Shaquil Barrett

The other

option would be Shaq Barrett.

He wasn't

a D-liner, so more like a linebacker.

I think that, I think that really does go for both teams.

Yeah, and while the Bucs have never had a Miles Garrett, they haven't even had a Shaq Barrett or a JPP over the course of the last couple of years.

So a lot of criticism and a lot of frustration from Bucs fans because of Reuben Bain's performance.

Everybody just take a breath.

You know what? You're not going to win every matchup.

I remember Shaq Barrett having problems with Rob Havenstein out there with the LA Rams, that right tackle.

6'7", 325-pound guy, 330-pound guy.

And Shaq's 6'1", 250, and he had shorter arms.

Yeah.

And for Reuben Bain, Scott, I thought you made a great point in the, uh, Monday Mailbag this morning, saying it, it's, it's kind of like Shaq Barrett going up against, uh, Haavenstein with the Rams, just-

Yeah

...

Mm-hmm.

I mean, the, he wasn't top talent, but he became top talent there.

Shaq Barrett, one year, $4 million here, 5 million, 19 and a half sacks.

So I, I don't know.

I look back at this team and it's like, oh, yeah, they of course were going to win.

You see their lineup, their defense of being Indomitian Sioux, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, former chief, Jason Pierre-Paul, Devin White, Levante David, Shaq Barrett, Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy Bunting, Jordan Whitehead, and Antoine Winfield Jr.

It was like, oh yeah, no wonder they won.

Yeah, they were pretty good.

And while I was down at training camp, I came away disappointed.

telling Locked On Bucs listeners this was the best defense that I have seen in Tampa since 2021, back when the Bucs had Sue and JPP, Shaq Barrett, Levante David, Devin White before his epic fall off.

This is not the same defense that was getting beat repeatedly last season or was among the worst defense in the Todd Bowles era at stopping the run.

So we do have proof of concept that Bowles' defense works and can win championships, but now they have the actual pieces that they need in order for the defense to operate the way that it's intended to.

You have a happy Vita Veya, thanks to his extension, and then A'shaun Robinson.

So the entire front has been upgraded, and it's the edge rushers that are really going to be able to drive this thing.

Like I said, when you look back at 2020 and 2021, when the Bucs had one of the best defenses in the NFL, because they had Shaq Barrett, and they had Jason Pierre-Paul, and then they had Vita and Indomitian Sioux together.

Everybody right now wants to copy the Seahawks and throw waves of defenders at opposing offenses.

This defense upgraded at all three levels this past off-season, with the headliner being Bain, who fell to the Bucs at 15.

And, and while I was down at training camp, I came away telling Locked On Bucs listeners this was the best defense that I have seen in Tampa since 2021, back when the Bucs had Sue and JPP, Shaq Barrett, Lavonte David, Devin White before his epic fall off.

This is not the same defense that was getting beat repeatedly last season or was among the worst in the Todd Bowles era at stopping the run.

So we do have proof of concept that Bowles' defense works and can win championships, but now they have to actual-- they have the actual pieces that they need in order for the defense to operate the way that it's intended to.

And then you have a, a healthy Khalifaa Cansey, you have a happy Vita Vea, thanks to his extension, and then A'Shawn Robinson.

So the entire front has been upgraded, and, and it's the edge rushers that are really gonna be able to drive this thing.

Like I said, when you look back at 2020 and 2021 when the Bucs had one of the best defenses in the NFL, 'cause they had Shaq Barrett, and they had Jason Pierre-Paul, and then they had Vita and Ndomukonu together.

Everybody right now wants to copy the Seahawks and throw waves of-

They can get after the passer, which is something that has been lacking, and they face just three of the top 10 offensive lines in the NFL this season.

So this defense is ready to hunt quarterbacks down like they did when they had JPP, Shaq Barrett, And then Dominick and Sue.

Listen, happy and Vita Vea probably should not be in the same sentence.

I played against that guy.

At number 10, he has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he says, quote, Todd Bowles defense has fallen off in recent seasons with one of the biggest problems being lack of a true edge monster.

Yaya Diaby was a nice find in round three of the 2023 draft, but no Buccaneers posted double digit sacks since Shaq Barrett in 2021.

This is why the Bucs are still thanking their lucky stars that Reuben Bain Jr. shockingly fell right into their lap in April's draft.

I've been driving the Bain train ever since.

Maybe he doesn't get double-digit sacks this season.

I predicted that he would, but the threat of him coming off the edge is what will allow the pass rush to be more effective than it's been any time in the last five years.

The Bucs brought back Shaq Barrett.

They brought back JPP.

Is there a player that comes to mind on the defensive side of the ball, Todd, that perhaps somebody wasn't drafted by the Bucs, somebody that came over, whether it's on your current roster or previous roster, a player that comes to mind that maybe struggled in another system and you picked them up and played under you and you just saw that person flourish and succeed?

Shaq Barrett.

Shaq was the third backer in Denver.

He was the third outside backer in Denver.