Bucs Bring Back Gholston!

As we said back in January, the Bucs first priority going into the off-season was signing back DE/DT Will Gholston. Only 25 years old, Gholston is one of the top run defenders in the league and is improving as a pass rusher every year. Today, the Bucs got their guy back as they have signed him to a new 5 year deal per Adam Caplan.

Gholston terms with #Buccaneers: 5 years, max $37m, $13.5m fully gtd. He's 1 of the better run DEs in NFL. He was a big priority to re-sign.

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) March 6, 2017

Both sides win here as it is a great deal for everyone involved and the Bucs get a key piece of their defense back for this season and beyond. The Bucs retain cap flexibility with this deal as they only give Gholston 13.5 million guaranteed which is important because if the Bucs decide to move on from Gholston they can without having a cap penalty. Gholston got good value as he will make about a little over 5 million per year which is a good number for his production per Mike Garafolo.

DE William Gholston's deal with the Buccaneers is worth $27.5m base value over five years, source says. Can earn another $9m in incentives.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 6, 2017

This is great news for the Bucs front four as they can maintain their flexibility and depth as Gholston can play anywhere along the line and makes them very stout against the run. The Bucs now have four solid ends in Ayers, Spence, Gholston, and Smith which provides a solid rotation for the team. Hopefully Jay Hayes can continue to work his magic with Gholston and help him get better overall with his game. I think Gholston has the potential to be a 5 to 7 sack guy with 50 plus tackles per year which would be great if he can reach that.

Now what is next for the Bucs, I expect the team to re-sign more of their own. Look for Jacquizz Rodgers and Akeem Spence to be the next signings over the next few days along with Russell Shepard at some point as well. Now in regards to pending free agent Calais Campbell, who has been linked to the Bucs in various reports. I think the Bucs will still show interest but with Gholston back I don't see it as likely now but if they do get Calais then the Bucs would have maybe the best D-line in the NFL. Free agency starts Thursday, buckle up it's going to be a wild ride.

Will The Bucs Get a DT to go Next to McCoy?

This time last year I really thought the Bucs were going to finally put another young DT next to Gerald McCoy to give the D-line an extra boost. Last year's draft had many promising defensive tackles in which many Bucs fans thought one of them was coming to Tampa. However, it didn't work out that way for Bucs Gm Jason Licht as he decided to go in a different direction. Now fast forward to the present, the Bucs front four made strides this season but improvement is still needed. The Bucs have a good trio with Gerald McCoy, Robert Ayers, and the rising Noah Spence but could use more depth across the board.

Getting Jacquies Smith back will help but he has been injury prone during his time as a Buc, so another edge rusher would be helpful. Let's look at the interior though as we have McCoy, Clinton Mcdonald, and Akeem Spence which creates a solid rotation plus Will Gholston and Ayers rotate inside as well. However, if the Bucs can add a young force at DT who can stop the run and get after the passer would be a big plus for this defense. There are options in both free agency as well as the draft in which the Bucs could add a player who could have a impact right away and also help McCoy get more one on ones matchups.

A few names I like from free agency is Dontari Poe and Nick Fairley from the Chiefs and Saints respectively. Poe is a big force in the middle and would instantly big a upgrade to our run defense while also able to take on double teams to free others to get sacks. There will be a good market for Poe's services and the Bucs will likely be interested. Fairley is someone we were very high on last year and surprised the Bucs didn't offer him a deal. Fairley for the Saints had a great year as he racked up seven sacks and had over 40 plus tackles and was one of the best defenders for the Saints. Bucs would be smart to take one of the better players in the division and would be an instant upgrade to the Bucs defense. Adding either one of these two would be a big help and really give the d-line the depth that is needed. I think it's time Gm Jason Licht make a play at the DT position whether it is through free agency or in the draft, there will be options.

Resigning Will Gholston Will be Priority For Bucs

Bucs Gm Jason Licht was smart to quickly resign his biggest 2017 free agent in punter Bryan Anger to a new 5 year deal that makes him one of the highest paid in the league. Now Mr. Licht needs to turn his attention to one of the most important defensive lineman on this team and that is Will Gholston. Gholston started in the NFL at the young age of 20 and was very raw as he had plenty of size and athleticism but no technique or consistency. Now at 25, Gholston has become one of the better run stopping defensive ends in the league and continues to get better each year as a pass rusher.

