Buccaneers Stuff...

I'm excited about their potential.

Offensively, we know what we've got.

And defensively, while we're not playing at a level that we need to in order to be a truly good team, there are reasons for optimism, with the primary one for me being that we still haven't had our best 11 guys all on the field at the same time yet.

I look forward to watching this team play every week and that's not something I could say last season or the season before that.
 
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Texas Ace said:
I'm excited about their potential.

Offensively, we know what we've got.

And defensively, while we're not playing at a level that we need to in order to be a truly good team, there are reasons for optimism, with the primary one for me being that we still haven't had our best 11 guys all on the field at the same yet.

I look forward to watching this team play every week and that's not something I could say last season or the season before that.
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This game could be a real confidence boost for the defense. Tampa is playing a shit QB and aren't particularly talented on offense outside of that. This is a game our defense should build some confidence. If they don't play well, that would be bad.
 
Cowboysrock55 said:
This game could be a real confidence boost for the defense. Tampa is playing a shit QB and aren't particularly talented on offense outside of that. This is a game our defense should build some confidence. If they don't play well, that would be bad.
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We need to not play down to the opponent and unleash the offense as if we were playing against Brady and Moss.
 
ravidubey said:
We need to not play down to the opponent and unleash the offense as if we were playing against Brady and Moss.
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I agree. We need to get on a roll and win multiple games in a row. You're not doing that by having close games every week that need to be won at the end. These are the types of games I should be able to sit back and just enjoy watching without having to rip my hair out. We need some games like that.
 

Main defensive rankings​

CategoryValueRank (out of 32)
Points allowed/game24.019th
Total yards allowed/game~282.8–292.83rd–4th
Passing yards allowed/game204.39th
Rushing yards allowed/game78.53rd
Yards per play allowed4.966th
Yards per carry allowed3.202nd
Third-down % allowed32.7%6th
Sacks6T-26th
Takeaways4T-17th
Passer rating allowed94.722nd


Here are Tampa Bay's defensive rankings. They aren't getting to the qb much but they are limiting yards and good on 3rd down.
 
Texas Ace said:
I'm excited about their potential.

Offensively, we know what we've got.

And defensively, while we're not playing at a level that we need to in order to be a truly good team, there are reasons for optimism, with the primary one for me being that we still haven't had our best 11 guys all on the field at the same time yet.

I look forward to watching this team play every week and that's not something I could say last season or the season before that.
Click to expand...
The run defense finally is where we can make stops. If we just had one more pass rusher or could get bland off the field we might be ok. The problem is when we play mobile QBs that can run around Bland can’t cover and we can’t get to the QB. Pickens is a really good WR but we need an elite pass rusher to pair with our new DT’s. If we could trade him after the season for a 1st and some change it could go along way towards helping finish out the defense. Also you gotta hope the young guys start coming on later in the year because our schedule is brutal.
 
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Clff15701 said:
The run defense finally is where we can make stops. If we just had one more pass rusher or could get bland off the field we might be ok. The problem is when we play mobile QBs that can run around Bland can’t cover and we can’t get to the QB. Pickens is a really good WR but we need an elite pass rusher to pair with our new DT’s. If we could trade him after the season for a 1st and some change it could go along way towards helping finish out the defense.
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It's not just "One more pass rusher"

We need an elite pass rusher. We need a 12 sack a year type guy. My hope is that Ez or Lawrence can become that type of player. Because they are nearly impossible to find in free agency and if you can find one they cost way more than we are willing to spend. And the ones traded for go for pretty serious draft capital (See Parsons and 2 plus first round picks).
 
Cowboysrock55 said:
It's not just "One more pass rusher"

We need an elite pass rusher. We need a 12 sack a year type guy. My hope is that Ez or Lawrence can become that type of player. Because they are nearly impossible to find in free agency and if you can find one they cost way more than we are willing to spend. And the ones traded for go for pretty serious draft capital (See Parsons and 2 plus first round picks).
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If Guyton can become as good as he’s become, then we can’t yet dismiss EZ and certainly not Lawrence.

