— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) November 15, 2020. The former Florida State Seminole is considered one of this year's top running back prospects of the 2020 draft class. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew they were in for an unfavorable matchup against the New Orleans Saints defensive line, but they didn’t expect it to be quite that bad. Starting off with the interior defensive line, it will be Vita Vea, Will Gholston and Suh manning the front. Nelson’s rookie season never really got off the ground because of hamstring issues that he dealt with early on in training camp that lingered for the whole season. Bucs defensive lineman Will Gholston isolating as coronavirus precaution The eighth-year veteran said he expects to play Sunday night against the Saints. February 2, 2020. Were he to get a chance to test the market, Jones would undoubtedly land one of the richest deals in the NFL, as he is widely regarded as the second-best player at his position behind the Rams' Donald Jones. Much like the defensive line, there are no questions on who the starting outside linebackers will be. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could contribute up to 19 players to that unrestricted free agent market, though there is still the potential of franchise tags or pre-deadline deals cutting that list down a bit. The 2020 offseason has brought many changes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but the starting defense should largely look the same as it did a season ago. PewterReport.com offers up its analysis of each position on the Buccaneers as new quarterback Tom Brady and his teammates prepare for the 2020 season. Tampa Bay’s interior linemen are getting to the quarterback more while continuing to stop the run. Georgia's Andrew Thomas seems to be leading the way in who draft pundits are predicting the Bucs will pick at No. Barrett was franchise-tagged by the Bucs, so there is added motivation to still earn that next big pay day. Daniels is an inspirational story to Bucs fans for overcoming adversity from being blind in his right eye since the age of five. Vea and Suh have eaten up double teams in order to create opportunities for their fellow teammates, they will do much of the same this year. Buccaneers' Pending Free Agents: Suh tops this list and has been mentioned by Head Coach Bruce Arians as one of the team's top priorities on that long list of free agents. David Says: October 3rd, 2020 at 9:12 am. Hargrave, in particular, had 10.5 sacks over the past two years. Visual Realm. : 3rd season | 6-4, 347 Lord willing, we’ll get a full 16 games with the threat of Barrett and Pierre-Paul coming off the edge. : 2nd season | 6-3, 295 Vita Vea | Age: 25 | NFL Exp. Defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh added five tackles -- one for loss -- and a quarterback hurry. Tampa Bay kept six defensive linemen last season and that very likely could be the case again this year. The last two spots are up for grabs between Davis, Ledbetter, O’Connor and Potoa’e. View pictures from the DL and LB groups at the 2020 NFL Combine. Our 2020 Free Agency Primers continues this week with the defensive line position. Nelson has long arms and good physical traits to play football at his 6-7 size, and this a big chance to prove himself as he wipes the slate clean. Going into the 2020 regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all in. Some additional veterans with proven track records potentially hitting free agency include Timmy Jernigan, Michael Brockers and Gerald McCoy, though a McCoy-Bucs reunion would be surprising. Leonard Williams and Mike Daniels are two more potential free agents who are looking for career rebounds of varying degrees. October 3rd, 2020 at 8:46 am. Last season, Pierre-Paul didn’t play until Week 11. (Logan Bowles/NFL), Michigan St. defensive tackle Raequan Williams runs a drill during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. The need at this position, at least for front-of-the-rotation players, wouldn't be high with a trio of Suh, Vita Vea and Will Gholston. He is considered a versatile defensive tackle and relies on a combination of burst and motor for production since his technique and length are lacking. Daniels was one of the league's most disruptive interior linemen as recently as 2017 but he's had two seasons of injuries and struggles in Green Bay and Detroit. The Chiefs have already made it clear that they will use the franchise tag to retain Jones if necessary. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL), Syracuse defensive end Kendall Coleman runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. Reed had 10.5 sacks in 2018 but otherwise has just five sacks in 40 other games over three seasons, and last year he lost the first six games to a suspension. Patrick O'Connor, who split the 2019 season between the practice squad and the active roster, is the fourth defensive linemen currently under contract with the Buccaneers for 2020. Michael Divinity | Age: 23 | NFL Exp: Rookie | 6-2, 242 Both are big men who can handle the nose tackle position in a 3-4 front but also have some pass-rush ability. 2019 Output: To clarify, we are splitting the players who comprise the Buccaneers' defensive front into the two positions they are listed as on the team's roster: defensive linemen (DL) and outside linebackers (OLB). (Aaron Doster/NFL), Ohio St. defensive tackle Davon Hamilton runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. Under Contract for 2020: Vea, the Buccaneers' first-round pick in the 2018 draft, is just two years into what is at least a four-year deal and will likely be five when the team picks up his fifth-year option next offseason. Buccaneers Defense on Blitzes (2020): 15 sacks (1st) 6 INT (1st) ... but the interior of the Bucs defensive line pushed linemen into Rodgers' space in the pocket. 