Buccaneers reserve pass rusher shines in second preseason game

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass rush – or lack thereof – has been a topic of much discussion this off-season. Some NFL analysts have urged the team to make trades to bolster their pass rush, whether that be trading former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka , or trading for a pass rusher like Haason Reddick . Then, there’s the strange saga of Randy Gregory that ended with the two sides agreeing to his release prior to the preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars .

Yet, with all the uncertainty at the position, it was a reserve pass rusher who stood out when the Buccaneers took the field against the Jaguars on Saturday. Reserve pass rusher Jose Ramirez didn’t suit up at all for the Buccaneers last year in his first season with the team, staying on the team’s practice squad throughout the season. However, his three-sack performance against the Jaguars proved he may have a spot in the Bucs’ defensive rotation this season.

Ramirez was one of the bright spots in week two of the preseason according to The Sporting News analyst Vinnie Iyer . Iyer writes that Ramirez’s performance shows the Buccaneers’ pass rush “can still crush for Todd Bowles”, and that it’s a reminder that the Bucs “have good rejuvenated depth to complement the rest of the new-look back seven.”

The second-year player out of Eastern Michigan has yet to take a snap in a regular season game at the professional level, so we’ll have to see if he can replicate his success when the lights are bright and he’s lining up against starters. But at the very least, it should reassure the Bucs coaching staff and fans that there is still talent at the position, despite all the conjecture this off-season has brought with it.