Gholston is homegrown talent as he has really become a staple in the community as well as one of the young leaders on defense. It is just hard to find a defensive end that is 6'6 280 and can run down a running back sideline to sideline. Due to his massive frame he doesn't get much leverage coming off the edge but has done a better job of playing to his strengths which is power game. The last two seasons combined Gholston has 116 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 force fumbles, and plenty of tackles for loss. Licht doesn't let homegrown talent go and has shown in his time here as Gm that he rewards those who earn it. Gholston wants to be a buc and I expect the Bucs to make resigning him a big priority this off-season.

Gholston provides great versatility along the front four as he can play inside or outside as well as depth. Having a rotation of Gholston, Spence, Ayers and if healthy Jack Smith gives this team four quality ends which most teams can't say they have. Gholston should get a nice raise but nothing drastic as I see him getting anywhere from 3 to 5 million per year due to his production and age. The best news about Gholston is that there is untapped potential so he could still become a better player which is scary. I believe Gholston will be one of the first to resign back with the Bucs and Jason Licht will have a big smile on his face.

Time For The D-Line to Take Over

Tomorrow is an huge game for the Bucs as the team needs to keep winning if they want meaningful games in December. The Bucs are coming into this matchup with an two game winning streak and have played their best ball these last two weeks. The Seahawks are legit super bowl contenders and are probably one of the more complete teams we are going to face all year. Looking at the Seahawks offense, most would say their offensive line is their weakness as they don't have much of an running game and Wilson faces constant pressure. However, they don't give up a lot of sacks as Wilson has great escape ability with his legs and the ability to make something out of nothing.

This is why the Bucs need their front four to have their best game of the season by being in the face of Russell Wilson constantly. The DE's need to keep contain along with the interior lineman getting push up the middle to force Wilson to back up which will allow the ends to get the sacks from the outside. It's time for this unit to take over, the talent is there and now they got to put it all together tomorrow. Gerald McCoy, Robert Ayers, Noah Spence, William Gholston all need to be at their best and make Wilson to force some throws which will hopefully lead to interceptions. Usually when the Bucs D-line is getting consistent pressure the team usually does well so lets hope that happens tomorrow at 4pm.

Defense is Coming Around

The last two games the Bucs have won have been mainly due to the offense taking better care of the football, but more importantly the improved play of the defense. The defense had it's growing pains early on during the first few games but it looks like the switch has been turn on as players look more comfortable in the new scheme. It started with the Broncos game in which the defense had probably their best first half of the season as they were making plays and getting pressure up front.

One key move the coaching staff made was put rookie CB Vernon Hargreaves on the outside and let him go against the opposing top receiver. Hargreaves has been outstanding since being move to the starting role as he has been excellent in coverage and stout against the run. Him and Grimes have been a steady combo along with Jude Adjei-Barimah holding the nickel position down as well. The Safties are playing much better as well especially Bradley Mcdougald who has been a force in run support.

The defensive line is starting to get healthy with McCoy back along with Ayers and Mcdonald on the way back. In addition, the Bucs are getting great play out of their 2013 picks in Will Gholston and Akeem Spence whom both have been very consistent throughout the season so far. Most could make a case that Gholston has been the Bucs best d-lineman this year as he had a big sack yesterday against the 49ers. Plus rookie Noah Spence is coming around as he probably had his best game yesterday in which he applied consistent pressure and showed his edge rush potential.

Nice inside move here by Noah Spence to get his 2nd career sack. He tried different techniques later in thi... https://t.co/agFgZ67XRA

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) October 25, 2016

Overall, the defense is coming around and are heading in the right direction. The unit is holding opposing Quarterbacks under 60% completion percentage with an 58.3% which is major improvement from last year's percentage of 70%. Third down defense has been really good as opposing offenses are converting only 32.9% of the time which is very good and only the Dolphins are better at 31%. This defense is getting healthy at the right time and continues to get better each week. They are going to have to be at their best against an good offense in the Oakland Raiders this Sunday.

Bucs Have to Win First Down

One area that has been an issue for the Bucs on both sides of the ball has been winning on first down. Bucs have to do a better job of being more efficient on first down to set them up in more favorable situations. If you are winning first down on both sides of the ball, your team is going to be successful most of the time. The Bucs defense has been winning first down at times but it needs to be more consistent so they can get opposing offenses into third down situations so this can happen more.

William Gholston is really improving with every game. He is a monster against the run but shows he can also get the edge here. pic.twitter.com/OeP0oBJJbX

— realbucstalk (@realbucstalk) October 4, 2016

This play was on second down but it allowed the defense to play in 3rd and long which allows the front four get after the qb and they almost got another sack on that following play. So forcing more passing situations will help the defense but they have to do better on first and second down. However, this post is more about the offense as they have been very ineffective on first down, and it must improve or else the offense will continue their inconsistent ways. Here is coach Koetter on the lack of production on first down via buccaneers.com.

