Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Breaking down pass rushing depth
By Cory Kinnan
The returning pass rushers
Outside of Pierre-Paul the Buccaneers are returning two players from their 2018 roster who will make the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker in the new 3-4 scheme. Carl Nassib and Noah Spence will get the first crack at replacing the team’s leader in sacks a year ago and must step up in order to help out a secondary that struggled mightily last season by getting pressure on the quarterback.
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Nassib was claimed off of waivers after being cut by the Cleveland Browns in the last episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks, and he did nothing but consistently perform on the field in Tampa Bay last sesaon. He entered Tampa Bay with less than six career sacks as a Brown and 11 tackles for loss; in his first season in the pewter and red, he bested his career totals with six and a half sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
While training camp has not started yet, it would make sense for Nassib to be one of the starting outside linebackers for Bowles and see the field even more in 2019. With more playing time should come another career year for the former Penn State Nittany Lion.
Noah Spence, on the other hand, has still struggled to get his career off the ground. Now entering the last year of his rookie contract, it is now or never for the former Northern Kentucky and Ohio State standout. He finally has a defensive coordinator who knows how to properly utilize his talents in Bowles, but is it too little too late?
If anything, the injury to Pierre-Paul gives Spence a little bit of breathing room against the final 53-man wall, but the reality is that Spence was drafted under a previous coaching regime, he has not performed the way a second rounder should, and he is walking on eggshells. He will need to work his tail off in camp to impress this new coaching staff and prove he deserves a roster spot.