The Buccaneers were last in the league in sacks and passing yards allowed last year, so it stands to reason that they spent most of their offseason capital on that side of the ball.
So defensive coordinator Mike Smith knows the expectation will be on improvement.
“It’s got to be a hell of a lot better than what we put out there last year,” Smith said, via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. “I’ve said it many times. The numbers are not anywhere close to what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to be more consistent in everything we do, and it starts in the meeting rooms, in building trust with one another across the board. That’s the most important thing.”
Well, that and finding players who are good at football.
The Bucs traded for defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, signed linemen Vinny Curry, Beau Allen, and Mitch Unrein in free agency, and then used three of their first four draft picks on defense.,
With first-rounder Vita Vea bolstering what could be a solid front (for new line coach Brentson Buckner to work with), the Bucs could make big improvements this year. That’s also easier because it would be hard to be worse. (Narrator: It can always get worse.)