Buccaneers GM sees similarity between Calijah Kancey and franchise legend
The newest Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Calijah Kancey, already has an unfair bar to live up to, thanks to the similarities between himself and former Pittsburgh legend Aaron Donald. But even though Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht deems it unfair to compare Kancey to Donald, he still believes the 2022 ACC Defensive Player of the Year […]
The newest Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Calijah Kancey, already has an unfair bar to live up to, thanks to the similarities between himself and former Pittsburgh legend Aaron Donald.
But even though Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht deems it unfair to compare Kancey to Donald, he still believes the 2022 ACC Defensive Player of the Year has the same play-style of former Buccaneers great and Hall of Famer, Warren Sapp.
"I see it as adding," Licht said when asked if Kancey's selection means a different philosophy along the defensive line. "We're not going to, overall, do anything drastically different. People said that Warren Sapp was undersized, too. I'm pretty sure he'd like this guy… they have a very similar play-style."
"We liked him from the beginning," said Licht. "He's a super-disruptive interior player that you can actually play outside a little bit, too. I know that our coaches are excited about all the different things you can do with a player like this just because of his elite athleticism, quickness, and the fact that he's super-intelligent and just a great competitor.
"This day and age it's hard to find interior pass rushers. They're very few-and-far between, so, hopefully we got one."
The addition of Kancey adds an element that the Buccaneers defensive line currently doesn't have. Last year's first draft pick, Logan Hall, is the closest thing to what Kancey brings and even then, it's a distant comparison regarding skillset.
Kancey will play 3-tech primarily, though, which will be interesting considering that's kind of the same role Hall plays.
"That's kind of the way we see it right now, yea," said Licht.
The addition of Kancey should really beef up the Buccaneers' four-man pass rush, which is an improvement that is much-needed in 2023. It also reflects Todd Bowles' willingness to go outside the box when it comes to improving the team. Defensive linemen in his scheme are usually more about stopping the run than they are rushing the passer. But, with Shaquil Barrett's recovery from a torn Achilles, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka's inconsistency, and Anthony Nelson's limits, Bowles knows he needs his defensive line to step up the pass rush side of things more than ever.
Either way, the fact that Licht sees a shade of Sapp is a very encouraging start to what is hopefully a good career.
