The Pewter Plank
FanSided

Buccaneers: Predicting what’s in their future

By Jerry Stalheim

Dec 24, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) gestures after a third quarter touchdown against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) gestures after a third quarter touchdown against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /
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A Buccaneer Will Finally Have 10 Sacks

Every Buccaneers fan is familiar with the long drought of not having a player get ten sacks in a season since Simeon Rice was in town in 2005 … twelve seasons ago. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy came the closest in 2013 with 9.5 sacks and has a couple of 8.5 sack seasons but it’s shocking no one has hit the ten sack mark.

The Buccaneers as a team had 38 sacks last season (ninth most in NFL) for the second season in a row highest since 2004 when they had 45 sacks. Ten different players managed at least one sack with the defensive line accounting for 28 with a team high of 6.5 (McCoy and Robert Ayers). The linebackers managed eight sacks between Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander with David leading the way with five sacks, and the corner position got the final two by Jude Adjei-Barimah.

McCoy played 795 snaps to get 6.5 sacks while Ayers battled some injuries and only played 576 snaps to get 6.5 sacks. Noah Spence who filled in for Ayers played 572 snaps to get 5.5 sacks and a good percentage of the snaps he played with a bum shoulder.
During free agency defensive end Chris Baker was signed from the Redskins playing 782 snaps managed 4.5 sacks, and will return to his nature position of defensive tackle to give the line some size and aggressiveness.

Defensive end Jacquies Smith returns from a season ending injury that he suffered on the first play of last season, and the prior two seasons he managed seven and 6.5 sacks.
Per a report by Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, Robert Ayers seems to think that Noah Spence could be a 15 sack guy this season.

"“This year, he’s even more hungry than he was last year,” Ayers said. “I’m excited for him. I think he’s a player that can be a 15-plus sack guy this season. That’s my opinion. Whether he goes and does it is another thing, but I that’s how I feel about him. He has tools that not many people come into this league with. He’s still learning. I’m excited for him. It’s going to be a big year.” “From being around Noah and talking to him, he’s motivated. He has a huge chip on his shoulder,” Ayers said. “A lot of people may think ‘Why does he have a chip on his shoulder? He played pretty good as a rookie.’ For him, he didn’t meet his standards, didn’t do the things he wanted to do. From talking to him, I know how hungry he is. Then I see what type of shape he’s in. I thought last year he was going to be a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate, a 10-sack guy.”"

With a healthy and hungry Spence he could finally be the guy to get that elusive ten sack season.

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