Missing persons report.
So far — so far! — the buzz isn’t living up to the hype. Not remotely so.
Look, Joe is not going to bang on a rookie who has only played two games. But the hype on Bucs rookie outside linebacker Rueben Bain was off the hook this offseason. It was as if Bain was going to single-handedly be the next Lee Roy Selmon while on the side curing world hunger and solving climate change.
He has done none of the above. Bain has easily been the most hyped Bucs rookie since America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston. There is no meat on those bones, however.
At least in Jameis’ second NFL game, he threw for 207 yards and added a touchdown, guiding the Bucs to a win over Sean Payton and the slimy Saints in Lincoln’s Tomb.
So far in two games, Bain has one tackle. That’s it. On Sunday, there was an all-points bulletin put out by the Bucs trying to locate Bain’s whereabouts.
Look, it is hard for a rookie edge rusher to dominate in the NFL. And a rookie edge rusher in Todd Bowles’ defense? Talk about an unreal steep climb to dominate.
Right now, the way Bain looks, Joe always hates to suggest it, but he looks like an aggressive, more muscular Chris Braswell. Once Bain goes inside and faces a couple of defenders, he gets lost in the wash.
Joe is confident Bain will get the hang of things eventually. But right now just using the naked eye, it seems Anthony Nelson is a better option.
And with the Bucs being 0-2, and that’s before the annual Bowles midseason swoon and with a pair of very likely more losses coming because Bowles still cannot beat an AFC North team, Joe doesn’t know if Bowles has the luxury of just leaving Bain out on the field and letting him work out his problems.
Bowles needs wins. In a hurry. Or Bain will be coached up next spring by someone else.