The Bucs have spent a ton on their defensive lines over the last four years

“Football is won and lost in the trenches.” Would you be surprised Authentic Ryan Smith Jersey , given the defensive stats last year, if I told you the Bucs were third in 2017 with 26.12% ($40.1 million) of their salary cap allocated to the defensive line? Now, what if I told you the Bucs have been in the top ten of defensive line salary cap allocation every year since 2014? The lack of a consistent pass rush and sacks over the last four seasons makes that hard to believe, right? Yet, those are the cold hard facts. For all the bashing that Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht receives from fans, he’s continually spent money on the defensive line in an effort to try and make it better. The sports website Spotrac.com posted this tweet recently in response to a comment from former NFL player and now tv analyst Louis Reddick Youth Justin Evans Jersey , and it got me curious as to where the Bucs ranked.So what does the previous information tell us? That spending a lot on players isn't the same as spending a lot on the right players. If it was just about who spent the most on their defensive line, Tampa Bay would have had a consistently dominant line over the last four seasons. Obviously, there are injuries & bad coaching that can derail even a roster full of good players. The Bucs have had plenty of both over the last four years. But, I truly believe the team finally has a defensive roster ready to fulfill it’s potential and the money spent on acquiring that potential. The players and coaches have to find a way to live up to the hype this year. The time is now.Buccaneers already seeing what makes Jason Pierre-Paul special The Buccaneers were in dire need of defensive line help this offseason. General manager Jason Licht went out and got plenty of it, with the biggest acquisition coming when he traded for veteran defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. “JPP” was the Giants’ first round pick in 2010 after an impressive collegiate career at USF. In his eight seasons with New York, he put up 308 tackles http://www.buccaneersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-chris-godwin-jersey , 58 sacks, 13 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries. That type of production hasn’t been seen around Tampa Bay in quite some time, so his return to the Bay Area is a welcome sight for Buccaneer coaches, players and fans. The ninth-year pro has only been with Tampa Bay since March, but he has already shown what makes him a special player. At his introductory press conference back in March, Pierre-Paul talked about the 2015 fireworks accident that cost him his index finger and part of his thumb. He noted that overcoming the adversity brought by that accident made him feel “unstoppable.” During Tampa Bay’s first joint practice with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday O. J. Howard Jersey , he certainly looked unstoppable: Oh, you know. That’s just Pierre-Paul making Taylor Lewan, the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL, look downright silly. By now, it’s not surprising. But it’s still impressive. Pierre-Paul has been a consistent bright spot for the Bucs throughout the month of August, which is extremely encouraging. As a vet Authentic Chandler Catanzaro Jersey , he could coast through camp and the preseason to save himself for the regular season. But he doesn’t appear to be wired that way. After Wednesday’s practice, Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter talked about the work 29-year-old’s work ethic: It’s mid-August and Tampa Bay is already seeing why Pierre-Paul is a special player. The Bucs haven’t seen a defensive end like him in a long while and, barring injury, he might be a threat to put up the team’s first season of double-digit sacks since Simeon Rice did it in 2005. If the Buccaneer fan base isn’t already excited about this guy, it’s time to jump aboard the Jason Pierre-Paul hype train.