Bowles, Bucs Need More Sacks From OLBs In 2023
Flying under the radar of what’s already been an offseason chock full of events is the situation that the Bucs have at outside linebacker. Maybe it doesn’t take precedent over Tom Brady, finding a new offensive coordinator or even defensive questions they have at inside linebacker and corner, but it’s one that also needs focus from head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles.
The Bucs have some uncertainty at the position heading into the offseason. Their best pass rusher, Shaq Barrett, turns 30 this year and currently in the middle of rehabbing a season-ending Achilles injury. That is not a quick and easy recovery, and Barrett shouldn’t be expected to automatically become a double-digit sacker when he returns. Barrett had just three sacks in the first eight games before tearing his Achilles against Baltimore on Thursday night.
Anthony Nelson got the majority of the starting reps with Barrett out, while veteran reserve Carl Nassib was injured towards the latter half of the season. Both are unrestricted free agents in 2023. Nelson topped his career best of five sacks by adding another half sack to reach 5.5. He also had career-bests with 46 tackles and led the Bucs with three forced fumbles. Nassib played well in his role and had 3.5 sacks in 13 games as a reserve player for Bowles.
The 4-Man Pass Rush Wasn’t The Best For The Bucs’ OLBs
The Bucs were able to get to the quarterback last season, as they were tied for seventh in the NFL with 45 sacks. That is slightly down from the two previous years (48 sacks in 2020 and 47 sacks in 2021). The difference between the two previous seasons and this season was the production from their edge rushers.
Bowles loves to dial up exotic looks and blitzes, so they can get to the quarterback with linebackers and defensive backs. But if they group up front can’t set the tempo, it shuts down a lot of what they want to do.
In 2020 Jason Pierre-Paul, the team’s lone Pro Bowl player from the Super Bowl-winning team, led the Bucs with 9.5 sacks while Barrett was close behind with eight. In 2021, Barrett took the reigns with 10 sacks to lead the way. During the 2022 season it was nose tackle Vita Vea that led the Bucs with 6.5. That’s the lowest number to lead the team in sacks since Gerald McCoy had six in 2017. Nelson was tied with Devin White for second this season with 5.5.
“No, I don’t think it was great,” Bowles said of the pass rush in his final press conference after the season. “I think we were similar the last three years in numbers – or at least within three or four, number-wise – but they all came from different guys. I think when your nose [tackle] is your leading sack guy, I don’t think the pass rush was good enough.
“We fell off some, we missed some – but they came from a multiple group of people. You want to be able to get there with four so you can play more coverage. I thought we got better from a pass defense standpoint in that aspect, but we can also rush the passer better.”
Bowles Believes JTS Can Get A Lot Better
The first step to the Bucs’ pass rush getting better in 2023 is the growth of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Last season was his second year in the NFL but his first as a full-time starter. Tryon-Shoyinka recorded four sacks, 40 tackles and two pass breakups in all 17 games. JTS was the epitome of “close, but no cigar,” as many times this season he either got into the backfield and couldn’t wrap up the quarterback, or he was a second away before the throw got off.
Many are divided on how to view Tryon-Shoyinka’s season. Some point out that he didn’t take a big enough step in his progression as his sack total should have been much higher. Others believe expectations were too high for him to begin with as the last pick of the first round in 2021, and he is right on track for where he needs to be.
That’s a long way of saying that his upcoming third-season will be his most critical by naysayers and supporters.
“I think he can get a lot better,” Bowles said. “He fell off quite a few sacks. If he finished closing … he might have missed more sacks than he made. If he makes those, he’s fine. We’ve got to work on him finishing at the top of the rush, especially falling off the quarterback – I think he leaves his feet too early. We talked about this, he understands that. Going forward, we’ll try to get him better and get him to the next level from that standpoint. He’s still got all the talent in the world and we’re waiting for this guy to break out. When he does – if he does – he’s going to be a heck of a player.”
Bowles then spoke on the mental side of being a pass rusher and if Tryon-Shoyinka has that part of his game down.
“It’s more experience,” Bowles said. “You start your first year and you see a lot of different block combinations and guys [know] how to bait you and everything else like that. He has some learning games where he understands how he has to rush and how people are starting to attack him, and then chip blocks and everything else like that that he understood this year that he needs to see. Next year, hopefully, the experience of that will help him going forward.”
Are The Bucs Going To Add A New Pass Rusher?
With so much to wonder about at the position without many answers, are the Bucs going to look for different pass rushers this year? This year’s crop of edge rushers is strong in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Or will Bowles and the Bucs try to re-sign their own, starting with Nelson, Nassib and Genard Avery, who had one sack in his first season in Tampa Bay?
“If the situation becomes available,” Bowles said. “We’ll definitely need more sacks from that position. That’s one of our money positions where we count on sacks to come from – the majority of them, anyway. Hopefully Shaq comes back okay. In the third year, Joe can be better at that. Nelson hopefully we can get back. Carl stepped in nicely. But we need more production from a sack standpoint out of that position.”
