On Monday it was reported that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were making a roster move for a big name pass rusher. Former start edge rusher and Bucs Super Bowl champions Jason Pierre-Paul was signed to the practice squad yesterday evening. It’s a move that was both nostalgic and surprising.
Pierre-Paul hasn’t played in the NFL over the last two seasons. He will turn 37 years old within a month. Even when he was playing a few years ago, he was barely able to get onto the field and was a shell of the guy we saw the last time we saw him suit up in Tampa.
So the very natural question is, why did the Bucs bring in Pierre-Paul when he is so clearly over the hill?
It’s a fair question that we don’t have an answer to yet. Unfortunately, whatever the answer may be and whenever we get it, I don’t expect it to be good news. The way that I see it, it could be one of three things and I’m not sure that any of them are good.
Best Case
In the very best case scenario, the Bucs have brought Pierre-Paul in to be more of a coach than a player. Work with some of these young guys and help them develop. Perhaps long term this is a foot in the door for him as he eventually transitions to a position coach down the line.
This might work for the Bucs. There is no denying that Pierre-Paul has a long and successful career and is a wealth of knowledge. Passing that along to the next generation is not a bad thing.
Staff LackingÂ
However, in the short term, what does it say about this coaching staff if they had to bring in a former player to help bring these young guys along? Maybe it’s more a reflection on the players and their inability to learn from these coaches and Pierre-Paul won’t have success with them either. This is all speculation, but him coming in as a player coach on the sidelines is really the best case scenario.
Vocal LeaderÂ
Another possibility is that this team misses Pierre-Paul’s leadership. He’s always been a hard nosed player who isn’t afraid to say what needs to be said. He was an excellent leader on the Bucs Super Bowl team.
However, that was five years ago. This roster looks very different now than it did then. Frankly, they should already have leaders in house to where they should need to bring in someone off the coach to lead these players.
That would also put Pierre-Paul in a bad position. Most of these guys weren’t on that Super Bowl winning roster. And while a respected peer might resonate with former teammates like Antione Winfield Jr or Vita Vea, I’m not sure how much these younger guys will respond to a former player like this.
If this is the reason they brought in Pierre-Paul then it’s a desperate move and it’s a damning reflection on the current Bucs leadership.Â
But Maybe…
This third possibility is that the Buccaneers are actually hoping that this move will help their pass rush. The very thought of that being the case is embarrassing. To bring in a guy that hasn’t played in two years and wasn’t effective the last few years that he actually did play is as desperate as anything.
Granted, the Bucs pass rush has been underwhelming. Anthony Nelson and Chris Braswell have a combined 4.0 sacks this season. The team could certainly use an upgrade there, but I have no reason to believe that Jason Pierre-Paul could be that.
Worst CaseÂ
In the worst case scenario, this move is a signal that starting edge rusher Haason Reddick won’t be back this year. Reddick left the game on Sunday with an ankle injury and did not practice yesterday. If that injury is worse than we realize and Pierre-Paul is his replacement for the rest of the season then that’s a big problem for this defense.
As much as it’s nice to have an old familiar face back with the team, there really isn’t a scenario where this is a positive thing for the Bucs. It comes off as desperate and as a team who is struggling to find answers. But that’s honestly what this team is right now; a team that is lost and desperate for answers to their problems.
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