EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – AUGUST 11: Yannick Ngakoue #91 of the Jacksonville Jaguars celebrates his sack of Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the New York Jets with Jared Odrick #75 during the first quarter of an NFL preseason game at MetLife Stadium on August 11, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Marc Magana
The Buccaneers are 2-2 at the quarter of the season mark and although that lost against the Patriots hurt, they are still in good position moving into the 2nd quarter.
Of course, kicking is a serious issue and by the time Arizona rolls around, the Bucs will have a new kicker.
The other move Tampa should make is to sign a defensive end. Although the pass rush finally showed up on Thursday, as a whole, it has been a big missing piece this year.
Four sacks on the year won’t get the job done, especially against some of the offensive lines the Bucs have faced so far. At this point in the season there are not a lot of free-agents lying around to plug and play.
The free-agent market has Mario Williams and Jared Odrick. Of course, there are also practice squads around the NFL.
Whatever the case, the defensive end position should be addressed. Especially with Ryan Russell going down. Sterling Bailey will probably be promoted from the practice squad.
The Bucs need to generate a pass rush if they hope to improve this year. Most of us were surprised they let Jacquies Smith go, but i think Licht has his eye one signing another pass rusher after the kicking situation is settled.