The Buccaneers will use their 2024 offseason program to have players improve their size and strength in the weight room and work to improve in specific areas as well as increase their speed. While head coach Todd Bowles adds new touches to the defense and new offensive coordinator Liam Cohen and his new assistants implement a new playbook, each Buccaneers player continues to hone their skills and address their individual weaknesses. I will try to overcome it.
With input from Bucks coaches and front office members, as well as my own analysis and observations, I have come up with one specific area for each player to work on heading into training camp and the 2024 season. I’m only evaluating players who actually saw playing time in Tampa Bay last year, and I’m not considering rookies or newly acquired free agents who played elsewhere.
This is the fourth part of an eight-part series examining one or two position groups on the Bucs roster. Today, it’s Tampa Bay’s defensive line. Next up is outside linebacker for the Bucs.
Where each Bucs player can improve: QB, RB
What each Bucks player can improve on: WR, TE.
Where each Bucks player can improve: O-line.
What each Bucks player can improve on: Defensive line.
DT Vita Vea – Dominate more often
Bucks DT Vita Vea and Saints QB Derek Carr – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Bucs defensive line coach Casey Rogers said the time had come for Bear to go from being a very good defensive tackle to a dominant tackle playing at the Pro Bowl level, and that’s exactly what happened. That’s an offseason message to Via, and he seems to be taking it seriously, reportedly already losing some of the weight he often dropped during OTAs in past years and coming off in great shape. He is said to be working on a season program. The good news is that Bear is getting ahead of the curve and putting himself in position to earn his second-ever Pro Bowl berth in 2024.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bear appeared in seven of the 17 games he played last year (he missed two games due to injury) and achieved a grade of 70, including the playoffs. Baer had an overall grade of 80, which was the second-highest PFF grade he earned in his six years in Tampa Bay. After leading the team with a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2022, he had a respectable 5.5 sacks last year, but was quarterbacked for the final six games of the regular season, likely due to injuries and in-season fatigue. I couldn’t do that. under. Bear has played well above his listed weight of 347 pounds at times during his career, so it should help that he gets better in 2024.
Bear added half a sack in the playoffs, but at 29 years old and still in the prime of his career, he could get 10 sacks on the season. He had four sacks in the regular season and plays next to Kariyah Kanshi, who had another 1.5 sacks. That should help in the postseason. The better Cuncey plays and the more of a threat he becomes as a pass rusher, the more offensive coordinators will need to start double-teaming him and leaving the big Vea in advantageous one-on-one situations. Bear has been a very good run defender since entering the league in 2018. Now, it’s his time to become a more consistently well-rounded and dominant player in Tampa Bay.
DT Kariya Kansi – Learn to play better against the run
Bucks DT Kariya Kanshi – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Pro Football Focus was not kind to Cuncey regarding his performance during his rookie season. The Bucks’ first-round pick had a poor overall rating from PFF of 49.7. That’s because Kancey’s run defense grade was an abysmal 29.5 PFF. Known as a pass rusher from Pittsburgh, Cuncie finished the regular season with four sacks and added 1.5 more in the postseason for a pass rush grade of 68.9.
But it’s clear the diminutive defensive tackle plays some role in run defense. At 6 feet tall and weighing 286 pounds, Kancey may not be able to get that big, but he can get stronger in the weight room despite his size limitations. His game is similar to Aaron Donald’s, and not just because both defensive tackles went to Pitt. Donald was a short defensive tackle weighing less than 300 pounds who had a lightning-quick first step and great speed and agility to exploit gaps and get into the backfield.
But Donald was stronger than Cunce, so getting into the weight room this offseason is paramount for Tampa Bay’s stud defensive tackle. He also saw footage of how he was attacked in the running game with double teams and bump blocks last year, and will need to learn how to navigate that better this year. Learning how to anchor in the run game when needed is important, as well as studying your opponent and understanding their offense better so you can anticipate where the run will go and use guards and centers. Offensive tackles that will help Kanshi break blocks by avoiding blocks and blocking down.
DT Logan Hall – More splash plays
Bucks DT Logan Hall – Photo Credit: USA Today
Kaliyah Kansi drew attention with four sacks in his rookie season, but Hall also had a promising rookie season as a pass rusher with 2.5 sacks in 2022 despite limited minutes. He has the size and muscle to play around 280-285 pounds, and the Bucks expected him to improve on his rookie numbers. With Cuncey missing the first month of the regular season with a lingering calf strain, Hall received more playing time and had ample opportunity to start the year.