“We talk about efficient plays, efficient plays on first down that’ll be four yards or more. When we say, ‘Staying ahead of the chains,’ we did a horrible job and I think somebody in here asked me, on the one good drive that we had, we had a lot of second-and-nines, but we did well on second-and-long. But the longer the down and distance, the more your percentages go down, if you’re playing percentage football. Whether we were running it or we were throwing it, we were not good enough on first down. We call those ‘run downs,’ first-and-10s and second-and-one-to-six and we’ve got to be more efficient.” 

It's all about execution and guys right now are not doing their job good enough and that's got to change this Monday. Short passing and variation of runs needs to come alive again in this offense as it something that is missing right now. Former Bucs head coach Jon Gruden used to use the short passing game very well as an extension of the running game which is something the Bucs need to get going. Runs of 3 to 4 yards needs to be more consistent, but passes of 4 to 6 yards needs to be more regular as well. Overall, the Bucs have to start winning first down if they want to start winning games.

DLine Keeps Showing Improvement

I have been saying the Bucs finally have depth up front on the defensive line and it was evident today. Especially at the defensive end position as guys who were starters on this team are being push down to the 2nd and 3rd team reps. The additions of Robert Ayers and Noah Spence are already showing dividends as they are displaying the ability to get to the Qb, which this team desperately needs. Spence has been consistently in the backfield each day of practice, while Ayers brings a veteran presence plus versatility as he has played both DE and DT.

Then after those two, the Bucs still have Jacquies Smith, Will Gholston, Howard Jones, and George Johnson. That is solid depth and it allows the Bucs to have a solid rotation and not suffer a noticeable drop in play when the starters come out. This is good for the defense and hopefully guys will be fresher as the season goes on. This front four is just getting better each day under D-line coach Jay Hayes, and new guys are making plays. Watching practice today, I thought Howard Jones and Will Gholston really stood out and made their fair share of plays.

Jones coming off a 5 sack season as reserve, showed off his athleticism today as he beat his man off the edge a couple times and would have had two sacks. Then in one on ones, he displayed a beautiful inside swim move on back up tackle Leonard Wester who was no match for the speed of Jones. For the Bucs to have a guy like Jones is a luxury and allows the defense to take advantage of certain matchups. Then there is William Gholston who is coming off a career season, looks like he has already improved from last year and is ready to put up bigger numbers as its a contract year for him.

Gholston is a force against the run and is making progress as a pass rusher, and is looking to become a full time starter this season. Gholston's versatility is huge as he can play inside or outside like Ayers can, making Gholston very valuable to the D-line. This defensive line group continues to make progress and it should lead to hopefully a big year for the group.

Bucs D-Line Showing Versatility

NFL games are usually won in the trenches and over the past few years Bucs Gm Jason Licht has done a good job of building up both lines. The offensive line has tremendous depth with at least 7 capable starters, and now this past offseason it was the d-line's turn to acquire much needed depth. The Bucs added veteran Robert Ayers and drafted heralded rookie Noah Spence giving the Bucs defensive line more quality depth. Today at training camp we got a look at a possible rotation for the d-line as the first team was Ayers, J.Smith at end with McCoy and Mcdonald at tackle which is a quality starting line.

Then the second unit had Noah Spence, Howard Jones at end with A.Spence and Will Gholston at tackle which gives the Bucs a very athletic second group.  The Bucs were rotating Gholston and N.Spence in with the first group as Gholston was being used at tackle and end usually during run situations while Spence was coming in with nickel personnel. It is going to be exciting to see how creative Mike Smith gets with his personnel as he should be able to put pressure on the qb with his front 4 especially in passing situations. 

The Bucs can put N.Spence, J.Smith at the end and then move Ayers inside next to McCoy which gives you 4 capable pass rushers and one of them should win a one on one most of the time. Last year the offensive line became a strength of this team perhaps this year the defensive line becomes a strength as well, and if the Bucs want to make playoffs this year they are going to need a strong d-line. This d-line has everything from athleticism, strength, versatility, and most importantly quality pass rushers. To bring winning back to Tampa, this d-line will have to be one of the strengths of this team, or it will struggle to win consistently.

Big Year Ahead for the 2013 Draft Class

Training camp is almost here, and it's a big one for the 2013 draft class whom are all pending free agents next off-season. The 2013 draft class for the Bucs has been decent so far producing some starters and quality depth for the team. The majority of the class is on the defensive side of the ball which includes CB Johnthan Banks, DT Akeem Spence, and DE William Gholston. Not going to discuss Qb Mike Glennon or Rb Mike James because frankly, if they are playing the Bucs will not be in good shape. So who will the Bucs bring back out of this group, lets take a look at each one on the defensive side of the ball.

