news-engine

“We Would All Be Disappointed If He’s Not A Double-Digit Sack Guy” August 28th, 2026The hype for Buccaneers rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain is nearly a runaway train situation. So much is being put on the Miami Mauler edge rusher’s back. Joe almost feels sorry for Bain. Because the Buccaneers’ edge rush has been so damn miserable for years, Bain expectations are through the roof. That’s unfair. The NFL has had several Hall of Fame caliber edge rushers that came nowhere near double-digit sacks as rookies. For example, Michael Strahan had 1 sack as a rookie, equal to Cameron Jordan’s rookie campaign. All-Pro edge rusherWill Anderson of the Texans had 7 sacks as a rookie. Myles Garrett stopped at 7 sacks, too. T.J. Watt had 7 rookie sacks. Hell, immortal J.J. Watt only had 5 1/2 sacks as a rookie. But Bain? Well, for way too many people, he’d be a stone cold bust if he can only find, say, 6 1/2 sacks this season. Sadly, one of those guys might be someone who patrols One Buc Palace regularly. That’s Bucs legend and unofficial team insider Rondé Barber, who does work for the team website. Barber hopped on The Jim Rome Show this week and told a national audience how stunning Bain is. Joe agrees, but Joe is only expecting consistent play and steady improvement from Bain, not an instant Pro Bowler. Barber has other ideas. “I think he’s going to take the league by storm,” Barber said. “I don’t want to put a lot on him; he is a rookie. But I think we would all be disappointed if he’s not a double-digit sack guy in his first year. He is that impactful.” Joe sure hopes Barber is correct. But Joe doesn’t like the pressure on Bain, who is now nursing a shoulder sprain. Let the guy have his rookie year. Joe would prefer to ramp up the pressure on Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, former first-round picks like Bain, as well as contract-year edge rusher YaYa Diaby.