home that ineptitude of the Bucs and their allergies to pass-rushers, you’d give a solution to that in the same article. Or it just makes you sound like you were hating just to hate there.
January 2nd, 2020 at 10:05 pm
941: There’s few things I like more about the NFL and Bucs as when they have a fierce pass rush. That said, I believe Devin White was the correct pick, because of where we’re at as a franchise (we’re not winners, we need to become winners). So in this instance, I’m taking my “Hardy Nickerson” over the “Simeon Rice”. They were different people. Josh Allen could be a great guy you build your locker room around, but that’s not the type of player the draft gurus said he is. The type of guy Devin White is. Or at least the kind of guy I think he is.
January 2nd, 2020 at 10:19 pm
Guys.. Von Miller won the Super Bowl and NOT luke kuechly. Shut that shxt up
January 2nd, 2020 at 10:21 pm
We will be the last team to take a MLB in the top 10 for years and years to come….. we always show teams what NOT to do
January 2nd, 2020 at 10:39 pm
941: It was not just a MLB taken high. It was a freak of nature MLB taken that high.
IMO, Devin White is money well spent.
January 2nd, 2020 at 10:40 pm
What do y’all think Nassib is worth on the FA market? I like the guy. Serious, excellent depth and a no-quit motor.
January 2nd, 2020 at 10:58 pm
Hahaha, a MLB has won a Super Bowl EVERY YEAR they’ve had one.
January 2nd, 2020 at 11:04 pm
Robert…you’re literally the meaning of the word TOOL!
Go Bucs!
January 2nd, 2020 at 11:23 pm
I think Nassib is one of the guys that’ll sign elsewhere. I like him too, but Anthony Nelson is a cheaper (maybe not as good) version of Nassib. Unless they put 30 pounds on Nelson and move him to DE.
January 3rd, 2020 at 2:21 am
I’d rather have JPP. He had more sacks in less games than Yannick. He is good for our locker room IMHO and all the young guys on defense. If we could find a way to keep JPP, Shaq, and sign Yannick, I’m down with that.
January 3rd, 2020 at 4:16 am
TBBF … I also think that $85 mil is pretty close to what it’ll take to keep this defense together. Might even be a tad low ($90 mil might be closer to reality IF we add a veteran starter-capable Safety this year).
Seems like lots of folks fail to realize just what we had in this defense this past year. This was a super-talented defense in virtually all position groups. (Just look at the number of 1st & 2nd Rounders we have on this defense). The majority of our starters stayed healthy and played like beasts. JPP for example played almost 85% of the defensive snaps in his 10 games. Barrett – 78%. Suh – 77%. Vea – 66%. Nassib – 56%. Gholston – 44%.
Those are beastly numbers, and finding replacements for guys like that who can be on the field so much AND produce like they produced isn’t as easy as many seem to think it is. Take a look at the Jaguars DLine for instance and you’ll notice that ONLY Calais Campbell (78%) & Ngakoue (75%) were in the same ballpark in terms of defensive snaps (and yes I’d love for us to have either one of them, at the right price of course). Our DLine guys are mountain men, and those are really hard to replace.
CobraBoy … I also like Nassib & I hope that we re-sign him. For a part-time player his numbers are solid IMO: 6 sacks, 11 QB Hits, 8 TFLs & 33 tackles. That’s quality PERFORMANCE and he’s shown solid LEADERSHIP (Carl’s the ‘spark plug’ type of player IMO … he fires up others). I think he’s well worth right around $7 mil.
January 3rd, 2020 at 6:10 am
941…4.5 speed Devin White had 91 tckl, 2.5 sacks, 3 FF, 1 pick, 2 Fmbl return for TD all coming off early rookie injury and a slow adjustment to the defense in what was one of the best (if not the best) LB corp in 2019. I’ll take it for top 10 even if you PROMISE me he wouldn’t.
On another cool note. On another legitimate site SMB was number 5 in top 5 candidates for defensive rookie of the year. Thought that was really cool.
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:34 am
I’m personally hoping Kinlaw drops in the Bucs lap in Round 1. He offers positional flexibility on the d-line. Landing him allows a couple of other players to walk, reducing DL collective salaries..
January 3rd, 2020 at 8:52 am
Joe’s got a hard on for this underachieving player. He only had 8 sacks. Sign our guys back!