Calijah Kancey And The PFF Tribe’s Asinine “Grades”
June 26th, 2025
Slandered.
Right here is a perfect example of why Joe would laugh his tail off to see the PFF tribe get slapped with a class action suit.
Nothing either gets NFL shotcallers knee-slappin’ laughing or triggered into a full-blown rage like the PFF tribe’s dumbass “grades.” The NFL types will either roar in laughter or just plain roar.
But NFL teams will use any morsel of negative intel — whether it is accurate or hatched by wannabees in Irish dorm rooms in the dark of the night — when it comes to player negotiations.
(To be clear: Joe likes the PFF tribe’s advanced stats but those dumbass “grades” are nothing more than internet compost.)
So Joe is waiting for the day a savvy player agent/lawyer comes after the PFF tribe for costing his/her client bread at the negotiating table with fake news.
Calijah Kancey is one of the better young defensive linemen in the game. Barring a significant injury, Kancey will become a wealthier young man next spring, loaded with tens of millions of Team Glazer loot. But that won’t happen if you believe Dalton Wasserman of the PFF tribe. He is of the mind Kancey is on the verge of getting booted out of Tampa next offseason.
Why is Wasserman typing such a deranged nonsense? Because the PFF tribe doesn’t like Kancey’s run defense “grades.”
As a result, the PFF tribe thinks Kancey is in a make-or-break year.
Similar to fellow 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith, Kancey hasn’t lived up to his billing for Tampa Bay through two seasons in the NFL. To his credit, the undersized Kancey has racked up 85 pressures since the start of 2023, a top-20 mark among defensive tackles. However, that’s not enough to offset his dreadful run-defense grade in that span.
Tampa Bay didn’t select Kancey 19th overall to be a situational player. He needs to prove this season that he can hold up reasonably well in run defense.
“Dreadful?” Says who? NextGen Stats suggested Kancey didn’t miss one tackle in the regular season last year — a stat Kancey himself confessed was not quite accurate.
The Bucs had the fourth-best run defense in yards allowed on the ground per game. You don’t do that if you have a sieve playing defensive tackle. That’s just common sense. If Kancey was as godawful against the run as the PFF tribe would have you believe, then opposing offenses would have run right at him time after time after time.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles raved about Kancey’s run defense at the combine — and Bowles isn’t one to flippantly praise players just for the hell of it.
Who you gonna trust, Bowles, NextGen Stats (which interprets data from GPS monitoring devices in player equipment) or the PFF tribe’s dumbass “grades?”
If someone printed out those dumbass “grades,” Joe wouldn’t wipe with the paper after a night of many cold draft beers and delicious Hooters wings.
June 26th, 2025 at 10:45 am
That entire quote is out of touch with what we know of Kancey as Buc fans.
Things got different when football let the baseball geeks to crunch numbers and make these equations my eyes don’t need to tell me how good/bad a player is.
June 26th, 2025 at 10:51 am
I’ve heard nothing about the Bucs brass being down on Kancey. In fact, my observation had been they seem high on his upside. Odd. Come to think of it, PFF always had Mayfield ranked like a garbage QB, even when he was tearing it up for the Browns taking them to the playoffs for the first time in 20 years after theyd been 0-16 the year prior to drafting him. Thats probably why idiot haslem traded him for the washed up predator who they definitely regret signing. They for certain are regretting getting rid of Baker so consider us lucky. I’m off topic; what I meant to say is Kancey is very good IMO, and I agree with Joe the PFF grades are often crap. I doubt the Bucs are looking yo get rid of a guy who can cause big pressure from the interior. Teams cant have enough guys like that and there really arent that many to go around
June 26th, 2025 at 10:52 am
Idiots! These stats are context free. Same goes for MLB stats. Over the past 40+ games Rays have the best record in the NFL, but are receiving little, if any. respect despite not having their best pitcher available the entire season.
June 26th, 2025 at 10:53 am
Makes you wonder if the PFF crowd want their grades to hurt players and enrich franchises who benefit from players ear ing less money.
Hard to know what’s happening behind the scenes.
June 26th, 2025 at 11:17 am
I highly doubt any one is using pff for contract negotiations that’s funny joe 🤣
June 26th, 2025 at 11:24 am
We need a 3rd DT.
We are missing a Suh.
We missing a Vea 2.0.
The Eagles won the Super Bowl with an 8 man defensive line.
We are close.
Just missing 1 piece.
A big DT to let Kancey take some first downs off.
And a big DT to rotate with Vea.
Licht needs to pull a trade for an elite DT.
Super Bowl or bust!
We need a 3rd DT!
June 26th, 2025 at 11:35 am
The PFF crowd ranks the Bucs as having the 6th worst defensive line in the NFL. While I don’t know if the Bucs have an elite unit, they’re definitely above quite a few teams PFF puts ahead of them. Here’s their comment:
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27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
While veteran Vita Vea continues to play at a high level and second-year edge defender Yaya Diaby’s breakout was a pleasant surprise in 2024, the Buccaneers’ defensive line otherwise lacks encouraging signs.
