Buccaneers already on a torrid pace to start 2019 season
By Cory Kinnan
OLB Shaq Barrett
When the Buccaneers signed Shaquil Barrett to a one-year deal this offseason, there was already a ton of hype surrounding him after five seasons of playing with the Denver Broncos. He has consistently been one of the higher graded players by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) over the past couple of seasons, and now the Buccaneers are reaping those benefits.
Throughout his five seasons in Denver, Barrett totaled 14 sacks in a limited role behind the likes of Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Demarcus Ware, and Elvis Dumervil throughout his career. Now he has finally been given the reps needed as a starter to really burst onto the scene, and did he ever last night in Carolina.
Barrett finished yesterday’s game against the Panthers showing a dominant performance, tallying three sacks of quarterback Cam Newton. He was the MVP of yesterday’s primetime game for the Buccaneers, and now has four sacks on the season already.
Next. Minkah Fitzpatrick should be obvious Buccaneers target. dark
Now that he is a starter for the first time in his career, it would not be farfetched to assume that Barrett could hit double digit sacks for the Buccaneers this year. While he signed only a one-year deal, the Buccaneers have much more cap room moving forward; at this pace, Barrett may be staring a healthy extension in the face.