BUT they aren’t flashing a lick like elite guys historically have. I think the elite rushers either have it or they don’t and show at least a glimpse of that talent even early in their careers.

Parsons showed that almost immediately. Even Demarcus Lawrence, whom I don’t consider to be elite, also flashed as a rookie despite getting injured early on.

Production wise, EZ reminds of Almost-Anthony. Spencer, that is. Whatever he had in college— it ain’t close to translating yet.
 
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Clff15701 said:
The run defense finally is where we can make stops. If we just had one more pass rusher or could get bland off the field we might be ok. The problem is when we play mobile QBs that can run around Bland can’t cover and we can’t get to the QB. Pickens is a really good WR but we need an elite pass rusher to pair with our new DT’s. If we could trade him after the season for a 1st and some change it could go along way towards helping finish out the defense. Also you gotta hope the young guys start coming on later in the year because our schedule is brutal.
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I'm not trading Pickens unless he starts acting like T.O.

And fans need to stop with this foolishness.

Do you guys not understand that he's a HUGE reason why this offense is so good right now and why CD Lamb could catch 17 passes Sunday?

He commands so much attention. And on CD's longest reception of the day, he was all alone because Pickens took 2 DBs with him.

And then there's the two huge catches he had in the game -- both setting up TDs.

CD doesn't need Pickens to be an elite WR because he already is one. But you lose GP, and you make things so much harder for Lamb and for the offense as a whole.

The offense is the strength of this team. And if there's even a remote chance that we make it to a Super Bowl while Dak is QB? It'll have to be with the offense being a historically elite unit like it is right now.

And that's exactly why it makes ZERO sense to weaken that unit in any way. In fact, we should be doing the opposite which is to do everything we can to keep that unit intact.

That means keeping Pickens.
 
Texas Ace said:
I'm not trading Pickens unless he starts acting like T.O.

And fans need to stop with this foolishness.

Do you guys not understand that he's a HUGE reason why this offense is so good right now and why CD Lamb could catch 17 passes Sunday?

He commands so much attention. And on CD's longest reception of the day, he was all alone because Pickens took 2 DBs with him.

And then there's the two huge catches he had in the game -- both setting up TDs.

CD doesn't need Pickens to be an elite WR because he already is one. But you lose GP, and you make things so much harder for Lamb and for the offense as a whole.

The offense is the strength of this team. And if there's even a remote chance that we make it to a Super Bowl while Dak is QB? It'll have to be with the offense being a historically elite unit like it is right now.

And that's exactly why it makes ZERO sense to weaken that unit in any way. In fact, we should be doing the opposite which is to do everything we can to keep that unit intact.

That means keeping Pickens.
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It wont work. Here is the stats of the last 10 Super Bowl Winners. As good as the offense is we can’t pay 30+ for two receivers and 40+ for Dak. We have to allocate more resources to the Defense.


Season​
Super Bowl Champion​
Defensive Rank​
Points Allowed/Game​
2025
Seattle Seahawks
1st
17.2Â

2024
Philadelphia Eagles
2nd
17.8Â

2023
Kansas City Chiefs
2nd
17.3

2022
Kansas City Chiefs
16th
21.7Â

2021
Los Angeles Rams
15th
21.9Â

2020
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8th
22.2Â

2019
Kansas City Chiefs
7th
19.3Â

2018
New England Patriots
7th
20.3Â

2017
Philadelphia Eagles
4th
18.4Â

2016
New England Patriots
1st
15.6Â
 
Clff15701 said:
It wont work. Here is the stats of the last 10 Super Bowl Winners. As good as the offense is we can’t pay 30+ for two receivers and 40+ for Dak. We have to allocate more resources to the Defense.


