Buccaneers fans frustrated with an inconsistent pass rush, among other things, got some good news this morning.
The Buccaneers franchise themselves seem to be in some sort of agreement with the fans, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com sent out this mid-morning tweet:
The #Bucs aren’t just hosting kickers today. Source said FA pass-rusher Lamarr Houston, formerly of the #Bears, is in the building.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 9, 2017
Lamarr Houston last played in regular season action for Chicago, appearing in two games for the Bears in 2016. He missed the last 14 games due to a torn ACL. Houston went down with another knee injury in this year’s pre-season, although this one is considered much less serious as he is obviously working out just a couple of months later.
In his last full season of play, Houston totaled eight sacks and 42 tackles for the 2015 Bears. Impressive numbers, especially when you consider he started just two of the 16 games he played in that season.
Pass rush was an area of need the Pewter Plank staff addressed in the latest round table edition at the site.
In the post, each writer was asked to give an idea of what they would do if they were to sit in Jason Licht’s shoes for just a short time.
Other names, like Mario Williams and Dwight Freeney also came up in their discussions, but it’s reassuring to see the Bucs having somewhat the same idea as those on the outside do.
The Buccaneers have sacked opposing quarterbacks four times in four games with defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Clinton McDonald each having one, along with defensive end Noah Spence and linebacker Adarius Glanton.
Spence is looked at as probably the Bucs’ most talented pass rusher, but he’s dealing with yet another nagging shoulder injury this season after the well-publicized issues he had last year. Still, the second-year player has looked impressive when on the field, but it’s hard for one guy to get it done alone.
Next: Second Quarter Projections
Opposing offenses surely recognize this, leading partially to the fact Spence has yet to record another sack since getting one on Mike Glennon in Week 2 in the team’s first game.
The other three all recorded theirs last week against the New England Patriots, meaning Tampa went two straight games without a sack, despite the fact they are among league leaders in quarterback pressures.
Adding a guy like Houston to the mix makes sense, especially considering how well the linebacker group has done in the absence of Kwon Alexander and Lavonte David. Getting more pressure on the quarterback certainly helps the skeleton crew running the linebacker group, and could turn the defense up to a whole new level when the two pro bowl caliber leaders return to the field.
What do you think of this news? Is this a move the Buccaneers need to make, or are there other names available you’d rather see them pursue? Either way, it’s a positive move to see the team looking around to see what’s available around the NFL player pool.
Find my Facebook page, Twitter, or simply shoot an email over to walkingtheplankpodcast@gmail.com to give your predictions and tell me where I’m wrong. Oh, and don’t forget why as well.