2023 first-round pick Calijah Kancey has failed to earn a PFF overall grade above 50.0 in either of his first two seasons and ranked only 99th in PFF overall grade among interior defenders in 2024.
June 26th, 2025 at 11:36 am
Buddha, I love the Rays too but when did we join the NFL…lmao
June 26th, 2025 at 11:40 am
“2023 first-round pick Calijah Kancey has failed to earn a PFF overall grade above 50.0 in either of his first two seasons and ranked only 99th in PFF overall grade among interior defenders in 2024.”
PFF: He doesn’t fit into this box we use to generally compare DTs so he can’t be good
Bucs fans after a Kancey sack/tfl: 3r83@##@$^! Go Bucs!
the reality of the matter.
June 26th, 2025 at 11:43 am
Think again. Agents know.
June 26th, 2025 at 11:59 am
Surely Calijah is hearing this crap. I will say he plays really good when he’s aggravated (pi$$ed off). Remember that QB he was chasing towards the sidelines who got rid of the ball and a full count later Kancey gave him an awkward shove. QB wasn’t the same the rest of that game. And I think Kancey even avoided the penalty. I like him. We need a little bit more of attitude like his on our defense.
June 26th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
Maybe they are colluding with the owners. Sue them. What a crock of spat.
Guys that are feel that it is not alright to use negative things to reduce value of a player are usually the one’s that will slide under a new car and want money off because the exhaust pipe isn’t shiny enough.
Players are a commodity and will only get what someone is willing to pay.
Someone going to sue me because I say a certain QB is a waste of money because once in the playoffs he’ll do something stupid?
Don’t like what they have to say then stop looking and just post positive crap from suck ups like PPP.
June 26th, 2025 at 12:36 pm
PFF grades tend to work well for QBs, RBs, and WRs, positions that actually get hands on the ball.
After that, the grades become hit-or-miss and can be prone to volatility. This is an extreme example of PFF grade failure. Kancey is clearly doing what he is supposed to be doing out there, evidenced by the NO MISSED TACKLES and the Bucs stingy rush defense. But because PFF wants to stand by their grades and not look at the other evidence, it led to an absolutely awful take by their analyst.
Kancey is a BEAST and only getting better. Can’t wait to see how he does this year, praying he stays healthy. GO BUCS!!!
June 26th, 2025 at 12:47 pm
😂😂clown!! They glaze Carter when kancey is just as good probably a better pass rusher.
June 26th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
In 12 games last year, Kancey had 7 1/2 sacks (led team), 39 Pressures, 17 QB hits, 8 QB knock downs, 11 TFLs, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery…. and ‘officially’ didn’t miss a tackle all year….
Wasserman is officially a dumba$$
June 26th, 2025 at 1:15 pm
Let’s not put Kancey in the HOF just yet, Jose. He not only needs to stay on the field, he needs to be much more consistent when he is. There are stretches of games where he does absolutely nothing. I like him and expect him to be better this year, but I’m not expecting pro bowl play yet although it would be nice.
June 26th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
Kancey would be a Top 5 DT in the NFL if he didn’t have the repeated calf issues. If healthy, he’ll be an all pro next year.
June 26th, 2025 at 2:33 pm
SlyPirate Says:
June 26th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
Kancey would be a Top 5 DT in the NFL if he didn’t have the repeated calf issues. If healthy, he’ll be an all pro next year.
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He might be a top-5 DT next year, but it’s doubtful he gets much recognition. Unless your DT is named Warren Sapp he won’t be named All-Pro. And doubters about NFL life in a smaller market can ask Lavonte David.
June 26th, 2025 at 2:47 pm
Oh, I’d forgotten who Kancey shoved late on that play. It was Aiden O’Connell of the Raiders. I’d also forgotten that he had to be hauled off in a cart with an air cast on his leg. What I remember though was we needed a little more of that kind of an attitude on our defense. Yep, the memories aren’t totally gone yet.
June 26th, 2025 at 3:06 pm
Teacherman … ‘We need a 3rd DT. We are missing a Suh. We missing a Vea 2.0.’
Preach on Teacherman, preach on.
June 26th, 2025 at 5:09 pm
Makes me sick to read that Panthers may be trying to make a deal on Trey Hendrickson. I just don’t get why Bucs are never in the news pursuing this guy. His 17.5 sacks the past 2 years is not enough for the Bucs to be interested?
June 26th, 2025 at 9:22 pm
BakerFan Says:
Makes me sick to read that Panthers may be trying to make a deal on Trey Hendrickson. I just don’t get why Bucs are never in the news pursuing this guy. His 17.5 sacks the past 2 years is not enough for the Bucs to be interested?
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That’s a made up rumor. The Panthers have invested in draft picks and signed Pat Jones from the Vikings. Hendrickson is who you trade for when you’re ready to contend. Morgan/Canales in Charlotte aren’t dumb enough to pay the compensation required to go nowhere with him.
June 27th, 2025 at 5:35 am
I son’t think this WASERBOY watched any Bucs film Joe. The statboys are a joke!
Go Bucs!