Tag: Todd Bowles

NFL.com says this Buccaneer is the team’s most underappreciated player

Find out who NFL analytics expert Cynthia Frelund named as the Bucs’ most underappreciated player.

There’s no shortage of talent on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ roster heading into 2020. With guys like Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Bucs look more like a team straight out of Madden or fantasy football.

Big things are expected out of Bruce Arians’ team in 2020, and if the Bucs are going to make a serious run at the playoffs, they’ll also need their defense to continue to improve under Todd Bowles. The D has plenty of talent as well, and retained key players this offseason like Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett. But, there’s another defender who is perhaps the team’s most underappreciated player, at least according to Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com, and that’s linebacker Lavonte David.

Using context-based models, Frelund came to this conclusion about David:

“With the most tackles on the team (122 — the next closest Buccaneer had 91), 10 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and an interception, David was the kind of productive middle-of-the-field defender Todd Bowles knows how to best deploy. PFF counted his coverage grade as 91.4, which was the highest among linebackers last season (among those with a minimum of 100 snaps).”

Bucs fans definitely appreciate David and what he brings to the table. With the Bucs appearing in five prime-time games this season, David will get the chance to showcase his skills on the national stage. Maybe then he’ll receive the attention and credit he deserves from the rest of the league.

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Devin White gives Sean Murphy-Bunting a shoutout on Instagram

Bucs LB Devin White appears ready for the season to start, evident by his recent Instagram post.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans everywhere are ecstatic now that quarterback Tom Brady is in charge of their offense. The thought of Brady connecting with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin likely has opposing defensive coordinators up at night already.

But, let’s not sleep on the defense. Tampa Bay’s young D flourished under defensive coordinator Todd Bowles last year, and big things are expected from this unit in 2020. As great as the Bucs’ offense could be, the team won’t go anywhere next season if their defense can’t stop guys like Drew Brees and Matt Ryan in the NFC South.

Fortunately, Devin White and Sean Murphy-Bunting, both of whom were selected in the 2019 NFL draft by the Bucs, are ready for the task at hand. White gave his buddy SMB a shoutout on Instagram recently, showing a picture of the pair taking down former Texan DeAndre Hopkins.

Take a look.

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Gil Brandt of NFL.com thinks Jason Pierre-Paul should stay with the Buccaneers

See why Gil Brandt feels DE Jason Pierre-Paul would benefit by staying with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers once free agency starts.

NFL free agency is scheduled to start next week, and based on the number of big-name free agents hitting the open market, it has the potential to rock the NFL landscape for the foreseeable future.

Guys like Tom Brady and Philip Rivers will test the free agency waters for the first time in their illustrious careers, while others like Jameis Winston may, unfortunately, be forced to find a new home if their respective teams decide to move on.

One Tampa Bay Buccaneers player sure to get a strong look from teams is Jason Pierre-Paul. The pass rusher, who missed the start of last season while recovering from a fractured neck suffered in the offseason, finished the year with 8.5 sacks in just 10 games. And while JPP may have posted a cryptic message last month implying his time in Tampa Bay could be over, Gil Brandt over at NFL.com says Pierre-Paul would be wise to stay where he is.

Per Brandt:

“[JPP] played a significant role in Barrett’s 19.5-sack season. After Barrett’s hot start (nine sacks in his first four games), opposing offensive lines began to focus on him, cutting down on his production — until Pierre-Paul returned from offseason neck surgery in Week 8, forcing opponents to account for two potent pass-rushing threats. Barrett went on to notch 10.5 more sacks in his final 10 games, while JPP added 8.5 of his own. If the Bucs lock down Barrett and make a competitive offer to JPP, he should think about re-teaming with Barrett and continuing to build on the momentum they established in Tampa last season.”

Bruce Arians has indicated that Barrett “ain’t going nowhere,” but it remains to be seen whether the Bucs will retain him via the franchise tag or a long-term deal.

Tampa Bay’s defense is on the rise, and JPP has shown he can dominate in Todd Bowles’ defense. The Bucs have a strong chance of making it to the postseason next year, and having Pierre-Paul on their roster would certainly help bolster their odds of making the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

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Former Jets assistant Karl Dorrell named University of Colorado head coach

Karl Dorrell, who coached the Jets wide receivers from 2015-18 was officially announced as the next head coach of Colorado on Sunday.

The University of Colorado officially hire former Jets assistant coach Karl Dorrell as its next head coach on Sunday.

Dorrell will get a five-year, $18 million deal, which is pending approval from Colorado’s Board of Regents, according to a statement released by the school. He will succeed Mel Tucker, who left Colorado  to replace Mark Dantonio at Michigan State. Dantonio resigned a day before National Signing Day.