0. Jeremiah Ledbetter | Age: 26 | NFL Exp. TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Suh signed his second one-year deal with the Bucs, which could be his last season in the NFL when it’s all said and done. Quinton Bell | Age: 24 | NFL Exp: 1st season | 6-4, 253 (Logan Bowles/NFL), Utah defensive tackle John Penisini runs a drill during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. Bucs line on both sides of the ball are going to kick the chargers ass. New Orleans' David Onyemata started a career-high 15 games in 2019 but his snap count still indicates very much of a rotational role. The market opens on 4:00 p.m. on that Wednesday and it will feature hundreds of available players, many of whom will find new NFL homes in the hours and weeks to follow. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL), Nebraska defensive tackle Khalil Davis runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. If I had to guess I would say it’s Ledbetter and Davis making the team barring Ledbetter’s health history. (Aaron Doster/NFL), NC State defensive tackle Larrell Murchison runs a drill during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. The core of Tampa Bay’s 2019 defensive line remains intact heading into 2020. Son of former NFL corner Antoine Winfield. © 2020 PewterReport.com All Rights Reserved. He was traded from the Jets to the Giants midway through last season and his new team is probably motivated to keep him around for that reason. Looking at the Buccaneers I don’t think the Vikings match up well, particularly against the Bucs defensive line, ... 2020 NFL Week 14: Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had a good career at Charleston, recording 34.5 sacks before signing with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent. There won’t be any surprises on the Bucs defensive line starters for 2020. Analysis. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL), Penn St. defensive tackle Robert Windsor runs a drill during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL), Ohio St. defensive tackle Davon Hamilton runs a drill during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. Benning Potoa’e | Age: 23 | NFL Exp. The Buccaneers' defensive linemen did not account for a large percentage of the team's 47 sacks in 2019, a total that a Tampa Bay team has only topped once, with 55 in 2000. He had a breakout year in 2019 with 10 sacks. General Manager Jason Licht said at the Combine that Suh has also indicated he would like to return to the Buccaneers. The NFL and the NFL Players Association have come to an agreement on how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, and NFL training camps have opened up across the country, including in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers lost the game in overtime, 28-22. But injuries plagued the fourth-year pro by the end of each camp, forcing him to start the season on IR. I agree quality starters are the best place to spend cap space. Buccaneers defensive lineman played for Jets on Sunday despite knowing he’d been traded. As free agency approaches we're taking a position-by-position look at what the Bucs have, who they could lose and who they could look at from other teams on the open market. He’s had a fair share of playing time in Tampa Bay, and always plays with a burst of energy. Why was the Bucs defensive line dominant, you ask? The front office set out a goal this offseason to bring back one of the more dominant defensive fronts in football last season and they did just that by re-signing Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul while placing the franchise tag on Shaq Barrett. If the Buccaneers had a Suh-sized hole to fill and were able to address that issue in free agency, they would have more flexibility at the top of the draft to hit such other needs as offensive tackle or â potentially â edge rusher or quarterback. A year ago, the LA Rams had no answer to the Bucs passing attack. Williams is a former sixth-overall pick and has shown flashes of the dominance that would suggest but has not yet fully rounded into a star defender. … But due to a shortened training camp with no preseason, the chances for an undrafted free agent to make the team this year are lower than usual. The fourth-year defensive lineman, originally drafted by the Detroit Lions from Arkansas, has been on and off the Bucs’ practice squad since 2018, Smith wrote. Pittsburgh's Javon Hargrave and Houston's D.J. Teams looking for a run-stopper in particular might go after Baltimore's Michael Pierce, a 340-pounder who hasn't shown much in way of a pass-rush in four seasons but can plug the middle. (Aaron Doster/NFL), Penn St. defensive tackle Robert Windsor runs a drill during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. Rakeem Nunez-Roches | Age: 27 | NFL Exp: 6th season | 6-2, 307 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 29, 2019 - Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh #93 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the game between the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL), Ole Miss linebacker Qaadir Sheppard runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. The Bucs defense begins with their front seven, and that group looks strong coming into 2020. Whether or not the Bucs dive deep into the free agent pool, they have a lot of work to do in the month of March thanks to that long list. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL), Miami defensive end Jonathan Garvin runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. Bucs WR Chris Godwin riddled the Rams for … Going into the 2020 regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all in. Davis may receive the benefit of the doubt since he is the Bucs’ sixth round pick from the 2020 draft. On the other side is Jason Pierre-Paul, an 11-year veteran that still has high-level talent as a pass rusher, but just as importantly displays leadership and toughness that is hard to find in this league. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are known for their potent offense, but their defense will ultimately decide where they finish in 2020. Though Suh is the only starting lineman whose contract is expiring, free agency could take a toll on the team's depth in the defensive trenches. