Now you see him, now you don’t: Where was Spence in the Dolphin Game?

A letdown from the Pittsburgh game

In-game one of the preseason, against Pittsburgh, Noah Spence made his presence known. After the Dolphins game, all he had to show for a short night’s work was an assist on a tackle. Don’t anybody lose your minds over this, remember this is preseason, and while it does play a part in determining some starting positions, and backup roles. Noah Spence’s place on the team is pretty well cemented into place by the lack of depth at the position. I’ve read several pieces since the game that suggested that Spence’s making the 53 man roster was somehow in danger because of his lack of commotion in this latest game. Blah, Blah, Blah, what a load of crap.

All hands on deck, depth is shallow

The Bucs are only another injury away from being in a pretty tight spot if that player comes from the front 7 of Todd Bowles 3-4 scheme. Unless Jason Licht has his eyes on some of those position players and is confident they will be cut from another team and that we could sign them here(with whatever cap money is available). Then he, nor Arians is on the verge of cutting Noah Spence. The Bucs like what Spence brings to the table, and they like his big-play potential, his upside, and his chances to really step up and assert himself this year if he can stay healthy.

Nothing to worry about

One game of little to no big plays, or stops, is going to cause the staff to panic and send Spence packing. Devin White is still a no show as far as showing us what he can do. For the Starters in preseason, it’s a time of not much time on the field until the last preseason game or two. He has been impressive in camp, and the Bucs are expecting big things from him this year since being pressed into a premier role due to the departure of McCoy, and the neck issues of JPP. It’s no secret Spence is much better suited to play in Bowles scheme, than he was to play in Mike Smith’s style of play.

Have no fear

Rumors of Spence’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. He may find himself playing more minutes against Cleveland, and so might Devin White, so just have faith, and have fun watching these young guys mature into the players we always hoped they could be. Take the minor bumps in the road with a grain of salt, and Go Bucs!!