Tampa Bay Buccaneers: What to expect from Ndamukong Suh in 2019

Ndamukong Suh, one of the newest members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has brought excitement to the fanbase, but they should be wise to temper expectations.

The time finally arrived as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut longtime defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. They immediately replaced him by signing free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million.

This swap has caused quite a commotion in Tampa Bay, but the reality is that McCoy is gone and Suh is here. The question moving forward remains: what can fans of the Buccaneers expect from the nine-year veteran defensive tackle in 2019?

Throughout his career, Suh has been named to five Pro Bowls and as an All-Pro three times; all of his All-Pro seasons came as a member of the Detroit Lions from 2010-2014. Since departing from Detroit, the Buccaneers will be Suh’s third team after stints with the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Rams.

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Suh put together one season of double-digit sacks as a rookie in 2010 and had hit eight sacks two other times throughout his career. Over the last three seasons, a more accurate sample to judge his current ability on, Suh has averaged right below five sacks per season, recording five in 2016 and four and a half sacks the past two seasons.

In this three year span, Suh has also registered a total of 24 tackles for loss, and 48 hits on the quarterback. While he did not perform up to his name in the regular season in 2018, he put together a torrid postseason which led to another big contract with the Buccaneers.

Going off of his last three years, it would be safe for Buccaneers fans to expect similar results in 2019 under defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. An estimated stat line for Suh this year may register in at about four to six sacks, eight to ten tackles for loss, and 15-18 hits on the quarterback in Tampa Bay.

While Suh has brought a ton of excitement and grit to Tampa Bay, it would be wise to temper expectations for the former second overall pick in 2019, one slot above McCoy. To expect a season with double-digit sacks and 20 tackles for loss seems unlikely given his play over the last three seasons with the Dolphins and Rams.