The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have some big decisions this off-season. The biggest decision on the table is whether or not to keep Gerald McCoy. McCoy has been the best player on the defense for the better part of the past ten seasons. In 2018 however, his play may have declined slightly and now his $13 million dollar price tag is becoming an issue. With talk of a new scheme coming to town should the Bucs seriously consider moving on from the perennial Pro Bowler?
Does He Fit The Teams Plans?
New Defensive Coordinator Todd Bowles is in town and with him comes an aggressive scheme. It looks to be drastically different than the one that McCoy has been playing under since being drafted in 2010. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have run a 4-3 Tampa 2/Cover 2 scheme since the beginning of time. That defense usually calls for the pressure to be provided by the front four. McCoy has been one of the best at bringing pressure from the defensive tackle position since coming into the NFL.
Todd Bowles has ran a 3-4 scheme in New York and Arizona that calls for the pressure to come from the second, and sometimes, third levels. He has experience running multiple packages including a 4-3 but he is mostly know for having three down lineman. McCoy could play from a defensive end spot in an odd front, but is much too small for the nose tackle position in the middle. Gerald is at his best when bringing pressure from the B gaps as a three technique. The big issue? That has always been with three other lineman around him. In an odd front the defensive lines job is to control the line of scrimmage and to help prevent the offensive lineman from getting to the linebackers. That also helps the linebackers get the sacks and make big plays.
That just doesn’t fit what McCoy does at this level. If that’s what the defensive staff asks of him that will be a costly way of wasting his talent.
Big Money for a “Declining” player
Gerald McCoy has always been one of the best 3-techniques at getting to the quarterback averaging 6.8 sacks a season. This past campaign he ended with six sacks. He also had 21 QB hits which is tied for second most in his career. His play has never been as exciting as Warren Sapp, but he has always been a force in the middle. He has been looked at as the silver lining in all the terrible defenses he has been in and this past season was more of the same.
-
Ep 138: Chiefs Survive Jets On Sunday Night Football
by Full Press Coverage on October 2, 2023 at 2:18 pm
The only true critique I have always had about McCoy is the lack of forced fumbles he creates. In his eight season as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer he has forced just six fumbles. That is an incredibly low and somewhat shocking number. He has been great at creating pressure and getting to the mark but he hasn’t created the plays that kill drives. Aaron Donald is a freak of nature but this past season alone he forced four fumbles.
Tampa Bay doesn’t have the talent to consistently stop offenses without forcing turnovers. Their best players have to be playmakers on the defensive side and getting the ball out has to become way more important.
2019 or Bust
This coming season should be Gerald McCoys last as a Buccaneer. He will finally have a Head Coach in Bruce Arians that will demand greatness from his star players. He will also expect the team to make the postseason. In his eight years in the league, McCoy has been to the playoffs zero times. It would be great for him to finally get over the hump with the team that drafted him 3rd overall.
This team doesn’t have the players to truly transition to a 3-4 this year, barring a huge turnover of talent. In my honest opinion the team can’t afford to get rid of one of their best and most talented players. They can easily run an aggressive form of the 4-3 defense and keep him in Tampa. It makes the most sense if they also plan on keeping defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and his $14.5 million price tag. Neither player truly fits a 3-4 scheme and would be pretty poor team building to keep just one of the two, as they compliment each other.
The decision to keep McCoy is big and somewhat monumental. He has been a true professional in his time here and a great leader on and off the field. He is expensive but his talent is still as good as before, maybe a hair slower but faster than 75% of the league. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers should look to either restructure his contract or just pay him his base rate for the next season, and run it back again in a more aggressive scheme.
-
Ep 172: Author Michael MacCambridge Joins The Showby Full Press Coverage on September 30, 2023 at 2:46 am
Award winning author Michael MacCambridge joins Clark and Ira to discuss […]
-
Ep 171: Discussing The Career Of George Kunz With Son Mattby Full Press Coverage on September 23, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Clark and Ira are joined by Matt Kunz, son of former Colts lineman George […]
-
Ep 170: The 1986 Giants With Gary Myersby Full Press Coverage on September 15, 2023 at 9:44 pm
HOF voter and author Gary Myers joins Clark and Ira to discuss his new […]
-
Ep 169: Discussing Art Powell and the AFL With Historian Todd Tobiasby Full Press Coverage on September 3, 2023 at 3:04 pm
AFL historian Todd Tobias joins Clark and Ira to talk Art Powell and the […]
-
Recapping Week 4 NFL Inside the Film Roomby LandryFootball.com on October 2, 2023 at 1:25 pm
