Former Buccaneers defender still on the market is telling

Many Buccaneers fans seem to think Ndamukong Suh is the missing x-factor for this team on defense. That would not be the case.

The Buccaneers are struggling in nearly every facet of the game. One area in particular that has been surprising is how much Tampa has struggled at defending the run.

Tampa’s run defense has been one of the best in the NFL over the past few years. It was worth assuming that this was going to continue with Todd Bowles in complete control of the roster and the team, but that hasn’t been the case.

The Bucs have been gashed by more than one team on the ground already this season, and some fans are pointing to the lack of Ndamukong Suh as the reasoning behind this. This is not the case.

Suh was a positive force of change on a team that desperately needed a huge defensive turnaround, but his arrival in Tampa was not the change that made Tampa’s defense one of the best in the NFL against the run-there were simply too many factors in play.

Suh came to Tampa right when Bowles had more control, the team was in a better scheme in a 3-4, and players like Vita Vea and William Gholston were able to play in more favorable positions.

The addition of Suh helped in the moment, but Tampa has actually gotten better on defense by moving on from him. The cost per quality of play just wasn’t there any longer for the vet.

To make matters worst for the Suh crowd, the fact that he is still a free agent is telling. 31 other teams in the league had freedom to take Suh on the market and passed. 31 other teams aren’t passing on a player that single-handedly changes a defense from one of the worst in the league against the run into one of the best.

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