Usage comes to light.
Ever since the Bucs drafted the Miami Mauler, Rueben Bain at No. 15 in last month’s draft, Joe has been racking his brain about how the Bucs are going to use him.
Bain is a ferocious defensive end in a 43 defense. KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles runs a 34 defense.
At least with the eyeball test, Bain doesn’t play or even look like an edge rusher/outside linebacker in Bowles’ defense. Joe cannot picture Bain dropping back into pass coverage on a semi-regular basis.
But former NFL safety and current Chicagoland high school coach Matt Bowen, typing for BSPN, is of the belief Bain may not have found a better landing spot than with Bowles and the Bucs.
And for Joe, that is a real headscratcher. Bain was a beast as a 43 defensive end. He took over games. How could Bain landing with a team to play defensive end in a four-man front not have been better?
Bowen seems to think Bowles can get the most out of Bain.
Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Drafted: Round 1, No. 15
Why he fits: Bain’s rugged play style fills an immediate need for the Bucs on their defensive front. He can set edges versus the run game (54 tackles on designed rushes last season); he combines power and flexibility to turn the corner as a pass rusher (five sacks in the College Football Playoff).
In coach Todd Bowles’ defense, look for Bain to seize one-on-one opportunities, be used on loops/stunts and create interior matchups as a nickel/dime defensive tackle. This is a strong fit in Tampa Bay.
Again, Joe has wrestled with how Bain fits in Bowles’ defense ever since the Bucs drafted the guy. Then, a couple of days ago, the light bulb lit up in Joe’s head.
The Bucs will make Bain their newest version of Ndamukong Suh.
Now Joe doesn’t know if that is fair. Suh should be a Hall of Famer and he just dominated the league. Suh was past his prime with the Bucs and he was still ragdolling people (hi Aaron Rodgers!).
So, Joe gets it now. Bain will be Bowles’ next Suh. Joe would still rather see Bain just pin his ears back on passing downs and make a beeline to the quarterback. But yeah, Joe can see Bain playing up and down the defensive line just like Suh did.