Dorrell has ties to the Jets, as he coached the team’s wide receivers from 2015-18 as a member of Todd Bowles’ staff. In 2015, Dorrell oversaw a wide receiver room that included the elite duo of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Marshall and Decker both had 1,000-yard seasons, combining for 26 touchdowns and 189 catches.

Dorrell is a former University of Colorado assistant, too. He was the program’s wide receivers coach in 1992 and 1993 and returned to be the offensive coordinator from 1995-98. Now, Dorrell is making his third and presumably final stop in Boulder.

He returns to the Pac-12 after being the head coach at UCLA from 2003-07. There, Dorrell compiled a 35-27 record in five seasons. His teams went to four bowl games.

As a coach, Dorrell has also made college stops at UCF, Northern Arizona, Arizona State, Washington and Vanderbilt. In his most recent college coaching gig as Vanderbilt’s offensive coordinator, Dorrell was fired after just one season, which lead him back to the NFL.

Most recently, Dorrell was the Dolphins assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. He was hired by Brian Flores after the Jets elected to part ways with Bowles and his entire staff.

2015 Jets would’ve made playoffs under new CBA proposal

Under the new CBA, the Jets would’ve made the playoffs in 2015.

If only the 2015 New York Jets could’ve played under the NFL’s new collective bargaining agreement proposal.

The league proposed a new CBA this week that includes a revamped playoff format. Under the proposal, the playoffs would include a seventh team in each conference. The No. 1 seed in each conference would get home field advantage and a first-round bye.

If this playoff structure was in place during the 2015 season, the Jets would’ve made the playoffs with a 10-6 record. In that case, the Jets would’ve faced the New England Patriots on the road. In reality, they missed the playoffs by one disastrous game.

Following an upset victory over the Patriots in Week 16 that year, all the Jets had to do was beat Rex Ryan’s lowly Bills in Week 17. However, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions in a 22-17 loss, thus eliminating the Jets from playoff contention.

That 2015 team that fell short ended up being the best squad of Todd Bowles’ tenure with the Jets. It was his first season as a head coach and Fitzpatrick had the best year of his career to go along with a strong defense.

Years later, the proposed new playoff structure would only help the Jets going forward. With an extra team in the playoffs, it’s easier to make the postseason than it is under the current format. Obviously, the Jets would still have to have a decent record to get in and they haven’t done that in a while.

Nothing is set in stone with the playoff format yet, as the players have to agree to the NFL’s new CBA proposal. For Gang Green fans eagerly awaiting a playoff appearance, though, it’s easy to see why they could get behind it.

Jets assistant Steve Jackson takes job with Bengals

Jets assistant defensive backs coach Steve Jackson was hired by the Bengals as their cornerbacks coach.

Adam Gase will have to make a new addition to his coaching staff for the 2020 season.

According to the New York Post’s Brian Costello, Jets assistant DBs coach Steve Jackson was hired by the Cincinnati Bengals to be their cornerbacks coach.

Jackson spent the last two seasons with the Jets as their assistant DBs coach. Gase decided to retain Jackson from Todd Bowles’ staff after he was fired after the 2018 season.

Jackson has also worked for the Titans, Lions, Redskins and Bills. He played in the NFL for nine years as a defensive back for the Oilers and Titans.

Bill Barnwell gives Bruce Arians’ return to the NFL a stunning impact grade

Find out what ESPN’s Bill Barnwell had to say about Bruce Arians returning to the NFL to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got off to a rough start this season, going 2-6 after falling to the Seattle Seahawks in overtime back in Week 9. That game marked the last in a five-game stretch away from home for the Bucs, which also saw them travel to cities like Los Angeles and London during that time.

But the team turned it around in the second half, finishing the year 7-9. It was an up-and-down first year for head coach Bruce Arians, who came out of retirement to coach this Bucs squad, but it’s clear this team is heading in the right direction.

So, just how big of an impact did Arians’ return have on the league? According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, not much. In his rankings of the 30 best and worst deals and trades of 2019, Barnwell had Arians’ return at No. 24, giving his impact on the league a D+ grade.

Here’s Barnwell’s reasoning:

“The Cardinals could have stood in Arians’ way and demanded a more significant return for letting their former coach out of retirement, but they ended up agreeing to swap late-round picks. Neither of the players drafted took a regular-season snap. Arians’ Bucs improved as expected, but those upgrades were all on defense, where Tampa Bay improved from 32nd in defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) to fifth. Arians’ offense actually fell from 12th in DVOA to 21st, and while Jameis Winston became the first quarterback with 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in NFL history, he also became the first quarterback with 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in NFL history.”

I’m not sure why Barnwell repeats that Winston stat twice. He failed to mention that Winston also became just the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season, and the first Bucs quarterback to do so. Give credit where credit is due.