We give you a Film Room Review on all the NFL games from Sunday, breaking […]
-
Week 5 Initial Film Room Review--Who are real contenders for CFPby LandryFootball.com on October 1, 2023 at 3:20 pm
We take you inside the Landry Football Lab to give you initial Film Room […]
-
Ep 307: FAAB Talk and Taylor Swiftby Full Press Coverage on September 27, 2023 at 1:55 am
-
Ep 306: Week 2 Fantasy Football Previewby Full Press Coverage on September 14, 2023 at 3:06 am
-
Ep 305: TE Target Totals from Week 1by Full Press Coverage on September 12, 2023 at 2:28 am
-
Ep 304: The NFL Season Is Hereby Full Press Coverage on September 7, 2023 at 3:13 am
-
Ep 187: Week 5 Preview @ Las Vegasby Full Press Coverage on October 3, 2023 at 1:18 am
In this episode, co-hosts Kyle Senra and Jesse Hall are joined by Terrance […]
-
Ep 186: Week 4 Reactionsby Full Press Coverage on September 29, 2023 at 5:34 pm
The Green Bay Packers lost 34-20 to their division rivals, the Detroit […]
-
Renegades Of Puck Ep 799by Charlie Saunier on October 3, 2023 at 12:01 am
Renegades Of Puck Ep 799 The Renegades Of Puck Talk Preds Preseason, […]
-
Full Press Islanders - 10-02 - Preseason Win Over the Rangersby Full Press Coverage on October 2, 2023 at 3:00 pm
We discuss the game Saturday against the Rangers plus some expectations […]
-
Full Press Wild - 10-2 - Recapping the Wild’s preseason win over Chicago.by Full Press Coverage on October 2, 2023 at 2:00 pm
Preseason, Stars, Chicago, injury, Savoie, signing Learn more about your […]
-
Full Press Blackhawks - 10-2 - Blackhawks’ Weekend Preseason Recapby Full Press Coverage on October 2, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Recapping the Chicago Blackhawks’s preseason games against the Minnesota […]
-
Full Press Hurricanes - 10-01 - Hurricanes preseason split-squad games in Florida.by Full Press Coverage on October 1, 2023 at 6:40 pm
The Hurricanes dropped both games in a split-squad, Florida double-header […]
-
Full Press Wild - 9-29 - Recapping the Wild’s preseason home win over the Avalanche.by Full Press Coverage on September 29, 2023 at 6:55 pm
Preseason, Stars, Avalanche Learn more about your ad choices. Visit […]
-
10/2 - Jrue Holiday Traded, Chiefs Survive Jets, Week 4 Reactionsby Full Press Coverage on October 2, 2023 at 2:17 pm
Ian and John react to the Jrue Holiday trade to the Celtics, the Chiefs […]
-
9/29 - October, Lions Handle Packers, Week 4 Picks and Predictionsby Full Press Coverage on September 29, 2023 at 2:22 pm
Ian and John talk movie twists, Lions on Thursday Night Football, and they […]
-
9/28 - Dame Traded, Zach Wilson And The Jets, Packers/Lions Previewby Full Press Coverage on September 28, 2023 at 2:07 pm
Ian and John discuss the Damian Lillard trade, the Jets predicament with […]
-
9/26 - Eagles/Bengals Win On MNF, Mac Jones, and Much Moreby Full Press Coverage on September 26, 2023 at 2:04 pm
Ian and John discuss the Eagles and Bengals wins on Monday Night Football, […]
-
9/25 - Week 3 Reactions, Dolphins Hang 70, Biggest Disappointmentsby Full Press Coverage on September 25, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Ian and John react to a fascinating Week 3 in the NFL and talk about some […]
-
9/22 - 49ers Move To 3-0, Week 2 Picks and Predictionsby Full Press Coverage on September 22, 2023 at 1:58 pm
Ian and John discuss the 49ers win over the Giants on Thursday Night […]
-
Ep 2: Top 5 Super Bowls Of All Timeby Full Press Coverage on February 7, 2023 at 3:26 pm
Ian Glendon and John Sapochetti give their Top 5 Super Bowls of all time. […]
-
Ep 1: The Top 10 Quarterbacks Of All Timeby Full Press Coverage on January 12, 2023 at 8:42 pm
On the first episode of 'According To Who?', host Ian Glendon and John […]
-
Ep 187: Week 5 Preview @ Las Vegasby Full Press Coverage on October 3, 2023 at 1:18 am
-
CFB Daily: Week 5 Recap; CFB Playoff Newsby Full Press Coverage on October 2, 2023 at 9:35 pm
-
The Best Defence is A Good Offence - Oct. 2, 2023by Full Press Coverage on October 2, 2023 at 7:00 pm
-
Full Press MMA - 10-2 - Aljamain calls out Sean O’Malleyby Full Press Coverage on October 2, 2023 at 3:15 pm
-
Utah Jazz Previewby Broken Controller Media on October 2, 2023 at 3:00 pm
-
Ep 138: Chiefs Survive Jets On Sunday Night Footballby Full Press Coverage on October 2, 2023 at 2:18 pm
-
10/2 - Jrue Holiday Traded, Chiefs Survive Jets, Week 4 Reactionsby Full Press Coverage on October 2, 2023 at 2:17 pm
-
Jrue Holiday Traded To The Celticsby Full Press Coverage on October 2, 2023 at 2:13 pm
-
Ep 137: Lions Dominate Packers, NFL in London, Week 4 Picks and Predictionsby Full Press Coverage on October 1, 2023 at 2:51 pm
-
Lions Dominate Packersby Full Press Coverage on October 1, 2023 at 5:28 am
-
Boot 2 The Face "No Mercy:Wrestledream"by Boot 2 The Face on September 29, 2023 at 7:31 pm
Your boys are back with previews for NXT No Mercy and AEW Wrestledream. […]
-
Boot 2 The Face "The Rock Says..."by Boot 2 The Face on September 24, 2023 at 3:12 pm
On this episode of B2TF we talk AEW, WWE, NXT, Becky Lynch, Jey Uso, Raw, […]
-
World of Pro Wrestling Remains Strong Heading Into WrestleDreamby Full Press Coverage on October 1, 2023 at 12:14 am
Jim Biringer is back once again joined by C.C. Hawkley to discuss his […]
-
Shock Waves in Pro Wrestling: A McMahon No Longer Owns WWEby Full Press Coverage on September 27, 2023 at 12:00 pm
Jim Biringer is back once again as he discusses the history made as Vince […]
-
Ep 184: Savio Vegaby Full Press Coverage on September 30, 2023 at 2:00 pm
This week we're looking at the career of Savio Vega. From his start in […]