But Hall had only half a sack and two fumble recoveries despite increased playing time, including four starts behind Vita Vea in the first month of the 2023 season. That’s too bad, and he’ll have to play even better in 2024 or the Bucks will risk moving on from him next season. Hall added even more size this offseason and is now around 295 pounds. His added size and strength should allow him to complete more plays this season.
Hall was drafted for his pass-rushing ability, so it was a shame that he wasn’t able to register a full sack. He still has a bad habit of going for swim moves that worked in college but won’t work in the NFL. Hall will need to work on his pass rush this offseason and training camp to make more impactful plays, including tackles for loss, forced fumbles and a few fumble recoveries. Simply put, he needs to live up to draft expectations to be the Bucs’ No. 1 pick in the top second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and become a playmaker, even if his role is reduced behind Cuncy and Bear. .
DT Greg Gaines – Become the run stuffer you were meant to be.
Buccaneers DT Greg Gaines – Photo courtesy of USA Today
The Bucks thought Gaines would be an upgrade over Rakeem Nunez-Roches, and in some ways they have. Gaines is probably the more impactful pass rusher, but that’s not his primary purpose in Tampa Bay. The Bucks signed Gaines to replace Nunez-Rochus. Gaines had the more active and agile nose tackle and was familiar with Vita Vea as both were teammates at the University of Washington.
Gaines primarily serves as a backup nose tackle for the Buccaneers, but he rarely plays in nickel defense. The 6-foot-1, 312-pound defender typically fills in for Baer on early downs, when the opposing offense is likely to mount a run attack. But Gaines had a below-average run defense grade of 48.5 from Pro Football Focus last year and a 43.2 tackle grade from PFF. Ironically, his pass rush grade was 60.2, even though it wasn’t Gaines’ highlight.
Tampa Bay needs to reduce the drop in run-stuffing ability from Bear to Gaines on rundowns. Gaines has the size and strength to effectively anchor the running game against double teams. Now in his second season, Todd Bowles is looking to better understand his defense and learn how opposing offenses are going to attack him so he can score at an advantage in 2024. That’s what I’m doing.
DT Will Golston – Plays QB more often
Bucs DE Will Gholston – Photo Credit: USA Today
Gholston turns 33 this year, but was re-signed due to his experience in Todd Bowles’ defense and the fact that he still provides value as an early-down run-stuffer. Gholston, now in his 12th year with Tampa Bay, is also a wise veteran known in the locker room as the “glue guy.” He has served as a mentor to several younger defensive linemen, most notably Logan Hall. Due to his age, Gholston’s snap rate has understandably declined, and as a result, he is considered a DT5 on the depth chart.
But when Goulston does play, he needs to be more effective as a pass rusher. Golston isn’t known for his pass rush, but it’s his second year recording a sack. Goulston will be used primarily as a run stuffer on first and second downs, but he won’t have the same pass-rushing opportunities as Tampa Bay’s defensive linemen in nickel packages. But opposing offenses will still be throwing the ball at him on first and second down, so he needs to be more of a threat to get to the quarterback.
Golston is three years removed from achieving a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2021. His role will be reduced from 49 tackles in 2022 to just 19 tackles last year, so his opportunities to play will decrease and his production will likely decline in the future. But that doesn’t mean Goulston can’t contribute a sack or two in 2024, and perhaps create a fumble in the process. Playing fewer snaps should allow Goulston to stay fresher each week, which should increase his chances of starting at QB more often.
DT Mike Green – Be more than a practice squad player
Bucks DT Mike Green – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
Green, a former practice squad player, appeared in 10 games last year, but most of his minutes came early in the season when Kariya Kanshi was sidelined with a calf strain. Undrafted James Madison was the Bucks’ lowest-rated defender last year, posting an overall rating of 40.4, including a 29.5 defensive rating. Simply put, when Green was in games last season, he carried the load defensively.
In his first season on the active roster, Green recorded just four tackles. At 6-foot-3 and 293 pounds, he looked more like a practice squad player than a player on Sunday. Green spent some time on injured reserve last year, which hindered his development, but if he wants to remain on the active roster this year, he needs an offseason program to get bigger, stronger, faster and better fit with Todd Bowles’ defense. Planning in the movie room you need to do.
The good news for Green is that the Bucs didn’t draft a defensive tackle this year. And Tampa Bay hasn’t re-signed Pat O’Connor. 6th defensive tackle It’s wide open. Green has more experience defending bowls than rookies like CJ Brewer, Judge Culpepper, Eric Banks and Lewal Ugaku. But can he take advantage of that and show he’s more than just a practice squad player?
