Tampa Bay Buccaneers Legend discusses Ndamukong Suh’s future
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have re-signed the majority of their key free agents this offseason, but there are still a few notable names who are not yet under contract for the 2022 season. Star tight end Rob Gronkowski remained coy on his future, as he hesitates between continuing to play football and retiring. Earlier this week, Gronkowski and Brady were spotted together a short distance from Raymond James Stadium.
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Then there’s the curious case of veteran defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. For the past few years, Suh has been a centerpiece in defense but injuries have piled up in 2021 and limited his impact. The Buccaneers invested in the defensive line in the recent NFL Draft, selecting defensive tackle Logan Hall in the second round. That means Suh’s future with the franchise is pretty uncertain at this point.
Speaking on the Beckles and Research Show earlier this week, legendary Buccaneers defensive lineman Warren Sapp weighed in on the situation. The Hall of Famer thinks Tampa Bay won’t bring Suh back, pointing to their moves in the draft.
“No, we won’t bring Suh back. You can skip that,” Sapp said. “You don’t write in a defensive tackle and bring one back that can’t rush and that’s what you’re looking for, that’s the one that can. That’s the opposite message. We have Vita Vea, he is large enough to hold two A gap.”
Sapp was asked if he thinks Vita Vea should be moved down the line to fill the role of Suh. Instead, he wants Vita to keep what he’s doing with an eye on new recruit Logan Hall. If those two can keep him in the middle, the defense will do their job.
“No, fish out of water. Let the fat guy [Vea] where he is comfortable. Let it roll and process and figure out where it needs to go,” Sapp said. “But this new guy [Logan Hall], we need to give him an engine and teach him how to get to the quarterback. If you have two in the middle doing good, everything else will be fine.”
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To say the least, Sapp wasn’t happy with what he saw from the defensive line last season. He notably picked 2021 first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Hopefully things will return to its standards this fall.
“Man, I wasn’t a fan of any of them. It was just ‘who are these guys?’ A man was drafted No. 1 [Joe Tryon-Shoyinka] who had what, five bags [Tryon-Shoyinka had four sacks in 2021]? Not a single straight run to be found. Many of these twists and stunts were also done from the inside. So I’m wondering, you have this guy who gets money inside and you’re about to put it outside? Are you preparing to face the left tackles of the National Football League? OK. You didn’t even beat one in college? OK.”
Tampa Bay has made it a point to reinvigorate a defensive line that was old and battered at the end of last season’s playoff loss. Jason Pierre-Paul is almost certain to part ways with the Buccaneers and Suh could very well join him. The addition of Hall gives the franchise a high-potential rookie to work with on the inside alongside Vea and Rakeem Nunes-Roches. The hope is that Tryon-Shoyinka will take the next step opposite William Gholston.
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