Buccaneers: Noah Spence believed to be ready for Pro Bowl in second year
In year two, Buccaneers defensive end Noah Spence may already be Pro Bowl ready.
There has been a lot of attention paid to the Buccaneers offense and with good reason. They were already coming into their own last year, and that was before they added DeSean Jackson and O.J. Howard. This group is ready to be one of the top groups in the NFL and fans should be excited about what is to come.
But don’t forget about the defense. When the defense got things going in the second half of the season, they went through a stretch where their numbers were comparable to 2002. Considering the fact that the core of the defense is returning for another season, the prospect of things to come is even more exciting.
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One of the biggest names to watch in 2017 will be Noah Spence. He of second round fame put in a solid showing as a rookie last year. He only started three times, but posted 5.5 sacks, good for a tie for fifth among NFL rookies.
Is Spence ready to take the next step in just his second year? If you listen to Marc Sessler of NFL.com, the answer is yes. He recently wrote an article naming one player from each team who is ready to make their first Pro Bowl. For the Bucs, the choice was Spence:
"While the offense is loaded with previous Pro Bowlers, Tampa’s defense also has its share of intriguing young players. This was a toss-up between Spence and Kwon Alexander, the team’s emerging third-year linebacker. Spence, though, is drawing rave reviews this offseason from teammates, with Robert Ayers insisting that the second-year pass-rusher could be “a 15-plus sack guy” after hitting 5.5 during his rookie year. Bucs Pro Bowl tackle Gerald McCoy also predicted a “breakout year” for Spence after seeing the edge rusher trim 10 pounds off his frame since January. Showing extreme dedication to his craft, Spence is ready to shine."
Well, all signs are certainly pointing this way. Spence flashed his unbelievable potential when he posted 1.5 sacks of Russell Wilson in a win over the Seahawks. The Bucs believed Spence to be an absolute steal when he fell to the second round, and this year could show that to be the case. With Gerald McCoy garnering so much attention in the interior, it leaves Spence a lot of room to roam.
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If Sessler is right, it will make for quite the exciting 2017.