Going into the regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were already running tight on the defensive line. Then, Jacquies Smith tore his ACL and was placed on Injured Reserve, affectively ending his season. In total, the Buccaneers have six defensive line players who are past their rookie season out of nine total.
During Training Camp, the Buccaneers would have the defensive line lineup with Robert Ayers and Will Gholston at Defensive Tackle with Gerald McCoy and Clinton McDonald at Defensive Tackle. However, the team would also frequently run Ayers inside with McCoy and bring in Noah Spence and Smith at DE, showing that the team was planning to use Smith frequently.
Smith led the team in sacks during this past preseason, on a team that led the league in sacks during the preseason. Smith also caused havoc to opposing QBs last season, notably against Drew Brees and the Saints where he gathered three sacks and two forced fumbles, which proves how much of an impact of he has made on the team.
In order to replace Smith, the Buccaneers will need DEs Noah Spence and Robert Ayers to step up. Spence played well in the preseason and GM Jason Licht believes he was the best pure pass rusher in the previous draft. Ayers was a free agent signing this past off season and his impact on the team has already been shown, as he recorded a sack against the Atlanta Falcons in week one of the season. If those two players can step up, the lose of Smith is somewhat negated.
Even if Spence and Ayers do step up, the main factor for the Buccaneers’ defensive line is Gerald McCoy. He is the best player among the defensive linemen, and his impact can be seen when the line struggles without him playing. McCoy draws double teams many times in a game, which allows for other players to get through. McCoy’s impact is undeniable to people who watch the Buccaneers player regularly, and if he can continue to dominate, the lose of Smith will not impact the Buccaneers very much.
Editor’s note: The writer’s father works for the Bucs