Season​
Super Bowl Champion​
Defensive Rank​
Points Allowed/Game​
2025
Seattle Seahawks
1st
17.2Â

2024
Philadelphia Eagles
2nd
17.8Â

2023
Kansas City Chiefs
2nd
17.3

2022
Kansas City Chiefs
16th
21.7Â

2021
Los Angeles Rams
15th
21.9Â

2020
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8th
22.2Â

2019
Kansas City Chiefs
7th
19.3Â

2018
New England Patriots
7th
20.3Â

2017
Philadelphia Eagles
4th
18.4Â

2016
New England Patriots
1st
15.6Â
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Interesting. I was advocating for trading Pickens a few weeks ago. And I agree with Ace that he makes life infinitely easier for Lamb but there is just too big of a disparity between our offense and defense. Someone posted a stat about it yesterday, it’s an almost historical disparity.
 
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The Rams and Eagles have shown the salary cap is just a myth.

We can keep Pickens AND still add to the defense if we really want to.
 
Cujo said:
Interesting. I was advocating for trading Pickens a few weeks ago. And I agree with Ace that he makes life infinitely easier for Lamb but there is just too big of a disparity between our offense and defense. Someone posted a stat about it yesterday, it’s an almost historically disparity.
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If we could just get the defense to middle of the pack we would have a shot with Dak and CD. The Steelers did us a huge favor by giving us a legit corner. We only need a few more pieces on D.
 
Clff15701 said:
It wont work. Here is the stats of the last 10 Super Bowl Winners. As good as the offense is we can’t pay 30+ for two receivers and 40+ for Dak. We have to allocate more resources to the Defense.


Season​
Super Bowl Champion​
Defensive Rank​
Points Allowed/Game​
2025
Seattle Seahawks
1st
17.2Â

2024
Philadelphia Eagles
2nd
17.8Â

2023
Kansas City Chiefs
2nd
17.3

2022
Kansas City Chiefs
16th
21.7Â

2021
Los Angeles Rams
15th
21.9Â

2020
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8th
22.2Â

2019
Kansas City Chiefs
7th
19.3Â

2018
New England Patriots
7th
20.3Â

2017
Philadelphia Eagles
4th
18.4Â

2016
New England Patriots
1st
15.6Â
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If you guaranteed me that if they traded Pickens and would then go out and sign an elite defensive FA for around 30-35/year, or two good to very good defensive FA's for around 15-20/year each, I'd be on board.

But there is no damn way in hell that happens, they'd simply trade Pickens and then screw around with the cap space that he would've otherwise eaten up or use it to overpay internal guys. At best they might use the space and the pick they got for him to trade for a defensive player or two, but I think even that is a stretch.

I'd rather roll the dice on having maybe the best offense in the league with Pickens and spending our 1st/2nd next year on the defense, then hope they can jump up into the 12-17 range.
 
Simpleton said:
If you guaranteed me that if they traded Pickens and would then go out and sign an elite defensive FA for around 30-35/year, or two good to very good defensive FA's for around 15-20/year each, I'd be on board.

But there is no damn way in hell that happens, they'd simply trade Pickens and then screw around with the cap space that he would've otherwise eaten up or use it to overpay internal guys. At best they might use the space and the pick they got for him to trade for a defensive player or two, but I think even that is a stretch.

I'd rather roll the dice on having maybe the best offense in the league with Pickens and spending our 1st/2nd next year on the defense, then hope they can jump up into the 12-17 range.
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The best shot they may have is going all in this year and or tagging Pickens next year and going all in. The young guys we have up front just need a piece or two more. Josh Sweat from the Cards might be a trade option. Mack could be another trade option at this years deadline if we want to just go for it. The odd thing about this defense is they don’t blitz a lot. If these mobile QBs continue to have success you have to think at some point that will change.
 
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Rev said:
Its not like our offense was dogshit before Pickens came.
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True, but Pickens took it from great to elite, and I don't want to lose that. Like Ace said, unless he falls apart mentally, you have to find a way to sign him.
 
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