Back to that Arians grade, though. While the coach, and Bucs, ultimately didn’t have much of an affect on the NFL this year, there’s no question that the two-time NFL Coach of the Year has brought a winning swagger to Tampa Bay that’s been missing in years past. Also, he was able to convince Todd Bowles to join his staff. That, in itself, deserves an A+.

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When it comes to building a rush defense, Todd Bowles is a master architect

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has proven time and again to be a master architect of the rush defense.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense was one of the most improved in the league in 2019. After finishing 2018 ranked 27th in the league, the Bucs ended this year as the league’s 15th-best defense.

What’s more, they went from being ranked 24th in rush defense last season, allowing 123.9 yards per game, to first this season, surrendering just 73.8 yards. That’s no small feat for a team that plays in the same division as running backs like Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey and Devonta Freeman.

The drastic turnaround of Tampa Bay’s rush defense can be credited to first-year defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who has a track record of success when it comes to creating formidable defensive fronts.

Bowles worked as the DC with the Arizona Cardinals from 2013-2014, when Bruce Arians was head coach. In 2013, the Cardinals — under Bowles — had the league’s top rush defense, giving up 84.4 yards per game. In 2012, prior to Bowles’ arrival, Arizona’s defense was giving up 137.0 yards per game, which ranked 28th in the league.

And, when Bowles became head coach of the New York Jets in 2015, he was taking over a rush defense that ranked 5th in the league in 2014. But, under the tutelage of Bowles, the Jets jumped up to 2nd in 2015.

For a league that loves to put a premium on offensive firepower, Bowles has proven time and again that he can turn even the league’s worst defenses into one of the best, all within the span of one year. His experience, both as a coordinator and head coach, is a major plus for the Buccaneers, who were in desperate need of a rebuild following 2018.

As the Bucs heads into the offseason, they’ll look to add to an already formidable defense through free agency and the draft. And, with Bowles at the helm, Tampa Bay could easily have a top 5 defense next season. Couple that with the Bucs’ already potent offense, and there’s no doubt Tampa Bay’s postseason drought could finally come to an end in 2020.

Wouldn’t that be something?

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This stat further proves just how great Bucs LB Devin White was this season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Devin White had a tough start to his NFL career, but finished strong.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have finished just 7-9 — once again missing the postseason — but there are several reasons to be excited about this team heading into the offseason, something you haven’t really been able to say in years past about this franchise.

One of the biggest bright spots of the season was the emergence of rookie linebacker Devin White, who the team selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. White, the former LSU star, got off to a rough start to his NFL career, dealing with tonsillitis in the week leading up to the season opener and then suffering a knee sprain in Week 2 that sidelined him for several games.

But, once White got back on the field and found his groove, he showed exactly why draft experts had him pegged as the best linebacker in last year’s draft class. From body-slamming punters to chasing down running backs, White is ready to take the league by storm and be a cornerstone of this defense for years to come.

And, if you want further proof of just how great he was this season, this stat says it all.

The Bucs defense came a long way in 2019 under first-year defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. After ranking 27th overall last year, the Bucs defense finished 2019 as the league’s 15th-best defense. If the Bucs can find a way to keep the franchise’s new single-season sack leader Shaq Barrett, they could make an even bigger jump in 2020.

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And just like that, Trumaine Johnson was gone

Jets cornerback Trumaine Johnson didn’t answer any questions about his Jets tenure.

Well aware that his time with the Jets is coming to a close, Trumaine Johnson got out of One Jets Drive in a hurry on Monday. It was odd to see the cornerback moving so quickly.

Jets players spoke to the media one last time this year as they cleaned out their lockers, but Johnson had no interest in reflecting on his miserable tenure in New York. Instead, he wished every one a happy holiday and reminded them about his upcoming birthday.

“Happy New Years,” Johnson said. “My birthday is January 1.”

While not official yet, Johnson will not be returning to the Jets next season with his contract out of guaranteed money. If the Jets cut him before the third day of the new league year, they will save $3 million against the cap, but they’ll endure $12 million in dead money.

The 29-year-old cornerback was signed to a five-year, $72.5 million deal in 2018 by former general manager Mike Maccagnan. It ended up being one of the worst contracts in Jets history. Johnson couldn’t stay on the field because of injuries, faced team discipline and was downright atrocious when on the field.

In 17 games, Johnson had 57 total tackles, seven pass defenses, five interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a touchdown.

Johnson also had behavioral issues in his two years with the Jets. At the end of the 2018 season, Johnson was benched in the season finale by Todd Bowles for violating team rules.

With Johnson’s exit coming, the Jets will be in the market for a new cornerback. New York’s cornerback depth was pushed to its limit with injuries to both Johnson and Darryl Roberts and it showed all season. Bless Austin and Arthur Maulet filled in admirably, but New York needs to upgrade the position this offseason.