More Matchup Options For Todd Bowles
May 1st, 2024
More tools in toolbox.
So the Bucs added new (and old) possible starters this offseason through free agency and the draft.
Of course, adding depth is great. Joe heard a couple of different defensive coaches say how important depth is (safeties coach Nick Rapone hinted that without safety depth in 2020, the Bucs may have lost to the Packers in the NFC title game).
But more so, the players Tampa Bay added gives head coach Todd Bowles options.
For example, defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers noted that drafting edge rusher Chris Braswell in the second round isn’t meant to replace any other outside linebacker on the roster. Instead, Rodgers said, Braswell and his skillset add to the Bowles’ toolbox to create matchups.
Rapone said the same about adding veteran Jordan Whitehead and rookie third-round pick Tykee Smith — yes, Rapone said Smith will be both a strong safety and a nickel corner.
“You know Coach Bowles,” Rapone quipped. “He can dial up [unique coverages and blitzes] and he puts the best people in the best position.”
Bowles likes to keep offensive coordinators on their toes with exotic blitzes and unique coverages. The way the defensive coaches spoke yesterday during a media availability with the local pen and mic club, Bowles will have a lot more options to play with this fall.
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May 1st, 2024 at 6:27 am
We’re gonna need everybody to step it up this season. The schedule is BRUTAL.
May 1st, 2024 at 6:54 am
Absolutely love the Tykee Smith pick. He might be the starting nickel and a rotational safety. If that shakes out then Christian Izien, with his year of starting all 17+ games at nickel…it feels like rich people problems.
May 1st, 2024 at 7:04 am
True you want versatility.
But you have a starting lineup.
One of the best ways to determine team needs, Imo, is to make a depth chart. Whos the starters.
Plus it helps figure out whos a Defensive end, whos a defensive tackle, who are are 4 starting Lbers.
You see people posting with linebackers, and calling them DEs, and Vice versa all the time.
And Nobody seems to know how many Defensive tackles we have.
( last year, Vea and Kancey split time at DT 50/50)
It looks like Chris Braswell will be playing in Shaq Barretts spot- rush Linebacker.
Still hope we pick up a True DE . A 3/4 DE is usually a bigger guy, anywhere from 275lbs to 300lbs.
Imo, we are good at CB, safety,and DT.
We need another DE, and depth at LBer.
We added some good players to the defense. Ideally, we still add a couple.
Time will tell.
May 1st, 2024 at 8:19 am
Todd needs to get his defense back in order. They have not been the same since they figured out DW blitzing. I think he can……but will he stop the 10 yard cushions?
May 1st, 2024 at 9:57 am
Don’t sleep on Bryce Hall as a starting CB. Let’s see if he’s smart enough to pick up the defense and beat out McCollum. Dean will get hurt tying his shoes early in the season and McCollum will step in for the rest of the year, and this will probably be Dean’s last season here. Licht will find a team willing to trade for Dean, maybe a team who thinks they are really “smart” like Buffalo or Dallas?
I wonder if Izien’s snaps will decrease with Tykee coming in? Izien definitely hit the rookie wall last year, let’s see if can bounce back to get some snaps this year. I bet our new WR coach, Bryan McClendon from Georgia, had good intell on Tykee.
May 1st, 2024 at 10:03 am
“Still hope we pick up a True DE . A 3/4 DE is usually a bigger guy, anywhere from 275lbs to 300lbs.”
Per our own depth chart in 2023 Calijah Kancey was playing one of the 3-4 end positions. He’s 281 lbs.
If anything we could use another huge 320-340 lb DT because we have a good chunk of 3-4 end type players
Calijah Kancey 281 lbs
Logan Hall – 282 lbs
Will Gholston – 281 lbs
Greg Gaines is 313 lbs but can play one of those end positions as well as NT/DT. So i think we are 4 deep on the 2 starters we need there, although neither Gholston or Hall are pass rusher types.
May 1st, 2024 at 10:19 am
The team is looking solid from front to back, except LG (if Barton is a C). All eyes are on the LG spot, otherwise where is the hole? Bringing Whitehead back might be the biggest offseason move – minus the ME13 and Shake-n-bake signings.
With the Gregory and Braswell signings, we are no longer dependent on Just Trying Shoyinka to produce at a high level.
May 1st, 2024 at 10:27 am
Lord Cornelius,
Kancey isnt a defensive end. He plays nose tackle. He split time at Nose tackle 50/50 with Vita Vea. And yes, Kancey is very undersized for a nose tackle.
Its a point I brought up often last year, but thats another story. Greg Gaines is our 3rd NT.
Yes, Logan Hall and Will Gholsten or our starting Defensive ends.
If you are happy with that, you’ve set a really low bar. I really like like Gholsten. Great run stopper. Great Buc. But he has never been a pass rusher. Logan Hall is only playing, because we wasted our top draft pick on him.
Like I said, we still need a DE who can rush the passer. We dont have one.
May 1st, 2024 at 11:17 am
Holstein was a good pass rusher a few years ago. Nowadays I kinda doubt it. Logan Hall can get there but he’s gotta learn to finish, just like JTS
May 1st, 2024 at 12:05 pm
Capt Tim – we play a 3-4 defense. JTS, Baswell, Gregory, Diaby, Watts…are DEs in our system – although maybe listed as LB.
May 1st, 2024 at 12:35 pm
Capt Tim … ‘Kancey isnt a defensive end. He plays nose tackle. He split time at Nose tackle 50/50 with Vita Vea. Greg Gaines is our 3rd NT.’
I’m confused Tim. Bucs’ website lists Vea as a NT, and every other DLineman is listed as simply DL. Bucs defense was on the field for 1081 defensive snaps last season. Vea (6’4″ & 347 lbs) had 607 def snaps, and Gaines (6’1″ & 312 lbs) had 473, totaling 1080. Pro-Football-Reference lists the 2 of them as NTs. Kancey (6’1″ & 281 lbs) had 577 def snaps, but PFR lists him as a DE although I know that he also plays inside. Got a hunch he’s the piece that Bowles moves all around the chess board.
May 1st, 2024 at 12:39 pm
Lord C … ‘If anything we could use another huge 320-340 lb DT because we have a good chunk of 3-4 end type players’.
Yea verily. I was expecting us to draft one if we couldn’t find a DE/OLB that we liked (obviously we found him in Chris Braswell). I doubt that we’ll pick one up now though. If either Vea or Gaines gets hurt & is out for a long spell though, wouldn’t be at all surprised to see us pick up a replacement off the couch.
May 1st, 2024 at 1:29 pm
He will find a way to keep Plan 0 his favorite player.
May 1st, 2024 at 4:38 pm
The cluelessness in here is deep! Knowledge is a super power!