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL), Baylor defensive tackle James Lynch runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. That’s right, we have our second triple-threat match of these training camp previews. Suh has played the last two seasons on one-year deals, first for the Rams and then for the Bucs, and according to Arians he wants to continue his career into at least an 11th season. (Logan Bowles/NFL), Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown runs a drill during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. “It was a good play," Brady said. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. They get out coached and out worked on Sunday. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL), Oklahoma defensive tackle Neville Gallimore runs a drill during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. Tom Brady has an elite pair of starting receivers to throw to in Tampa but the Bucs may choose to give their new quarterback another pass-catching option either in the draft or in the weeks that follow, As was the case before the signing of Tom Brady, Jason Licht and the Buccaneers are open to the idea of drafting a quarterback this year, if the right prospect is there at the right time, NFL analysts may or may not be right about the Bucs' biggest needs in the 2020 NFL draft, but in the end it's not always need that swings the final decision, In our first Bucs-only draft, you'll find seven selections that hit on some of the team's biggest needs plus an alternate-reality draft class in which the two selectors issued each other challenges that had to be met, © TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS. On this team, if any of the DL/OLB starters miss time, it will put a bunch of pressure on the rest of the defense. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL), Miami defensive end Trevon Hill runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL), North Dakota St. defensive end Derrek Tuszka runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. The sprint to the NFL's 2020 calendar year has cleared another hurdle, with the annual Scouting Combine taking place last week in Indianapolis. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Nassib’s role was important to the Bucs, and his replacement this year will be mostly unproven. PewterReport.com prides itself on being the most complete, comprehensive news source covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and delivering inside scoop on the team found nowhere else. Per PFF, Davis recorded a pass-rush win rate of 12.6 percent, and a pressure rate of 11.8 percent, above 10 percent in only his senior season at Nebraska. One injury to their top pass rushers and it’ll be one of these three playing big minutes. He’ll start off camp wearing a club on his right hand due to a minor injury, but Vea has also been injured in the last two training camps, so this isn’t new territory for him. The backups at outside linebacker are another story. After the game, Brady and Miller each broke down the play from their own perspective. Reader are two middle-round draft picks from 2016 who seem to be peaking as they prepare to hit free agency for the first time and are thus should be very popular if they hit the market. Though he’s not in his prime, Suh has been a solid addition to the defense, bringing along an intense attitude that this team took on when stopping the run. (Ben Liebenberg/NFL), North Texas defensive end LaDarius Hamilton runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. Barrett actually graduated to a starting role last year and had six sacks but the question remains if he could handle an even larger share of the snaps. Junior entry, two-year starter, The Woodlands, TX. https://t.co/rEb4pm2etD — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) December 2, 2020 The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Jason Pierre-Paul | Age: 31 | NFL Exp: 11th season | 6-5, 275 (Aaron Doster/NFL), LSU defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence runs a drill during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. He has a good skill in rushing from the edge, as well as blitzing from the inside. The PFF unit ranking series moves to the defensive line as we look forward to the 2020 season. Divinity’s quickness as a pass rusher saw him rack up 17.5 sacks at LSU, with 9.5 coming as a Junior. The Bucs' front always wins the line of scrimmage, and that is fundamental to their success. Starting off with the interior defensive line, it will be Vita Vea, Will Gholston and Suh manning the front. Two weeks remain before free agency, which means time is winding down for the Buccaneers and their 31 fellow NFL teams to deal with their own lists and identify potential targets on other rosters. 8 … Kahzin Daniels | Age: 24 | NFL Exp: 2nd season | 6-4, 240 I’m anxious to get them out there and see what they can do.”. The Bucs defensive line, combined with the best linebacker corps in the league, will restrain the Viking rush attack. (Logan Bowles/NFL), Nebraska defensive tackle Darrion Daniels runs a drill during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. Allen and Nunez-Roches were responsible for only 19 tackles and 0.5 sacks, combined, in 2019 but they did see the field relatively frequently. The depth behind the starters is really shallow. (Logan Bowles/NFL), Utah defensive end Bradlee Anae runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. Nelson managed to play in just nine games, recording eight tackles. Will Gholston | Age: 29 | NFL Exp. (Logan Bowles/NFL), Utah defensive tackle Leki Fotu runs the 40-yard dash during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. With that said, if there’s anyone that has shot, it’s LSU’s Michael Divinity. Chris Jones, perhaps the most important defensive player on the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs' roster, is currently a "potential" free agent but he won't hit the open market. Photo By Matt May/Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ben Liebenberg/2020 National Football League. (Aaron Doster/NFL), Utah defensive tackle John Penisini runs a drill during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 in Indianapolis. 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