Johnthan Banks- CB 6'2 185 4th year

Banks has been somewhat forgotten by fans, and needs to have a bounce back year in 2016 to show he is more of the player we saw in 2013 and 2014. Banks has the physical tools to be really good, and unfortunately in 2015, he and the previous coaching staff had a falling out leading him to be bench for most of the year. Now heading into 2016, Banks is looking for redemption, but it wont be easy as he has stiff competition for playing time with Alterraun Verner and Brent Grimes looking to start as well. Banks is a playmaker with 7 ints in 3 years, and is going to need to make more plays over the next couple of months.

William Gholston- DE/DT 6'6 281 4th year

Gholston had a breakout season in 2015 in which he started in 11 games collecting over 60 tackles and 3 sacks. Gholston was a consistent player for the defense and is just continuing to get better overall as a player each year. If Bucs d-line coach Jay Hayes can unleash Gholston's pass rush ability then the Bucs could have something dangerous along the defensive line. Look for Gholston to be better in 2016.

Akeem Spence- DT 6'1 307 4th year

Spence has had moments of greatness and then at other times has had lackluster play. Spence is strong at the point of attack and is very capable defending the run. He shows some things as a pass rusher but still needs ton of growth there. Last season was cut in half due to a back injury, but showed some improvement in his technique and overall ability to get off the line quick which helped him make some plays in the backfield.  2016 will be big for him as he will compete with Clinton Mcdonald for the starting nose tackle position and will look to finally put it all together as a player.

It's a big year for these three from the 2013 class and they will have to play well if they want Jason Licht and crew to bring them back for 2017. Who is going to step up out of these 3 players, let me know what you think Bucs nation.

William Gholston to Play Inside More?

The 2016 NFL Draft has concluded and the Buccaneers did not draft a defensive tackle which has fans and local media confused as the position was fairly deep. Perhaps it is just the way the draft fell for Bucs Gm Jason Licht or maybe the team has eyes on a DT from another team whom they think might get cut here in the upcoming months. Currently at defensive tackle the Bucs have Gerald McCoy, Clinton Mcdonald, and Akeem Spence which is a solid trio. Bucs just added defensive ends in Robert Ayers in free agency, and Noah Spence through the draft, giving the team more depth at defensive end.

Going back to Ayers, he has the capability to play inside or outside, and so does 4th year defensive end William Gholston. Gholston is a player I think is on the rise as he had his best season last year, and could be even better this year. Due to the flexibility of Ayers and Gholston, this is perhaps why the Bucs passed on drafting a defensive tackle this year, and will ask both Ayers and Gholston to play more at the defensive tackle position. I personally think Gholston will get more defensive tackle time this year, due to his size at 6'6 290lbs pairing him with McCoy who is 6'4 300lbs.

This would give DC Mike Smith a similar duo to the one he had in Jacksonville with Marcus Stroud and John Henderson. Gholston will still play often at DE, but could be a regular in the rotation at defensive tackle given his strengths at stopping the run and being able to push the pocket with his power bull rushes. With the Bucs loading up on athletic defensive ends like Jacquies Smith, Howard Jones, and Noah Spence, it tells me the Bucs are serious about playing the 3-4 scheme. This is great news for Gholston, as he can be a base end in the 3-4 or even play DT in the 3-4 as well. Keep an eye out for Gholston this year, the big kid could have a major impact this year.

William Gholston Is on the Rise

Last season, a case could be made that Bucs defensive end William Gholston was the best and most consistent player on defense. Now that's not saying much as the unit was poor throughout the season, but it was good to see massive growth in the big defensive end. Gholston was 4th round pick in the 2013 draft, and was only 20 years old in his first season so definitely needed time to mature as a player.

Well it look like it all came together for Gholston in year 3, putting up over 60 tackles, and 3 sacks and at times was a force on the field. Still young as he is only 24 heading into his fourth season, so still has time to grow even more as a player which is great news for the team. Gholston came on as run defender doing a better job with his run contains and shedding blocks to be disruptive consistently. His pass rush game still needs work as his moves are very inconsistent and typically goes with his bull rush the most which is average at best.

That's where new defensive line coach Jay Hayes comes in, as he has had success with guys that are similar in size to Gholston. For instance, Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson whom both are over 6'6 280lbs and have put up double digit sack seasons under Hayes as their coach. Now Lets hope Hayes can mold Gholston into his best form and be a consistent 8 to 10 sack type guy. Gholston is on the verge of breaking out as a player, and hopefully under Hayes, he can reach his true potential.