Tag: Steve McLendon trade

Ex-Jets DL Steve McLendon shines in Bucs debut

A week after being traded to Tampa Bay, former Jets DL Steve McLendon didn’t miss a beat, recording five total tackles in his Bucs debut.

Steve McLendon practiced just once with his new team this week, but it didn’t matter.

In his debut with the Bucs, McLendon recorded five total tackles, including a tackle for loss, in just 25 snaps. The 34-year-old immediately made his presence felt, as no interior defensive lineman on Tampa Bay’s roster has matched those numbers since Ndamukong Suh in Week 2.

McLendon didn’t miss a beat, making a seamless transition to Tampa Bay’s defense. It certainly helps that he is more than familiar with the scheme from his days with Todd Bowles and Kacy Rodgers in New York. That was certainly a factor in why the Bucs elected to acquire McLendon from the Jets last week.

While McLendon was making an impact for his new team, Foley Fataukasi saw a spike in playing time, playing 39 of New York’s 72 defensive snaps on Sunday. While the Jets’ decision to trade McLendon gave the veteran a chance to win, it also allows them to evaluate a player like Fatuakasi in a lost season, as New York dropped to 0-7 in Week 7.

Jets trade veteran DT Steve McLendon to Buccaneers

Following Sunday’s 24-0 loss, Joe Douglas was working the phones.

Following Sunday’s 24-0 loss, Joe Douglas was working the phones.

The Jets agreed to trade veteran defensive lineman Steve McLendon to the Buccaneers, as first reported by the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. The Jets will get a sixth-round pick in 2022, while Tampa Bay will receive a seventh-round pick in 2023. McLendon, meanwhile, will reunite with Todd Bowles and Kacy Rodgers in Tampa Bay.

The Bucs will pick up the remainder of McClendon’s $1.25 million 2020 salary.

McLendon had been the heart and soul of the Jets defense and was one of the senior-most players on the team. With McLendon’s departure, the Jets have now lost another vocal leader in the locker room. His leadership was on full display this offseason, as he hosted teammates at his gym in Georgia while teams were attempting to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

At this point in his career, McLendon is a space-eater and run-stuffer; he’ll be more valuable on a team like Tampa Bay, which will be among the NFC’s top contenders going forward. The Buccaneers knocked off the Green Bay Packers 38-10 on Sunday afternoon.

McLendon played over 20 snaps in New York’s Week 6 loss and has a total of 14 tackles on the season. With the Jets now 0-6, it’s likely the Jets want to see more from Foley Fatukasi with the season already lost.